title: Klamath Falls Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Two Women and Holding One in a Cell

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.— Negasi Zuberi, 31, of Klamath Falls, Oregon, was sentenced to life in federal prison today for kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women, and holding one in a cell he constructed in his garage. “There is no place in civil society for this type of terrifying violence,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “I sincerely hope Zuberi’s life sentence will bring some measure of comfort to his victims. Their courage and perseverance are an inspiration to us all.” According to court documents, on July 15, 2023, while in Seattle, Zuberi posed as a police officer and used a taser and handcuffs to detain his victim in the backseat of his vehicle. Zuberi then transported the victim approximately 450 miles to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping along the way to sexually assault her. At his residence, the victim was moved from his vehicle into a cell he had constructed in his garage. The woman repeatedly banged on the cell door until it broke open and she escaped. The victim retrieved a handgun from Zuberi's vehicle, fled his garage, and flagged down a passing motorist who called 911. On July 16, 2023, Reno Police Department officers and Nevada State Patrol officers located Zuberi in a parking lot in Reno, Nevada. After a short standoff, Zuberi surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody. While investigating Zuberi's crimes, federal agents discovered that approximately six weeks prior to the kidnapping in Seattle, on May 6, 2023, Zuberi kidnapped and sexually assaulted another victim. While being held by Zuberi, his first victim observed stacked cinder blocks in his garage that he later used to construct the cell where he detained his second victim. On August 2, 2023, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Zuberi with kidnapping and transporting a victim with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Later, on February 15, 2024, a second kidnapping charge and charges for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition. On October 18, 2024, a federal jury found Zuberi guilty of all charges. This case was investigated by the FBI Portland and Reno, Nevada Field Offices, Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon State Police with assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada; Klamath County District Attorney's Office; Reno, Nevada Police Department; Washoe County, Nevada District Attorney's Office; Nevada State Police; and Klamath Falls Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Nathan J. Lichvarcik, and Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, with assistance from Appellate Chief Suzanne Miles, also of the District of Oregon.


title: Jury Convicts Man For Involvement In $700,000 Casino Heist

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a federal jury convicted Jesus Gaytan-Garcia, 45, Chicago, Illinois, of interstate transportation of stolen money, and theft from an Indian tribal organization. Mr. Gaytan-Garcia will be sentenced on a later date to be set by the court. “This case underscores the need for businesses, organizations, and citizens to be diligent and cautious about phone and internet scams,” said U.S. Attorney Totten . “Thanks to the persistent and dedicated investigators at the Pokagon Tribal Police Department and FBI, Mr. Gaytan-Garcia was identified as one of the perpetrators of this theft-scam and is being held accountable for this bold crime.” The evidence at trial showed that on July 30, 2023, a call came into the Hartford Four Winds Casino. The caller falsely claimed that he was the tribal chairperson and needed funds to make an urgent payment. A casino supervisory employee, apparently misled by the caller’s fraudulent claims, took $700,000 in cash and walked out of the casino. At the direction of the caller, the employee transported the cash across state lines to a gas station in Gary, Indiana, where the employee then handed the money over to two unknown individuals. The evidence at trial proved that Jesus Gaytan-Garcia was one of those individuals. When investigators searched Gaytan-Garcia’s home in Chicago, they located a bundle of cash still wrapped in a paper band that was stamped with the word, “Hartford,” the location of the victimized Four Winds Casino, and the exact date of the theft, July 30, 2023. “The cooperative efforts of the FBI and our tribal law enforcement has resulted in justice for the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Indians,” said Pokagon Band Chief of Police Mario RedLegs . “I am extremely proud of the professional teamwork that was put forth by those involved in the investigation. The diligence of the investigative team and the U.S. Attorney's Office was vital to hold Mr. Gaytan-Garcia responsible for the crimes he committed against the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.” "The conviction of Jesus Gaytan-Garcia represents a significant step toward justice and healing for the Pokagon Tribal Community," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Those involved in large-scale thefts will be held accountable for their actions. I am grateful for the dedicated investigative efforts of our team at the FBI’s St. Joseph Resident Agency, in partnership with the FBI Chicago Field Office and the Pokagon Tribal Police Department, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, whose collaboration was crucial in securing this successful prosecution." The case was investigated by the Pokagon Band Tribal Police and the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Lane and Alexia Jansen prosecuted it. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney Mark Totten Warns Of Jury Service Scams

body_text: Law enforcement will not demand money over the phone GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten today warned citizens in the Western District of Michigan of a prevalent scam. Citizens are being called and told they have warrants for failure to appear and contempt of court relating to failing to appear for jury service. Legitimate law enforcement will never ask for payment over the telephone to “post a bond” or “bond out” or for any other reason. “Scammers will do anything to rip off their victims — even impersonating law enforcement and court officials,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “Be aware. Protect yourself. And don’t be afraid to end the call and contact the law enforcement agency directly to verify.” The callers will claim to be law enforcement officers or court staff and may provide names of real people or badge numbers. This is often information they have found on the internet. They may demand you pay them, often with gift cards or using a QR code. If you think you are being targeted by a scammer: Document as much as possible about the call (the caller’s name, telephone number, and information they provide, such as badge number, court or agency with which they claim to be affiliated, and so forth). These details will help you confirm the legitimacy of the claim and help with reporting scams to law enforcement. Ask questions. Scammers subjected to ongoing interrogation may hang up and move on to an easier target. Do not worry if they hang up—it is a sign this was a scam. Remain calm. Call the court or law enforcement agency directly and see if you missed a summons or court date. Independently locate numbers for courts and law enforcement—do not call numbers the caller provides to you. Never give out sensitive information over the phone. Attempted jury scams can be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Federal Trade Commission . For more information about these scams, please see: https://www.miwd.uscourts.gov/jury-scams . # # #


title: Benton Harbor Man Sentenced To 100 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Firearm Possession

body_text: Federal Jury Found Defendant Guilty Following Trial on Felon in Possession Charge GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Lamon Tirell Turner, 47, of Benton Harbor, was sentenced to 100 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Turner has many prior violent convictions including assault, unarmed robbery, domestic violence, and assault on a police officer. “Gun violence inflict tremendous harm on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “My office is committed to stopping the proliferation of illegal guns flooding our communities. We will use all our tools and partnerships to hold offenders driving gun violence accountable and keep our communities safe.” Investigators executed a search warrant at an apartment where Turner was staying. Officers located a firearm hidden underneath a couch, adjacent to where Turner was sleeping. Turner’s wallet was within feet of the weapon. Subsequent DNA analysis confirmed Turner’s DNA was present on the firearm. The recovered firearm was determined to be the last one recovered of 123 firearms stolen during a November 16, 2023, robbery of Dunham's sporting goods store in Benton Harbor. With this recovery, law enforcement has now successfully located all firearms taken during that robbery. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Sanford and Constance Turnbull represented the United States at trial. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psn . # # #


title: Detroit Man Sentenced for  Armed Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Detroit man, Khari Smith, 21, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 200 months in prison, for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. In May 2023, law enforcement began investigating an individual distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine in Lexington, and also identified the vehicle being used to transport the drugs into the area. On July 10, 2023, law enforcement located the vehicle traveling from Detroit to Kentucky, as one of a pair of vehicles they believed were connected. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on both vehicles. Khari Smith and Khmari Smith, his brother and co-defendant, were found in one vehicle, with no evidence of drugs. In the other vehicle, co-defendant Brianna Hanspard, 29, also from Detroit, was found with 4.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and 199.7 grams of fentanyl. Hanspard admitted agreeing with Khmari Smith and others to transport drugs from Detroit to Lexington, in exchange for payment. Further investigation established that Khari and Khmari Smith continued their drug distribution, using sources in Detroit. In August 2023, law enforcement searched their leased residences in Lexington. At the first residence they found 354.4 grams of fentanyl, 216.3 grams of methamphetamine, and 18 firearms; at the second residence, they found additional fentanyl, methamphetamine, and 12 firearms. Khmari Smith admitted that he received those firearms as payment for drugs he distributed. In their previous sentencings, Khmari Smith was sentenced to 384 months and Hanspard was sentenced to 84 months. Under federal law, Khari Smith must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentences. The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . – END –


title: Manufacturing Company To Pay Over $4.1 Million To Resolve Allegations It Received Paycheck Protection Program Loan In Violation Of Employee Size Rules

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced today that Horn USA, Inc., a precision tool manufacturing company, has agreed to pay $4,153,111.12 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by falsely obtaining a second-draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was ineligible. “The Paycheck Protection Program provided important relief that was limited to entities that met the eligibility criteria,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office remains committed to working with the Small Business Administration to investigate fraud on its programs and protect taxpayer dollars.” When Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020 it enacted a program to provide emergency financial assistance to individuals and businesses suffering economic and public health effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) continued the CARES Act’s loan program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and created a second-draw PPP loan that allowed eligible businesses that had previously received a PPP loan to apply for a second loan. As one condition to second-draw loan eligibility, the applicant company and its affiliates must have had no more than 300 employees collectively. In January of 2021, Horn USA, Inc. applied for and received a $2,000,000 second-draw PPP loan, which SBA subsequently forgave. The United States alleges that Horn USA, Inc. was ineligible for this loan because the company and its affiliates had over 300 employees and thus exceeded the size standard. The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act against Horn USA, Inc. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the settlement or judgment. Here, the United States elected to take over the case, investigated it, and negotiated the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Horn USA, Inc. , No. 1:24-cv-196 (W.D. Mich.). The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the SBA. Assistant United States Attorney Whitney M. Schnurr investigated this case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. # # #


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Analogue

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Keith Fox, age 51, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced January 16, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogue. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Fox to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Fox is released from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. In September 2023 a confidential informant (CI) working with the DEA Overdose Task Force purchased 7.5 grams of fentanyl analogue from Fox. Fox was known as “Shorty” on the streets and was selling powder fentanyl, which is even more potent than the M30 pills. In December 2023 the CI purchased another eight grams of powder fentanyl analogue from Fox. Both buys took place in Omaha, Nebraska. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Drug Task Force, which is comprised of law enforcement from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. .


title: Colorado Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Methamphetamine and Marijuana

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Juan Rodriguez-Rios, age 39, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced January 16, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possessing with intent to distribute 430 grams of methamphetamine and 14 pounds of marijuana. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Rodriguez-Rios to 37 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release. On September 6, 2022, the Nebraska State Patrol on I-80 around Seward, observed a GMC Yukon with an inoperative brake light. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver and sole occupant was identified as Rodriguez-Rios. At the conclusion of the traffic stop, Rodriguez-Rios was given a warning. During the post-stop encounter, Rodriguez-Rios gave consent to search the vehicle. In the vehicle the trooper located approximately 14 pounds of marijuana and 430 grams of pure meth. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Justice Department Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Iowa Landlord for Sexually Harassing Tenants

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Kurt Williams and Gearhead Properties LC, of Davenport, Iowa, for sexually harassing female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Williams has managed residential rental properties in Davenport since at least 2010. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleges that, since at least 2010, Williams subjected female tenants to unwelcome sexual contact, exposed his genitals to female tenants, made requests for sex in exchange for reduced rent or other housing benefits and evicted tenants when they did not give in to his sexual advances. “Landlords who target vulnerable women by repeatedly demanding sex for themselves and their friends and retaliating against those who refuse with eviction actions and refusals to make repairs show an egregious abuse of power,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to protecting tenants’ right to live in and access housing free of sexual harassment. We encourage survivors of sexual harassment to speak out so that we can vindicate their fair housing rights.” “Seeking basic human needs such as housing, should not bring with it the threat of sexual harassment,” said U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa. “Gearhead Properties is alleged to have violated the rights of tenants to be free from this type of harassment. Our office and the Justice Department will continue to protect and vindicate tenant’s rights. Improper interference with a tenant’s right to housing will not be tolerated. Anyone with information about the Gearhead Properties investigation are encouraged to contact our office at the number below.” The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest, and a court order barring future discrimination. The lawsuit is the result of a joint investigative effort with the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG). “It is unconscionable for landlords to sexually harass or abuse their vulnerable, low-income tenants,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of HUD. “The defendant allegedly preyed upon female tenants by seeking sexual acts in exchange for housing benefits and retaliating against them when they refused his advances. Together with our law enforcement partners we will continue to hold landlords accountable for this type of horrible conduct.” The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. It also prohibits sexual harassment, a form of sex discrimination. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental properties owned or managed by Kurt Williams or Gearhead Properties LC, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Justice Department by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa at (515) 473-9300. Individuals may also email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov or submit a report online . Reports also may be made by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online . The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The initiative, which is led by the Civil Rights Division in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 48 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $17 million for victims of such harassment. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting people from sexual misconduct.


title: Two Iowa Healthcare Practitioners Settle Allegations for False Submission of Claims to Federal Healthcare Programs in Telemedicine Scheme

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – Two Iowa healthcare practitioners have entered into civil settlements to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of false or fraudulent claims to Medicare as part of a telemedicine scheme. Nurse practitioner Cori Lempiainen has agreed to pay $150,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that between October 4, 2021 and November 11, 2022 she billed Medicare for over 650 claims for office visits and medical discussions she did not provide, and signed over 2,700 orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as orthotic braces. Paul Baumert, M.D., has agreed to pay $14,325.96 to the United States to resolve allegations that between May 16, 2022 and August 26, 2022 he billed Medicare for over 200 claims for office visits and medical discussions that he did not provide, and signed over 180 orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as orthotic braces. Both practitioners participated in a telemedicine scheme in which they placed orders for braces based on listening to recorded cold calls to Medicare beneficiaries asking about common aches and pains. Neither Lempiainen nor Baumert had any contact with the Medicare beneficiaries for whom they signed orders or submitted claims, and beneficiaries complained of receiving braces they did not want or use. “Telemedicine schemes like these rely on the willing participation of healthcare providers to defraud the Medicare program by signing orders for expensive and unnecessary medical braces and other equipment,” said Richard D. Westphal, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. “Our office will continue to aggressively pursue healthcare fraud in all forms.” The cases were investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy C. Licht of the Southern District of Iowa and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Keogh of the Northern District of Iowa. 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). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. Links to the settlement agreements are available below. Baumert Final Settlement Lempiainen Final Settlement


title: Bollinger Shipyard LLC Agrees to Pay $1,025,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Involving Billing the Coast Guard for Employees Ineligible to Work in the United States

component: Civil Division

body_text: Bollinger Shipyard LLC (Bollinger), a Lockport, Louisiana, based company, has agreed to pay $1,025,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing the U.S. Coast Guard for labor provided by workers who were not eligible to work in the United States. Bollinger manufactures ships for the United States, including the Coast Guard’s Fast Response Cutter (FRC). The United States alleged that, from 2015-2020, Bollinger knowingly billed the Coast Guard for labor prohibited under the FRC contracts. Specifically, the United States alleged that Bollinger was contractually required to confirm that its employees were eligible to work in the United States. The United States further alleges that Bollinger failed to comply with this requirement and, as a result, several ineligible employees worked on the contract. Further, the United States alleged that Bollinger billed the Coast Guard for the labor provided by the ineligible employees and received payment for those bills. “It is essential to the safety and operational readiness of our fleet that contractors comply with all contractual requirements,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who knowingly disregard their contractual obligations.” “Companies that conduct business with the United States are required to do so in a legitimate manner,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “The favorable resolution of these False Claims Act allegations illustrates the collaboration and commitment by our federal partners to use all available remedies to address signs of fraud, waste and abuse.” “Today’s settlement sends a clear message that contractors providing services to DHS programs will be held accountable for breaking the law,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari Ph.D. of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “DHS’ Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize protecting our national security from these kinds of schemes.” “The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) is committed to continually working with all our law enforcement partners to protect and secure taxpayer funds and aggressively act to fully investigate allegations of false claims involving the Coast Guard,” said Assistant Director William Hicks of CGIS. Senior Trial Counsel Art J. Coulter of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Lee Sears for the Eastern District of Louisiana handled the matter. DHS OIG and CGIS assisted in the investigation. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Texas Defendant Pleads Guilty to Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Violation

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A Texas defendant pleaded guilty yesterday to a misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits a person from intentionally damaging or destroying the property of a facility because that facility provides reproductive health services. According to court documents, on May 7, 2022, Ethan Skorick, 23, intentionally damaged the property of Loreto House and Woman to Woman pregnancy resource centers located in Denton, Texas, by defacing the clinics’ buildings, doors and security cameras with spray paint. Specifically, Skorick vandalized the buildings with words including, “NOT A CLINIC,” “FORCED BIRTH IS MURDER,” and “PRO BIRTH [does not equal] PRO LIFE.” “Vandalizing facilities, including pregnancy resource centers, that provide reproductive health care has no place in the national discourse on reproductive health. Such conduct is unacceptable and unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will enforce the FACE Act to protect all providers of reproductive health services, and their patients.” “This defendant sought to prevent fellow citizens from exercising rights protected by law,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas. “People cannot resort to destroying property in an effort to intimidate or prevent others from engaging in lawful activity simply because they disagree with the law. This office will remain dedicated to protecting the rights of all Americans to safely access medical services and ensuring providers can perform their duties freely.” “Under federal law the FBI is tasked with defending civil rights in the United States and will work with our partners to ensure those rights are protected,” said Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Dallas FBI Field Office. “Anyone who intentionally damages property to prevent individuals from seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services will be held accountable for their actions.” The FBI Dallas Field Office, Frisco Resident Agency are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Batson for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.


title: Lee County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Distributing Meth

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine from his Leesburg, Georgia, residence. Shaun Anthony Akins, 44, of Leesburg, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on Jan. 14. Akins previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine on April 24, 2024. There is no parole in the federal system. “The armed distribution of methamphetamine and other deadly and addictive drugs are the types of cases that are being quickly elevated to the federal level for prosecution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Our office will continue to use all of the tools at our disposal to support the efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement to make our communities safer and seek justice.” “Shaun Akins valued the profit from his drug trade over the lives of his customers,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Wherever you operate, if you sell drugs, DEA will hold you accountable.” “This sentencing underscores the ongoing commitment of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and our law enforcement partners to dismantle drug trafficking networks and hold those accountable who poison our communities with dangerous substances like methamphetamine,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “This case is a reminder that those who engage in the illegal drug trade will face significant consequences, and we will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to undermine the safety of our citizens.” “Armed methamphetamine trafficking is very dangerous, and these kinds of deadly drugs are killing our citizens. This case shows that dealers who continue to push illegal drugs in Lee County will wind up spending a lot of time behind bars for their crimes,” said Lee County Sheriff Reggie Rachals. According to the plea agreement and other statements referenced in court, law enforcement had received information from multiple citizen complaints dating back to 2022 that Akins was selling methamphetamine out of his Leesburg residence. A confidential source (CS) working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) contacted Akins to purchase methamphetamine. Akins was recorded selling methamphetamine to the CS at his Leesburg residence on January 30, 2023, Feb. 6, 2023, and Feb. 24, 2023. On May 8, 2023, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) conducted surveillance on Akins and observed an individual quickly arrive and depart from Akins’ residence, which law enforcement determined was consistent with a drug customer. LCSO conducted a traffic stop on the individual and recovered approximately 33 grams of methamphetamine, baggies and a digital scale. The investigation revealed Akins had just sold the individual the methamphetamine. Soon after, LCSO conducted a lawful search of Akins’ residence and recovered 162 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine in his bedroom, additional quantities of methamphetamine throughout the house, as well as plastic baggies, digital scales, several rounds of ammunition, two semiautomatic pistols and a semiautomatic rifle. LCSO subsequently searched Akins’ cell phone and located several incriminating photographs depicting the same firearms recovered from the residence, as well as quantities of suspected methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the GBI and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Leaders Of Colombian Drug Trafficking Organization Plead Guilty To Conspiring To Smuggle Over 43,000 Kilograms Of Cocaine Into The United States

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jorge Hernan Gonzalez-Ortiz (50, Colombia) and Carlos Andres Aldana-Gil (43, Colombia) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. According to the plea agreements and other court documents, from 2016 until 2023, Gonzalez-Ortiz established and led a drug trafficking organization in Colombia responsible for transporting cocaine via commercial airplanes. Conspirators loaded the commercial aircraft with cocaine disguised in boxes of fruit at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia and intended for Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés Island, Colombia. With the assistance of corrupt Colombian police officers, the conspirators unloaded the cocaine and then smuggled it by boat to either Nicaragua or Honduras, then to Mexico and the United States. From 2016 until 2023, Gonzalez-Ortiz’s organization smuggled cocaine onto at least 27 commercial flights in Cali, totaling at least 43,000 kilograms. From 2021 to 2023, Aldana-Gil worked on behalf of Gonzalez-Ortiz for all logistical aspects of the smuggling operation from Cali. He received truckloads of cocaine from other conspirators, transported the drugs to the airport, and paid an airport security supervisor to divert security cameras away from the airport’s external gates. He also hired and paid the conspirators responsible for altering the cargo manifests as well as the luggage cart drivers who loaded the drugs onto commercial aircraft. On July 29, 2023, one of the organization’s cocaine shipments was interdicted by the Colombian National Police after it was offloaded from a commercial aircraft in San Andrés Island. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi- jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Colombian National Police’s Dirreccion de Antinarcotics (DIRAN), and the Colombian Equipo de Trabajo Investigativo Control Aeronaves (ETICA). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Pardo.


title: New Federal Charges Filed In Carjacking And Murder Case; One Individual Pleads Guilty

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a new 16-count federal indictment charging 7 individuals with offenses stemming from 4 years of dealing in drugs and an armed robbery spree that culminated in a double homicide on April 10 and 11, 2024. The third superseding indictment alleges the following federal charges: No. Charge Date Range Defendants Maximum Penalties 1 Drug conspiracy 9/17/20–4/17/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Giovany Crespo Hernandez Monicsabel Romero Soto Minimum 10 years, up to life, in federal prison 2 Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery 2/9/24–4/11/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Sonic Torres Giovany Crespo Hernandez Dereck Rodriguez Bonilla Anneliz Colon De Jesus Cesar Silva Fernandez 20 years in federal prison 3 Hobbs Act robbery 2/9/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Anneliz Colon De Jesus Cesar Silva Fernandez 20 years in federal prison 4 Brandishing firearm in robbery 2/9/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Anneliz Colon De Jesus Cesar Silva Fernandez Minimum 7 years, up to life, in federal prison 5 Hobbs Act robbery 2/15/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Sonic Torres 20 years in federal prison 6 Brandishing firearm in robbery 2/15/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Sonic Torres Minimum 7 years, up to life, in federal prison 7 Attempted Hobbs Act robbery 4/10/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Dereck Rodriguez Bonilla 20 years in federal prison 8 Possession of ammunition by convicted felon 4/10/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia 15 years in federal prison 9 Hobbs Act robbery 4/11/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Giovany Crespo Hernandez Dereck Rodriguez Bonilla 20 years in federal prison 10 Carjacking causing death 4/11/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Giovany Crespo Hernandez Dereck Rodriguez Bonilla Life in federal prison or death 11 Kidnapping causing death 4/11/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Giovany Crespo Hernandez Dereck Rodriguez Bonilla Minimum of life in federal prison, or death 12 Use of firearm causing death 4/11/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Giovany Crespo Hernandez Dereck Rodriguez Bonilla Minimum 10 years, up to life, in federal prison or death 13 Arson 4/11/24 Jordanish Torres Garcia Minimum 5 years, up to 20 years in federal prison 14 Possession with intent to distribute controlled substance 4/17/24 Monicsabel Romero Soto Minimum 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prison 15 Possession of firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking 4/17/24 Giovany Crespo Hernandez Monicsabel Romero Soto Minimum 5 years, up to life in federal prison 16 Possession of firearm by convicted felon 4/28/24 Cesar Silva Fernandez 15 years in federal prison Previously, Jordanish Torres Garcia (28, Orlando), Giovany Crespo Hernandez (27, Orlando), and Dereck Alexis Rodriguez Bonilla (21, Orlando) were charged with carjacking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing the death of K.A. on April 11, 2024. Torres Garcia was also charged with possession of ammunition the night before on April 10, 2024, in a homicide in Taft, Florida. Crespo Hernandez and his girlfriend, Monicsabel Romero Soto, were charged with drug crimes occurring on April 17, 2024. The new indictment brings those charges together for one single trial and encompasses years of dealing in drugs and drug proceeds along with multiple robberies culminating in the events of April 10 and 11, 2024. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. In addition, on January 15, 2025, Kevin Ocasio Justiniano (27, Orlando), one of the individuals who participated in the carjacking killing on April 11, 2024, pleaded guilty to federal charges arising from the events of that day, along with drug and firearms charges related to events occurring in August 2022. Ocasio Justiniano pleaded guilty to committing and aiding and abetting the commission of carjacking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, and using a firearm resulting in death on April 11, 2024. He also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances from May through August 2022 and possessing an automatic firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He faces a minimum penalty of life in federal prison. According to the plea agreement, Ocasio Justiniano conspired with others to distribute “dealer packs” of fentanyl and cocaine from May through August 23, 2022, when he was detained by law enforcement carrying a fully automatic handgun. In the months leading up to the robbery on April 11, 2024, and murder of K.A., Ocasio Justiniano participated with Torres Garcia and his brother, Sonic Torres, in an armed home invasion robbery in the Poinciana area. On April 11, 2024, Ocasio Justiniano made plans with Torres Garcia to conduct the carjacking and kidnapping of K.A. and to rob her of $170,000 in drug proceeds that were being laundered. Ocasio Justiniano received $60,000 for his participation in the crime. In planning for the event, Ocasio Justiniano bought lighter fluid at a gas station near Crespo Hernandez’s home in Casselberry where K.A. was planning to pick up the drug proceeds. After K.A. retrieved the drug proceeds, Ocasio Justiniano drove Torres Garcia’s green sedan while Torres Garcia committed the gunpoint carjacking on East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road. When they arrived at the location in Boggy Creek Road site where K.A. was later killed and burned, Ocasio Justiniano drove the green sedan from the construction site to Boggy Creek Road to meet with Rodriguez Bonilla and a juvenile male accomplice to retrieve the gun that Torres Garcia had used to kill K.A. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Cloud Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Marshals Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dana Hill and Michael Felicetta.


title: Five People Charged With Gun-Point Home Invasion Robbery That Involved Zip Tying Two Victims In Front Of Their Children

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging BHUPINDERJIT SINGH, ELIJAIH ROMAN, COREY HALL, ERIK SUAREZ, and DIVYA KUMARI with perpetrating a gun-point home invasion robbery of the home of a small business owner in Orange County, New York. The defendants were arrested today, and will be presented in White Plains federal court before the Hon. Victoria Reznik, United States Magistrate Judge. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Bhupinderjit Singh and his co-defendants allegedly planned and executed a violent robbery, during which four children watched as their parents were zip tied and held at gunpoint while four men ransacked their home looking for money and valuables. Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors of this Office, the defendants will now face charges stemming from this brazen robbery.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “These five defendants participated in a robbery in which a firearm was brandished to gain unauthorized entry into a family’s home and steal valuable jewelry and thousands of dollars. This alleged forceful intrusion violated the privacy and security expected inside one’s home, and terrorized four young children left to helplessly beg for the safety of their restrained parents. The FBI will continue to apprehend any individual who utilizes weapons to intimidate victims to fulfill their criminal agenda.” As alleged in the Complaint filed on January 15, 2025, in White Plains federal court and unsealed today: On or about December 1, 2024, SINGH, ROMAN, HALL, SUAREZ, and KUMARI perpetrated a gun-point home invasion robbery in the vicinity of the Town of Wallkill, New York. When they arrived at the house, SINGH, ROMAN, HALL, and SUAREZ forced the homeowner (“Victim-1”) and Victim-1’s daughter, who is approximately 10 years old, into the house at gunpoint. When SINGH, ROMAN, HALL, and SUAREZ entered the home, Victim-1’s wife was sitting with the couple’s other three children, who ranged from approximately two to nine years old. SINGH, ROMAN, HALL, and SUAREZ then zip tied the hands and legs of both Victim-1 and his wife and placed the couple on the couch next to their children. Three of the four robbers then began to search throughout the house, while the fourth robber remained with Victim-1 and his family, armed with what appeared to be a small black pistol. At one point, Victim-1’s daughter begged the robbers to not hurt her parents and indicated that she would tell them where the family stored their valuables. Certain of the robbers then took Victim-1’s daughter to the house’s master bedroom where there was a safe, but Victim-1’s daughter was unable to get the safe open. The robbers then took Victim-1’s daughter back to her parents and forced Victim-1’s wife to come with them instead. Once in the bedroom, Victim-1’s wife opened the safe and watched as the robbers removed from it, among other items, numerous pieces of jewelry and approximately $10,000 in U.S. currency. While the robbery was ongoing, KUMARI was waiting in the vicinity of Victim-1’s house to act as a lookout. Eventually, SINGH, ROMAN, HALL, and SUAREZ left Victitm-1’s house with various stolen items, including the jewelry and U.S. currency stolen from the safe. * * * SINGH, 26, of South Ozone Park, New York; ROMAN, 22, of Far Rockaway, New York; HALL, 45, of Saint Albans, New York; SUAREZ, 24, of Elmhurst, New York; and KUMARI, 26, of Massapequa, New York, are all charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. SINGH, ROMAN, HALL, and SUAREZ are additionally charged with one count of using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, as well as the assistance of the Town of Wallkill Police Department and the New York State Police. The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S Attorney David A. Markewitz is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures 25-Year Sentence for Albuquerque Man Following Violent Crime Spree in 2020

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a violent crime spree that began with a double murder, after being convicted at trial of two counts of attempted carjacking, one count of carjacking, and the possession and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. At trial, the court heard evidence that on September 7, 2020, Dakota Briscoe , 38, used a tan handgun to commit a series of violent acts, including the double homicide of two victims whose bodies were discovered in a burning vehicle in the South Valley. Although the firearm was never recovered by law enforcement, witness testimonies confirmed that Briscoe was seen with the firearm, and multiple .45 caliber casings were recovered from the crime scenes. Briscoe ’s violent spree began with the double homicide, which led to his desperate attempts to evade capture through armed carjackings. Briscoe targeted vulnerable individuals, including women, brandishing his firearm during these incidents. Briscoe successfully evaded arrest that day and was not apprehended until September 16, 2020. He was stopped at a United States Border Patrol checkpoint while driving a white commercial-style van that lacked a license plate or registration tag. During the encounter with USBP, Briscoe exhibited nervous behavior, avoided eye contact, and claimed he did not have identification. Briscoe provided agents with his brother's name, who had an active warrant issued in New Mexico for failing to appear. As a result, Briscoe was arrested and booked under his brother’s identity. Upon his release from prison, Briscoe will be subject to four years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Jon Stanford prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Financially Benefiting from Forced Labor

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Mexican National illegally residing in Lexington, Serafin Bayona, 35, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to two counts of financially benefiting from forced labor. According to his guilty plea agreement, Bayona participated in a venture to financially benefit through the forced labor of others. Specifically, Bayona would loan money to the victims, all Mexican nationals then living in Mexico, to be smuggled into the United States. He would then coordinate the smuggling of these victims and arrange transportation to Lexington, where they would be housed in one of several properties he maintained. The victims would repay Bayona, after they obtained work in the United States, with interest that was added to their debt. Bayona also would charge the victims other fees, including fees for rent, transportation, cleaning, food, clothing, and obtaining employment and false identification documents. Ultimately, the amounts owed by the victims resulted in an endless cycle of debt. When the victims protested paying the continued fees, Bayona used threats of force on victims and the victims’ families, including instances of brandishing a firearm, to compel the victims to continue to work in order to pay him. During the execution of a search warrants at properties Bayona maintained, over $50,000 in cash was discovered, which he admitted was generated through his participation in this forced labor venture. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, HSI, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. Bayona is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2025. – END –


title: Justice Department Files Voting Rights Suit Against Fayette County, Tennessee

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: WASHINGTON — The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Fayette County, Tennessee, alleging that the Board of County Commissioners violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act when it adopted a redistricting plan that denies the city’s Black voters an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, alleges that during the 2021 redistricting cycle, the County Commission deliberately rejected multiple districting plans that would have combined Black communities in districts that would allow Black voters to elect representatives of their choice. In doing so, the Commission disregarded the guidelines and recommendations of its own redistricting committee and the advice of the attorney it hired specifically to guide it through the redistricting process. “The right to vote is sacred and is the foundation for our ability to exercise all other civil rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Black voters should have the equal opportunity to elect their candidates of choice, but the redistricting map adopted by Fayette County did not provide that opportunity. The Justice Department is committed to enforcement of the Voting Rights Act and ensuring all eligible citizens have an equal opportunity to choose their elected officials. Our democracy works best when all communities have a fair and equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.” “The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and Black voters in Fayette County deserve the same opportunity as anyone else to elect leaders who represent their voices,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee. “Our office is committed to ensuring fairness and equality in the electoral process.” The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Acts and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. More information about voting and elections is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931. ### CRT 25-61 If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.


title: U.S. Marshals Service Montana Violent Offender Task Force celebrates 20th Anniversary

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — The U.S. Marshals Service Montana Violent Offender Task Force today commemorated and celebrated its 20 th Anniversary of working in partnership with federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to arrest violent fugitives on felony warrants, closing a total of 22,520 warrants across Montana, the United States and globally, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich and U.S. Marshal Craig Anderson announced today. During a joint press conference in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney Laslovich and Marshal Anderson discussed the MVOTF’s mission and accomplishments. Joining in the celebration were former U.S. Marshals Darrell J. Bell and Dwight MacKay, along with representatives of the MVOTF 41 partner law enforcement agencies. “For 20 years, the brave people who have served on the Montana Violent Offender Task Force have consistently risked their own lives to keep all of us safe. Their extensive training, collaboration, and courage have removed thousands of dangerous and violent offenders from our streets, most without incident. And while it is difficult to measure the number of lives they’ve saved, we know it is significant. They are the best of our state and nation. As we pause to celebrate the extraordinary work of the last 20 years, we also pledge to every Montanan that we are just as committed to the work ahead and we will never rest until justice is achieved,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “Looking beyond the dangers the Task Force members faced each time they made an arrest and looking beyond the incalculable positive impacts the seizures of guns and drugs have had, there is one over-arching and significant take away. And that is the irrefutable evidence that when law enforcement agencies from tribal, local, county, state and federal agencies coalesced around the mission of tracking down Montana’s most dangerous criminals, these are the results that followed,” U.S. Marshal Anderson said. “Montanans should expect and deserve this level of coordination and cooperation from their law enforcement agencies. And we should celebrate when those successes produce such fantastic results.” Since 1865, when Montana was still a Territory, the U.S. Marshals Service has been hunting wanted persons on behalf of Montana citizens and the federal government. In 2005, under the Presidential Threat Protection Act and with the Attorney General’s direction, the U.S. Marshals Service established the MVOTF for Montana. At the time, the MVOTF was one of five similar task forces started in the country. The U.S. Marshals Service oversees permanent task forces composed of federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest fugitives. At its beginning, the MVOTF’s charter members included the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Montana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office and Billings Police Department. Over the past 20 years, 41 agencies and 164 law enforcement officers have participated on the MVOTF, with 38 agencies currently participating. The U.S. Marshals Service deputizes task force officers from the various agencies, which allows officers to work across jurisdictions. Task force members share resources and prioritize warrants to identify and pursue the most wanted and violent fugitive to improve public safety. In the 20 years of its existence, the MVOTF has closed a total of 22,520 arrest warrants. The task force also has seized a total of 531 firearms and pounds of narcotics, including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and powder, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and prescription pills. In addition, task force arrests have resulted in seizures of 91 vehicles, $598,196 in U.S. currency and $61,040 in counterfeit currency. To celebrate the 20 years of service to the United States and State of Montana, the U.S. Marshals Service has authorized a commemorative patch to be awarded to current and past MVOTF members, along with a patch for past and present participating agencies. The MVOTF members include: Charter members: U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; Montana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole; Billings Police Department; and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office. Current members: Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Gallatin, Dawson, Custer, Carbon, Big Horn, Cascade, Glacier, Roosevelt, Valley, Hill, Pondera, Fergus, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark and Missoula county sheriff’s offices; Bozeman, Laurel, Red Lodge, Glendive, Great Falls, Cut Bank, and Helena police departments; Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, Fort Peck Department of Law and Justice; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Border Patrol-Havre Sector; Bureau of Land Management; U.S. Forest Service, Region 1; and Montana Highway Patrol. Past members: Montana Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Sexual or Violent Offender Registry; U.S. Postal Inspection Services; and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. XXX


title: Orange County Man Indicted For Production And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging David Andrew Ogden (39, Winter Park) with five counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Ogden faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for each of the production counts. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the possession count. According to the indictment, in September 2022 and on multiple occasions between June and September 2024, Ogden used or attempted to use a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. Additionally, in September 2024, Ogden possessed additional child sexual abuse material. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Winter Park Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. 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 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: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Issue Antitrust Guidelines on Business Practices that Impact Workers

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today jointly issued Antitrust Guidelines for Business Activities Affecting Workers . The guidelines, which replace the 2016 Antitrust Guidance for Human Resource Professionals , explain how the Justice Department and FTC identify and assess the antitrust risks of business practices affecting workers. “For more than a century, the antitrust laws have protected workers from unlawful schemes, abuses of bargaining power, and restrictions on their mobility,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to work with its federal and state partners to ensure the economic freedom and opportunity of American workers and their families.” The guidelines provide examples and cite cases to explain how the agencies analyze business practices that may violate the antitrust laws, such as information sharing, restrictions on worker mobility, abuses of bargaining power and other restrictive, exclusionary or predatory employment conditions. The guidelines also explain that certain types of agreements between employers, such as wage-fixing or no-poach agreements, may expose companies and executives to criminal liability under the antitrust laws. The agencies encourage members of the public to report potential antitrust violations, and the guidelines provide information on how to submit these complaints.


title: Fort Myers Felon Sentenced To Prison For Firearm And Drug Distribution Offenses

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida –U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced James Wallace Mathis, Jr. (44, Fort Myers) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and distributing controlled substances. Mathis entered a guilty plea on October 30, 2024. According to court records, on multiple occasions in July and August 2024, Mathis sold drugs—including fentanyl and cocaine—to a law enforcement informant and an undercover ATF agent. Additionally, on one occasion in July 2024, Mathis sold a loaded Ruger handgun to a law enforcement informant. As a multi-time convicted felon, Mathis 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.


title: Fort Myers Career Criminal Sentenced To Fifteen Years In Federal Prison For Unlawfully Possessing Loaded Firearm

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Carl Samuel Thompson, Jr. (60, Fort Myers) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Because of Thompson’s extensive criminal history—which includes at least three convictions for violent felonies—he qualified for enhanced sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act. Thompson entered a guilty plea on October 30, 2024. According to court records, on April 7, 2024, a vehicle being driven by Thompson was pulled over in North Fort Myers by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for a traffic infraction. During the traffic stop, deputies discovered that Thompson’s front seat passenger was concealing a loaded firearm, which was secured by the deputies during the traffic stop. A subsequent investigation revealed that Thompson, who had an active warrant for his arrest, had provided the firearm to his passenger to conceal after realizing he was being pulled over. As a career criminal with more than 10 prior felony convictions, Thompson 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Georgia Man Of Transporting A Minor With Intent To Engage In Sexual Activity And Possessing A Firearm After A Felony Conviction

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Vincent Joseph Robusto (41, Georgia) guilty of transporting a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity and possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. Robusto faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2025. Robusto was indicted on December 1, 2021. According to evidence presented at trial, beginning in at least February 2021 Robusto discussed sexual activity with a minor via chat on a social media application. In July 2021, Robusto purchased an airline ticket for the minor. He provided the airline with the minor’s name and date of birth, confirming that Robusto knew the child’s age. On July 17, 2021, Robusto caused the minor to travel from Texas to the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. Surveillance video from the airport captured Robusto picking up the minor. Within a few days, the parent of the minor contacted the Dilley (Texas) Police Department to report the minor missing and shared the locations of the minor’s cellphone using a locator application. The Dilley Police Department reached out to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office for assistance in locating the minor and provided the residential address of a home in Port Charlotte that the locator application indicated. On July 23, 2021, at approximately 3:00 a.m., deputies from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Port Charlotte residence and found Robusto at the residence with the minor. During the execution of a search warrant at the residence, law enforcement located a firearm and ammunition contained in Robusto’s backpack located on a kitchen table. Robusto, a previously convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Subsequently, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted DNA analysis on evidence obtained in this case. The Crime Laboratory Analyst from the Biology Section found Robusto’s DNA on the rough surfaces of the firearm and in the analysis of the sexual assault kit that had been collected from the minor. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by the Dilley Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Lee County Port Authority. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yolande G. Viacava and Benjamin S. Winter. 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 Attorneys’ 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: City of Española Agrees to Pay $3.9M to Resolve Allegations It Trespassed on Santa Clara Pueblo Land for Decades

component: ENRD - Indian Resources Section

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – The United States of America, the City of Española and the Pueblo of Santa Clara have entered into a comprehensive Settlement Agreement to resolve longstanding disputes regarding Española water and sewer lines, streets, and other utility facilities in trespass on Pueblo lands. The City of Española has agreed to pay $3.9 million to resolve claims related to water and sewer lines, streets, and other utility facilities maintained on Pueblo lands without proper easements. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the United States in 2016, alleging that Española’s water and sewer lines were trespassing on Santa Clara's lands following the expiration of previously granted rights-of-way. Santa Clara intervened in the lawsuit, asserting additional claims for trespassing streets and utility facilities. Under the terms of the agreement, Española will pay $2.5 million to Santa Clara as compensation for new 25-year easements, subject to certain credits. Additionally, Española will pay $1.4 million over 20 years as compensation for past use of Santa Clara lands through July 1, 2022. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the sovereignty of tribal communities as well as building the partnerships between neighbors that are necessary to navigate our complex and interconnected world,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “This settlement not only rights historic intrusions, but commits the parties to future accord, beginning with a public apology. This is a meaningful first step towards reconciliation between the City of Española and the Pueblo of Santa Clara, allowing us to unite for a future built on mutual respect and cooperation.” The agreement requires Española to obtain the new easements for its facilities on Santa Clara lands, subject to approval by the Secretary of the Interior. The Bureau of Indian Affairs will provide technical assistance in developing the right-of-way applications. As part of the settlement, Española agreed to publish a public apology for the delay in resolving the dispute. That apology appeared in the Legal Notices section of the Rio Grande SUN in its Thursday, January 9, 2025, edition. Española will also work cooperatively with the Pueblo and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to complete the necessary right-of-way applications and environmental reviews. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Santa Clara Pueblo Governor James Naranjo made the announcement today. The government’s investigations were led by DOJ ENRD Trial Attorney Samuel D. Gollis, Assistant United States Attorney Cassandra C. Currie, and DOI Senior Indian Law Attorney Stephanie P. Kiger. Settlement Agreement - Executed.pdf The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. # # #


title: Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Issues Report Highlighting Critical Enforcement Work Over the Past Four Years

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today issued its 2021-2024 Civil Rights Division Highlights Report , outlining various accomplishments of the division and its partners in enforcing the nation’s civil rights laws and the Constitution from 2021-2024. The report reflects upon a portion of the critical civil rights work across the division’s 11 sections where the career staff and leadership worked to bring to justice those who harmed, threatened and/or intimidated people because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, English proficiency or disability status. “Our Civil Rights Division has doggedly pursued justice for our nation’s most vulnerable through enforcement of our civil rights laws by combating hate and exploitation, promoting fairness and accountability in our criminal justice system, strengthening democracy, and expanding and ensuring opportunity and access for all. This report provides snapshots of some of that work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Over the past four years, I have had the privilege and honor of leading the Civil Rights Division and overseeing this crucial work. I am incredibly grateful for the tireless efforts of our career employees who have steadfastly abided by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s charge to uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights and keep our country and communities safe. And I am indebted to our communities and advocates who bravely asserted their rights and shared their stories in our common pursuit of justice and fairness.” More information about the Civil Rights Division can be found at www.justice.gov/crt . To report a possible civil rights violation, please visit www.civilrights.justice.gov/ .


title: BVI MAN SENTENCED IN ILLEGAL ALIEN SMUGGLING CASE

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Danny Dennevil, alias Danny Dorcine-Turnbull, 34, of Tortola, BVI, was sentenced by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy to 92 days of imprisonment following his plea of guilty to the charge of illegally bringing aliens to the United States. According to court documents, on September 25, 2024, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations agents were patrolling United States waters in the area of Leinster Bay, St. John, when they observed a small vessel traveling from the British Virgin Islands towards Leinster Bay without navigational lights, as required by law. Agents observed the vessel, operated by Dennevil, arrive at Leinster Bay and two individuals disembarked. Agents intercepted Dennevil’s vessel as he attempted to flee, while agents at Leinster Bay apprehended two Dominican Republic nationals who disembarked the vessel. Neither individual had legal status to be present in the United States. When questioned by the agents, Dennevil, himself a Dominican Republic national with Belonger status in the British Virgin Islands, admitted that he knew that Leinster Bay was not a legal port of entry and that his two passengers were citizens of the Dominican Republic. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the United States Coast Guard and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.


title: Alien Smuggling Supervisor Sentenced

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: El Paso, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced yesterday to 57 months in prison for conspiring with others from April 2021 through November 2023 to knowingly transport aliens who had illegally entered the United States. According to court documents, since 2021 Mark Anthony Holguin, 28, supervised an alien smuggling organization that helped transport a significant number of aliens from the Republic of Mexico into the United States at El Paso, Texas, and Santa Teresa New Mexico. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza stated: “Alien smuggling has become an epidemic in the El Paso community. We need to send a message to these criminals—at all levels of these organizations—that it will not be tolerated, and we will prosecute. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations were a vital part of this investigation in helping to dismantle this alien smuggling organization.” “The outcome of this criminal case should remind those involved in human smuggling that their criminal actions are neither going unnoticed nor undetected,” said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge for HSI El Paso. “HSI El Paso, jointly with our federal partners, is working tirelessly to secure our borders by identifying, arresting, and prosecuting transnational criminal organizations members responsible for illegally transporting people into and through our country.” The United States Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Holderfield prosecuted the case.


title: Fayat Group to Pay $11M For Violations of the Clean Air Act for Sale of Nonroad Equipment Containing Noncompliant Diesel Engines

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement agreement with Fayat S.A.S. and nine of its subsidiaries — BOMAG GmbH, Bomag Americas Inc., BOMAG (China) Construction Machinery Co. Ltd., MARINI S.p.A., RAVO B.V., Charlatte of America Inc., PTC S.A.S., Secmair S.A.S. and MATHIEU S.A. — for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act’s mobile source emission standards regulations. The complaint alleges that, between 2014 and 2018, Fayat and its subsidiaries illegally imported and sold hundreds of pavers, rollers and other nonroad equipment containing diesel engines that failed to meet Clean Air Act emission requirements. The complaint also alleges that Fayat failed to comply with Clean Air Act labeling and reporting requirements. The agreement requires Fayat to pay a civil penalty of $11 million and requires the company to complete a project to reduce the harm caused by excess nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions. “Fayat failed to ensure that the equipment it introduced into the United States market complied with Clean Air Act requirements designed to protect the public’s health from harmful emissions,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We will not tolerate violations of Clean Air Act standards. The settlement requires both a substantial civil penalty and a project that will reduce emissions in the Mobile, Alabama, area and contribute to improved public health.” “Fayat’s import of nonroad vehicles with outdated diesel engines violates the Clean Air Act standards for emissions from mobile sources and threatened exposure to harmful diesel air emissions,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Cecil Rodrigues for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that EPA will hold accountable companies that put outdated equipment into commerce that pollutes the air and risks exposing communities to toxic air pollutants.” In addition to paying a civil penalty, Fayat will, as part of the agreement, undertake a project to reduce the harm from the emissions. The company will retrofit a tugboat currently in service in Mobile, Alabama. Retrofitting the tugboat includes removing and destroying two engines and two auxiliary generators and replacing them with two new engines and two new generators that meet current emission controls. More information regarding this settlement is available from the Fayat Clean Air Act Violations Settlement Summary . The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is subject to a public comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comment and access to the settlement agreement is available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees . EPA investigated the case. Attorneys with the ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.


title: American Express Agrees to Pay $108.7M to Settle Allegations of Deceptive Marketing and “Dummy” Account Information

body_text: The American Express Company (American Express), based in New York, New York, has agreed to pay a $108.7 million civil penalty to resolve allegations that it violated the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA) by deceptively marketing credit card and wire transfer products and by entering “dummy” Employer Identification Numbers in the credit card accounts of its affiliate bank. “When financial companies engage in deceptive sales tactics or falsify information to cover up a failure to follow applicable regulations, they threaten the integrity of our financial system,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement makes clear that the department will hold accountable those who violate the trust placed in them to follow the rules governing our financial institutions and to be truthful about their business practices.” The United States alleged that, from 2014 through 2017, American Express deceptively marketed credit cards through the conduct of an affiliated entity that initiated sales calls to small businesses. The alleged deceptive practices included misrepresenting the card rewards or fees and whether credit checks would be done without a customer’s consent and submitting falsified financial information for prospective customers, such as overstating a business’s income. The United States also alleged that American Express engaged in practices to deceive its federally insured financial institution into allowing certain small business customers to acquire American Express credit cards without the required employer identification numbers (EINs). EINs are required by law if the card recipient is a business entity such as a corporation or partnership; the requirement does not apply to sole proprietors. The United States alleged that American Express employees used “dummy” EINs such as “123456788” in opening small business credit cards in 2015 and the first half of 2016. These cards were sold to replace an American Express co-branded credit card that was being discontinued during that time period. American Express allegedly allowed these “dummy” EINs to remain on the credit card accounts for up to two years before remediating the problem. American Express allegedly knew that many of the small business applicants had previously acquired American Express-issued co-brand cards where the card application stated that EINs were required for corporations or partnerships, but if the applicants left the EIN line blank, American Express would assume they are sole proprietors. That practice exacerbated the effects of American Express’s failure to enter proper EINs when it sold these customers replacement cards. Finally, the United States further contended that American Express employees deceptively marketed wire transfer products known as Payroll Rewards and Premium Wire to its small business customers from 2018 through 2021, making false assertions regarding these products’ tax benefits. As to both products, American Express allegedly would wire money for an above-market fee that was far in excess of that offered by competitors in the marketplace and award the businesses or the business owners credit card membership reward points. American Express sales employees allegedly told customers that the wire transfer fees were tax deductible as business expenses, while the reward points earned on the transaction were not taxable, and thereby afforded the customer tax-free benefits. The United States contended, however, that the above-market wiring fee was not deductible as an ordinary or necessary business expense insofar as it was incurred by a customer solely for the purpose of generating a personal benefit. Contemporaneous with the civil resolution, American Express will enter into a Non-Prosecution Agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and pay a criminal fine and forfeiture. That agreement deals exclusively with the Payroll Rewards and Premium Wire programs referenced above. Under the terms of the civil settlement, American Express will receive a credit toward the satisfaction of the civil penalty in the amount of $30.35 million if it makes a full payment of the forfeiture and fine amounts due under the criminal resolution. “This multi-million-dollar settlement holds American Express accountable for violating FIRREA through unlawful sales tactics and recordkeeping requirements, and deceiving small business customers who placed their trust in the Company,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region. “The FDIC-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate financial crimes that harm customers and undermine the integrity of our Nation’s financial institutions.” “Today’s multi-million dollar settlement should make clear that financial companies who engage in fraudulent and deceptive practices will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge John T. Perez of Headquarters Operations, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “We are proud to have worked alongside our federal law enforcement partners to achieve this result.” Attorneys Daniel Spiro and Mary Beth Hickcox-Howard of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section handled the matter with assistance from the Legal Division of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the Office of Comptroller of the Currency’s Chief Counsel’s Office. Senior Special Agent Brittany Harding of the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Treasury, Special Agent Will Burmeister of the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Reserve Board and Senior Special Agent Mike Serra from the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Insurance Deposit Corporation investigated the matter. Except for the conduct admitted in connection with the criminal resolution, the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. View the settlement here


title: 22 Defendants Charged with Federal Crimes Involving Child Sex Abuse Material Since October 2023 in Southern Arizona

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), with support from law enforcement partners from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in Southern Arizona, charged 22 offenders with crimes involving child sex abuse material (CSAM) in Southern Arizona since October 2023. The crimes include sexual exploitation of minors by way of production, distribution, transportation, and possession of child pornography, which is defined by federal statute as any depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Each of the offenses is a felony under federal law and results in registration as a sex offender after release from prison. Updates on recent cases follow: United States v. David Garmarnik : David Berry Garmarnik was indicted on November 20, 2024 , on 20 counts of Attempted Production of Child Pornography, 20 counts of Attempted Enticement and Coercion of a Minor, and five counts of Receipt of Child Pornography. The complaint alleged that in July 2024, law enforcement identified evidence that Garmarnik was using Skype to conduct live streaming shows of child sexual abuse being committed in the Philippines. On December 18, 2024, the District Court held a hearing on the government’s detention appeal, and ordered the defendant detained pending trial. United States v. Nathan Hinte : Nathan Dean Hinte was indicted on October 2, 2024, on one count of Production of Child Pornography and one count of Distribution of Child Pornography after the investigation showed he reached out in August 2024 to an HSI Special Agent posing undercover as a mother looking to exploit her child. Hinte sent sexually explicit images of children to the undercover agent, and following his arrest, additional investigation revealed that Hinte had produced the explicit images himself. Hinte is detained pending trial. In United States v. Baron Martin , 20-year-old Baron Martin, of Tucson, was arrested by agents from the FBI for production of child pornography and cyberstalking offenses carried out as part of his participation in online groups associated with domestic terror networks known as 764 and “CVLT .” Following a hearing on January 10, 2025, the Court detained Martin pending trial. United States v. Eric Lavon William s and Cori Williams – Eric Williams and his wife Cori Williams, of Pima, were identified by HSI-Douglas in April, 2022, after receiving Cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about explicit images being uploaded online. Eric Williams was sentenced to 97 months in custody for Distribution of Child Pornography, to be followed by lifetime supervised release. Cori Williams was subsequently sentenced to 36 months in prison on April 17, 2024. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The above cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . CASE NUMBERS: CR-24-08214-TUC-RM (Garmarnik) CR-24-06718-TUC-JGZ (Hinte) CR-22-01660-TUC-RM-LCK (Williams) CR-25-190-TUC-AMM (Martin) RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-005_PSC Cases # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Chicago Man Convicted of Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Firearm Offenses

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Chicago man on multiple criminal charges for kidnapping two drivers and sexually assaulting one of them at gunpoint. ANDREW ANANIA, 29, was convicted Monday on all counts against him, including two counts of kidnapping, one count of carjacking, and one count of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The guilty verdicts were returned after a two-week trial in federal court in Chicago. Anania faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang set sentencing for May 13, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Evidence at trial revealed that Anania kidnapped an Uber driver on March 8, 2021, in Darien, Ill. Anania showed the driver a gun and forced her to drive to Chicago and park in alleys, where he sexually assaulted her before fleeing on foot. On March 10, 2021, Anania and another man, WALTER MORAN, kidnapped a woman who was on her way to work in Cicero, Ill. Anania pointed a gun at the driver and drove himself, Moran, and the victim to Chicago, where Moran exchanged gunfire with others on the street. The pair eventually released the victim and took her car. Anania pleaded guilty prior to trial to another kidnapping and carjacking. That incident occurred on Feb. 27, 2021, in Chicago, when Anania got in a vehicle with the driver, claimed he had a gun, and sexually assaulted her. The woman escaped when the car stopped at an intersection. Anania fled in the vehicle and crashed it a short time later. Anania committed all of the offenses while awaiting trial in a separate federal firearm case. Anania had been released on bond in that case after a court hearing at which the government had moved for detention. Moran, 31, of Cicero, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to kidnapping and carjacking charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Chang on March 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The jury convictions were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the Cicero, Ill. Police Department, Summit, Ill. Police Department, Stickney, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Darien, Ill. Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cornelius Vandenberg, Megan Donohue, and Hayley Altabef.


title: Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing a Child

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref announced that on January 15, 2025, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Fleet Patrick Matt, age 49, to 10 years in federal prison on one count of Abusive Sexual Contact. Judge Rice also imposed a lifetime of supervised release. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in September 2022, Matt sexually abused a child on the Kalispel Reservation. During the investigation, additional individuals disclosed that they, too, were victims of abuse by Matt, including conduct that dated back several years. “My heart breaks for the victims in this case. I am grateful for their courage to come forward and engage with law enforcement to seek justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Children deserve to live in a world where they feel safe -- free from abuse and the fear of abuse. Mr. Matt was held accountable due to the joint efforts of the FBI, the Kalispel Tribal Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the community. By working together, we can continue to build trust and keep our communities safe and strong.” On November 3, 2022, the Kalispel Tribal Court banished Fleet Matt from the Kalispel Indian Reservation, including all Tribal lands, properties, and businesses. “Fleet Matt acted in a nature that is offensive to the morals of the people of the Reservation. We thank our federal law enforcement partners for working closely with Tribal officers and social workers to protect the Kalispel Tribe’s most precious resource, our children,” stated Kalispel Tribal Council Vice Chair Curt Holmes. “Being able to provide justice to victims of crimes is one of the most fulfilling accomplishments in law enforcement.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “I applaud the victims in this case for the bravery shown in advocating for themselves following the horrendous actions of Mr. Matt. Combatting violence and crime on our state’s reservations is a priority for the FBI and our partners here in Washington.” This case was investigated by the FBI and the Kalispel Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann Wick. 22-cr-00160-TOR