title: Twenty-six charged in Eastern Panhandle drug trafficking indictment

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Twenty-six people have been indicted by a federal grand jury for the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, according to United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. Individuals from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia were charged with drug trafficking in an indictment unsealed today. According to court documents, Dorian Scott Burks, also known as “Cash,” age 28, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, supplied methamphetamine to Andrew Ross Hose, age 54, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Hose and others redistributed methamphetamine, as well as with fentanyl and cocaine, in Hampshire, Morgan, and Berkeley Counties. During the investigation, officers seized drugs, firearms, and United States currency. “The supply of drugs from Pittsburgh to the Eastern Panhandle has been disrupted thanks to the excellent work of the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Law enforcement will continue to use every tool available to pursue and to prosecute out-of-town dealers who operate for profit in West Virginia.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the West Virginia State Police, the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Berkeley County and Hampshire County Prosecuting Attorney’s Offices assisted. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. List of defendants: www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/case-document/list-defendants-us-v-hose-et-al


title: Columbia Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kentrell Thompson, 34, of Columbia, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Evidence presented to the Court showed that on July 26, 2020, shortly after 4:00 a.m., City of Columbia Police Department (CPD) officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert of 10 shots fired at an apartment complex in Columbia. CPD received information that three men were possibly involved in the incident and that they had walked into one of the apartments. CPD officers went to the apartment and spoke with Thompson, who denied any involvement in the shooting incident. Further investigation led officers to discover a video of the shooting incident that had been recorded by a nearby city camera. Thompson was identified in the video firing a large revolver several times in the air. The revolver was later found in the apartment where Thompson first spoke with CPD officers. The revolver was loaded with one round of ammunition. Thompson was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to various state felony convictions. In 2013, Thompson was convicted of strong-arm robbery. While serving a probationary term on the robbery conviction, Thompson was arrested in 2015 for selling cocaine and marijuana. He was later convicted on those drug charges and his probation was revoked. In 2018, Thompson was convicted of assault and battery first degree. Thompson was on probation for the assault and battery first degree conviction when the July 2020 shooting incident occurred. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Thompson to 57 months in prison, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Columbia Police Department (CPD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case. ###


title: 19-Year-Old Victoria Gabriela Rodríguez-Morales Charged with 13 Counts of Interstate Threats

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On November 29, 2023, a grand jury returned an indictment against Victoria Gabriela Rodríguez-Morales for making thirteen interstate threats between May and October 2023 in violation of 18 U.S.C. 875(c), announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no tolerance for illegal threats, especially threats that target people who are the victims of the horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We hope that this arrest brings a sense of peace to those who were targeted by the defendant.” “Threatening with violence, under any context, is unacceptable behavior. Making threats of violence to schools and other public institutions, is a federal crime,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “School shootings are one of the most heinous of violent acts, and those impacted by this tragedy, such as the family, friends and co-workers of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting, deserve to grieve and process their experiences in peace. The subject in this case was hundreds of miles away from the place she intended to torment through threats of violence. Yet she was still identified, located and arrested. May this serve as public notice that this behavior will not be tolerated, in Puerto Rico or anywhere else in the nation.” According to the indictment, the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and other public documents, Rodríguez-Morales used Gmail, Instagram, Facebook and Kick.com to threaten schools, hospitals and law enforcement in Uvalde, Texas. Some of the threats referenced Salvador Ramos, who murdered in May 2022 several students and teachers from the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Rodríguez-Morales described Ramos’ victims as “all the little losers souls … I pray for them to be burning in hell.” Rodríguez-Morales’ interstate threats included the following: “They will shoot uvalde high school and morales jr high whenever I tell 'em So yeah the persecution is gonna start today” “I will haunt everyone from class 2022 to 2023 Each and every single one of y’all will die” “Each and every single one of y’all will die in the name of Salvador” “Your childrens hospital may blow in pieces If yall dont do as i say” “there will be bombs at the uvalde memorial hospital” “We will shoot Uvalde Texas high school and Texas A&M college” “If Mata Rubio wins the elections I will kill her” Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter was killed in the Uvalde shooting, ran to become mayor of Uvalde. At least one of Rodríguez-Morales’s prior threats resulted in the temporary closing of a school in Texas. Each the thirteen counts of conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. If the defendant is found guilty, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette M. Collazo-Ortiz of the Violent Crimes Division is prosecuting the case. The FBI’s San Juan Cyber and Violent Crimes Divisions are in charge of the investigation with collaboration from the United States Secret Service. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Prior Federal Felon Sentenced Again for Crack Sales and Firearm Possession

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced yesterday to 192 months in prison for distribution of cocaine base (“crack”) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Tony Lavores Davis entered a guilty plea to these charges on June 8, 2023. According to court documents and other information presented in court, investigators with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) received information in the summer of 2022 that Davis, 43, was selling crack cocaine out of his residence on Kingston Avenue in Rocky Mount. Davis had recently been released from the Bureau of Prisons after serving an 81-month combined sentence. He was initially sentenced to 48 months and then his supervised release was revoked and served an additional 33 months for a previous conviction in the Eastern District of North Carolina for Distribution of Cocaine Base. NCSO conducted a series of controlled purchases from Davis at his residence from July through September of 2022. On September 26, 2022, NCSO investigators executed a search warrant at Davis’ residence and seized quantities of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, pills containing methamphetamine, and a loaded .380 handgun. Davis bonded out of the Nash County jail and quickly resumed selling crack cocaine. Investigators were able to conduct three additional controlled purchases of crack from Davis in October and December of 2022. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-117-D.


title: Lumberton Gang Member Convicted of Illegal Firearm Possession

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Quillan Inman, 33, this week on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Inman is a previous felon and validated gang member from Lumberton. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, members of the narcotics unit with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office were conducting surveillance near Perritt’s Grocery in Lumberton on November 14, 2020 when they saw a vehicle cross the center line. Deputies attempted to make a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled for a short time and surpassed 90 mph during the chase. Ultimately the vehicle stopped, and the driver fled. Inman was a passenger in the vehicle and a deputy ordered him to step out of the vehicle when he saw Inman making a stuffing motion towards the front of his hooded sweatshirt. As Inman stepped out of the vehicle, the deputy saw the handle of a handgun sticking out of the pocket of the hoodie. He immediately cuffed Inman, who attempted to reach for the gun as the deputy patted him down. The deputy also recovered suspected cocaine and suboxone strips. A search of the vehicle revealed three more firearms. Inman faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced. He was previously convicted in N.C. state court of robbery with a dangerous weapon and two counts of second-degree kidnapping. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder in 2019, but the charges were later dismissed. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The FBI and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Rhoades, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Warlick and Phil Aubart prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.7:22-cr-00007-FL-1.


title: Georgia Tech and Georgia Tech Research Corporation pay $90,000 to resolve allegations of violations of the False Claims Act

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – The Georgia Institute of Technology (“Georgia Tech”) and Georgia Tech Research Corporation (“GTRC”) have agreed to pay $90,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by failing to exercise proper oversight sufficient to allow them to detect the submission of false claims to the National Science Foundation (“NSF”). “Federal grants and awards come with known ‘rules of the road,’” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Organizations that receive federal funds—especially schools and universities that are pillars of our community—must take steps to ensure that their employees are following the rules. This settlement represents our office’s commitment to ensuring accountability for institutions that fail to live up to these obligations.” The government’s investigation concerned an NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (“IUCRC”) grant. The IUCRC program fosters pre-competitive research through multi-member collaborations among industry, academic, and government partners. The award at issue was made to a project entitled the “Center for Health Organization Transformation.” “The IUCRC program is a valuable tool in advancing NSF’s mission to promote the progress of science by developing long-term partnerships among industry, academia, and government,” said Allison Lerner, NSF’s Inspector General. “The NSF Office of Inspector General is committed to vigorously pursuing oversight of taxpayer funds and protecting the integrity of this important program. We are pleased that Georgia Tech changed its practices to better safeguard IUCRC funds, and I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its strong support in this effort.” The settlement amount is in addition to $105,000 that Georgia Tech has already returned to the NSF in connection with this award. As part of the settlement, Georgia Tech and GTRC agreed to implement training requirements for employees that handle IUCRC grants and a procedure for employees to report material instances of noncompliance with NSF award requirements. The settlement resolves allegations that from April 2014 to March 2019, Georgia Tech and GTRC failed to engage in proper oversight of the grant program, which led to Georgia Tech and GTRC’s failure to detect and prevent the submission of false claims to NSF concerning the number of industry members participating in the Center for Health Transformation and the amount of membership fees paid or received on membership certifications for the award. Industry participation is a core component of the IUCRC model. Although NSF awards act as seed money for centers, the program requires industry members to provide the primary base of financial support. The investigation of this matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Akash Desai and Austin M. Hall. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmail@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Des Moines Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Pointing a Gun at Police Following a Car Chase

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on November 16, 2023 to 13-and-a-half years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. According to public court documents, Fawnie Allen Avery, 36, was on parole with the State of Iowa when he led officers with the Des Moines Police Department on a nighttime chase through residential neighborhoods after law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop of his vehicle. Avery crashed his vehicle, climbed out of his window, and attempted to flee on foot. A uniformed officer attempted to apprehend him. Avery struggled against the officer and pulled a firearm from his waistband. Avery pointed his firearm at a plain clothes officer and chambered a round in the firearm. Police were able to subdue Avery when a third officer arrived on scene. At sentencing, the District Court found that two Des Moines Police officers were victims of Avery’s offense because Avery pulled his gun during the struggle leading to his arrest, pointed his gun at an officer, and chambered a round in his gun. The Court also found that Avery recklessly created a substantial risk of injury or death during the vehicle chase prior to his arrest. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department.


title: Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Floyd C. Hose, Jr., age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 70 months in federal prison following his conviction for bank robbery. The Court further sentenced Hose to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to pay $9,605 in restitution. On or about December 5, 2022, Hose entered the Cottonport Bank in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and passed a note to a teller demanding cash. According to reports, Hose said, “don’t do anything stupid or you will get hurt.” He took $9,605 from the teller and fled the bank. During a search of Hose’s apartment, detectives located a mask suspected to be worn during the robbery and money suspected to be taken during the robbery. After Hose’s arrest, he confessed to the robbery. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Baton Rouge Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.


title: Brewer Woman Sentenced to 2 ½ Years for Wire Fraud, Making False Statements to a Lending Business & Making Straw Purchase

component: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Brewer woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for wire fraud and making false statements to a mortgage lending business. She was also sentenced for making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in a separate case. U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Carol Bragdon, 50, to 30 months imprisonment for her fraud counts and 12 months for her gun crimes, served concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release. Bragdon was also ordered to pay $177,000 in restitution. She pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023. According to court records, between November 2020 and April 2021, Bragdon provided false statements and representations to a residential mortgage lender for the purpose of obtaining a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) backed loan. She used Google email accounts to communicate with the lender and the VA and to transmit documentation as part of the scheme. The emails were transmitted from Maine and through another state. In August 2021, Bragdon purchased five firearms at Maine Military Supply in Brewer, falsely stating that she was the actual purchaser of the firearms. She was accompanied by an individual who directed her to specific firearms and who was later arrested with one of the firearms, a Walther model PK380 .380 caliber pistol. That individual was prohibited from purchasing a firearm under federal law. The VA Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the cases. STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her. ###


title: Coalport Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison and 4 Years of Supervised Release for Possessing with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Coalport, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 87 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Jacob Troxell, age 33, of Coalport, Pennsylvania on November 29, 2023. According to information presented to the court, on or about July 22, 2019, Troxell did possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Mr. Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Troxell.


title: Former California Business Owner Charged with Access Device Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft and Witness Tampering

component: Civil Division

body_text: An indictment was unsealed on Monday alleging that the chief executive officer of a California business caused unauthorized charges to be placed on thousands of consumer credit and debit card accounts. Jason Edward Thomas Cardiff, 48, formerly of Upland, California, is charged with access device fraud, aggravated identity theft and two counts of witness tampering. The indictment alleges that Cardiff owned and operated Redwood Scientific Technologies, which sold various homeopathic thin film strip products to consumers. Between January 2018 and May 2018, Cardiff directed his employees to use the credit and debit card information associated with previous customers to charge for additional products that those customers had not ordered. The indictment further alleges that Cardiff ordered employees to destroy documents that were responsive to a Federal Trade Commission Civil Investigative Demand. “These charges reflect the department’s commitment to investigate unauthorized charges imposed on consumer accounts and hold criminals accountable for their wrongdoing,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will use all of the tools at its disposal to prosecute such schemes.” “This indictment alleges a blatant ripoff that simply charged customers for products they never ordered,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “We will remain vigilant to protect consumers from predatory businesses that exploit the trust placed in them by consumers.” “The outstanding work by postal inspectors in this investigation uncovered a fraud scheme, where American consumers never received the products for which they were billed,” said Inspector in Charge Carroll Harris of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Los Angeles Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting American consumers from falling victim to these types of fraud schemes.” Cardiff made his initial court appearance on Nov. 27 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brianna Fuller Mircheff of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. If convicted, Cardiff faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for access device fraud, 20 years in prison for witness tampering and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. At his arraignment on Monday, Cardiff entered a not guilty plea and a trial was scheduled for Jan. 23, 2024. USPIS is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Manu Sebastian and Brianna Gardner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie Makarewicz for the Central District of California, are prosecuting the case. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Inmate At The Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Contraband In Prison

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Thadusse Hartridge, age 22, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on November 28, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to the charge of possession of contraband in prison. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hartridge, formerly of Washington D.C., admitted to possessing a dangerous prison-made weapon, commonly known as a “shank.” The charge stems from an incident in October 2022 in which staff at FCI Schuylkill found Hartridge in possession of the weapon. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


title: Three-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced To More Than Six Years In Prison For Possessing A Firearm

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Allen Lee Glover (25, Orlando) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing a loaded firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Glover to forfeit a Glock GMBH Model 19 pistol and associated 9mm ammunition traceable to the offense. Glover had pleaded guilty on August 4, 2023. According to court documents, on July 6, 2022, officers with the Orlando Police Department attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Glover. At the time, Glover was on felony probation and had active felony warrants from Polk County. Glover immediately fled at a high rate of speed from the traffic stop. Later, officers observed the same vehicle pulling into the driveway of a residence. When officers drove towards the vehicle, Glover exited the vehicle, fled on foot, and threw a black handgun over the fence of the residence. Glover was taken into custody. The officers recovered a loaded Glock 9mm firearm from the backyard of the residence. At the time of this offense, Glover had previously been convicted in state court in Florida for multiple felonies, including grand theft, conspiracy to commit burglary, and burglary. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Global Law Enforcement Collaboration through Operation Atlas Yields 223 Violent Transnational Fugitives Arrested and 581 Fugitives Located in 70 Countries

component: Interpol Washington

body_text: WASHINGTON – INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the INTERPOL General Secretariat in Lyon, France, recently marked the completion of Operation Atlas, a year-long joint operation to find and arrest violent transnational fugitives across the world. Since October 2022, U.S. and international law enforcement officials, working through Operation Atlas, arrested 223 fugitives and positively located 581 fugitives in 70 different countries, including 556 wanted in the United States. Of the fugitives targeted by the operation, 334 were the subjects of then active INTERPOL Red Notices*. The fugitives were wanted to stand trial for offenses including, but not limited to, homicide, crimes against children, kidnapping, sex offenses, robbery, and illegal weapons. The fugitives wanted under Red Notices were targeted jointly by INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Support unit and the U.S. Marshals Service in collaboration with officers of the relevant INTERPOL member countries. “Operation Atlas serves as a model of domestic and international law enforcement cooperation to bring the worst of the worst to justice,” said INTERPOL Washington Director Michael A. Hughes. “Our communities, both in the United States and across the globe, face unprecedented transnational threats each and every day. The only way to defeat them is through transnational partnerships. Working together, we can make a difference.” During the course of the operation, Atlas task forces met at global INTERPOL sites each quarter, enabling investigators to collaborate on fugitive cases in-person. These operational-level meetings brought together law enforcement partners from more than 20 countries, providing enhanced opportunities for information collecting and sharing. The task forces were held at Regional Bureau San Salvador, the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore, the General Secretariat in Lyon, and Regional Bureau Buenos Aires. “Atlas was a remarkably successful year-long operation highlighting the U.S. Marshals Service's capacity to locate fugitives no matter the distance they travel, or the borders they cross,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis. “Through international cooperation, we have strengthened partnerships, information sharing, and coordination among nations that will continue to bring fugitives to justice.” INTERPOL has been leading international operations targeting fugitives through its history and, since 2009, under the International Fugitive Round-up and Arrest (INFRA) model. “These fugitives have been located thanks to the power of international cooperation. As INTERPOL completes its 100 th year, Operation Atlas stands as a testament to our ability to unite across borders for a common cause and work together as partners to overcome the most complex fugitive challenges to make the world a safer place,” said INTERPOL Executive Director of Police Services Stephen Kavanagh. A component of the U.S. Department of Justice co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB)—is the designated U.S. representative to INTERPOL. It serves as the national point of contact and coordination for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. *A Red Notice is an international alert for a wanted person, but it is not an arrest warrant. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.


title: Tulsa, Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 54 Months for $7 Million COVID-19 Testing Fraud

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A Tulsa, Oklahoma man who submitted fraudulent insurance claims for COVID-19 testing, resulting in a more than $7 million loss to insurers was sentenced Wednesday to 54 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. William Paul Gray, 50, was charged via criminal information in March and pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr. Mr. Gray was also ordered to pay over $7 million dollars in restitution. According to plea papers, Mr. Gray admitted that he and his coconspirators accessed private patient information – including names, dates of birth, and insurance subscriber numbers – by accessing confidential electronic medical records to obtain large amounts of patient information at once. They then used the patient information to submit claims to insurance providers – including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, and Molina Health Care – for COVID-19 testing that was never performed. (The patients had not requested COVID-19 testing, nor were they aware their information was being used to submit claims.) Mr. Gray admitted that the “labs” at which the coconspirators claimed the testing occurred, including TC Diagnostics, ME Diagnostics, and PHR Diagnostics, were, in fact, shell entities that never operated as labs. Collectively, these three entities submitted approximately $30 million in claims and were paid more than $7 million in reimbursements for fake testing. Also charged in the scheme are Connie Jo Clampitt, 52, Terrance Barnard, 40, and Don Hogg, 37. Clampitt, Hogg and Bernard have each pled guilty and are pending sentencing. The Dallas Regional Office of the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Dallas Office of the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Texas Department of Insurance Fraud Unit's Fort Worth Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter is prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha handled the forfeiture. For more information about the Justice Department’s response to wrongdoing connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus .


title: Former El Paso Teacher Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Child Pornography Charge

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A Horizon City man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 46 months in prison for access with intent to view a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a prepubescent minor. According to court documents, Orlando Solis, 47, began communicating over the social messaging platform “Whisper,” with a user who identified herself as a 13-year old female. The Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit initiated the investigation and referred the matter to the FBI. The conversations were often sexual in nature, with Solis sending links to pornography sites, describing sexual acts he wanted to engage in with her, and sending graphic photos of himself. He also informed her that he had a “hidden” folder on his phone for pornography. The FBI determined that Solis was a high school teacher and arrested him on Feb. 2. A forensic examination of his cellphone revealed child sexual abuse material depicting minors as young as five or six years old. Solis pleaded guilty July 25. “Protecting children from sexual predators will always be a priority of this office and our partners across the district,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to the joint investigative efforts of the FBI and Army CID, Solis will no longer pose a threat nor further harm innocent children. Please also take this as a reminder to talk to your children about the legitimate risks of online chat rooms and social messaging apps.” "The FBI El Paso’s Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force's mission is to protect our nation's children from adults willing to meet and engage children online with the purpose of engaging in Child Exploitation," said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office. "To that end, we've accomplished the mission by ensuring Solis won't be able to commit a hands-on sexual assault of a child. Please join the FBI’s never-ending effort to keep our children safe by reporting instances of known, or suspected child exploitation at tips.fbi.gov or call 800-CALL-FBI." “Army CID has a strong relationship with the FBI and continually works together to maximize our jurisdiction and investigate all crimes in and around U.S. Army installations” said Special Agent in Charge Olga Morales for the Army CID Southwest Field Office. “Our Army communities, and the American public, can rest assured that we continually seek out child predators and anyone that would want to do harm to members of our communities, on and off our installations.” The FBI and Army CID investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Valenzuela prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 . ###


title: Floyd County Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky.— An Auxier, Ky., man, Jonathan Martinez, 37, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, from April 26, 2022 through May 5, 2022, Martinez distributed methamphetamine and possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Specifically, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to make a series of controlled drug purchases of methamphetamine from Martinez and his co-defendant, Lakeisha Jervis. On May 5, 2022, law enforcement conducted a search of Martinez’s home and found 264 grams of methamphetamine, bagged into ounce-and-a-half quantities, a digital scale, plastic bags, various other controlled substances, and a loaded firearm. Under federal law, Martinez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and 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; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP), jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. — END —


title: President of Auto Parts Distributor Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: WASHINGTON – The owner, president, and chief executive officer of an automotive parts distributor pleaded guilty today in Washington, D.C., to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act. Aaron Rudolf, 36, of Burlington, North Carolina, pleaded guilty, November 29, 2023, and agreed to pay a fine of $600,000 for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by tampering with a monitoring device on diesel trucks. According to court documents, Rudolf founded Rudy’s Performance Parts Inc. in 2009. Rudy’s is a distributor and seller of aftermarket automotive and truck parts. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance made the announcement. According to court documents, Rudolf and others agreed to have Rudy’s employees disable or remove emissions control components and tamper with on-board diagnostic systems (OBDs) on approximately 300 diesel trucks between 2015 and 2017. As part of the process, Rudy’s sold, and its employees installed, “defeat devices” known as “tuners.” The tuners plugged into the vehicle’s OBD port to reprogram the electronic control unit and tamper with the OBDs, impairing its ability to monitor the operation of the vehicle’s emission control system. Rudolf and certain Rudy’s employees knew that using the tuners in this manner would tamper with the OBDs on vehicles that were not used exclusively for competition purposes. The removal of emission control components resulted in additional diesel exhaust emissions, which include multiple hazardous compounds that negatively impact human health and the environment. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for on April 12, 2024. EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the case. Attorneys from ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.


title: Former Airline Representatives Admit Roles in Bribery Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A former airline corporate real estate director and former airline senior manager, as well as a former airline contractor, each admitted accepting bribes from a company in exchange for agreeing to assist the company obtain contracts from the airline, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Alok Saksena, 45, of Montclair, New Jersey, Anthony Rosalli, 44, of Burlington, New Jersey, and Lovella Rogan, 48, of Springfield, New Jersey each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court to informations that charged them with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. “The defendants compromised their positions by accepting bribes in the form of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of home renovations, electronics, and jewelry. Commercial bribery of this kind corrupts the fairness of our economic system. We will hold to account those who unlawfully violate their duties to further their own economic interests.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Federal law requires an honest bidding process because if everyone in a position of authority demanded goods and services for their approval, the cost of doing business would be astronomical and untenable,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “These individuals admit to taking bribes in the form of home renovations, electronics and jewelry instead of money, thinking no one would notice. Greasing someone's palm for a lucrative contract not only isn't fair, but it's also illegal.” “The Port Authority thanks our federal partners for the collaborative work to ensure fairness within the myriad industries that operate out of our facilities and to bring these individuals to justice,” Port Authority Inspector General John Gay said. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Rosalli, Saksena, and Rogan all held positions with the airline that enabled them to influence which companies the airline would award certain contracts to at Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark Airport). The defendants conspired to receive bribes and kickbacks from a company that provided maintenance and construction services in exchange for helping that company obtain lucrative airline contracts at Newark Airport. In September 2021, the maintenance and construction company bid on a contract to renovate restrooms at Newark Airport. The defendants sat on the selection committee and each of them voted to award the contract to the company. In exchange for the defendants’ help in obtaining the restroom renovation contract and with the expectation that they would use their positions to help the company obtain future contracts, the company agreed to pay for significant renovations at the defendants’ personal residences, including renovating and building bathrooms, renovating a deck, installing floors and sheetrock, and renovating a kitchen. The company gave the defendants valuable items, including electronics and jewelry. The total value of the bribes paid was approximately $539,000 to Saksena; approximately $276,000 to Rosalli; and approximately $409,000 to Rogan. The defendants also conspired with an employee of the maintenance and construction company to fraudulently inflate change orders, which amended the contract’s scope of work, to recoup some of the bribe costs. With the defendants’ knowledge and consent, the company submitted change orders, which contained fraudulently high numbers, to obtain money not legitimately earned by the company so that the company could partially fund the bribe payments to the defendants. The defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing for Saksena is scheduled for April 17, 2024. Sentencing for Rosalli and Rogan is scheduled for April 18, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy in Newark, investigators from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Gay, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Calle and Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna. saksena.information.pdf rosalli.information.pdf rogan.information.pdf


title: Principals of Fire Alarm Repair Company Charged with Decade-Long Scheme to Overbill City Agencies

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging two defendants, Walter Stanzione and William Neogra, with wire fraud conspiracy for systematically defrauding the City of New York. The defendants are charged with overbilling New York City agencies for more than a decade in connection with contracts to repair and maintain fire alarm systems. Stanzione is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak, while Neogra is scheduled to be arraigned before Untied States Magistrate Judge Laura D. Hatcher in the District Court of Delaware. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the charges. “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were hired to make sure that the fire alarm systems in hundreds of New York City buildings functioned safely and effectively,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendants took this as an opportunity to steal and defraud, abusing and betraying their obligations. This indictment demonstrates our Office’s commitment to holding accountable government contractors who fleece city agencies and taxpayers.” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “These defendants, as charged, overbilled City agencies for more than a decade, including the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Sanitation, by submitting fraudulent invoices reflecting inflated prices. I thank our federal law enforcement partners for their commitment to protect the City’s resources and to hold accountable vendors who use their City contracts to engage in fraud.” “Doing business with the city is a privilege Neogra and Stanzione allegedly abused for over a decade. Their alleged crimes milked the city of valuable resources. They got used to getting paid more for less, but today it caught up to them,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “The defendants in this case took money out of the pockets of hard-working New Yorkers by allegedly overbilling the city with fake invoices and inflated prices. This fraud affects all those taxpayers who trusted that the City was paying for services rendered. The defendants are now being held responsible for their criminal acts and will face justice for their decades-long scheme.” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants exercised control over Fire Alarm Electrical Corp., a company that held numerous contracts with New York City agencies to repair and maintain fire alarm systems. For more than a decade, Fire Alarm Electrical Corp. overbilled those agencies by submitting fraudulent invoices with dramatically inflated prices, including invoices that purported to be from legitimate retailers, which the defendants had altered and modified, as well as invoices from shell companies that the defendants owned and controlled. The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The defendants face maximum sentences of 20 years’ imprisonment. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik Paulsen and Michael Gibaldi are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendants : WALTER STANZIONE Age: 65 East Meadow, New York WILLIAM NEOGRA Age: 63 Millsboro, Delaware E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-482


title: South Carolina Return Preparer Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Filing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina man was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison for preparing and filing false individual income tax returns for himself and his clients. According to court documents and statements made in court, Jeffrey Harmon of Lexington, owned and operated TFL Worldwide, a tax preparation business through which he willfully prepared and filed returns for himself and clients that claimed fraudulent deductions to which he and his clients were not entitled. To reduce his and his clients’ tax liability, Harmon consistently deducted non-deductible personal expenses, including, among other things, rent and mortgage payments for personal residences, personal vacation travel, personal fitness equipment and golf, country and hunt club membership fees. In total, Harmon caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $300,000. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Harmon was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and to pay approximately $320,000 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina, and Special Agent in Charge Donald Trey Eakins of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Charlotte Field Office made the announcement. IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Wilson Stamm of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle Klein for the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case. ###


title: Beaverton Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Beaverton, Oregon drug trafficker with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison Wednesday after he was caught possessing a large quantity of drugs and several firearms. Roderick Larkins, 54, was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in late May 2021, the Beaverton Police Department obtained information that Larkins was supplying fentanyl and other drugs to area drug dealers and possessed large quantities of drugs and several firearms in his Beaverton apartment. On May 23, 2021, investigators obtained and executed a search on Larkins apartment. They located and seized more than two pounds each of fentanyl pills and methamphetamine; smaller quantities of heroin, cocaine, and cocaine hydrochloride; a semiautomatic pistol, and two short-barreled assault rifles. Larkins, who was arrested without incident during the search, had tens of thousands of dollars stuffed into his pants pockets. On July 20, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an eight-count indictment charging Larkins with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Later, on August 8, 2023, the charges of distributing fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute heroin were added by superseding indictment. On August 31, 2023, Larkins pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute heroin. This case was investigated by the Beaverton Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and FBI. It was prosecuted by Parakram Singh and Robert Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.


title: Local businesses owner and employee each plead guilty to filing false tax returns after failing to report nearly $4 million in income

body_text: ATLANTA – Ronald S. Zieve, the owner of Hair Restoration Specialists, Inc. (“HRS”), and Marshall Boyd, the co-director of HRS, have each pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return. Since 2018, Zieve deliberately failed to report approximately $3.2 million in income, and Boyd deliberately failed to report approximately $790,000 in income. “These defendants behaved as if our tax laws did not apply to them,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “People who cheat on their taxes, file false returns, or fail to pay taxes owed are subject to investigation and prosecution.” “Filing false tax return documents to hide income is stealing from the U.S. government,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “On behalf of the honest, law-abiding taxpayers, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies will continue investigating and holding individuals accountable who willfully shirk their tax responsibilities to honestly report their income.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: Ronald Zieve failed to properly report income he earned from HRS for tax years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. In March 2021, for example, Zieve filed an IRS-1040 form for tax year 2020 that falsely reported his “other income” as $107,070 when, in fact, Zieve knew he had earned more than $1 million in other income. An investigation of the defendants, including through the execution of a search warrant at HRS’s office, and a review of relevant business, bank, and tax records, revealed that Zieve deliberately concealed his actual income from the IRS in a variety of ways. Zieve, for instance, improperly classified personal expenses as business expenses and hid his income by directing it into bank accounts of other businesses that he controlled, but which did not actually engage in any business activities. As a result of Zieve’s failure to report approximately $3.2 million in income, he caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $1 million. Investigators also learned that since 2016, Zieve had been paying Boyd hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash commissions that Boyd never reported to the IRS. In February 2021, for example, Boyd filed an IRS-1040 form for the tax year 2020 that falsely reported “other income” of “$0” when, in fact, Boyd knew that he had earned approximately $191,000 in other income. As a result of Boyd failing to report approximately $790,000 in income, he caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $266,000. Ronald S. Zieve, 75, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Marshall Boyd, 50, of Douglasville, GA, Georgia, each pleaded guilty to one count of filing a fraudulent tax return. Sentencing is scheduled for March 5, 2024, beginning at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: San Francisco Motorist Charged In Death Of A Bicyclist In The Presidio

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Arnold Kinman Low today with involuntary manslaughter and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and United States Park Police Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor. According to the indictment, Low, 81, of San Francisco, was the driver of a motor vehicle that struck a bicyclist in the Presidio on April 4, 2023. The victim-bicyclist died of his injuries shortly after the crash. Low is alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, to a degree that rendered him incapable of safe operation. Driving while under the influence of any amount of alcohol can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences. The United States Attorney for the Northern District of California takes seriously all allegations of driving under the influence in places of federal jurisdiction like the Presidio Trust. Area drivers are reminded to consider alternative forms of transportation like ride-sharing or carpooling if necessary. Low currently is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco at 10:30 AM on December 6, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 8 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hageman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Erick Machado. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Park Police.


title: Lafayette Man Sentenced to 57 Months Imprisonment for Federal Gun Offense

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On November 29, 2023, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced DAVON EUGENE to 57 months in the Bureau of Prisons for possession of a machine gun and being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. EUGENE was indicted on January 22, 2021 for possessing a machinegun, a Glock Model 26, 9 mm handgun, bearing serial number XPT053, equipped with a Glock auto-sear, while being a convicted felon. EUGENE will serve 57 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. 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. U. S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Drug Trafficker Sentenced To More Than 7 Years In Prison

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Uriel Rosales Carvajal (34, Polk County) to seven years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Rosales Carvajal had pleaded guilty on August 9, 2023. According to court documents, Rosales Carvajal was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Middle District of Florida. Specifically, on June 13, 2022, at the direction of a co-conspirator, Rosales Carvajal provided a sample of cocaine to an undercover officer at gas station in Plant City. When Rosales Carvajal was pulled over by law enforcement later that day, he had almost one a kilogram of cocaine, a box for a cellphone containing approximately 135 grams of methamphetamine, plastic baggies, and a digital scale. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Plant City Police Department as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Violent Aryan Brotherhood Member Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun Possession

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Barry Willis, 49, of Anderson has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court documents, Willis was released from the Indiana Department of Corrections to parole on January 17, 2022. He failed to contact his parole agent, and a warrant for his arrest was issued on February 17, 2022. On April 6, 2022, law enforcement officers obtained information that Willis was dealing narcotics, was in possession of a firearm, and had pointed a firearm at a juvenile. ATF agents went to Willis’ home in Anderson to execute search and arrest warrants. Willis saw investigators arrive and barricaded himself inside the attic. Willis refused to comply with commands to surrender and A SWAT team was called in to assist and deployed chemical agents and a K9 to force Willis outside. Willis continued to resist arrest, leading to a four-hour standoff before he was finally taken into custody. Once inside the home, agents located a loaded, green 9mm pistol under the bed. Forensic examination located Willis’ DNA on the gun’s trigger guard, magazine, and a bullet. Willis is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law following each of his six previous felony convictions in Anderson and Muncie between 1994 and 2017, including for dealing methamphetamine, burglary, theft, resisting law enforcement, and intimidation. Willis has an Aryan Brotherhood tattoo and has been previously established as a member of the violent, white supremacist gang. “For decades, this defendant has been a menace to the people of East-Central Indiana. Prior convictions and prison sentences have not seemed to alter his utter disrespect for the law and public safety,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The sentence imposed here demonstrates the serious consequences awaiting repeat, violent felons who continue to illegally possess firearms. I commend the ATF, Indiana State Police, and our federal prosecutor for ensuring this career criminal spends years in federal prison and off our streets.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Indiana State Police investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Willis be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Former office manager pleads guilty to embezzling over 3.5 million dollars

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Sonya Hesenius, a former office manager and executive assistant for an Alpharetta company, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after embezzling over $3.5 million between 2015 and 2020. “Hesenius stole millions of dollars from her employer to fund a lavish lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Those entrusted with a fiduciary role for a company accept great responsibility. The defendant’s actions demonstrate that she cared far more about personal gain and much less about the faith and trust that her employer placed in her.” “Hesenius worked in a position of trust for a company that expected her to honor that trust,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Instead, she chose to abuse it and her personal greed not only hurt the company, but everyone who worked for them. This plea should send the message that the FBI takes wire fraud extremely seriously and will work to hold offenders accountable.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Between 2015 and 2020, while employed as an office manager and executive assistant at an Alpharetta, Georgia company providing yard care services, Sonya Hesenius made fraudulent charges on corporate credit cards and caused the company to reimburse her personal credit card for personal expenses. To conceal her scheme, she coded and approved all the charges herself, withheld supporting documentation from the company, and disguised the unauthorized expenditures in the company’s system as legitimate expenses – such as newspaper advertisements. Hesenius also disseminated the expenditures among different job sites to further conceal the fraud. Hesenius used the embezzled funds to pay for a variety of personal expenses, including, among other things, her daughter’s wedding at the Barnsley Resort; cash transfers through PayPal, Venmo, and Square; Luis Vuitton and Chanel handbags; plane flights for Hesenius and more than 20 of her family members and friends; season tickets for University of Tennessee football and basketball teams; a recreational vehicle; hotels; furniture; cruises; and clothing items. In total, Hesenius embezzled more than $3,500,000. Sonya Hesenius, 59, of Suwanee, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for March 6, 2024, at 10:00 am before U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. O'Neal is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Foreign National Convicted of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in the District of Columbia convicted a national of the Dominican Republic yesterday of a felony drug trafficking conspiracy. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Cesar Gomez Almonte, aka Jhonny Gomez and Johnny Gomez, 51, was a member of a drug trafficking network based in the Dominican Republic. The network facilitated the transportation of multi-hundred-kilogram shipments of cocaine by boat from the Caribbean to the United States. The drug trafficking network insulated itself by compartmentalizing operations and covering up true ownership of the boats used to transport cocaine. Gomez Almonte’s role within the organization was to search for and acquire new boats the network could use for future drug ventures, to coordinate the straw transfer of a boat used in a prior drug venture, and to broker the use of a boat for a cocaine shipment knowing that the cocaine was bound for the United States. On Dec. 12, 2020, Gomez Almonte was arrested in the Miami International Airport. The jury convicted Gomez Almonte of conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York made the announcement. The case is supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). HSI New York investigated the case. Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Melanie L. Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Samantha Thompson and Janet H. Turnbull of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Customs and Border Protection’s Miami Air and Marine Branch also provided significant assistance.


title: Marion County Man Pleads Guilty To Impersonating A Deputy United States Marshal

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Derry Wayne Lambert (52, Belleview) has pleaded guilty to false impersonation of a federal officer. Lambert faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison. According to the plea agreement, on July 31, 2023, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office observed Lambert driving a pickup truck with no agency markings that had activated red/blue emergency lights and an audible siren. When confronted by the deputy, Lambert claimed to be a Deputy United States Marshal from Texas. Though he had no law enforcement credentials, Lambert was wearing a hat with the logo “Police - U.S. Marshal.” He presented the deputy with a false U.S. Marshal badge. Further investigation revealed that Lambert had no affiliation with the U.S. Marshals Service. Deputies also recovered a .380 caliber pistol in the center console of Lambert’s truck. Lambert’s truck, hat, and badge. This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.


title: Alien Smuggling Foot Guide Convicted of Smuggling Offenses After a Migrant in His Care Died

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, a federal jury in Tucson convicted Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 27, of Agua Prieta, Mexico, of multiple alien smuggling offenses, including Conspiracy to Transport and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit and Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit. The jury also found that Dessens-Romero placed human life in jeopardy during and in relation to his alien smuggling offenses. Each of the alien smuggling convictions carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A conviction for Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison. United States District Court Judge John C. Hinderaker will determine the sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The sentencing date is set for February 22, 2024. Evidence presented at trial established that Dessens-Romero was the human smuggling foot guide for five Mexican nationals who illegally crossed into the United States on or about February 13, 2021. The group included three sisters – ages 23, 20, and 17 – and their family friend, age 16. Dessens-Romero led the individuals under his care into the rugged and remote Huachuca Mountains near Fort Huachuca in Southern Arizona. He led the group on a perilous route due to less law enforcement presence. The group had limited food and water, and at night, suffered through serious weather conditions including cold and snow. By February 15, 2021, the 23-year-old sister was in significant physical distress. She was unable to eat or walk or follow simple commands. Dessens-Romero told the group that they were close enough to a traveled roadway where the sick woman could be found if the group left her. Dessens-Romero did not call emergency services. Instead, he located cell phone reception at higher ground in order to call a transnational criminal smuggling organization. Dessens-Romero then led the rest of the group to Sierra Vista where they were picked up by unidentified co-conspirators and transported further into the United States. The family of the woman left behind contacted authorities on February 16, 2021, to report a missing person. Despite extensive search efforts by United States Border Patrol, military officials from Fort Huachuca, Cochise County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), she was not located. In the months following, HSI worked collaboratively with SOS Búsqueda y Rescate, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding missing migrants, to continue searching for the missing woman. On November 20, 2021, members of SOS Búsqueda y Rescate located skeletal remains in an isolated area of the Huachuca Mountains, on Fort Huachuca property. Dental records confirmed that the remains belonged to the missing 23-year-old sister. At trial, additional evidence confirmed that Dessens-Romero continued to smuggle undocumented non-citizens within the United States until June of 2021. This evidence included WhatsApp messages setting up the transportation of aliens to various locations within the United States, including the transportation of two aliens through Tennessee. Dessens-Romero was arrested on June 30, 2021, by Tennessee Highway Patrol while transporting these two individuals. This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. Homeland Security Investigations-Douglas office conducted the investigation in this case, in coordination with the Fort Huachuca Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, HSI-Nashville office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00376-TUC-JCH-JR RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-189_Dessens-Romero # # # 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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Man Sentenced to Three Years for Cyberstalking After Months of Harassment and Violent Threats to a North Carolina Family

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – Timothy Mann, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for two counts of cyberstalking. Mann, 25, pled guilty to the charge on August 23, 2023. “Online harassment, threats, and cyberstalking cause immense trauma for victims. They are also federal crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Those who would try to send heinous death threats through anonymous social media accounts should take note. The sentences are stiff, and there is no screen time in federal prison.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, around May 2021, D.E., a Raleigh NC resident, met and befriended the defendant Timothy Mann through social media online. Mann, who lived in New York, later moved to North Carolina. D.E., however, began to distance himself from Mann after Mann’s behavior became erratic, and this resulted in increased hostility. Mann began contacting and harassing D.E. and D.E.’s mother repeatedly. Despite their attempts to block and otherwise avoid him, Mann persisted contacting them using dozens of anonymous phone numbers, social media accounts, and email accounts, as well as through messages to other family members. Many of these messages were violent and threatening. For example, in early 2022, Mann commented on an Instagram photo of D.E.’s daughter, stating that Mann hoped the daughter would be present when he “takes out” D.E. “so her last memory is her father getting his brains out.” In a separate Instagram message to D.E.’s girlfriend, Mann wrote that he knew where she lived, would “handle” her too, was “gonna shoot” her, hoped her “baby dies and [she] bleed[s] out,” and finally that he would “piss on [her] child.” The same day, Mann sent D.E.’s stepfather a text message photo of a Glock pistol along with the statement that Mann “will not be held accountable” and was not concerned about the police because “after i kill him im going kill myself.” In March 2022, D.E.’s mother received a message stating that “bullets go threw windows houses and cars im just getting started.” With the message, Mann attached a photo of the mother’s home. The harassment continued into the fall. In an October 2022, message to D.E. and his mother, Mann stated that the mother would have “bullet holes all threw ya body” and that she wouldn’t be able to stay in her home all day. He added that they better “hope nd pray Raleigh police department gets there fast enough.” In messages to D.E.’s aunt in November, Mann announced repeatedly that he planned to kill the mother on Christmas Day, that he had “been planning this for a while year,” and that he was “ready to die” if necessary. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Raleigh Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-00014-FL. ###


title: Multiple assaults on dating partner on Blackfeet Indian Reservation send Babb man to prison for more than four years

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Babb man who admitted assaulting his dating partner on three separate occasions within a year was sentenced today to four years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Zachary James Cassidy, 33, pleaded guilty in June to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of assault of a dating partner resulting in substantial injury. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that Cassidy and the victim, identified as Jane Doe, were in a romantic relationship between March 2022 and January 2023. During that time, Cassidy assaulted the victim on three separate occasions. In June 2022, Cassidy and the victim were at a bar in St. Mary when Cassidy became upset with Jane Doe. Cassidy assaulted the victim in the bar, dragged her outside and continued the assault. Cassidy then dragged Jane Doe to a truck and drove to his residence, where he continued the assault. Jane Doe woke up on a couch, was alone and could not move. When found, she had to be carried to a car. Jane Doe sought medical attention the next day for multiple injuries and returned to the hospital a month later for follow up. In August, Cassidy assaulted Jane Doe at his residence. When a friend sought to intervene, Cassidy assaulted her, told her she was trespassing and that he was going to shoot her. Jane Doe went to the hospital after that assault for treatment of injuries. A third assault occurred on Jan. 9 as Cassidy and Jane Doe were traveling from Doe’s family residence toward Babb. Cassidy started getting mad at Jane Doe and his truck ultimately got stuck in the snow. Cassidy assaulted Jane Doe, who refused to get out of the truck. A neighbor witnessed the assault and called law enforcement. A standoff between Cassidy and officers ended with the use of chemical agents. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley prosecuted the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Metamora Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Metamora, Illinois man, Dana Anthony Curtin, 50, of the 1100 block of Willow Lake Drive, was sentenced on November 29, 2023, to 180 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor. Curtin must also register as a sex offender. At the trial before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the United States presented evidence to establish that from March through May 2022, Curtin spoke with an individual he believed to be an adult offering sex with a minor, then traveled to meet the adult and child. Federal law enforcement agents arrested him when he arrived at the meeting location. Curtin was arrested on May 20, 2022, and was indicted on June 7, 2022. A federal jury found him guilty on June 15, 2023, following trial. Curtin was initially released on bond and has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since June 2023. The statutory penalties for attempted sex trafficking of a minor are15 years to life imprisonment, to be followed by five years to life of supervised release, and a possible fine of up to $250,000. The case investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald L. Hanna and Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the United States. The case against Curtin was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Dominican National Sentenced To Federal Prison For Passport Fraud And Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Yudelka Magdalena Herrera Dominguez (57, Kissimmee) to two years in federal prison for passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. Herrera Dominguez had pleaded guilty on August 23, 2023. According to court documents, Herrera Dominguez is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who moved to the United States in approximately 2000. She applied for and was issued a United States Passport in 2001 and 2011. In her passport application, she used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of W.L.D.C., whom she had never met. In March 2021, the real W.L.D.C. applied for a United States Passport and discovered that an imposter had already applied for a passport in her name. Herrera Dominguez also applied for a passport renewal in W.L.D.C.’s name in September 2022, which was denied. This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Consular Affairs and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons.


title: Rutland Man Indicted on Firearm Charges

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that John Ryea, 40, of Rutland, Vermont, was arraigned in the District of Vermont on November 29, 2023. A federal grand jury sitting in Rutland, Vermont returned a two-count indictment on November 15, 2023 alleging that Ryea possessed a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and possessed a stolen firearm. Ryea was arrested on November 28, 2023 and made an initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on November 29, 2023. Ryea was ordered detained pending further proceedings. According to court records, Ryea has a November 30, 2022 misdemeanor domestic violence conviction from Rutland Superior Court where he admitted to punching his then live-in girlfriend in the jaw. He remained on probation in that state court case when he allegedly committed the charges contained in this federal indictment. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Ryea remains presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted of a crime. If convicted, Ryea faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a mandatory special assessment of $100. The actual sentence will be advised by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Ophardt and Colin Owyang. Ryea is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Six Former Correctional Officers Charged with Federal Offenses Following Death of Inmate at West Virginia Jail

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Charleston, West Virginia, returned an indictment today charging five former correctional officers — Mark Holdren, 39; Cory Snyder, 29; Johnathan Walters, 35; Jacob Boothe, 25; and Ashley Toney, 23 — in connection with an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., All five correctional officers, as well as a former lieutenant, Chad Lester, 33, were also charged for covering up of the use of unlawful force. The indictment alleges that, on March 1, 2022, Holdren, Snyder and Walters conspired with other officers at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, to use unlawful force against Q.B. to retaliate for his earlier attempt to leave his assigned pod. The indictment further alleges that Holdren, Snyder and Walters struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained and handcuffed, and that Boothe and Toney failed to intervene in the unlawful assault, resulting in Q.B.’s death. The indictment alleges that all six defendants conspired to cover up the use of unlawful force by omitting material information and providing false and misleading information to investigators. The indictment also charges each defendant individually with engaging in misleading conduct toward another person to hinder, delay or prevent the communication of information of the possible commission of a federal offense. Further, the indictment alleges that Walters, Holdren, and Boothe submitted incident reports that contained false and misleading information, as well as omitted the fact that officers had assaulted Q.B. The indictment also charges Lester, Holdren, Snyder, Toney and Boothe with making false statements to the FBI about the circumstances surrounding Q.B.’s death. The maximum penalties are life in prison for each of the civil rights offenses, five years in prison for each of the false statement offenses, and twenty years in prison for each of the remaining offenses. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia and FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Coleman for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. indictment_holdren_et_al_11.29.23.pdf


title: Convicted Felon Is Sentenced To Prison For Illegally Possessing Firearms On Three Separate Occasions

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Quincy Dushawn McWaine, 26, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 82 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Alicia Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to information contained in court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between July 2021 and June 2022, McWaine illegally possessed firearms on three separate occasions. Specifically, court documents show that on July 2, 2021, CMPD officers were dispatched on a service call for an alleged assault with a deadly weapon. Responding officers approached McWaine to question him in connection with the incident and observed a firearm sticking out of the defendant’s pant pocket. McWaine was arrested and officers removed two firearms from the defendant’s pockets, one of which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers also seized from the vehicle digital scales, marijuana, more than $25,000 in cash, and a Glock magazine. According to court records, the second incident occurred on December 10, 2021, while CMPD officers were investigating McWaine in connection with a shooting incident. CMPD officers located McWaine, who was on court-ordered electronic monitoring for prior offenses, and attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle he was driving. McWaine did not stop and tried to evade arrest, first by speeding away in his vehicle and later on foot. McWaine was apprehended shortly thereafter. Investigating officers also found a firearm McWaine had discarded while he fled on foot. The recovered firearm was affixed with a large capacity magazine and was loaded with five rounds of ammunition. The third incident took place on June 3, 2022, while CMPD officers were attempting to execute outstanding arrest warrants against McWaine. Officers located McWaine seated in the rear passenger seat of a vehicle parked at a gas station, and the defendant was taken into custody. Arresting officers also searched the vehicle and located a loaded firearm tucked under the seat where McWaine had been sitting. On June 20, 2023, McWaine pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. He remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and CMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 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, a


title: Missouri Man Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of Toddler

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Jefferson County, Missouri has admitted recording the sexual abuse of a toddler. Kyle J. Gipson, 22, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday to one felony count of production of child pornography. In March of 2023, an undercover FBI agent in an online group on the social media platform Wickr that was dedicated to discussing and trading original images of child sexual abuse learned of Gipson. The agent and Gipson began communicating on Wickr and later moved to the social media platform Telegram. Gipson sent the agent a picture of a 2-year-old girl and said he had sexually abused her, his plea agreement says. He also sent a nude picture and offered to provide access so the girl could be sexually abused, his plea says. After a court-approved search of Gipson’s home on March 13, investigators found child sexual abuse material involving that toddler and others. They also found communications in which Gipson discussed his sexual abuse of the victim with six others on social media. Gipson was also monitor and gatekeeper for a social media group focused on child sexual abuse material, bestiality and rape. The production of child pornography charge carries a penalty of at least 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. The U.S. Attorney’s office will ask for the maximum penalty at Gipson’s sentencing, scheduled for March 6, 2024. The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Man Who Pointed Gun at Sikeston Officer Sentenced to 168 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon from Sikeston, Missouri who pointed a gun at a police officer to 168 months in prison. Ruben R. Ramirez, 27, pleaded guilty in August to one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Ramirez admitted as part of his plea that an officer with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety was responding to a reported burglary on March 8, 2023, when he spotted Ramirez walking away. Ramirez raised a silver-colored .22-caliber pistol and pointed it at the officer before dropping the gun when the officer drew his own firearm. In a later interview, Ramirez said he tried to fire the pistol because he wanted the officer to kill him, but his gun jammed. Ramirez has a prior conviction for unlawful use of a weapon in a 2021 case in New Madrid County Circuit Court. The Sikeston Department of Public Safety investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.