title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con General Motors y anuncia un nuevo recurso para ayudar a los empleadores a evitar la discriminación relacionada con la inmigración en cuanto al cumplimiento con las leyes de control de exportaciones

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con General Motors (GM) que resuelve la determinación del Departamento que GM discriminó a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., en contra de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés). Por otra parte, el Departamento anunció la publicación de una nueva hoja informativa que ayudará a los empleadores a evitar la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía a la hora de cumplir con las leyes de control de exportaciones, las cuales gobiernan la capacidad de las empresas estadounidenses a exportar ciertos bienes y software, tecnología y datos técnicos. La investigación de GM que el Departamento realizó reveló que las infracciones de la compañía se debían, en parte, a no haber considerado adecuadamente los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA en el momento de cumplir también con las leyes de control de exportaciones. «Las leyes de control de exportaciones no justifican ni autorizan a un empleador a discriminar a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., en contra de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Cuando los empleadores cometen actos discriminatorios ilegales, la División de Derechos Civiles seguirá obligándoles a rendir cuentas de sus acciones. La División de Derechos Civiles está emitiendo una nueva hoja informativa que ayudará a educar a los empleadores y promover mayor cumplimiento con las leyes antidiscriminatorias en el futuro». Conforme los reglamentos y leyes de control de exportaciones, tales como los Reglamentos sobre el Tráfico Internacional de Armas y los Reglamentos para la Administración de Exportaciones, toda «persona en los EE. UU.» que está trabajando para una compañía estadounidense puede acceder a artículos sometidos al control de exportaciones sin la autorización del Gobierno de los EE. UU. En virtud de estas leyes, las personas en los EE. UU. incluyen a ciudadanos de los EE. UU., nacionales de los EE. UU., residentes permanentes legales, refugiados y asilados. Es posible que un empleador necesite la autorización del Departamento de Estado o el Departamento de Comercio para poder compartir o entregar artículos sometidos al control de exportaciones a trabajadores que no son «personas en los EE. UU.» Para confirmar si un empleador necesita pedir una autorización para un empleado para acceder a información sometida al control de exportaciones, puede que el empleador necesite obtener información sobre el estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía del trabajador para poder determinar si son una «persona en los EE. UU.» A este proceso se le llama una «evaluación del cumplimiento de exportaciones». La investigación del Departamento determinó que, al menos hasta septiembre del 2021, las evaluaciones del cumplimiento de exportaciones de GM requerían, de manera innecesaria, que residentes permanentes legales proporcionaran un pasaporte extranjero vigente como condición de empleo, lo que les impuso una barrera discriminatoria durante el proceso de contratación. Y al menos desde julio del 2019 hasta mayo del 2021, GM combinó, de manera incorrecta, su proceso para verificar el permiso de los trabajadores para trabajar en los Estados Unidos con su evaluación del cumplimiento de exportaciones, lo que tuvo el efecto de que GM requirió, de forma innecesaria, que no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. que fueran recién contratados proporcionaran documentos específicos e innecesarios para demostrar su permiso para trabajar. Conforme el acuerdo, GM pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos que asciende a $365,000. Asimismo, el acuerdo requiere que GM capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a los requisitos de supervisión y declaración del Departamento. En concreto, GM deberá separar su proceso de verificación del permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos de su proceso de evaluación del cumplimiento de exportaciones y dejar de requerir que los residentes permanentes legales presenten pasaportes extranjeros como condición de su empleo. Por lo general, la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores discriminen por motivos de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen durante el proceso de contratación, lo que incluye la imposición de exigencias documentales innecesarias como condición de empleo. Asimismo, esta ley prohíbe que los empleadores pidan documentos específicos o más de los necesarios a la hora de comprobar el permiso para trabajar de un empleado por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. Las leyes federales permiten a los trabajadores elegir los documentos válidos y legalmente aceptables que desean presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar, independientemente de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. Tal y como se explica en la hoja informativa que se emitió hoy, estas obligaciones del empleador no cambian cuando uno tiene que cumplir con los reglamentos y leyes de control de exportaciones. La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley, por norma general, prohíbe la discriminación con base en el estatus de ciudadanía y la nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; las prácticas documentales injustas ; las represalias y la intimidación . Para aprender más sobre la labor de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda, vea este video corto. Para más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en su cumplimiento con los requisitos de control de exportaciones, vaya al sitio web de la IER. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito ; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés o español . Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a inscríbase .


title: Two Individuals Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Terms for Child Exploitation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. District Court Chief Judge Raúl Arias-Marxuach sentenced José Luis González Rivera to 292 months (24 years and four months) in prison and 10 years of supervised release for production of child pornography and transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity. According to court documents, from March 2019 through March 2020, José Luis González Rivera knowingly employed, used, induced, and coerced a female minor when she was between the age of 14 to 16 years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing videos and still images using a cell phone with camera capabilities, which was manufactured outside of Puerto Rico. Also, the defendant transported the female minor victim to a motel with the intent to engage in sexual activity and to produce sexually explicit images. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force agents in Ponce, Puerto Rico, investigated the case. In a separate case, U.S. District Court Judge Pedro A. Delgado sentenced Luis Márquez Díaz to 204 months (17 years) in prison and seven years of supervised release for production of child exploitation material and possession of child exploitation material. According to court documents, defendant Márquez Díaz communicated via social media with at least two female minors in a sexually explicit manner, sent them sexually explicit images and requested that the minors send him sexually explicit images. A forensic review of the electronic devices seized from defendant Márquez Díaz revealed more than 600 images, both still images and videos, of child pornography, to include sexually explicit images of minors under the age of twelve and images depicting sadistic and masochistic abuse of minors and toddlers. The FBI investigated this matter. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico, HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph González made the announcements. Assistant United States Attorney Jenifer Hernández, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, prosecuted the cases. # # #


title: Former Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Charge

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Former Bureau of Prisons Officer Emilio Rodríguez-Arroyo pleaded guilty today to one count of Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law for using excessive force by striking an inmate whose hands were handcuffed behind his back and who was not resisting, resulting in bodily injury, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. According to court documents and information presented in court, on November 8, 2021, Rodríguez-Arroyo, a correctional officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico deprived victim E.R.R. of his Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment when the defendant struck E.R.R. in the head and face area shortly after having deployed oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray (also known as “pepper spray”) onto that area, and while E.R.R. was handcuffed behind his back, surrounded and controlled by other officers, and not resisting. The defendant’s sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Alum and Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. ###


title: Man Convicted of Child Abuse Resulting in Death and Voluntary Manslaughter

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted an Oklahoma man on April 10 for the death of his daughter in Indian Country. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Devin Warren Sizemore, 28, of McAlester, drowned his 21-month-old daughter. Sizemore was estranged from the child’s mother when he took the child for a visit. When he did not return the child and did not return to his residence, law enforcement was notified. Officers located Sizemore at a barn near a pond, where they confronted him and realized the child was face down in the pond. Sizemore admitted he “baptized” the victim and held her under water for approximately 30 seconds. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendant and victim in this case are members of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Sizemore was convicted of child abuse resulting in death and voluntary manslaughter and will be sentenced at a later date. Sizemore faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for the child abuse resulting in death charge and 15 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement. The FBI, Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation, McAlester Police Department, Krebs Police Department, and Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Lisa K. Man and Gerald A. A. Collins of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and the District 18 (Pittsburg and Haskell Counties) District Attorney’s Office.


title: Former Department Of Energy Contractor Sentenced To 121 Months For Distributing And Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On April 18, 2023, the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, sentenced David Bryon King, age 57, to serve 121 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime on supervised release for attempted distribution and possessing child pornography. During the time of the offense, King was a contractor working as a fire inspector for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. According to the filed plea agreement, King admitted that he distributed child pornography to others in 2022, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2522A(a)(2)(B), and possessed child pornography in 2021 and 2022, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B). King was identified as making online payments to individuals believed to be selling child pornography. Agents with the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General interviewed King at his residence. During the interview, King admitted to being in possession of child pornography, specifically on his smartphone. Agents seized the device and obtained a federal search warrant to search the device. Forensic analyses of King’s smartphone uncovered images and videos of child pornography and other evidence linking King to the attempted distribution of child pornography. “Protecting children and holding perpetrators accountable is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “I commend our agents and our partners at the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for investigating and prosecuting such heinous crimes against children,” said Teri L. Donaldson, Inspector General for the Department of Energy. “Our investigators will continue doing everything they can to identify and investigate instances of child exploitation within the Department. Crimes against children have absolutely no place anywhere, and we will continue working with the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country to investigate and prosecute the offenders.” The case was investigated by the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.” ###


title: Crawfordville Drug Trafficker Sentenced To 12 Years In Federal Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Justin Deangelo Randolph, 38, of Crawfordville, Florida was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentence. “The collective efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, in particular the North Star Drug Task Force, are resulting in the removal of addictive and deadly controlled substances from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence is further evidence of our commitment to support their efforts through the vigorous investigation and prosecution of criminals distributing drugs in North Florida.” Randolph was part of a drug trafficking organization in the Wakulla and Leon County, Florida area that was responsible for the distribution of over 45 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as fentanyl distributed as fake oxycodone. “I’m proud of the hard work the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the North Star Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, along with our local, state and federal partners are doing to keep our community safe,” said Wakulla County Sheriff Jared F. Miller. “DEA’s top priority is stopping those responsible for bringing these highly addictive and destructive drugs into our communities and holding them accountable for their actions,” said Deanne L. Reuter, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Miami Field Division. “This investigation is a testament to the strength of our relationship with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners and underscores our commitment in keeping our Florida communities safe and healthy.” Randolph’s imprisonment prison sentenced will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. This conviction was the result of the collaborative efforts of numerous local, state, and federal agencies, including the North Star Drug Task Force, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Tallahassee Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Mountin. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: International Business Organizations Convicted of Criminal Conspiracy to Violate Iranian Sanctions

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: Two international business organizations pleaded guilty and were sentenced today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for their participation in a criminal conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws and sanctions by sending U.S.-origin goods to Iran. Taiwan business organization DES International Co. Ltd. (DES), and Brunei business organization Soltech Industry Co. Ltd. (Soltech) each pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. The two companies were each sentenced to pay a fine of $83,769, which is three times the value of the goods unlawfully exported to Iran, and to serve a five-year term of corporate probation. The sentences were issued by U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb. “The defendant companies, which shared common directors and employees, have pled guilty to obtaining U.S. export-controlled goods for the benefit of the government of Iran and concealing the US origin of those good to facilitate their illicit transfer,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today we are holding them accountable for violating our laws at the expense of U.S. national security.” “These criminal convictions demonstrate that we will pursue any individual or organization, wherever located, that would violate our sanctions against Iran and thereby threaten our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. “HSI will continue to work with our federal and international law enforcement partners to ensure offenders who are violating U.S. export laws and sanctions are brought to justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of HSI San Antonio. “We will remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our homeland from all adversaries. “The defendants in this case took actions that placed profit and economic gain above U.S. national security and global stability,” said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defence and Department of Commerce (DOC) to hold accountable anyone who would threaten U.S. national security and the safety of the American people.” “Keeping our nation's sensitive technologies out of the hands of our adversaries is one of our highest priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southwest Field Office. “DCIS, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General and our federal partners are committed to identifying and holding accountable those that seek to evade U.S. export enforcement laws, putting our war fighters at risk.” “The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)’s aggressive enforcement of the Export Administration Regulations plays a critical role in protecting U.S. national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Trey McClish of the DOC. “In this instance, our partnership with HSI, DCIS, FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office sends the message that violating U.S. export control rules on Iran will not be tolerated.” According to the plea agreement documents, DES and Soltech, which were affiliatd with one another by virtue of common directors, employees and customers, both procured goods from the United States for the benefit of Iranian government entities and business organizations. In particular, a sales agent for both DES and Soltech helped an Iranian research center obtain U.S. goods without a license from the Department of the Treasury. These goods included a power amplifier designed for use in electromechanical devices as well as cybersecurity software. The companies’ sales agent took steps to conceal the U.S. origin of the goods, including by removing serial number stickers with the phrase “Made in USA” from packages, and by causing the cybersecurity software to be downloaded onto a computer outside of Iran. In addition, the sales agent shared developments regarding this illegal conduct with other employees and directors of DES and Soltech. An arrest warrant issued for the sales agent has not yet been executed. The FBI San Antonio Field Office, HSI, DCIS and DOC investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Friedman for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Christopher M. Rigali of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Former Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Obtaining Phone Records

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced former Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney Adam Lane Chaudry, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for two counts of fraud in connection with obtaining confidential phone records. As part of his guilty plea, Chaudry admitted that he committed the crime to stalk his victims. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. “Adam Chaudry egregiously abused his power,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We wield prosecutorial power for the public interest, not for personal interest. This office will tolerate nothing less.” “Prosecutors, like law enforcement, are expected to protect the innocent and hold accountable those who partake in criminal activities. For Chaudry to abuse his power and the trust of both law enforcement and the public for his own inappropriate purposes hinders the ability to carry out the mission and feeds public skepticism,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Today’s sentence is a message such exploitation will not mar the reputation of prosecutors and law enforcement who take pride and responsibility in maintaining law and order.” According to the plea agreement, from June 2009 to June 18, 2021, Chaudry worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office (“BSAO”). From September 2015 until he left the BSAO, Chaudry worked in the BSAO’s Homicide Division. During his tenure in the office, Chaudry maintained an intimate relationship with two of the victims. At no time were any of the victims a witness or target of any criminal investigation or prosecution by the BSAO. As detailed in the guilty plea, Chaudry fraudulently caused 65 grand jury and trial subpoenas to be sent to telecommunications companies in Florida and New Jersey requesting telephone records of the victims. Additionally, an investigator at BSAO provided Chaudry information that he previously requested, including a victim’s home address, MVA information, and driver’s license photograph. Chaudry then used this information, along with information from the fraudulent subpoenas, to get details about the victims’ hotel stays and other personal and private information. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the State Prosecutor’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. David, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Bank Robber Gets 50 Years in Prison for Murdering Security Guard

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS – A U.S. District Court judge sentenced a St. Louis man to a total of 50 years in federal prison after he murdered a security guard during a bank robbery in East St. Louis in August 2021. Jaylan Quinn, 23, pled guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of using a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence. After his imprisonment, the defendant will serve five years of supervised release. Quinn was also ordered to pay $7,280 in restitution. “Although this sentence won’t bring back Ted Horn, it’s a small sigh of relief that the man responsible for taking his life will spend the foreseeable future in federal prison for his crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Swift action by the FBI, the Illinois State Police and the East St. Louis Police Department led to this successful investigation, and I applaud their efforts to remove this dangerous, uncivilized criminal from society.” FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz said, “Today’s significant sentence reflects the severity of Jaylan Quinn’s actions. And while it brings a conclusion to this case, the loss experienced by the family of Ted Horn will last a lifetime. We hope that in some way today’s sentence provides a degree of comfort for the victim’s family.” “Strong and swift investigation by law enforcement, working with the justice system, enabled us to send a convicted murderer to prison,” said ISP Zone 6 Commander Lt. Mike Lewis. “The Illinois State Police will continue working with our local and federal law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to ensure those breaking the law are held accountable.” According to court documents, Quinn and Andrew R. Brinkley, 21 of St. Louis, Missouri, entered First Bank in East St. Louis located at 350 River Park Dr. around 4 p.m. on Aug. 27, 2021. Wearing masks, the pair approached the teller and displayed a demand note. The note read, “I GOT A BOMB STRAPPED TO MY CHEST PUT ALL THE MONEY IN OR EVERYONE DIE.” After receiving funds, the two men ran toward the door. Ted Horn, 56, of St. Libory, Illinois, was working at the bank as a uniformed security guard and followed the men to observe, but Quinn drew a semi-automatic handgun and fatally shot Horn in the head. The robbers then fled in a white Lexus sedan. Horn was pronounced dead at the scene. Bank surveillance video quickly led to the identification of Brinkley as a suspect. By 2 p.m. the next day, FBI agents arrested Brinkley and Quinn at Brinkley’s residence in St. Louis. Agents executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered a loaded 9mm handgun, two marked bills that were taken during the First Bank robbery and clothing that matched the description of the robbers. A white Lexus sedan was found parked at the residence. Brinkley was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Jan. 12, 2023. He was ordered to pay $7,280 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The FBI-Springfield Field Office led the investigation with assistance from the Illinois State Police and the East St. Louis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Reppert and Ali Burns prosecuted the case.


title: Former Detroit Police Lieutenant in Charge of Integrity Unit Sentenced to 2 ½ Years in Prison for Taking Bribes Connected to Towing

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A former police lieutenant in charge of the Detroit Police Department’s Integrity Unit was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison for accepting bribes in a conspiracy with another Detroit police officer in connection with corruption in the towing industry in Detroit, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. John F. Kennedy, 57, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, at one point commanded the Detroit Police Department’s Integrity Unit—a division of the department’s Internal Affairs Division—and was responsible for investigating reports of law violations and professional misconduct by police officers and other city employees. Kennedy conspired with fellow Detroit police officer Daniel S. Vickers to commit bribery by accepting money and other items of value in exchange for Kennedy using and promising to use his influence as a supervisor to persuade other officers to make tow referrals to a towing company in violation of the city’s ordinance and Detroit Police Department policy. Under the city’s towing rotation, qualifying private towing companies are called by the police to tow cars that are seized by the police or reported stolen. Kennedy and Vickers were aware that by making towing referrals directly to a towing company which was not on the city’s towing rotation, they were violating the city’s rules and an ordinance which prohibit a towing company from receiving towing referrals if they are not on police department’s towing rotation. Kennedy and fellow Detroit police officer Vickers agreed to accept bribes in the form of thousands of dollars in cars, car parts, car repairs, and new carpeting for Vickers’ home. Besides making illegal tow referrals in exchange for the bribes, Vickers and Kennedy also agreed to provide the towing company that Kennedy was investigating with confidential information about the status of the Integrity Unit’s case. In total, Kennedy accepted bribes amounting to $14,950 during the course of the conspiracy. In addition, Vickers accepted over $3,400 in bribe payments from the towing company. Vickers has pleaded guilty to the bribery conspiracy and was sentenced in February of this year to 27 months in prison. Vickers and Kennedy were charged as part of the government’s investigation of corruption within the government and the Police Department of the City of Detroit relating to the towing industry and other matters. Thus far, six defendants have been charged in the probe, and five of those six defendants have been convicted. U.S. Attorney Ison said, “Today’s sentence underscores our commitment to ensuring local police agencies embody the utmost commitment to excellence, integrity, and professionalism. Thankfully, today’s result is not emblematic of the character of our law enforcement partners. Nevertheless, this type of immoral conduct will and must be punished. We thank Chief of Police James White for his assistance in this investigation.” “Police officers take an oath to protect and serve their community. Today, John Kennedy is being held accountable for violating that oath and using his official position to benefit himself personally,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “We appreciate the partnership and cooperation of Detroit Police Chief James White as the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force continues to address public corruption in the City of Detroit.” “This former officer’s actions are unacceptable for anyone who has the privilege to wear the Detroit Police badge,” said Detroit Police Chief James E. White. “We appreciate U.S. Attorney Ison’s work to bring accountability to those who fail in their sworn duty to serve and protect the public and will continue to collaborate with her office in any investigation of alleged wrongdoing by our officers. Delivering transparent, accountable, policing excellence that Detroiters deserve is a top priority of my administration.” The case was investigated by the Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force, which is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Detroit Police Department, Michigan Attorney General's Office, Customs & Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.


title: Foreign National Involved in Religious Institution Check Theft Conspiracy Sentenced to Almost Three Years in Federal Prison

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Daniel Velcu, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 34 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. As part of his sentence, Velcu will be required to pay $1,313,499.79 in restitution. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Serra of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Mid-Atlantic Region; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Terry Sult of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office. According to his guilty plea, beginning in June 2018 to October 2020, Velcu and his co-conspirators conspired to steal checks from the U.S. mail intended for religious institutions and deposit the illegally obtained funds into multiple fraudulent bank accounts at various victim financial institutions. Conspirators, including Velcu, conducted the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes of churches and other religious institutions and removing the mail, specifically targeting donation checks. As part of the scheme to defraud, Velcu and other co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions, often in fictitious names, with the aid of co-conspirator Diape Seck, who was an employee at one of the victim financial institutions. Velcu used false names and accompanying fraudulent identity documents containing his photograph to open accounts and receive ATM cards and account information, in addition to using accounts opened by Seck. Velcu and others deposited stolen checks into the fraudulently opened bank accounts and into bank accounts held in his own or a family member’s identity. Velcu and co-conspirators then withdrew cash from the fraudulent bank accounts through ATMs and spent the illegally obtained proceeds using debit cards associated with the bank accounts. During the course of the conspiracy, Velcu personally deposited at least 70 stolen checks, totaling at least $40,357.50 and those accounts received at least $48,987.44 from approximately 101 stolen checks. Information found on Velcu’s cellular phone revealed that eight additional accounts in the name of Velcu or a family member received at least $82,872.65 from approximately 145 stolen checks On October 9, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Velcu’s residence and storage unit in Baltimore and recovered approximately $87,064 is cash, assorted gold coins and jewelry, all of which are being forfeited as proceeds of the conspiracy. Law enforcement also seized fraudulent French identity documents containing photographs of Velcu and a false name. Five other conspirators previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and were sentenced to up to five years in federal prison. Former bank employee Seck was convicted after trial. Seck faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; bank fraud; making false entries in bank records; and receipt of a bribe or reward by a bank employee. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Seck on June 2, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms Used in Two Shootings

body_text: DETROIT – A Detroit man was sentenced yesterday to 8 years in prison for charges relating to his possession of firearms involved in two shootings in 2021, including one where he indiscriminately fired over thirty rounds at the home occupied by his domestic partner, other adults, and two children, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF in Michigan. Jason Foley, 39, who pleaded guilty to two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Nancy Edmunds. According to court documents, on October 24, 2021, officers from the Warren Police Department recovered two loaded firearms, a Diamondback .223 caliber rifle with a drum magazine and a Smith & Wesson 9-milimeter semiautomatic pistol, from Foley’s vehicle. A firearms examiner determined that the Diamondback rifle was used in a shooting on August 4, 2021, and the 9-milimeter handgun was used in a shooting on October 9, 2021. On August 4, 2021, Foley was involved in a shooting into a home occupied by several adults and children where officers recovered thirty-one .223 caliber casings and observed at least twenty gunshots in the target home. Officers also observed gunshots in a nearby house and two vehicles. Foley was also involved in a shooting on October 9, 2021, where officers recovered ten 9-millimeter casings that had been fired by Foley at a residence. In both shootings, the intended target was Foley’s girlfriend. Foley has a history of domestic violence involving at least three different victims, including a 2016 domestic violence conviction. Foley’s felony convictions include carrying concealed weapons, felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and unlawful driving away of a motor vehicle. “This defendant used firearms and a hail of bullets to terrorize a neighborhood and numerous citizens, including two small children,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “This case is an example of our focused approached to removing the drivers of violence from our community to make it safe.” “Removing violent offenders from our communities is ATF’s highest priority,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir “We are proud of our long-standing partnerships in the law enforcement community expanding efforts to disrupt and dismantle these violent criminals.” The investigation of the case was conducted by Special Agent Kevin Rambus of the ATF, and officers with the Detroit Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Asher prosecuted this case for the United States. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Norristown Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing with the Intent to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Norristown, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Keith Pope, age 34, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment, before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson. In connection with the guilty plea, on or about October 7, 2020, Pope was found to possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and heroin, and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for August 23, 2023. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cambria County Drug Task Force, and FBI Safe Streets Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Pope.


title: Orange County Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping and Aggravated Assault on a Federal Law Enforcement Officer

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On April 14, Marques Deon Jones, 40, from Orange County, pled guilty to kidnapping, aggravated assault on a federal law enforcement officer, and two felon in possession of a firearm charges, stemming from a two-day crime spree in Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce, Florida. On August 14, 2022, Jones pistol-whipped an employee of a Port St. Lucie group home located near SE Walton Road, before forcing the employee to leave with him in the employee’s vehicle. While inside the vehicle, Jones continued to beat the employee, threatening the employee that if he saw police, he would kill the employee and force police to kill him in a shoot-out. A group home supervisor, who witnessed Jones’ threats, the physical assault and the ensuing abduction, notified Port St. Lucie Police Department, who was able to identify Jones and issued a warrant for Jones’ arrest. The following day, on August 15, 2022, a U.S. Marshals Service warrants unit located Jones, standing outside of a home in Fort Pierce. As the task force officers approached, they observed Jones retrieve a firearm from a parked car, turn, and attempt to flee. Jones later admitted to police that he retrieved the firearm because he wanted officers to shoot and kill him. Jones was arrested without injury. According to court documents, Jones was previously been convicted, in Orange County, of Domestic Battery and Aggravated Battery Causing Great Bodily Harm, both felonies. Jones is scheduled for sentencing on June 29, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon and faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), made the announcement. The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF Fort Pierce, with assistance from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Port St. Lucie Police Department and the Fort Pierce Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Breezye Telfair. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14069. ###


title: Home Confinement Compliance Supervisor Sentenced to Prison Term for Sexually Abusing Inmate

body_text: MIAMI — A 60-year-0ld Miami man in charge of monitoring the compliance of federal inmates in home confinement is headed to federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a woman he monitored. Benito Montes de Oca Cruz worked as a site supervisor for Riverside House, a federal Bureau of Prisons contractor responsible for providing custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary oversight to federal inmates in home confinement. As part of monitoring compliance, Cruz visited inmates at their homes. On December 28, 2020, Cruz visited a woman who was serving part of her 51-month sentence at home. While there, Cruz engaged in sexual contact with the victim, including touching her sexually while they were both naked. Law enforcement received information on this illicit activity and promptly investigated. Evidence against Cruz included a video that captured the illegal activity and DNA that Cruz left behind. The full sentence imposed by United States District Judge Robert N. Scola was four months’ imprisonment, to be followed by one year of supervised release (with the first 120 days of supervised release in home confinement). In determining the sentence, Judge Scola noted the serious nature of the offense but also considered Cruz’s lack of prior criminal history, among other factors. Cruz must surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons on June 1. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge James Boyersmith of the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), announced the sentence. DOJ-OIG investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted it. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20459. ###


title: Former Administrative Manager for Covington Public Works Department Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – The former administrative manager for the City of Covington Public Works Department, Allison Donaldson, 50, of Covington, pleaded guilty on Friday, before U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Donaldson was employed as an administrative manager for the Public Works Department, from 2005 until 2022, and had access to credit card information for the department. Her plea agreement explains that starting in February 2020 and continuing until February 2022, Donaldson knowingly defrauded the City of Covington, by using employee credit cards and making over $150,000 in purchases for herself and her home. Some of the purchases listed in the plea agreement include repairs for a Mercedes Benz, a Louis Vuitton agenda, a Chanel tote, Crate & Barrel furniture, and a remodel to her master bedroom and garage. Donaldson was indicted in September 2022. “Any time public servants turn to greed and misappropriate public funds, it does serious damage,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Not only does it deprive communities of necessary – and often very limited – resources, but it severely erodes the trust that communities place in their government. Her conduct was an egregious betrayal, for which she now faces the consequences. The dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners made this important prosecution possible, and was the first step in repairing the damage to the Covington community.” United States Attorney Shier; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Daniel Cameron, Kentucky Attorney General; and Spike Jones, Chief of the Kenton County Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea. The investigation preceding the indictments was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigation, and the Kenton County Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow. Donaldson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8. She faces up to 20 years for the wire fraud charge; she faces up to two years, run consecutively on the aggravated identity theft charge; and she faces criminal judgments for restitution and forfeiture of the property attained through the fraud. Any sentence, however, will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. — END —


title: Rochester Man Pleads Guilty To Four Home Invasions Targeting Drug Dealers

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Robert Forbes, Jr. a/k/a Ra Ra a/k/a Henny, 37, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and two counts of Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert A. Marangola and Cassie M. Kocher, who are handling the case, stated that between February 18, and March 26, 2020, Forbes participated, with others, in four separate home invasions in Rochester and Greece, NY. Forbes took part in planning, recruiting participants, obtaining, and providing information about the suspected presence of controlled substances and/or money derived from the sale of controlled substances in the residences, driving individuals to and from the residences, and providing a firearm to use. During some of the home invasions, individuals were restrained, pistol-whipped, and/or suffered injuries. Forbes was arrested April 1, 2020, on W. Ridge Road after a 13-minute car chase in the City of Rochester. The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith. Sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci. # # # #


title: Mobile Resident Convicted on all Counts at Fraud and Identity Theft Trial

component: Criminal - Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A federal jury convicted a Mobile resident this week for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and Social Security Administration (“SSA”). According to court documents and evidence presented at a three-day trial, Kartarius Dewan Johnson, also known as Tareeq Akhil Anad, 42, a resident of Mobile, engaged in widespread financial fraud and identity theft. Between March 2020 and January 2021, Johnson sought to defraud others of property and money worth more than $8 million using false documents containing language commonly used by sovereign citizens, a group of people who generally believe that the U.S. government is illegitimate and that they are exempt from federal, state, or local laws. Johnson contracted with third parties, including car dealerships in Mobile, Beverly Hills, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona, to purchase Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. He also signed a purchase agreement for a $4 million bayfront home in Daphne. To further his fraud scheme, Johnson mailed packages and sent emails to financial institutions and other individuals, in violation of the federal wire fraud statute. The jury reviewed bank records proving that Johnson did not have the money to legitimately buy the items he sought. Johnson also tried to fraudulently obtain SBA funds for COVID–19 relief and lied to the SSA about his U.S. citizenship when applying for a new Social Security card, citing membership in a fictitious tribe that is not federally recognized. In furtherance of his fraud schemes, Johnson illegally used Social Security numbers (SSNs) belonging to two deceased individuals. The jury also reviewed records showing that between 2015 and 2018, Johnson improperly received federal tax credits totaling more than $800,000 for purported biodiesel fuel usage, which he spent on personal expenses, including a private jet membership, clothing, jewelry, cars, vacations, and child support payments. At the conclusion of the case, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in fewer than twenty minutes. Johnson will be sentenced by United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer in July 2023. Johnson is subject to mandatory two-year prison sentences for his aggravated identity theft convictions, which must run consecutively to any other sentence he receives. He also faces up to 20 years in prison for each of his wire fraud convictions, up to 30 years in prison for making false statements to the SBA, and up to five years in prison for making false statements to the SSA. The FBI and the SSA Office of Inspector General investigated the case. “This verdict reinforces south Alabama’s determination to hold criminals accountable for their greed,” said U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello. “Working with our partners in law enforcement, we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who victimizes innocent individuals, businesses, and taxpayers to line their own pockets.” Paul W. Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Mobile Field Office, said, "These financial programs are in place to assist people through legitimate hardships in their life. The fraudulent behavior in this case will make it difficult for true victims to get assistance in the future and should be dealt with harshly." “The jury’s guilty verdict demonstrates that the criminal acts orchestrated by Mr. Kartarius Johnson are intolerable; and it now holds him accountable for his crimes. He not only made false statements to the SSA, but he also misused the identities of persons’ SSNs for his personal gain. He further defrauded others of money and property. I thank the FBI for working with us and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the SSA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller of the Southern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Shai Bronshtein of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Criminal Division, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Columbia Man Sentenced After Attempting to Bring Stun Guns, Smoke Grenades, Knives, and Pepper Spray Into Columbia Airport

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: Columbia, SOUTH CAROLINA — David Lee Angell, 51, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to knowingly and willfully entering into an airport area in violation of security requirements. Evidence obtained in the investigation showed that Angell was stopped at a TSA screening before attempting to board a plane the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. While at TSA screening, his carry-on baggage alerted on prohibited items. A search of his carry-on revealed that he was carrying three smoke grenades, one set of plastic stun knuckles, three stun batons, two knives, and two cans of capsaicin spray in his carry-on bag. All of these items are prohibited from being in a passenger’s carry-on baggage. Angell has prior convictions for carrying a concealed weapon in vehicle, possession of a dangerous weapon, burglary, and resisting a public officer. As a result of the federal conviction, United States Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett sentenced Angell to the maximum term imprisonment of one year, to be followed by a one-year term of court-ordered supervision. The case was investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Assistant United States Attorney Elle E. Klein prosecuted the case. ###


title: Webster Man Found Guilty Of Distributing, Receiving, And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Jesse James Bertetto (29, Webster) guilty of four counts of distributing, receiving, and possessing child sexual abuse material. Bertetto faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for each count. He is also required to register as a sex offender. Bertetto had been indicted on May 10, 2022. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in December 2020, Bertetto possessed child sexual abuse material on his cellphone, including images and videos of minors under the age of 12. The web history on his cellphone revealed that he had searched for child sexual abuse material and had visited websites known to law enforcement as frequently containing child sexual abuse material. In January 2022, Bertetto continued to possess images and videos of children on another cellphone, including young children being sexually abused. He also actively traded videos of child sexual abuse material over a social media platform in January 2022. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Tampa, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Fort Myers Felon Sentenced After Brandishing A Firearm On Social Media

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Terry Kristopher Flournoy (23, Fort Myers) to two years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Flournoy to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he illegally possessed. Flournoy had pleaded guilty on December 21, 2022. According to court documents, on April 27, 2020, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department arrested Flournoy on an active warrant after he had posted a video on Instagram of food items at a Fort Myers area restaurant. When arrested, officers located a loaded Glock pistol. Flournoy’s fingerprint was later located on the magazine of the firearm. Officers further noted that Flournoy had posted a video on social media pointing what appeared to be a Glock pistol at the camera on the same evening of his arrest. Flournoy is a convicted felon, and as a result, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Orlando Convicted Felon Sentenced To Federal Prison For Firearm And Drug Offenses

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Ramondo Zavious Williams (42, Orlando) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Williams had pleaded guilty on December 15, 2022. According to court documents, an officer with the Winter Park Police Department attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Williams, resulting in Williams fleeing at a high rate of speed and later crashing into another vehicle. Following the crash, Williams exited the vehicle and fled on foot carrying a black backpack. After Williams was detained, officers searched the backpack and the vehicle Williams was driving. Inside the backpack, officers found suspected marijuana, a large sum of cash, and two baggies of pills that were later determined to be approximately 68 grams of methamphetamine. Inside the vehicle, officers located a loaded FN model FNX-45 tactical .45 caliber handgun between the driver’s seat and center console as well as plastic bags, more suspected marijuana, and cash. At the time, Williams had multiple prior felony convictions, including for drug and firearm offenses. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. “The law will always catch up to those who attempt to peddle their poison in our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Alongside our partners at the Winter Park Police Department, HSI remains committed to ridding our streets of criminals who have no respect for the law.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Winter Park Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Testerman and Shannon Laurie. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Citrus County Man Found Guilty Of Possessing A Short-Barrel Rifle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has found David Robinson, Jr. (24, Tampa) guilty of possessing an unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) firearm. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 20, 2023. Robinson had been indicted on October 11, 2022. According to evidence presented at trial, deputies from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office encountered Robinson in September 2022. Robinson had in his possession a loaded short barrel rifle. The barrel length was approximately 12.5 inches long. The rifle was not registered to Robinson in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer record. This case was investigated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Lee County Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Unlawfully Possessing Firearm As A Convicted Felon

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Clayton Mack Rhodes (45, Fort Myers Beach) to seven years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The court also ordered Rhodes to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he possessed during the offense. Rhodes had pleaded guilty on August 9, 2022. According to court records, in the early morning hours of January 22, 2021, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) responded to an emergency call for service at a residence in Fort Myers Beach and located an unconscious male in the living room of the home. It was later determined that the individual died as the result of a drug overdose. The deputies also located Rhodes inside the home, who was identified as the roommate of the decedent. When deputies searched the residence, they located a loaded Glock handgun in Rhodes’s bedroom. As a convicted felon who had previously served more than a decade in federal prison for a drug trafficking crime, Rhodes is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.


title: Naples Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Federal Prison For Producing Child Sexual Abuse Images And Videos

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jeffrey Holcombe (51, Naples) to 25 years in federal prison for producing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Holcombe to a term of 25 years of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender. This sentence will run concurrent to a remaining term of imprisonment imposed in January 2022, by a U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale in a separate case. Holcombe had entered a plea on January 23, 2023. According to court documents, between at least July 18, 2020, continuing through March 3, 2021, Holcombe produced images and videos of his sexual abuse of a minor. On April 3, 2021, while FBI agents were assisting other agents from the Southern District of Florida in executing a warrant for Holcombe on an unrelated charge, law enforcement stopped Holcombe in his vehicle in Naples and observed a cellphone on the vehicle’s passenger seat. The vehicle was impounded, along with its contents, including Holcombe’s cellphone. On the same date, agents went to Holcombe’s home and discovered a minor residing there. Further investigation revealed that Holcombe had been sexually abusing the minor, and that he often photographed, or video recorded his sexual abuse of the minor at his home and at various hotels. On April 5, 2021, agents executed a federal search warrant on Holcombe’s vehicle and cellphone. A forensic analysis of the cellphone revealed 26 images and 16 videos depicting the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The minor was between the ages of 16 to 17 at the time of the sexual offenses. Another search warrant for Holcombe’s and the minor’s Snapchat accounts revealed sexually explicit videos depicting Holcombe with the minor. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava. This is another case 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 the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Postal Employee Sentenced To 5 Years In Federal Prison For Possessing With The Intent To Distribute More Than 11 Kilograms Of Fentanyl

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Theodore Garlow (53, Lehigh Acres) to five years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Garlow had pleaded guilty on January 10, 2023. According to court documents, in 2021, Garlow was employed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a Rural Carrier assigned to the Lehigh Acres Post Office. On September 30, 2021, the USPS - Office of Inspector General (OIG) received information regarding five suspicious parcels that were enroute to Garlow’s home address in Lehigh Acres. On that same date, Garlow sent text messages inquiring about the five parcels to the postal carrier assigned to deliver the mail on the route where Garlow’s home is located. After the postal carrier told Garlow that he did not have the parcels, Garlow went to the Lehigh Acres Post Office and walked around the building in search of the packages. On October 1, 2021, special agents from USPS OIG went to Garlow’s home with the five suspicious parcels. Garlow agreed to speak with the agents and admitted that he went to the post office to find out why the parcels had not been delivered. Garlow consented to the search of the parcels, which contained pills. When asked what the pills were, Garlow said that he believed that the pills were tramadol. Garlow told the agents that he had received a text message from an unknown number asking him if he wanted to make more money. Garlow admitted that he eventually replied to the text message because he needed money to pay his mortgage and other bills. Garlow said that he started communicating with an individual about four months prior and that this individual had instructed him to open a P.O. Box at the post office and a box at a UPS Store. Garlow followed these instructions and provided his home address and the addresses of the two boxes to the individual. Garlow later admitted to receiving parcels containing what the individual said was tramadol, Percocet, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and another pill for sleep. Upon receiving the packages, Garlow counted and separated the pills into baggies, printed out shipping labels, and mailed out the pills using a spreadsheet detailing the names and addresses that had been provided by the individual. Garlow admitted to receiving 10 to 15 parcels. During the interview, Garlow provided 8 crates full of pills and 19 USPS Priority Mail envelopes to the agents. Garlow said he was paid based on the number of pills being shipped, and that he had mailed out more than 200 parcels or envelopes. Garlow said that he knew that what he was doing was wrong, but he needed to make money. A subsequent forensic laboratory analysis of the pills revealed that a majority of the pills were fentanyl. Further, the lab analysis found that some of the pills’ physical characteristics, including shape, color, and manufacturer’s markings indicated that the tablets should have been a controlled substance such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, or oxycodone hydrochloride manufactured by a specific company, but were instead analyzed and found to be fentanyl. The pills were in excess of 11 kilograms of fentanyl. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.


title: Meharry Medical College Agrees To Settle False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - Tennessee, Middle

body_text: NASHVILLE – U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis announced today that the United States has reached an agreement with Meharry Medical College to settle allegations of violating the False Claims Act (FCA). Under the terms of the agreement, Meharry will pay $100,749 to resolve the allegations. The United States alleged that, from 2016 until March 2020, Meharry submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare seeking payment for physician services provided in the internal medicine, OB/GYN, and psychiatric outpatient clinics, and for psychiatric consultations at Nashville General Hospital. In reality, these services were performed by unsupervised, non-physician residents. “Combating healthcare fraud is a top priority for our office” said United States Attorney Leventis. “The allegations in this case not only constitute fraud on Medicare, but also an unacceptable risk to patients. We appreciate that Meharry agreed to implement changes to its policies to ensure compliance with Medicare’s supervision requirements regarding care provided by residents.” As a condition of the settlement agreement, Meharry has also agreed to implement a Medicare billing policy designed to ensure compliance with Medicare billing requirements and will provide annual training to its faculty members and in-coming first-year residents concerning Medicare billing requirements for professional services provided by residents. "To protect the integrity of federal health care programs and the patients they serve, it is important that providers are compliant with supervision requirements and other regulations," said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. "HHS-OIG remains committed to promoting compliance and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in HHS programs." The litigation resolved by this case originally was brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA by Dr. Rachel Thomas, a former internal medicine and hospitalist physician employed by TeamHealth, which was then under contract to staff the emergency room at Nashville General Hospital. Under the whistleblower provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wynn M. Shuford represented the United States. The claims in the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The case is captioned as United States ex rel. Thomas v. Meharry Medical College , Case No. 3:20-cv-00658 (M.D. Tenn.). The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). # # # # #


title: Two Individuals Arrested for Operating Undeclared Police Station of the Chinese Government in Chinatown in Manhattan

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Today, a complaint was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging two defendants in connection with opening and operating an undeclared overseas police station, located in lower Manhattan, for the Ministry of Public Security (“MPS”) of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”). Lu Jianwang and Chen Jinping were arrested earlier this morning at their homes in New York City. Their initial appearances are scheduled this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, FBI, New York Field Office, announced the arrests and charges. “This prosecution reveals the Chinese government’s flagrant violation of our nation’s sovereignty by establishing a secret police station in the middle of New York City,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “As alleged, the defendants were directed to do the PRC’s bidding, including helping locate a Chinese dissident living in the United States, and obstructed our investigation by deleting their communications with a Chinese Ministry of Public Security official. Such a police station has no place here in New York City—or any American community.” “The PRC, through its repressive security apparatus, established a secret physical presence in New York City to monitor and intimidate dissidents and those critical of its government,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “The PRC’s actions go far beyond the bounds of acceptable nation-state conduct. We will resolutely defend the freedoms of all those living in our country from the threat of authoritarian repression.” “The defendants, operating on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China, are alleged to have operated an undeclared police station in downtown New York City,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “Upon learning of the FBI’s investigation into the police station, the defendants erased their communications to conceal their activities. Clandestine police stations operating within our communities are not only illegal but infringe on the United States' freedom - they will not be tolerated. The FBI is unwavering in our mission to protect the American people and uphold our Constitution; anyone working on behalf of a hostile foreign nation to violate our national security and freedoms will be held accountable.” As alleged in the complaint, Lu Jianwang and Chen Jinping are charged with conspiring to act as agents of the PRC government as well as obstructing justice by destroying evidence of their communications with an MPS official (the “MPS Official”). While acting under the direction and control of the MPS Official, the defendants worked together to establish the first known overseas police station in the United States on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the MPS. The police station—which closed in the fall of 2022—occupied an entire floor in an office building in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Lu and Chen helped open and operate the clandestine police station. None of the participants in the scheme informed the U.S. government that they were helping the PRC government surreptitiously open and operate an undeclared MPS police station on U.S. soil. Before helping open the police station in early 2022, Lu had a longstanding relationship of trust with PRC law enforcement, including the MPS. Since 2015, and through the operation of the secret police station, Lu was directed to assist the PRC government’s repressive activities on U.S. soil: In 2015, during PRC President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States, Lu participated in counterprotests in Washington, D.C. against members of a religion that is forbidden under PRC law. A deputy director of the MPS awarded Lu a plaque for the work he performed on behalf of the PRC government. In 2018, Lu was enlisted in efforts to cause a purported PRC fugitive to return to the PRC. The victim reported being repeatedly harassed to return to the PRC, including through threats of violence made to the victim and the victim’s family in the United States and in the PRC. In 2022, the MPS Official sought Lu’s assistance in locating an individual living in California who is a pro-democracy activist. In turn, Lu enlisted the help of another co-conspirator. Later, when confronted by the FBI about these conversations, Lu denied that they occurred. In October 2022, the FBI conducted a judicially authorized search of the illegal police station. In connection with the search, FBI agents interviewed both Lu and Chen and seized their phones. In reviewing the contents of these phones, FBI agents observed that communications between Lu and Chen, on the one hand, and the MPS Official, on the other, appeared to have been deleted. In subsequent consensual interviews, Lu and Chen admitted to the FBI that they had deleted their communications with the MPS Official after learning about the ongoing FBI investigation, thus preventing the FBI from learning the full extent of the MPS’s directions for the overseas police station. If convicted of conspiring to act as agents of the PRC, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The obstruction of justice charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charges in the complaints are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, and Antoinette N. Rangel are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression . The Defendants : Lu Jianwang Age: 61 Bronx, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-265 Chen Jinping Age: 59 Manhattan, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-265


title: Bronx, New York, Man Sentenced to 43 Years in Prison for Multistate Kidnapping, Assault, and Arson Rampage

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man was sentenced today to 516 months in prison for a multistate crime spree during which he kidnapped and sexually assaulted his former girlfriend, assaulted a federal employee, set fire to a used car dealership, and rammed multiple police vehicles before being apprehended, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Luis Figueroa, 42, was convicted in May 2022 of kidnapping; criminal sexual abuse; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and assaulting an employee of the United States following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez. Figueroa had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon and arson. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. “Figueroa is a danger to the public,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Figueroa deliberately engaged in a premeditated crime spree to extract revenge on the mother of his son. Fueled with anger, he kidnapped, assaulted and raped her. Along the way, he assaulted a federal employee, stole his car, burned down a car dealership office and endangered law enforcement officers and members of the public who were in his way. We are committed to protecting the community from such violent criminals and bringing them to justice.” “ATF will never waver in our commitment to protecting the communities we serve and public safety,” Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said. “Figueroa was undoubtedly a clear and present danger to the community with his willingness to engage in this lawless behavior and commit these malicious, criminal, and violent acts. I am proud of the collaborative efforts and successful partnership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF, and our local and state partners involved in this investigation and prosecution. Justice has been served with this sentence and reflects ATF’s commitment to hold violent offenders accountable.” According to court documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: On the morning of June 6, 2014, Figueroa, armed with a shotgun, waited outside the Hazleton, Pennsylvania, apartment of his former girlfriend. When she emerged from the apartment, Figueroa struck the victim in the face with the shotgun and said: “I told you I was going to kill you.” Figueroa then proceeded to physically assault both the former girlfriend and her sister, who, at the time, was eight months pregnant. As Figueroa attacked the women, another family member took Figueroa’s and the ex-girlfriend’s young child into a bedroom to shield the child from the violence. After struggling with the pregnant woman and causing her to fall down a flight of stairs, Figueroa collected the shotgun from the apartment and led his former girlfriend to a red SUV, where he forced her into the backseat. Figueroa then drove the victim across state lines to New Jersey. Figueroa eventually stopped at the Kittatinny Point Visitor’s Center, which is located on federal property, and sexually assaulted his former girlfriend. After the assault, the victim convinced Figueroa to dispose of the shotgun. When Figueroa went to do so, the former girlfriend climbed into the driver’s seat of the red SUV and drove away to safety. After returning and discovering both his former girlfriend and the red SUV were no longer there, Figueroa approached a National Park Service employee, and led the employee to a nearby storage room, where he slammed the victim’s head against a door and threatened to harm the victim if he did not hand over the keys to his car. The employee complied and Figueroa fled the scene in the victim’s car. Figueroa drove to Paterson, New Jersey, where he entered a used car dealership operated by a person with whom Figueroa had a business relationship. Figueroa asked an employee for a portable gas canister, which he filled shortly thereafter at a nearby gas station, and then returned to the dealership and doused the office with gasoline. After a brief struggle with an employee, Figueroa ignited a match and set the building on fire, engulfing the structure in flames and setting himself on fire in the process. Figueroa then fled the scene in another vehicle. Law enforcement officers spotted Figueroa’s vehicle driving erratically towards the George Washington Bridge heading into New York. Figueroa ignored officers’ commands to stop, leading to a high-speed chase in which Figueroa rammed his vehicle into multiple police vehicles, injuring a police officer. Figueroa then got out of his vehicle and fled on foot. Officers placed Figueroa under arrest shortly thereafter. In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Figueroa to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Miller in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Hazelton City, Pennsylvania, Police Department; the Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney’s Office; the Pennsylvania State Police; the New Jersey State Police; the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vera Varshavsky of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division and Bruce P. Keller, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney.


title: 34 Officers of People's Republic of China National Police Charged with Perpetrating Transnational Repression Scheme Targeting U.S. Residents

body_text: Today, a complaint was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging 34 officers of the national police of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) – the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) – with harassing Chinese nationals residing in the New York metropolitan area and elsewhere in the United States. The defendants allegedly perpetrated transnational repression schemes targeting U.S. residents whose political views and actions are disfavored by the PRC government, such as advocating for democracy in the PRC. All the defendants are believed to reside in the PRC, and they remain at large. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Kurt Ronnow, Acting Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Counterintelligence Division (FBI), and David Sundberg, Assistant Director-in-Charge, FBI, announced the charges. “As alleged, the Chinese government deploys an elite task force of its national police—the 912 Special Project Working Group—as a troll farm to attack Chinese dissidents in our country for exercising free speech in a manner that the PRC government disfavors, and spread disinformation and propaganda to sow divisions within the United States,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I commend the investigative team for comprehensively revealing the insidiousness of a state-directed criminal scheme directed at residents of the United States.” “These cases demonstrate the lengths the PRC government will go to silence and harass U.S. persons who exercise their fundamental rights to speak out against PRC oppression, including by unlawfully exploiting a U.S.-based technology company,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “These actions violate our laws and are an affront to our democratic values and basic human rights.” “China’s Ministry of Public Security used operatives to target people of Chinese descent who had the courage to speak out against the Chinese Communist Party – in one case by covertly spreading propaganda to undermine confidence in our democratic processes and, in another, by suppressing U.S. video conferencing users’ free speech,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director Ronnow. “We aren’t going to tolerate CCP repression – its efforts to threaten, harass, and intimidate people – here in the United States. The FBI will continue to confront the Chinese government’s efforts to violate our laws and repress the rights and freedoms of people in our country.” “These cases demonstrate that the Chinese Communist Party, once again, attempted to intimidate, harass, and suppress Chinese dissidents in the United States,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sundberg. “In the U.S., the freedom of speech is a cornerstone of our democracy, and the FBI will work tirelessly to defend everyone's right to speak freely without fear of retribution from the CCP. These complex investigations revealed an MPS-wide effort to repress individuals by using the U.S. communications platform and fake social media accounts to censor political and religious speech.” As alleged, the officers are or were assigned to a task force called the “912 Special Project Working Group” (the Group) and worked out of an MPS facility in Beijing. The purpose of the Group is to influence and shape public perceptions of the PRC government, the CCP, and its leaders in the United States and around the world. The Group carries out this mission by using a host of accounts created under false names on multiple social media platforms to promote narratives that portray the PRC government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in a favorable light, while criticizing and attacking their perceived adversaries, including the United States, and Chinese pro-democracy activists located throughout the world, including in the United States. As alleged, the defendants carried out this mission in part through a campaign of threats, harassment and intimidation directed at critics of the PRC government and the CCP in the United States and around the world. The complaint alleges that members of the Group created thousands of fake online personas on social media sites, including Twitter, to target Chinese democracy activists and critics of the CCP through online harassment and threats. These online personas also disseminate official PRC government propaganda and narratives to counter and overwhelm the critical speech of the Chinese activists. The topics of the propaganda and official narratives are directed by MPS headquarters, and have included the advantages of the PRC’s CCP-dominated political system over democracy, U.S. domestic and foreign policy, human rights issues in Hong Kong and Xinjiang Province, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic. As further alleged, the investigation has obtained a policy guide issued to new Group members for detailing how to create and maintain fake social media accounts through temporary email addresses; posting official PRC government content; and interacting with other online users to avoid the appearance that the Group accounts are “flooding” a given social media platform. Some of these online personas purport to be U.S. persons, giving U.S. users of social media platforms the false impression that individuals located in the United States advocate positions and policies favored by the PRC government and the CCP. The Group tracks the performance of the MPS officers assigned to the Group and rewards Group members who successfully operate multiple online personas without detection by the social media companies who host the platforms or by other users of the platforms. The investigation has also uncovered official MPS directions to Group members to compose articles and videos based on certain themes targeting, for example, the activities of Chinese pro-democracy activists located abroad or the policies of the U.S. government. As alleged, the Group executed a standing order from MPS headquarters to harass a well-known critic of the PRC government and the CCP (Victim-1) by using a host of Group-controlled social media accounts to, among other things, make death threats and demand that U.S. authorities arrest Victim-1. In addition, Group members took repeated affirmative actions to have Chinese dissidents and their meetings interfered with on the platform of Company-1. For example, Group members disrupted a pro-democracy activist’s efforts to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre through a videoconference meeting by posting threats against the participants through the platform’s chat function. In another Company-1 videoconference on the topic of countering communism organized by a Chinese pro-democracy activist, Group members flooded the videoconference and drowned out the meeting with loud music, vulgar screams and threats directed at the pro-democracy participants. The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Ian C. Richardson, Nicholas J. Moscow, and Jessica K. Weigel of the Eastern District of New York with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, are in charge of the prosecution. The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression . The Defendants : BAI YUNPENG (白云鹏) Age: 31 CHEN ZHICHEN (陈之琛) Age: 26 GAO CAINAN (高彩楠) GAO HONGTING (高宏亭) Age: 35 HU XIAOHUI (呼啸慧) Age: 32 HUANG CHUNHUI (黄春晖) Age: 37 JIN YI (金乙) Age: 32 JU QIANG (居强) Age: 32 LI BOLUN (李博伦) Age: 42 LI XUAN (李轩) Age: 31 LI XUEYANG (李雪阳) Age: 31 LI ZHEFENG (李哲峰) LIANG SHUANG (梁爽) Age: 39 LIN YUQIONG (林玉琼) (also known as “Lin Huishan (林慧姗),”) Age: 35 LIU ZHAOXI (刘朝夕) Age: 35 MIAO SHIHUI (苗世辉) Age: 34 SHI LIANGTIAN (史粮田) Age: 29 SONG YANG (I) (宋杨) Age: 43 SONG YANG (II) (宋阳) TAN JINYAN (覃金燕) Age: 43 WANG CHUNJIE (王春杰) WANG SHIPENG (王士朋) Age: 37 WEN JIANXUN (温建勋) XI SHUO (西硕) Age: 34 XI YUE (袭岳) (also known as “Qi Dong (齐栋),”) Age: 36 XU YANAN (徐亚楠) Age: 32 or 33 XU ZHEN (徐震) Age: 29 XUE WENFENG (薛文峰) (also known as “Feng Xu (徐丰),”) Age: 41 YANG DALIN (杨大林) Age: 34 YANG MIAO (杨淼) Age: 30 or 31 YIN YINA (尹贻娜) Age: 33 YU MIAO (余苗) Age: 38 or 39 ZHANG DI (张迪) ZHOU GUOQIANG (周国强) Age: 52