title: Prior felon arrested for cyberstalking previous victim

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Daniel Richter, 45, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with cyberstalking. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who is handling the case, stated that, for a short time in 2002, Richter sent bizarre emails to and followed a victim he was acquainted with at the University at Buffalo. In 2007, Richter started sending post-cards with strange messages to the victim and leaving harassing voice-mail messages on her work phone. On April 23, 2008, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office arrested Richter, and he pleaded guilty to Stalking in the Fourth Degree, and was given a fine and an Order of Protection was issued against Richter. In 2018, Richter renewed unwanted communications, via phone calls and emails, with the victim. In September 2020, he was convicted of interstate communication of threat to injure and sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison. In December 2023, after completing his term of supervised release for his federal conviction, Richter once again renewed his attempts to contact the victim. Between December 25 and February 6, 2024, the victim received approximately 94 voice messages from Richter. In addition, between February 6, 2024, and his arrest today, Richter sent over 600 emails to the victim, which include incoherent rambling and sexual and/or threatening comments directed at the victim. In one of those emails, Richter stated that he would travel to Western New York to see her personally on March 28th. Law enforcement located Richter this morning at a hotel an Amherst, NY, after he had flown to Buffalo from Los Angeles, California. In Richter’s hotel room, investigators recovered a photograph of the victim, the victim’s contact information, a ski mask, and hair dye. Richter made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was held pending a detention hearing on April 4, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, and Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Owner of New Jersey Fireproofing and Painting Company Indicted for Tax Crimes

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was charged with tax evasion and failure to file tax returns, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today. John Constantino, 67, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, is charged in an 18-count indictment with six counts of tax evasion and 12 counts of failure to file tax returns. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Constantino owned and operated a fireproofing and painting business since at least 1989. Despite both the company and Constantino earning income between 2017 and 2022, Constantino failed to report the company’s income on corporate tax returns and also failed to report his own income on personal tax returns, resulting $682,735 in taxes due and owing to the United States, which Constantino never paid. Instead of paying those taxes, Constantino took affirmative steps to conceal both his and the company’s income and assets including, cashing approximately $13 million worth of checks payable to the company at a check cashing facility and structuring cash deposits into both his and the company’s bank accounts to avoid triggering Currency Transaction Reports, which are reported to the U.S. Department of Treasury. The tax evasion counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of five years and a fine of $100,000. Each count of failure to file tax returns carry a maximum potential penalty of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000 each. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U. S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. r_constantino.indictment.pdf


title: Dubuque Man Who Trafficked Hundreds of Pounds of Ice Methamphetamine Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who trafficked over 300 pounds of ice methamphetamine in the Dubuque, Iowa, area was sentenced today to more than 11 years in federal prison. Jason Laufenberg, age 39, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 5, 2023 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine, a controlled substance. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that from 2019 to 2021, Laufenberg and co-conspirators trafficked over 300 pounds of ice methamphetamine in the Dubuque, Iowa, area. Each pound cost Laufenberg about $3,500. Laufenberg was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Laufenberg was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Laufenberg is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-1008. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Jamaican National Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the U.S.

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GARFIELD ANTHONY PATTERSON, 49, a citizen of Jamaica residing in East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to six months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, Patterson was deported from the U.S. to Jamaica in January 1997 and again in April 2000, and he has sustained convictions in Broward County, Florida, in 1997, for grand larceny in the third degree, and, in 1999, for possession of marijuana, possession of a fraudulently issued driver’s license, and obstruction. Patterson again illegally reentered the U.S. and, in June 2019, was arrested in Middletown, Connecticut, for larceny in the first degree. He was convicted of that offense and, in March 2021, he was sentenced in state court to 18 months of imprisonment, execution suspended after four months, and three years of probation. On June 15, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Patterson with illegally reentering the U.S. On February 23, 2023, a jury in New Haven found him guilty of the offense. Patterson, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on May 15. He faces deportation when he completes his prison term. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with the assistance of the Middletown Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj Patel.


title: Man from Hawaii Admits Sextortion of Missouri Teen

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A resident of Hawaii pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and admitted the sextortion of a 14-year-old Missouri girl, as well as the distribution of explicit images of other minors. Gerardo Javier Montes, 33, pleaded guilty to one felony count of distribution of child pornography. Between Dec. 6, 2021, and Jan. 14, 2022, Montes communicated with the 14-year-old Missouri girl via numerous private messages on Reddit. She initially believed he was 21 but later found out that he was a decade older. Montes often turned the conversation to sexual matters. He provided advice on how to create nude images. He also sent her an explicit image of a 15-year-old. At one point she sent him an image of herself in a bra and a picture of herself topless. She later told Montes her full name and directed him to an online profile. On Jan. 13, 2022, the victim tried to cut off contact with Montes. He responded by threatening to post nude photos of her on various social media sites and send them to “every school in the state.” He demanded more pictures, providing a detailed list of what he wanted, and tried to get her to engage in sexual activity with a dog. He also created a fake Reddit account, pretending to be a 15-year-old girl, to try and trick the victim into providing nude images. On Jan. 15, 2022, he sent images of the victim to someone else via Discord. An investigation began after the FBI received a tip about the sextortion and traced the blackmailer to Hawaii. They performed a court-approved search of his home and seized electronic devices that contained child sexual abuse material. Montes admitted as part of his plea that he traded child pornography with others online, including images of his former girlfriends when they were minors and other child victims that he provided with money, gift cards, clothes, sexual toys or electronics in exchange for nude images. Those victims include one girl in Oklahoma, one in Texas and one in Colorado. Montes made posts and comments in teen-focused Reddit groups, as well as groups discussion depression and rape fantasies. He also admitted seeking child sexual abuse material from other minors online. In February of 2021, he asked someone who said she had been sexually abused as a minor for nude images of herself when she was 13. In December 2021, Montes asked a 12-year-old girl if she wanted to see his genitals and asked to see her nude. Montes is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15. The distribution charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term or five years, and a maximum of 20 years. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has detailed information on resources for sextortion victims, including videos and discussion guides to help explain the problem to children and adults. They also have a step-by-step guide on how to report pictures or videos of children to social media companies and flag pictures so that the companies will seek out and remove the images. To report sextortion, contact local law enforcement or the FBI by calling Call 1-800-CALL-FBI, contacting your local FBI office , or reporting it online at tips.fbi.gov or cybertipline.org . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Lame Deer man admits attempting to coerce and pay for sex with minors on Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

body_text: BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man today admitted to attempting to have sex with two minor girls on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Travis Dean Two Two, Sr., 35, pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement and to attempted sex trafficking of a minor as charged in an indictment. Two Two faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years to a lifetime of supervised release on each charge. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Aug. 1 and Two Two was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that from about May 2023 to August 2023, in Lame Deer and Ashland, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Two Two communicated with a 14-year-old girl, identified as Jane Doe 1, through social media. Responding to a tip about the communications, law enforcement obtained messages in which Two Two confirms Doe 1 is 14 and indicates the two of them will have some fun together. Law enforcement obtained permission to take over Doe 1’s account and communicate with Two Two. The communications became increasingly sexual and Two Two requested naked pictures of Doe 1 and made plans to meet with her for sex. Ultimately, Two Two discussed meeting Doe 1 at the Montana Fair in Billings, indicated he wanted to take nude pictures of her and “maybe make a video” of sex acts with her. He noted that he “like[s] them young.” Law enforcement arrested Two Two on Aug. 19 as he was leaving the MontanaFair. The government further alleged that from about June 2023 until September 2023, at Lame Deer, Two Two attempted to engage a minor girl in commercial sex. In August 2023, law enforcement interviewed a 16-year-old girl, identified as Jane Doe 2, who indicated she had met Two Two in 2021 and that they had communicated though text messages in the summer of 2023. Doe 2 told law enforcement Two Two provided her with marijuana and that in exchange, Two Two began asking for sexual contact, to include a kiss and to grab her butt, which she allowed on a couple of occasions. Two Two later asked for sex in exchange for the marijuana, and Doe 2 rejected this offer. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and Northern Cheyenne Investigative Services conducted the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. XXX


title: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission File Statement of Interest in Hotel Room Algorithmic Price-Fixing Case

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department joined by the Federal Trade Commission (collectively the “Agencies”), filed a statement of interest with the District of New Jersey in the case of Cornish-Adebiyi v. Caesars Entertainment , which explains that hotels cannot collude on room pricing and cannot use an algorithm to engage in practices that would be illegal if done by a real person. Companies across the economy are increasingly using algorithms to determine their prices. When a small group of algorithm providers can influence a major segment of a market, competitors are better able to use the algorithm provider to facilitate collusion. This risk is even greater as markets have become more concentrated across a wide range of industries. Algorithms that recommend prices to numerous competing hotels make it harder for travelers to comparison-shop for the best rate. In their statement, the Agencies highlight two key aspects of competition law. First, plaintiffs do not need to identify direct communications between competitors to allege an agreement under Section 1 of the Sherman Act, particularly when they allege that an algorithm provider that works with the competitors is acting in concert with them. Competitors cannot lawfully cooperate to set their prices, whether via their staff or an algorithm, even if the competitors never communicate with each other directly. Second, an agreement to use shared pricing recommendations, list prices or pricing algorithms is still unlawful even when co-conspirators retain some pricing discretion. Setting or recommending initial starting prices can still violate the antitrust laws even if those are not the prices that consumers ultimately pay. The Agencies have a strong interest in protecting consumers from algorithmic collusion, and their statement provides guidance to any firm that uses an algorithm to set prices. The Agencies recently filed a statement of interest in an algorithmic price-fixing case in the residential housing market, and the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a statement of interest and memorandum of law in another real estate algorithmic price-fixing case last year. The division also has an ongoing case alleging that a middleman orchestrated a yearslong conspiracy to share pricing and other sensitive information among meat processing competitors .


title: Passaic County Man Charged with Using Explosive to Damage Chase Bank ATM

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County man was charged with using an explosive to damage a Chase Bank automated teller machine (ATM) in Prospect Park, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Nicolas Torres, 41, of Passaic, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with using an explosive to damage real property used in interstate commerce and possession of an unregistered firearm, namely the destructive device. The defendant appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In the early morning hours of July 5, 2022, Torres was captured on surveillance video approaching the Chase Bank ATM in Prospect Park and appearing to ignite an item in front of the ATM. Several seconds later, an explosion was seen at the ATM. Torres was seen fleeing the location with two individuals. In addition to the surveillance video, cellular phone location data placed Torres in the area of the Chase Bank at the time of the explosion. The investigation also revealed that Torres had traveled to Pennsylvania the day before and purchased approximately $1,000 worth of fireworks. Examination of the physical evidence obtained from Chase Bank revealed cardboard with “MgAl” stamped on it. MgAl refers to magnalium, an alloy of magnesium and aluminum, which can be used as fuel to form an explosive when ignited by heat or a flame (as depicted in the surveillance video), thereby making it an improvised explosive device. The use of an explosive to damage real property used in interstate commerce charge carries a statutory minimum of five years in prison, a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. The possession of an unregistered firearm charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, and the Prospect Park Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Captain Walter Richmond, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the U.S. Attorney’s National Security Unit in Newark. The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. torres.complaint.pdf


title: St. Paul Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun, Crashed Stolen Vehicle Through a Restaurant During Police Chase

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machine gun following a shooting incident that ended with the defendant crashing the stolen vehicle he was driving through an unoccupied restaurant, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on the afternoon of February 15, 2023, officers with the St. Paul Police Department responded to a shots-fired 911 call in the area of Luella Street North and Wilson Avenue. Witnesses reported hearing automatic gunfire coming from a black Jeep traveling westbound on Wilson Avenue that was apparently chasing another Jeep. Within a few blocks of the area, officers located a black Jeep with a rear window that appeared to have been shot up. When officers turned around in their squad car to follow the Jeep, it led officers on a high-speed chase until it eventually hit another vehicle and crashed through the Ox Cart Ale House restaurant in St. Paul, which was unoccupied at the time. Officers saw Moeshea Isiah Hart, 19, exit the Jeep and detained him. On the floor of the restaurant, near the Jeep’s driver’s side door, officers recovered a loaded Glock model 45 9mm pistol with an inserted high-capacity magazine and an attached switch, a conversion device that turns a handgun into a fully automatic machine gun. Approximately 11 9mm discharged cartridge casings were located in and around the driver’s area of the Jeep, including one outside the Jeep on the floor of the restaurant. Police later determined that the Jeep had been reported stolen from St. Paul in December 2022. Hart pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell to one count of possession of a machine gun. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Paul Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.


title: Two Indicted for $9.4 Million Fraud Against AHCCCS's Insurance Program for Native Americans

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Earlier this month, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a 30-count indictment against Kenneth Harrison, 44, and Courtney Haywood, 38, of Las Vegas, Nevada on 30 felony counts related to their Arizona-based company, Aurtism, LLC, which was used to defraud the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) of over $9.4 million. Harrison and Haywood made their initial appearances on the charges in federal court in Phoenix Wednesday. The indictment alleges that Harrison and Haywood committed conspiracy, healthcare fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft by using Aurtism to fraudulently bill AHCCCS’s American Indian Health Program for mental health services they claimed were provided to indigent Native Americans during 2020 and 2021. The indictment alleges that, in addition to overbilling for patients that Aurtism treated, Harrison and Haywood billed for patients Aurtism never treated—such as those who received treatment in residential facilities, were in prison or jail, or deceased. Aurtism billed AHCCCS for more than $9.4 million in less than two years. Of the payments received from AHCCCS, Harrison spent $2.7 million on residential real estate, $763,000 on luxury cars, and nearly $1 million on retail purchases and travel. Haywood spent much of the $3.4 million he received from the AHCCCS payments on real estate, cars, retail purchases, and travel. A conviction for conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a conviction for healthcare fraud or money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a conviction for aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two years in prison. Each conviction also carries a maximum fine of up to twice the amount of financial loss to AHCCCS and mandates full restitution to AHCCCS. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. Harrison- Indictment CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00393-PHX-MTL RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-039_Harrison # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Greenbrier County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jason Michael Tucker, 43, of Frankford, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 30, 2022, Tucker sold a Ruger model Wrangler .22LR caliber revolver to a confidential informant for $125 in the Frankford area of Greenbrier County. Tucker admitted to the transaction, and further admitted to selling a quantity of heroin to the confidential informant at the same location a few hours before the transaction. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Tucker knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in Monroe County Circuit Court on August 30, 2018, and for delivery of a controlled substance-marijuana in Greenbrier County Circuit Court on April 22, 2005. Tucker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force is composed of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lewisburg Police Department. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-17. ###


title: Northern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney and Procurement Collision Strike Force Director Host Antitrust Summit

body_text: ATLANTA - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, and the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (“PCSF”) hosted a summit where procurement officials and law enforcement partners from across the Atlanta metropolitan area convened to raise awareness concerning collusion, corruption, and fraud schemes that target government spending. spending. "Our office is committed to working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure that the citizens of this district receive government services free from collusion, corruption, and fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our close collaboration with the Antitrust Division, in particular, allows us to better identify, investigate, and prosecute procurement fraud and, in so doing, assure the public that safeguarding taxpayer funds ranks as a top priority.” “Today’s summit is a valuable opportunity for the PCSF to forge vital partnerships with representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and several local, state and federal law enforcement agencies that are dedicated to protect the integrity of the federal government’s contracts,” said Director Glad. “Our partnerships increase awareness and combine resources and tools that protect taxpayers’ money.” During the summit, U.S. Attorney Buchanan and Director Glad reflected on the PCSF’s growth and success since its inception in 2019. They detailed additional resources the Department of Justice has dedicated to combat procurement collusion and emphasized the importance of law enforcement partnerships and a whole-of-government response to persistent threats in government spending. They also sharpened the PCSF’s focus on the challenges, risks, and opportunities posed by significant government spending in and around the Atlanta metropolitan area under the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which will provide billions in federal spending in Georgia over the next several years. Presentations at the summit outlined the ways that federal, state, and local government agencies can partner with the PCSF to address these emerging threats. Other topics discussed at the summit included ways that government agencies can strengthen their procurement processes to better protect taxpayer funds and meet the mission to provide services to residents. Summit participants included representatives from the FBI, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General, Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Department of Transportation, and City of Atlanta Office of Inspector General. The PCSF is the Department of Justice’s coordinated, national law enforcement effort to target antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state, and local. The PCSF is comprised of the Antitrust Division, multiple U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, the FBI, and the Inspectors General for multiple federal agencies. Since its inception in November 2019, the PCSF has opened more than 100 criminal investigations and trained more than 31,000 people. In that time, the PCSF and Antitrust Division have investigated and prosecuted over 65 companies and individuals involving more than $500 million worth of government contracts. The summit marks the Department’s continued support of the PCSF as it enters its fifth year. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report collusion affecting government contracts, please visit www.justice.gov/atr/procurement-collusion-strike-force . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 11 and a Half Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Possession of Firearm While on Federal Supervised Release

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa.- A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 138 months in federal prison for fentanyl and heroin trafficking and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon while on federal supervised release for a prior conviction, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States Senior District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Todd Hill, 38, also ordering Hill to serve eight years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Hill previously pleaded guilty in this case to (1) conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin, (2) possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin, and (3) possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that, in 2020 and 2021, Hill trafficked hundreds of grams of fentanyl and heroin and unlawfully possessed a firearm while on federal supervised release following his incarceration for a 2016 federal conviction for conspiring to distribute heroin. He also engaged in the heroin trafficking that led to his 2016 conviction while on a previous term of federal supervised release, following a 2007 federal conviction and prison sentence for possessing cocaine base with intent to distribute. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Pennsylvania State Police; Pittsburgh Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; United States Marshals Service; and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hill.


title: Local Magician Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Sutton man who worked as a magician for over 20 years was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for exploiting children in Cambodia. Scott Jameson, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 78 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Jameson was also ordered to pay $20,000 in special assessments. In November 2024, Jameson pleaded guilty to one count of illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of transportation of child pornography. “Scott Jameson thought that by travelling overseas to Cambodia in order to sexually exploit children, he could get away with it. He was wrong,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Sexual exploitation of children is unconscionable, regardless of where the victims live. Our office works with international authorities regularly to make sure that individuals like Mr. Jameson are held accountable for their criminal conduct. We will not cease in our efforts to bring individuals who harm children to justice.” “This predator with a passport traveled halfway around the world and engaged in illicit sexual conduct with a child and then brought back home evidence of that sexual abuse so he could relive it for his own sick gratification,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Child sexual exploitation is abhorrent anywhere it occurs, and the FBI will continue to go after Americans who travel abroad for that purpose. We’re determined to bring them to justice for the damage they’ve done and prevent them from victimizing anyone else’s child.” In early 2022, Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), a Cambodian Non-Governmental Organization founded to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation, contacted federal authorities in the United States to report that Jameson engaged in inappropriate behavior with minors in Cambodia. An investigation revealed that, while in Cambodia, Jameson would provide gifts and money to children and their families. Children reported that he would visit the pagoda where they lived and sleep in a room with the children. In September 2022, authorities in the United States were notified that Jameson, a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, had again traveled from Boston to Cambodia in August 2022. Upon his return to the United States on Oct. 19, 2022, Jameson was stopped at Logan Airport. During a search of his belongings, a video was discovered which he produced during his most recent trip to Cambodia, depicting the genitals of a young boy who was approximately seven years old. Jameson admitted to creating the video and transferring it from his camera to a hard drive that he possessed when he was stopped at Logan Airport. Additionally, Jameson’s laptop revealed that it had been used to view images of child sexual exploitation material. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Jameson stated that he worked as a magician for over 20 years, regularly performing at libraries and private and family events across New England, usually for children as young as kindergarten age and up to the eighth grade. Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by United States Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations and the Sutton and Littleton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Three Philadelphia Men Admit Roles in Conspiracy to Burglarize United Parcel Service Warehouses Across United States, Stealing over $1.6 Million in Packages

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – Three Philadelphia men pleaded guilty today to their roles in a conspiracy to burglarize approximately 55 United Parcel Service (UPS) warehouses across the United States, resulting in the theft of over $1.6 million worth of merchandise, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Sekou Fofanah, 20, Shamaire Brown, 19, and Quamaire Brown, 19, all of Philadelphia, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to informations charging each with one count of conspiracy to commit cargo theft. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From January 2021 through April 2023, Fofanah, Shamaire Brown, Quamaire Brown, as well as co-defendant Aboudramane Karamoko, and others, conspired to commit burglaries of UPS facilities throughout the United States, including warehouses in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Rhode Island. The defendants gained access to the UPS facilities by breaking the window of the loading bay door or by prying open the loading bay door. Once inside, they sought parcels marked with “lithium-ion battery” warnings, which indicated that the packages contained high-value electronic devices such as a cell phones. Fofanah, Shamaire Brown, Quamaire Brown, admitted that they participated in the burglary of at least 55 UPS facilities and stole items valued at approximately $1.6 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit cargo theft carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation. He also acknowledged South Brunswick Police Department; Warwick, Rhode Island, Police Department; Clarkstown, New York, Police Department; Livonia, Michigan, Police Department; HSI State College; State College, Pennsylvania, Police Department; New York State Police; Fulton County Sheriff’s Office; Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia and Rhode Island; New Jersey State Police; Philadelphia Police Department; Pennsylvania State Police; Ohio State Highway Patrol; Taylor Police Department; Brookfield Police Department; Summit County Prosecutor’s Office; and Centre County District Attorney’s Office, for their assistance in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark. The charges against Karamoko remain pending, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. sbrown.information.pdf qbrown.information.pdf fofanah.information.pdf


title: Federal Jury Convicts Worcester Couple of Conspiracy to Launder Wire Fraud Proceeds

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A man and woman from Worcester, Massachusetts were convicted today by a federal petit jury in Concord for conspiracy to launder wire fraud proceeds after an eight-day trial, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Nafise Quaye, 47, and Sunna Sepetu, 37, both of Worcester, Massachusetts were convicted of one count of conspiracy to money launder. United States District Court Judge Samantha Elliot scheduled sentencing for both defendants on July 8, 2024. “This verdict demonstrates the seriousness with which the United States Department of Justice takes frauds committed against vulnerable people through the internet,” said United States Attorney Jane E. Young. “The defendants knowingly accepted millions of dollars in wire fraud proceeds from a vulnerable victim in the United States and sent those proceeds overseas to the fraud perpetrator. Prosecuting people in the United States who facilitate the execution of international frauds committed on the internet is essential to frustrating the networks that pray on vulnerable members of our society.” Between 2013 and 2019, the defendants received approximately $3.2 million in proceeds from a fraud victim located in Texas. These proceeds were sent to bank accounts established by the defendants for various shell companies. The defendants then sent those fraud proceeds to the perpetrator of the fraud operating in Africa, while keeping a portion of the proceeds for themselves. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations within the United States Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Former fugitive sentenced for transporting over 65 into United States

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 30-year-old Mission resident has been sentenced for his role in a conspiracy to transport non U.S. citizens via commercial tractor-trailers, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Daniel Cantu Jr. pleaded guilty Aug. 23, 2022. He was originally set to be sentenced in late 2023, but failed to appear. He remained a fugitive until February. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Cantu to serve a total of 110 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence about how Cantu was directly involved in the transportation of more than 65 people via commercial tractor-trailers in 2021. Additionally, the court heard that Cantu has continued his involvement in criminal activity in the Rio Grande Valley, including additional alien transporting attempts while on bond in this case. In handing down the sentence the court noted the seriousness of the offense due to the large number of undocumented individuals the organization attempted to smuggle into the United States as well as the dangerous way in which they were doing so. “The transportation of undocumented migrants across the U.S. southern border is a rapidly growing threat,” said Hamdani. “It is made worse by traffickers such as Daniel Cantu Jr., whose organization uses the cover of legitimate traffic to mask this criminal conduct and attempts to profit by transporting migrants.” The organization as a whole is responsible for transporting over 200 aliens from South Texas and further into the United States as part of the conspiracy. From August 2021 through December 2021, law enforcement intercepted five related smuggling attempts at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint and identified four men responsible for coordinating these smuggling events. Those men – Cantu, Jose Guadalupe Garcia Jr., Jesus Francisco Mares and Jose Antonio Cardona - were responsible for finding trucks, trailers and drivers as well as loading the vehicles with undocumented aliens. Over the course of the conspiracy from July 2021 through April 2022, authorities estimate this trafficking organization transported or attempted to transport over 200 people further into the United States, most concealed in commercial trailers. Garcia, 23, Alton, and Mares, 23, Mission, previously received 36 and 15 months, respectively, while Cardona, 30, Mission, is currently a fugitive. A warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Cantu will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.


title: Three Jamestown residents charged with drug and sex trafficking conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Zaid Mendoza a/k/a Diamond, 45, Cora Waddington, 24, Kelvin O. Thomas, 41, all of Jamestown, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force and coercion, sex trafficking by force and coercion, and using and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. In addition, defendants Mendoza and Waddington are charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and Mendoza is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Maeve E. Huggins, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, Mendoza, Waddington, and Thomas conspired to sell fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Jamestown area, using a residence on West Main Street in the Town of Ellicott, NY, to conduct their drug trafficking activities. In addition, between October and December 2022, the defendants are accused of conspiring to force individuals to engage in commercial sex acts. The superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson; the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo, New York Field Division; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino III, New York Field Division; and the Town of Ellicott Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Ohnmeiss Jr. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This investigation is also assisted by the Western New York Human Trafficking Task Force, a multi-disciplinary task force that brings law enforcement and social service agencies together to identify and investigate human trafficking utilizing a victim centered and trauma informed response, was also part of this effort. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Algie Kenya Scales, 50, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 23, 2023, Scales sold approximately 2.7 grams of fentanyl in Beckley for $300. Scales admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling approximately 5 grams of fentanyl for $625 on March 2, 2023, and to selling approximately 4.7 grams of fentanyl for $600 on March 8, 2023. Both of these additional transactions occurred at a predetermined location in Beckley. Scales is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-167. ###


title: Jury Finds Searcy Man Guilty Of Sex Trafficking Of A Minor

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—A Searcy man has been convicted of sex trafficking of a child at the conclusion of a two-day trial. On Wednesday, a federal jury found Muhammad Arif, 56, guilty on the sole count in the indictment: sex trafficking of children. Arif was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 4, 2020. The jury returned their verdict after deliberating for approximately two hours. United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr. presided over the trial and will sentence Arif at a later date. On August 9, 2019, the Judsonia Police Department received information alleging inappropriate sexual misconduct involving a 15-year-old minor female (Minor). The Minor was interviewed at the White County Child Safety Center. During the interview, the Minor disclosed that sometime during the end of May 2019 she accompanied her dad and his boss, Arif, to a business in Searcy. While there, Arif instructed one of his employees to drive the Minor’s dad to a different job site in Bradford. Because the Minor accompanied her dad that day, she would need a ride home. The Minor stated that Arif volunteered to drive her from Searcy to Judsonia in his private vehicle. The Minor stated that once alone in the vehicle, Arif stated he would give her $100 in exchange for oral sex. The Minor stated she feared no one would believe her, so she began recording their conversation using her cell phone. During the recording, Arif is heard asking the Minor to promise not to tell anyone and gave her $20. The Minor had another recording from a month later where Arif continues to bring up engaging in sexual activity and asked her not to tell anyone. On September 21, 2019, Arif was interviewed and acknowledged giving the Minor a ride to Judsonia in his private vehicle. He confirmed that he and the Minor were the only ones in the vehicle and that it was his first time meeting her. Arif acknowledged knowing that the Minor was a minor. During the interview, officers played the recordings and Arif confirmed he was the male on the recording. Arif stated he was embarrassed and began to express his concerns that people he was close would find out about the recordings. Arif faces a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in federal prison, no less than five years supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from the Judsonia Police Department and the Kensett Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Katie Hinojosa. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Robbery Offense

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDY MARTE, also known as “AD,” 30, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to a federal robbery offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 28, 2023, Marte and two associates drove to a Bridgeport apartment building where they intended to carry out a robbery at an apartment where they believed they would find drugs and drug proceeds. Marte instructed his two associates, one of whom carried a crowbar, to carry out the robbery while he remained in the car and to serve as a getaway driver. He subsequently contacted a third associate, who arrived to participate in the robbery. After failing to enter the apartment, Marte’s three associates returned to the vehicle, where they were encountered by law enforcement. Officers searched the vehicle and its occupants and seized two handguns, which Marte had brought to the robbery, and the crowbar. Marte pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for June 20. Marte has been detained since his arrest on April 28, 2023. This investigation is being conducted by FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Karen Peck.


title: Three East Idaho Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Separate Sex Crimes Involving Minor Children

body_text: POCATELLO – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the outcomes in three separate East Idaho cases in which the defendants were sentenced to 21 years, 10 years, and 5 years in federal prison, respectively, for sex crimes against minor children. “No one in Idaho law enforcement will tolerate this abhorrent conduct, and my Office is proud to continue our tradition of sending these types of offenders to federal prison, out of state, for long periods of time,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. On March 26, 2024, Jared Michael Crow, 24, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to 257 months in federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. According to court records, on March 9, 2022, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Crow after receiving a report that he was having sexual conversations with minors at a high school in Idaho Falls. The case was referred for further investigation to the Idaho Crimes against Children Task (ICAC) Taskforce and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Eight minor-aged victims between the ages of 14 and 16 were identified. The investigation revealed that Crow followed a consistent predatory pattern of contacting minor females and providing alcohol, vape pens, and cash in exchange for sexually explicit images and sexual encounters. “These child predators sought to exploit the most vulnerable, committing grave injustices that robs the victims of their youth,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Through our law enforcement and private sector partnerships, we will relentlessly pursue those that commit child exploitation crimes, ensuring they face the full extent of the law.” Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered that Crow be placed on supervised release for fifteen years following his prison sentence. In a separate case, Shawn Michael Young, 50, of Pocatello was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, on March 26, 2024. According to court records, in April 2018, the Chubbuck Police Department received a report that child pornography had been found on a cell phone belonging to Young. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) reviewed the files on Young’s phone. A total of 4,438 images of child pornography, including prepubescent children, were identified on the phone. In an interview, Young admitted to downloading and viewing images of child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Young to be placed on supervised release for fifteen years after the end of his prison term. “Shawn Young contributed to the proliferation of a deplorable crime. Every time an image is shared or viewed, that child continues to be victimized,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting our children from those who prey on our most vulnerable.” In another separate case, Bradley Allen Pedersen, 41, of Rupert, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor on March 25, 2024. According to court records, between August and September 2022, Pedersen communicated via the internet with an individual that was portrayed to be a 14-year-old female. That individual was actually an undercover investigator with the Rupert Police Department and Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. During the online exchange, the investigator, posing as the child, informed Pedersen of the child’s name, where she lived, and that she was a 14-year-old female. Pedersen repeatedly requested to meet the child for sex. On September 16, 2022, Pedersen traveled to meet the 14-year-old female at a pre-arranged location. Pedersen was arrested when he arrived at the meeting location. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Pedersen’s prison sentenced to be followed by ten years of supervised release. The Crow case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Idaho ICAC Task Force. The Young case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls, the Chubbuck Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Pedersen case was investigated by the Rupert Police Department and the Idaho ICAC Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shirts prosecuted these cases. These case were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Missouri Man Caught in Overseas Sting Admits Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Kirksville, Missouri on Thursday pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge after being caught by an undercover police officer posing as a 12-year-old girl. Corey Alexander Wadel, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. Wadel admitted that he possessed more than 600 images containing child sexual abuse material and exchanged that material with others online. He also admitted taking pictures of himself exposing his genitals to two young children. The investigation began after law enforcement in the United Kingdom notified Homeland Security Investigations that someone in the United States, later identified as Wadel, was talking to an undercover officer posing as a twelve-year-old female. Using Kik Messenger, Wadel sent explicit images and videos of himself to the officer. As part of the plea agreement, both sides have agreed to recommend 12 years in prison when Wadel is sentenced in July. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Nine Mile Falls Man Who Used a Hidden Camera to Produce Child Pornography Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Robert Wayne Hutton, age 60, of Nine Mile Falls, Washington, was sentenced on child exploitation charges. On January 3, 2024, Hutton pleaded guilty to Possession of Child Pornography. On January 16, 2024, after a bench trial before United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke, Hutton was found guilty of Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography. Judge Dimke imposed a sentence of 240 months of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Judge Dimke also ordered restitution in the amount of $25,000 be paid to Hutton’s production victim. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between May 2021 and May 2022, Hutton secretly recorded a minor using a bathroom. Hutton placed a camera, hidden in a clock radio, on a bathroom counter in order to film the victim nude and create child pornography. The camera was wirelessly linked to Hutton’s smartphone, which Hutton used to view the recordings. Trial evidence also included Hutton’s 2009 Washington state conviction for Communication with a Minor for Immoral Purposes, based on sexual statements Hutton made in person and via text messages to a 15-year old girl. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and seized several electronic devices belonging to Hutton, including the hidden camera, Hutton’s phone, and several computers. A forensic review of the phone and computers revealed several video files and 33 images of the minor in various stages of undress, as well as hundreds of additional child pornography files. “For months, Mr. Hutton used a secret camera to record images of a young victim. He was also engaged in online trading of child pornography with similar-minded offenders. Our office prioritizes these offenses against our community’s youngest and most vulnerable and will continue to aggressively prosecute those who harm children,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I want to commend our law enforcement partners, as well as our prosecutors and support staff for bringing justice for the victims and accountability to this defendant.” “This child predator engaged in behavior that was a betrayal of trust and a heinous exploitation of unsuspecting victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Collectively, we cannot tolerate such egregious acts that strip away the dignity of victims and provide the opportunity for revictimization. HSI will pursue these perpetrators tirelessly, seeking to end the abuse associated with images of child exploitation wherever it may be found.” “This case was particularly heinous; the victim was preyed upon by someone in a position of trust. Though there is nothing my office can do to undo the hurt this victim has felt, I hope that healing can begin with this conviction,” said Erika George, Prosecuting Attorney for Stevens County. “I would like to thank the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work in their investigation, and I am equally grateful for the efforts of the US Attorney’s Office in their successful prosecution.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office. State charges were filed by the Stevens County Prosecutor’s Office, and the federal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann Wick.


title: Readout of Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force’s Summit in Atlanta

body_text: The Justice Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) hosted a summit today where procurement officials and law enforcement partners from across the Atlanta metropolitan area convened to raise awareness of collusion, corruption and fraud schemes that target government spending. U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber for the Northern District of Georgia, PCSF Director Daniel W. Glad, Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure and Vijay N. Rao of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and federal law enforcement partners were joined by representatives from state and local government agencies. During the summit, U.S. Attorney Buchanan and Director Glad reflected on the PCSF’s growth and success since its inception in 2019. They detailed additional resources the department has dedicated to combat procurement collusion and emphasized the importance of law enforcement partnerships and a whole-of-government response to persistent threats in government spending. They also sharpened the PCSF’s focus on the challenges, risks and opportunities posed by significant government spending in and around the Atlanta metropolitan area under the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which will provide billions in federal spending in Georgia over the next several years. U.S. Attorney Buchanan and Director Glad also outlined the ways that federal, state and local government agencies can partner with the PCSF to address these emerging threats. Other topics discussed at the summit included ways that government agencies can strengthen their procurement processes to better protect taxpayer funds and meet the mission to provide services to residents. Summit participants included representatives from the FBI, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General, Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Department of Transportation and City of Atlanta Office of Inspector General. The PCSF is the Justice Department’s coordinated, national law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. The PCSF is comprised of the Antitrust Division, multiple U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country, the FBI and Inspectors General for multiple federal agencies. Since its inception in November 2019, the PCSF has opened more than 100 criminal investigations and trained more than 31,000 people. In that time, the PCSF and Antitrust Division have investigated and prosecuted over 65 companies and individuals involving over $500 million worth of government contracts. The summit marks the department’s continued support of the PCSF as it enters its fifth year. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report collusion affecting government contracts, please visit www.justice.gov/atr/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Trial Attorney McClure, Director Glad, Trial Attorney Rao, U.S. Attorney Buchanan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Huber attend the summit.


title: St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Repeatedly Robbing QuikTrip Stores

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man who repeatedly robbed St. Louis area QuikTrip stores to 20 years in prison. Terrence Gleason, now 53, of Bel Ridge, Missouri, stole cigarettes from or robbed three QuikTrip stores, including one in Bel Ridge that he victimized three times. On Dec. 5, 2021, at about 2:30 a.m., Gleason entered the QuikTrip at 9099 Natural Bridge in Bel Ridge, walked behind the counter and began filling a bag with cartons of cigarettes. When the clerk tried to activate an alarm, Gleason lifted his shirt to show a holstered handgun. Gleason then left with the stolen cigarettes. Gleason returned about 24 hours later. The same clerk was working. Gleason had one hand in the front pocket of his coat and the clerk believed Gleason was armed because of his actions the night before. Gleason demanded cigarettes and left with multiple cartons. On Dec. 10, 2021, at about 3:00 a.m., Gleason and another man entered the QuikTrip at 5909 Howdershell Road in Hazelwood. The pair walked behind the checkout counter and began removing cartons of cigarettes. When an employee tried to trigger the alarm, Gleason’s accomplice pulled back his jacket, displayed a firearm and said, “Press something, I dare you.” Gleason and the man left with multiple cartons of cigarettes. On Dec. 11, 2021, at approximately 4:12 a.m., Gleason returned to the Bel Ridge QuikTrip, walked up to the counter, reached over it, and opened a drawer where cigarette cartons were stored. He grabbed several cartons, then approached the clerk who witnessed the two prior incidents and said, “I need Newports,” while grabbing at his waistband. The clerk, who believed Gleason had a gun and tried to comply, said they were out. Gleason walked behind the counter, grabbed several packages of other cigarettes and left. On Dec. 12, 2021, at about 4:30 a.m., Gleason entered the QuikTrip located at 11150 St. Charles Rock Road in St. Ann and robbed the store at gunpoint, taking $85 from one cash register. Gleason pleaded guilty in August in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three robbery charges, one charge of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The FBI, the Normandy Police Department, the St. Ann Police Department, and the Hazelwood Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.


title: Mathis dealer sent to prison after attempting to dispose of two duffel bags full of narcotics and cash

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old man has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Roberto Rivas aka Scarface pleaded guilty Jan. 3, 2023. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Rivas to serve 180 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding his lengthy criminal history which began when he was just 12 years old including the facts surrounding his arrest and his role in narcotics trafficking in Mathis. The court also heard how Rivas was a poly-substance, multi-kilogram narcotics distributor who had been operating for years in the Mathis area. The investigation began when Rivas sold meth to an informant for law enforcement. When authorities executed the arrest warrant for that sale, Rivas attempted to flee by running out of the back of his girlfriend’s house and hiding in the brush. Rivas then attempted to dispose of two duffel bags containing almost four kilograms of cocaine, over 2.5 kilograms of meth, 133 grams of heroin, 600 grams of marijuana and more than $90,000 in cash by throwing the additional evidence into the brush. The estimated street value of the cocaine and meth was approximately $114,000. However, law enforcement located Rivas and the duffel bags, and he was subsequently charged and pleaded guilty to the larger quantity of narcotics he attempted to throw away. Additionally, while executing a search of the residence, authorities located a hidden closet concealed as a bookshelf. Rivas admitted he had it built in the house to help him hide from authorities when they came to arrest him. Rivas’ girlfriend was also charged and convicted of harboring a fugitive for her role in helping him evade arrest in her home. Rivas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance the U.S. Marshals Service, Sheriff’s Offices in Live Oak and San Patricio Counties, George West Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department’s Investigation into International Commodities Trading Companies’ Foreign Bribery Schemes Results in Six Corporate Resolutions and 20 Individuals Convicted

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – The Justice Department announced today that its long-running investigation into international commodities trading companies that paid bribes to win business with state-owned and state-controlled oil companies in Latin America and Africa has resulted in six corporate resolutions, 20 convictions of individuals, and total fines, forfeitures, and other penalties of more than $1.7 billion. Since 2017, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Unit, in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and the FBI, has been investigating corruption committed by international commodities trading companies, which paid millions of dollars in bribes to corrupt government officials to secure billions of dollars in business with state-owned enterprises. Through this work, the Criminal Division has entered into six corporate resolutions, which have included mandatory cooperation, disclosure, and compliance obligations and resulted in total fines, forfeitures, and other penalties of more than $1.7 billion: Today, Trafigura Beheer B.V. pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Florida to a scheme to bribe government officials in Brazil. In September 2020, Sargeant Marine Inc. , an asphalt company based in Boca Raton, Florida, with an asphalt trading arm, pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to schemes to bribe government officials in Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador; In December 2020, Vitol Inc. , entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in the Eastern District of New York, admitting to schemes to pay bribes to government officials in Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico; In May 2022, Glencore International AG pleaded guilty in the Southern District of New York to a scheme to pay bribes to government officials in seven countries across Africa and Latin America; In December 2023, Freepoint Commodities LLC entered into a DPA in the District of Connecticut and admitted to a scheme to bribe government officials in Brazil; In March, Gunvor S.A. pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to a scheme to bribe government officials in Ecuador; and These corporate resolutions are connected to the guilty pleas of 19 culpable individuals, including six government officials, eight corrupt intermediaries, and five trading company employees. In addition, last month, Javier Aguilar , a former trader at Vitol Inc., was convicted on FCPA and money laundering charges following a seven-week trial in the Eastern District of New York. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, thanked the Criminal Division’s partners in these matters, including U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut, and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. U.S. Attorney Lapointe and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Argentieri also thanked the Criminal Division’s law enforcement partners, including the FBI’s International Corruption Unit, New York Field Office, Miami Field Office, and Los Angeles Field Office. The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa . ###


title: Farmington Man Charged with Sexual Abuse

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man faces federal charges for engaging in sexual acts with a child under the age of 16. Daniel Washburn , 29, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared in federal court for an initial appearance where the Court temporarily detained him pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for April 1, 2024. The indictment alleges that in February 2019, Washburn engaged in a sexual act with a victim who had not attained the age of 16 and was at least four years younger than Washburn . Washburn is charged with sexual abuse of a minor. If convicted, Washburn faces up to 15 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the charges today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mia Ulibarri-Rubin is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Husband and Wife Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Two individuals from Detroit, Michigan, have been sentenced to prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, beginning in January 2022 through May 2023, Ladale Jajaum Solomon, 30, and Leila Darsel Ivery, 30, conspired together to distribute cocaine. On May 16, 2023, Solomon and Ivery flew on separate flights from Los Angeles, California, to Cleveland, Ohio, each with a layover at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP). Both Solomon and Ivery were transporting cocaine in their respective checked suitcases. Solomon and Ivery intended to transfer the cocaine after landing in Cleveland. During their respective layovers at MSP, law enforcement determined their suitcases were suspect. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement seized a total of approximately 23 kilograms of cocaine from the two suitcases. Ivery pleaded guilty on November 28, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. On March 26, 2024, she was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge David S. Doty to 57 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Solomon pleaded guilty on December 5, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge David S. Doty to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the MSP Airport Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.


title: New York Man Convicted of Bank Fraud

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A New York man was convicted by a federal jury after 39 minutes of deliberation of a bank fraud charge related to the brutal assault of his father-in-law. Prosecutors allege the crime was driven by the defendant, Marc Candelaria , 36, of Wantagh, New York, accruing mounting gambling debts at the time. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in the early hours of Sept. 14, 2021, an armed and masked intruder entered Candelaria ’s father-in-law’s home and forced him to write a check for $23,000.00 and demanded he leave all other portions of the check blank. The intruder then severely beat the victim and left him in the closet of his home. Candelaria ’s father-in-law did not see the intruder’s face and retained little memory of the incident due to the severity of his injuries. On Sept. 15, 2021, Wells Fargo bank alerted the victim’s wife to a possibly fraudulent check. The bank advised that a hold had been placed on the check due to what appeared to be two separate handwritings. The next day, she viewed the check and observed that it had been made out to Candelaria. Candelaria claimed that his father-in-law had given him the check because they intended to invest in Bitcoin together. The victim’s wife doubted Candelaria ’s story but wrote him another check for $23,000.00. The victim’s wife later informed the victim that she had written Candelaria a check to replace the first one. The victim denied agreeing to invest in Bitcoin or writing a check to Candelaria but recalled that he had been forced to write a check for $23,000.00 against his will during the home invasion. The victim’s wife contacted the Santa Fe Police Department and provided copies of the two checks made out to Candelaria . A deposit slip for the check the victim wrote during the home invasion was found in Candelaria ’s car pursuant to a state search warrant. The deposit slip showed that the check was deposited at 8:58AM on the morning of the home invasion. The Court ordered that Candelaria remain in detention pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Candelaria faces up to 30 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel A. Hurtado and Natasha Moghadam are prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Stockton Beekeeper Charged with Conspiring to Receive and Sell Smuggled Illegal Pesticides

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Paulo Perez-Mendoza, 44, of Stockton, charging him with conspiring to receive and sell smuggled pesticides into the United States and the unlawful distribution and sale of unregistered pesticides, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between Jan. 1, 2019 and March 18, 2024, Perez recruited another individual to smuggle illegal pesticides into the United States from Mexico and deliver them to Perez at his residential business, Perez Generation Honeybee Ranch, in Stockton. Between Sept. 9, 2020, and July 12, 2022, Perez purchased the Mexican pesticides 1,000 to 1,500 liters at a time and paid a total of approximately $476,680 for the banned product. Perez resold the pesticides to beekeepers in other states, including Oregon, Washington, Georgia, and Florida. Only pesticides registered with the EPA may be imported or sold in the United States. They must bear their EPA registration number on their labels, preceded by the phrase “EPA Registration No.” or “EPA Reg. No.” In addition, all required information on a label must appear in the English language. The pesticides involved in this conspiracy were primarily Taktic and Bovitraz, which contain the active ingredient amitraz at an emulsifiable concentration of 12.5%, which, in this form, is an unregistered pesticide in the United States. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case. Perez is scheduled for arraignment on March 29, 2024. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, Perez faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted of the unlawful sale and distribution of pesticides. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Florida man arrested, charged with firearms trafficking

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jeshua Lion Myers a/k/a Dually, 28, a citizen of Canada, the United States, and the Bahamas, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with trafficking in firearms, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Myers stated to an individual working with Canadian law enforcement that he could fulfill large orders of firearms, which would be sourced at various stores and websites out of the United States and imported into Canada. Myers arranged to bring the firearms to the Buffalo area, so that they could then be smuggled into Canada, and sold with a massive profit margin. On December 20, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force coordinated a controlled purchase of 19 firearms from Myers for $33,000. Myers also provided assorted magazines, ammunition, and other weapons components. Shortly after this purchase, Myers made arrangements to meet the individual working with Canadian law enforcement in Miami, Florida, to purchase additional firearms to be smuggled back to Canada. Myers made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained. The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo, New York Field Division, and the Ontario Provincial Police. Additional Assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Miami, Florida. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: District Man Guilty of Multiple Counts of First-Degree Sexual Abuse, Kidnapping, and Assault

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Bryant Phillips, 53, of Washington DC, was convicted today of two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, kidnapping, and multiple assault counts. The verdict, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), follows a four-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Anthony Epstein scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2024. According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, between June 5-8, 2022, Phillips held his intimate partner hostage at his apartment in Northeast Washington DC. While there he physically and sexually assaulted her multiple times causing extensive injuries. Phillips faces the potential of life imprisonment without the opportunity of release. If he were to be released, Phillips would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niki Holmes and Dana Joseph with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Bryan Han.


title: Woman who embezzled nearly $400,000 from Renton, Washington company sentenced to 10-month prison term

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 32–year-old Des Moines, Washington woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 10 months in prison for her scheme to steal nearly $400,000 from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Trixie Dela Cruz was employed by a Renton, Washington company that administers employee benefits for employers nationwide. Within six months of her hiring and immediately after she had been promoted, Dela Cruz began her embezzlement scheme. Judge Lauren King sentenced Dela Cruz to three years of supervised release to follow the prison term, saying Dela Cruz had “abused the trust” of her employer with a scheme that “involved planning and continuous affirmative conduct.” According to records filed in the case, Dela Cruz was hired by the company in October 202o and in March 2021, was promoted to Account Associate. In that role, she managed client accounts and approved claims for benefits. Using her access, she created a duplicate account for a deceased employee of one of the clients. She connected the profile to her own bank account and then submitted and approved 58 fraudulent claims totaling $397,942. Dela Cruz would activate the profile for the fraudulent claim and then deactivate it so no record would show up for her company. In January 2022, the company discovered the fraud and dismissed Dela Cruz. The company reimbursed the client for the fraudulent claims. Forensic analysis indicated Dela Cruz spent the money on gambling, cash application transfers to family and friends, and to pay for jewelry, travel, car payments and other shopping. Judge King ordered full restitution to Dela Cruz former employer and its insurance company, which paid the bulk of the company’s losses. The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Jensen.


title: Dental clinic manager admits to employment tax violations

body_text: HOUSTON – The son of a local dentist has pleaded guilty for failing to pay taxes withheld from employee wages, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jonathan Louis Lepow was the manager of his father’s dental practice, Kenneth A. Lepow DDS Inc., located in Houston. The clinic had approximately 51 employees during the relevant time period from 2015 to 2017. Lepow was involved in the financial decision making at the clinic. In particular, he was responsible for accounting for and paying employment taxes to the IRS. As part of his plea, Lepow admitted during the first quarter of 2015, he failed to pay $544,272 in IRS trust fund taxes collected from the clinics’ employees. Instead of paying these amounts to the IRS, Lepow used the money to pay vendors and transferred funds to accounts of other entities he was involved in establishing. Lepow has agreed to pay $495,847 as part of his plea. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has set sentencing for Aug. 22. At that time, Lepow faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Quincy Ollison prosecuted the case, and Assistant AUSA Adam Goldman handled the plea hearing.


title: Former State Representative and Friend Charged for Fraud Scheme

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A former State Representative and her longtime friend are facing federal charges for long-term scheme to defraud the U.S. government. Sheryl Williams Stapleton , 66, of Albuquerque, and Joseph Johnson , 72, of Chantilly, Virginia, are schedule to appear in federal court for an initial appearance on April 9, 2024. The indictment alleges that from about July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2020, Stapleton used her position at Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) as Director of the Perkins Project and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator to direct approximately 40% of APS’s non-personnel CTE funding to Robotics Management Learning Systems (Robotics), a company owned and operated by her close personal friend, Johnson , for use of and support for the CyberQuest software in APS classrooms. Stapleton reviewed and approved Robotics’ invoices and directed other APS employees under her supervision to approve those invoices. APS then issued checks to Robotics and mailed them to a post office box in Albuquerque. At Johnson’s request, Stapleton personally retrieved the checks from the post office box and deposited them into the Robotics bank account. In return, Johnson provided blank checks for the Robotics business checking account. Stapleton used the blank checks to write approximately 233 checks from Robotics for her own benefit, totaling approximately $1,152,506.00, or 35% of the funds APS paid to Robotics. Specifically: Stapleton wrote about 60 checks totaling about $286,772.20 from Robotics to S. Williams & Associates, a company Stapleton owned and controlled. Stapleton wrote about 56 checks totaling about $313,123.48 from Robotics to Taste of the Caribbean, an Albuquerque restaurant that Stapleton owned, and her family members operated. Stapleton wrote about 104 checks totaling about $479,960.86 from Robotics to Ujima Foundation, a nonprofit entity that Stapleton and Johnson operated and controlled together. Stapleton wrote about 11 checks totaling about $72,649.16 from Robotics to other parties providing goods and services to Stapleton , including for a remodeling of Stapleton ’s house. On March 26, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Stapleton and Johnson with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, 13 counts of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and five counts each of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Stapleton is additionally charged with one count of fraud and false statements and nine counts of money laundering. “New Mexicans deserve public systems that serve them and public servants who are honest, effective, and worthy of our trust,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “Fraud against the government is just a fancy way to say that someone is stealing your hard-earned tax dollars. Public corruption is a fancy way of saying that they abuse your trust to do so. When public officials steal from our pockets and from our children, we will restore your faith in our public systems through vigorous investigation and zealous prosecution.” “Rooting out public corruption remains one of IRS Criminal Investigation’s highest priorities,” said Carissa Messick, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Phoenix Field Office. “Today’s indictment underscores our commitment to work in a collaborative effort with our federal partners, promoting honest and ethical governing at all levels, and prosecuting those who allegedly violated the public’s trust.” “This former lawmaker and educator along with her friend are charged with cheating the most innocent of victims – Albuquerque school children -- as well as America’s taxpayers whose hard-earned dollars fund vital education programs,” said Adam Shanedling, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Western Regional Office. “OIG Special Agents will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our nation’s students. America’s students, their families, and taxpayers deserve nothing less.” “Violations of public trust by public officials, a position of trusted authority, is a true cancer to society. Our citizens have the right to expect that public officials conduct themselves in a fair, honest, and impartial manner. Standing in defiance of public corruption is a fundamental priority for the FBI," said FBI-Albuquerque Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda. "There is no level of acceptable corruption. We ask anyone with information regarding such matters to contact their nearest FBI field office or resident agency so that we can bring them to justice.” If convicted, Stapleton and Johnson both face 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Carissa Messick, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office, Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and the U.S. Department of Education made the announcement today. The IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and U.S. Department of Education - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #