title: Sixth Defendant Sentenced For Role In International Scam Targeting The Elderly

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: 50 Elderly Victims Lost $11 million GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Everette Jhamal Thibou, 32, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced to 168 months in prison for participating in a fraud scheme that stole $11 million from 50 victims in West Michigan and around the country. Most of the victims were elderly. “The victims in this case suffered anxiety, fear, humiliation and devastating financial loss,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “The defendants were relentless, preying on the elderly, often revictimizing their targets. They didn’t care that they were stealing from vulnerable senior citizens; all they cared about was making money. In this case and beyond, we are committed to holding fraudsters accountable, especially when they target vulnerable members of our communities.” Thibou is the sixth defendant to be sentenced as part of the fraud scheme. The Court previously imposed the following sentences: Jmyla Elaine Sha’taria White, of Thonotosassa, Florida, was sentenced to 97 months in prison; Jayesh J. Panchal, of Hicksville, New York, was sentenced to 78 months in prison; Jorrel Tyler Jackson, of Riverview, Florida, was sentenced to 78 months in prison; Vijaya C. Shetty, of Jackson Heights, New York, was sentenced to 63 months in prison; McKhaela Katelynn McNamara, of Flint, Michigan, was sentenced to 51 months in prison. A seventh defendant, Pragneshbhai M. Patel, of Amityville, New York was charged as a member of the fraud scheme and a warrant for his arrest was issued in 2023, but he has not yet been located. He is presumed innocent of the charges until proven guilty in a court of law. According to court records, victims of the conspiracy received a pop-up or other message on their computers warning that a virus had infected their devices. The messages urged the victims to call a number to get help. When the victims called the number provided, they got a response from someone claiming to work for a tech company, such Microsoft or Apple. In truth, they were scammers located in India, who scared the victims into giving money to the conspiracy with a variety of different ruses. In one version of the scam, victims were told that their bank accounts had been compromised and they needed to withdraw all their cash and give it to fake “federal agents” for safekeeping. In another version, victims were told that their computers had been infected by a virus and they needed to pay for technical support. In a third version, victims were told that they had been identified in a criminal investigation and needed to turn over money to clear their names. Regardless of which ruse was used, the end result was the same: victims were convinced to give $11 million to the scammers. Victims did this during in-person meetings with fake “federal agents,” by mailing boxes of cash to addresses provided by the scammers, by wire transfers to bank accounts controlled by the scammers, or through gift cards they purchased at the direction of the scammers. According to court records, the defendants were the U.S.-based members of the conspiracy who collected fraud proceeds from victims on behalf of the conspiracy. The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves. The investigation was conducted jointly by FBI Detroit, Grand Rapids Resident Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Lake County, Michigan, Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Clay Stiffler. ###


title: Hinesburg Man Charged with Possessing Ammunition as a Convicted Felon

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Anthony Seagroves, 32, of Hinesburg, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with Possessing Ammunition as a Convicted Felon. On October 31, 2024, Seagroves appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Seagroves be detained pending a detention hearing to be held tomorrow, November 1, 2024. According to court records, Seagroves was encountered by Burlington Police Department Officers on the afternoon of October 14, 2024, while the officers were conducting a welfare check on multiple people slouched over inside a running car parked at the Fletcher Free Library. The officers learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen. While removing Seagroves from the driver’s seat of the vehicle, officers observed a black and green pistol on the seat where Seagroves had been sitting. The pistol was determined to be a Privately Made Firearm (colloquially referred to as a “ghost gun”), which was loaded with four rounds of PMC brand 9-millimeter ammunition. In May of 2019, Seagroves had been convicted of a felony offense, and was therefore prohibited from possessing the ammunition located within the PMF. Also according to court records, on October 23, 2024, the Hinesburg Police Department was investigating a report of a stolen vehicle, which the owner had located in Hinesburg. The owner identified Seagroves as the person seen exiting the passenger side of the vehicle shortly after the owner had located it. The owner consented to a search of the vehicle, and Hinesburg Police located a loaded Sig Sauer P365 9-millimeter pistol on the passenger floorboard. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Seagroves is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Seagroves faces up to fifteen years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Burlington Police Department, and the Hinesburg Police Department. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Seagroves is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. 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 Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Waterloo Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Gun

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Waterloo man who displayed a firearm at others in a threatening manner was sentenced on October 28, 2024, to eight years in federal prison. Rodney Lavern Thein, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 30, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession of firearms by a felon. Evidence disclosed at sentencing showed that, on July 13 and 14, 2023, Thein displayed a firearm in a threatening manner at people during confrontations over a trailer at Thein’s residence in Waterloo. During the investigation into the confrontations, law enforcement officers searched Thein’s residence, and seized nine firearms. Six of the firearms were loaded, and at least one of the firearms had been reported stolen. At the time, Thein was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of three felony offenses. Thein was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Thein was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment, and he must serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. Thein is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Waterloo Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23‑CR‑02074. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Granbury Man Who Conspired to Import Meth through Del Rio Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Granbury man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 280 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to attempt to import 7.86 kilograms of methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico and for felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, David Ray Coplin, 35, and other co-defendants were arrested at a hotel in Del Rio on Aug. 1, 2020, after an investigation revealed they were involved in a conspiracy to import methamphetamine from Mexico and distribute it in the United States. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 16 individual multilayered packages of methamphetamine concealed inside the door panels of codefendant Bibiana Ira Ortiz’s vehicle during a port of entry inspection. On July 31, 2020, Coplin and codefendant Joshua Ruben Olivencia traveled to Del Rio together to meet Ortiz and another codefendant, Jimmie Troy Palmer III. The group had intended for Ortiz to leave the vehicle containing methamphetamine inside in the hotel parking lot, unlocked with the keys. She would then depart Del Rio with Palmer, while Coplin would become the driver of the drug-loaded vehicle. Homeland Security Investigations agents approached Coplin immediately after he sat in the driver’s seat and ordered him to exit the vehicle and get on the ground. Coplin, who is a convicted felon sentenced to 12 years in state prison in 2015, reached into his waist band and began pulling on a concealed handgun, a loaded .40 caliber pistol. Coplin complied with the agents’ orders to drop the weapon, and he was taken into custody without further incident. Ortiz was also arrested on-site while Olivencia and Palmer fled. They later returned to the hotel, where they were taken into custody. Coplin pleaded guilty on March 8, 2021 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Ortiz pleaded guilty on June 7, 2021 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. She was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison. Palmer pleaded guilty on July 21, 2021 to one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine and was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison. Olivencia was sentenced Oct. 22, 2024, to 264 months in prison. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex Beasley prosecuted the case. ###


title: BOP Inmate Sentenced to 10 Additional Years for Making Violent Threats to Federal Officials, Blow Up Downtown St. Louis Courthouse

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A federal judge gave an incarcerated man the statutory maximum sentence of ten more years in prison Thursday, after the man admitted to sending death threats to a judge and former probation officer and blow up the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis. Richard L. Russell, 58, pleaded guilty to two counts of retaliating against a federal official, two counts of mailing threatening communications and one count of threatening to destroy a building by fire or explosion. “Judges and probation officers serve the public by upholding the rule of law and supervising offenders in the court system. To threaten their lives for doing their jobs in abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “This offender will spend another decade in prison for sending death threats and making threats of violence.” According to court documents, Russell was serving a 112-month sentence since January 2013 in the Bureau of Prisons after being charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri for mailing threatening communications and threatening to murder a U.S. magistrate judge. On June 1, 2022, officials at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse received two similarly handwritten letters containing death threats addressed to a sitting federal judge and retired probation officer that were each signed by Russell. A deputy U.S. marshal recovered the letters and envelopes. Russell sent the letters to retaliate against the individuals who has previously worked on his court cases. He threatened the judge who sentenced him to 112 months’ imprisonment and the former probation officer who supervised him. Russell mailed the letters from the Grady County Criminal Justice Authority, a BOP transfer facility located in Chickasaw, Oklahoma. Federal judges, probation officers and prosecutors with the Eastern District of Missouri were recused from this case. The U.S. Marshals Service led the investigation, and Steve Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and prosecuted the case.


title: Jefferson County men sentenced to federal prison for armed robbery

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – Two Beaumont men have been sentenced to federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Brandon Tyrone Mayberry, 22, and Daniel James Leatherwood, 21, each pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, aiding and abetting, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. On October 31, 2024, Mayberry was sentenced to 70 months for the robbery charge and 84 months for the firearms violation for a total of 154 months in federal prison. Leatherwood was sentenced to 33 months for the robbery charge and 84 months for the firearms violation for a total of 117 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone ordered the sentences to be served consecutively in federal prison. According to information presented in court, in April of 2023, Leatherwood and Mayberry robbed a Game X Change store on Dowlen Road in Beaumont at gunpoint. 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 FBI, the Beaumont Police Department, the Nederland Police Department, and the Liberty Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Tommy L. Coleman with the cooperation of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. ###


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Staged Automobile Accident Conspiracy

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that ANTOINE CLARK (“ CLARK ”), age 34, of New Orleans, pled guilty on October 30, 2024, to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Today’s guilty plea brings the total number of defendants convicted for staging collisions in “Operation Sideswipe” to 49. According to court documents, CLARK, and others, conspired to fraudulently stage an automobile collision to obtain money. CLARK , Shirley Harris (“Harris,”) and other co-conspirators intentionally collided with a tractor-trailer on April 24, 2017, in Interstate 10 near the Crowder Boulevard exit in New Orleans. CLARK and Harris made false police reports, filed a fraudulent lawsuit, lied during deposition testimony, and sought unnecessary medical treatment, to further their fraudulent claims. The United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance set sentencing in this matter for January 29, 2025. CLARK faces up to five (5) years of imprisonment; up to three (3) years of supervised release; and a fine of up to $250,000.00. A $100 mandatory special assessment fee is also applicable. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Carboni, and Edward Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: New Hampshire Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on October 31, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Douglas Reynolds, 36, recently of New Hampshire, with one count of possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. An arraignment has not yet been scheduled. Reynolds is currently in New Hampshire state custody, and his arraignment will occur once he is brought into federal custody. According to court records, Reynolds illegally possessed three firearms on or about January 17, 2024. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Reynolds is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Reynolds faces up to 15 years of incarceration if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Bradford, Vermont Police Department. The prosecutor in this matter is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Reynolds has not yet retained nor been appointed counsel. 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 Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve 84 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession Following Domestic Violence Call

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – GREGORY LAMONT BRIGHT , 37, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On February 8, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Indictment against Bright, charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and witness tampering. According to public record, on May 12, 2023, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department were dispatched to the leasing office of a local apartment on a reported domestic violence incident. Officers spoke with the victim in the office, who told authorities Bright slapped her and then pushed her onto a bed and strangled her with his hands until she believes she lost consciousness. Bright then left the apartment. Officers observed bruising on the victim’s neck and face, and the victim asked police to make sure the defendant was no longer in her apartment. Oklahoma City Police searched the victim’s residence and found Bright concealing himself in a bathroom. Officers also found a handgun and a shotgun in the apartment, which Bright later admitted to possessing. Bright was arrested, and in the days that followed, he made several phone calls to the victim in an attempt to convince the victim not to testify against him and claim the firearms belonged to her. Bright also spoke with his friends and family members, instructing them to also try to influence the victim to change her story. On May 15, 2024, Bright pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment and admitted he possessed two firearms despite his previous felony conviction. At the sentencing hearing on October 24, 2024, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Bright to serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted the nature and circumstances of the offense, along with Bright’s violent criminal history. Public record reflects that Bright holds previous felony convictions, including convictions for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2015-6513 and at least one felony conviction for robbery out of Michigan. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary E. Walters and Jackson D. Eldridge prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. In October 2017, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop crime-reduction strategies that incorporate lessons federal law enforcement has learned since the program’s launch in 2001. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Selma Man Indicted for Illegally Possessing Firearms Recently Reported as Stolen

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Daniel Joseph Valencia, 26, of Selma, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on April 28, 2024, Valencia was found to be in possession of three firearms that had recently been reported as stolen. Valencia cannot legally possess firearms because he has been previously convicted of several felony offenses, including aggravated assault and domestic violence. This case is the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Baty is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Valencia faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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: Fresno Man Indicted for Possession of Loaded Ghost Gun

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Donald Henderson, 30, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2024, Henderson arranged to sell a rifle to an undercover police officer in Clovis. When officers arrived, Henderson quickly entered a vehicle as a passenger, at which point officers engaged in a high-speed chase during which Henderson threw a rifle out the window. The rifle was a privately manufactured firearm, or “ghost gun,” with a loaded high-capacity magazine. This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Henderson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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: Washington man sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for trafficking eagles, hawks killed on the Flathead Indian Reservation and sold on black market

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Washington man who conspired to hunt and kill bald and golden eagles and hawks on the Flathead Indian Reservation to sell on the black market was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $777,250 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, Washington, and formerly of the Flathead Reservation, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, two counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate trade in wildlife that has been taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of federal or state law. The Lacey Act also prohibits any person from making or submitting any false record, account, label for or identification of wildlife that has been or was intended to be transported in interstate or foreign commerce. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court ordered Branson to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons. “The bald eagle, adopted as America’s national symbol in 1782, represents our country’s core ideals of freedom, strength, and justice. Once on the brink of extinction, eagles recovered only because of conservation efforts by the American people and federal laws protecting them. None of that mattered to Travis Branson. Instead, Branson went on self-described ‘killing sprees’ for thousands of eagles and hawks, butchered them, and sold the parts and feathers for profit on the black market. He knew he was committing felonies and even joked his cost to kill them was the price of a bullet. But his conduct was no laughing matter. With today’s sentence, the cost to Branson was more than a bunch of bullets – he forfeited the very freedom the bald eagle symbolizes,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “The unlawful killing of these majestic birds violates federal law and is a profound offense against our nation's cherished natural heritage,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Travis Branson's blatant disregard for the law and the sanctity of these protected species highlights the urgent need for stringent enforcement and greater public awareness regarding wildlife trafficking. His actions are particularly egregious, considering the significant number of bald and golden eagles he killed for personal profit, and such behavior will not be tolerated. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect America's wildlife and hold accountable all who are engaged in these illicit activities.” “We are going to feel the impacts of the Flathead Reservation’s raptor loss for years to come,” said Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson. “We hope this helps put a stop to illegal poaching on our homelands and gives these birds a chance to recover. Eagles are not only a treasured and important part of the Reservation’s ecosystem, but they also have a profound place in CSKT cultural and spiritual practices.” In court documents, the government alleged that from about January 2015 until about March 2021, Branson and others hunted and killed eagles on the Flathead Reservation. Branson then sold the eagles on the black market across the United States and elsewhere. Brandon traveled from Washington to the Flathead Reservation, where he met co-defendant, Simon Paul. Branson and Paul would then shoot, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future black-market sales. Co-defendant Paul remains a fugitive. The government sought restitution values of $5,000 per eagle and $1,750 per hawk. The government estimated that from 2009 until 2021, Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 by selling eagles feathers and parts for profit on the black market. The government’s investigation showed that Branson and others killed approximately 3,600 birds during the conspiracy. At least 118 eagles and 107 hawks killed were directly traceable to Branson and documented through his own text messages. Branson had taken up to nine eagles at a time. The photograph below shows nine sets of feathers, with one set stacked on top of the other in the upper left corner. Law enforcement also recovered text messages from Branson stating he was specifically looking to shoot a baby eagle. Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he also butchered them into pieces to sell. On March 13, 2021, Branson shot and killed a golden eagle near Polson. Law enforcement stopped Branson and recovered from Branson’s vehicle the feet and feathers of the golden eagle and later recovered the remainder of the carcass in a field. The claws are identified here: Branson knew killing and selling eagles was illegal and that he did not have a permit for any of the activities. When negotiating a purchase price for eagle feathers with a potential buyer, Branson said: “I don’t get em for free though ..out hear committing felonies” Branson told another potential buyer he would obtain other eagle tails by “[g]oing on a killing spree.” Further, Branson acknowledged that international shipping was illegal: “International is still illegal ..I just get em for 99 cents ..price of a bullet..lol” The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Fish and Game Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Durham Man Sentenced for Robbery and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – A Durham, North Carolina man was sentenced today in Winston-Salem to more than 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery and a related firearm charge, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). ABDUL KAREEM RASHEED, age 47, was sentenced to consecutive sentences of 51 months imprisonment (Count One) and 84 months imprisonment (Count Two), plus 3 years supervised release, by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison and supervision, RASHEED was ordered to pay $538 in restitution and to forfeit a 9mm pistol. According to court records, on October 12, 2022, RASHEED entered a BP gas station on Roxboro Road in Durham wearing a black ski mask and armed with a handgun. During the robbery, RASHEED pointed the gun at the clerk and threatened to shoot him. RASHEED collected money from two cash registers and took four packs of cigarettes before fleeing. The clerk called 911 and Durham Police Department (DPD) officers responded. Within minutes, officers were able to track RASHEED to the residence where he was staying, and where he was ultimately arrested. After obtaining a search warrant, DPD officers searched the residence and found evidence linked to the robbery including a ski mask, 9 mm handgun, and currency matching the denominations stolen from the BP gas station. RASHEED pleaded guilty on June 3, 2024, to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). The case was investigated by the Durham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorneys Robert A. J. Lang and Lindsey A. Freeman. 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: Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm

body_text: Marcus Fair, 27, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty October 30, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on September 21, 2022, law enforcement responded to a Humboldt, Iowa, residence for a report of domestic disturbance and animal cruelty. After conducting interviews, law enforcement arrested Fair. Officers were then led to a discarded backpack in a nearby woods. Inside the bag were items that belonged to Fair, including a loaded Taurus G3C, 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, an extended magazine, and marijuana. Fair admitted these items belonged to him, and that he used marijuana. As a user of marijuana, Fair was prohibited from possessing firearms. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Fair remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Fair faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Twelve indicted in connection with violent drug trafficking gang that distributed fentanyl in Seattle and Everett

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A coordinated law enforcement operation over the last 48 hours has resulted in eleven arrests of members of a drug trafficking ring that set up shop in the University District of Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. A year-long wire-tap investigation led to the indictment of 11 defendants on drug distribution and weapons charges. A twelfth defendant with ties to the organization was indicted on illegal weapons possession in connection with a deadly shooting at a Hookah bar in South Seattle. The defendants arrested over the last two days have or will be making appearances in U.S. District Court in Seattle. “These defendants were prolific fentanyl dealers who were frequently armed when guarding their stash or distributing their drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “The danger to the community cannot be overstated in this case. The leader of the drug crew was gunned down last summer – right in front of one of the U District locations where members of the crew distributed their poison, and continued do so, following the deadly shooting.” "This operation exemplifies the power of collaboration among law enforcement agencies at all levels,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “By uniting our resources and expertise, we have successfully dismantled a criminal network that has endangered our communities through violent acts and the distribution of fentanyl. Together, we will continue to fight against violent crime and protect the lives of our citizens." “There’s no true relief for those who have lost loved ones to drug-related crime or rising overdoses,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke of IRS-CI Seattle. “We stand with our law enforcement partners to stop groups that profit from the fentanyl epidemic by following the money.” Thirty-one locations were searched yesterday by some 600 law enforcement officers from ten different agencies. A total of eleven people were arrested: nine of those indicted and two additional defendants were arrested on criminal complaints. Three defendants are indicted for both gun and drug crimes: Cooper Sherman, aka “Coop,” 27, of Seattle is charged with conspiracy, two counts of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Alvin Whiteside, aka “Mafia, 51, of Federal Way is charged with conspiracy, one count of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Whiteside is in state custody and will be transferred to federal custody. Muhamed Ceesay, aka “Mo,” 27, of Lynnwood is charged with conspiracy, two counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Ceesay remains a fugitive. These eight defendants are charged in the indictment for the drug conspiracy and various drug distribution crimes: Ali Kuyateh, aka “Pops,” 49, of Seattle Lamin Saho aka “Buck,” 38, of Everett, Washington Oche Poston, 31, of Everett, Washington Jaquan Means, 45, of Bellevue, Washington Dominque Sanders, 34, of Everett, Washington – remains a fugitive. Patrick Smith, 27 of Edmonds, Washington – remains a fugitive. Matthew Robinson, 37, of Everett, Washington Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, aka “Jon,” 35, of Seattle Finally, Khaliil Ahmed, aka “Bossup,” 26, of Kent, Washington, was identified as someone who supplied guns to members of the conspiracy. He is charged in a separate indictment with three counts of illegal possession of firearms, and one count of illegal possession of ammunition. Two of the charges relate to guns he possessed on August 20, 2023, at the time of a fatal shooting at a hookah bar in South Seattle. Ahmed was injured in the shooting and three others were killed. The final two charges relate to a firearm and ammunition he possessed on May 30, 2024. Ahmed is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2022 conviction for illegally possessing firearms. Two defendants – Anteneh Tesfaye, 39, of Edmonds, Washington, and Michael Janisch, 25, of Mercer Island, Washington, were arrested on criminal complaints. Over the course of the investigation law enforcement has seized more than 19 kg of fentanyl, 12 firearms, and more than $130,000 in cash. In the operations yesterday they seized over 50 firearms to include fully automatic weapons and handguns with Glock switches; thousands of rounds of ammunition, including high capacity drum magazines, and armor-piercing rounds; several hundred thousand dollars of bulk cash and jewelry; 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 4 kilograms of cocaine. The charges contained in the indictments are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant participation by Seattle Police Department (SPD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Patrol (WSP), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellevue Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Everett Police Department, Renton Police Department, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Washington State National Guard, Washington State Gambling Commission, Yakima County Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D) Narcotics and Gang Task Force, and Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jensen and Joseph Silvio.


title: Nigerian National Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Alex Ogunshakin, age 41, a Nigerian citizen, was sentenced on October 31, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Senior United States District John M. Gerrard sentenced Ogunshakin to a total of 45 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ogunshakin’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release and is subject to removal from the United States. From sometime no later than January 2015, continuing to the September 2016, Ogunshakin participated in a scheme to defraud U.S. based businesses. As a part of the scheme, Ogunshakin and other individuals participated in a business e-mail compromise scheme in which co-conspirators used compromised e-mail accounts to send spoofed e-mails to thousands of business employees who handled accounting, to include authorizing and sending wire transfers. A spoofed e-mail is one in which the e-mail appears to be originating from a sender other than who is truly the sender. Co-conspirators spoofed e-mail addressed to pose as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or other business executives and would direct recipients of the e-mail to complete wire transfers. The business employee, thinking the wire transfer request was legitimate, would comply with the wire transfer and send money to a location providing in wiring instructions. Ogunshakin and other co-conspirators provided bank account information to the co-conspirators who sent the spoofed e-mails to the business executives. In February 2015 and May 2015, two Nebraska based businesses were targeted by the scheme. The investigation into the scheme revealed over 70 U.S. based business were victimized and the loss amount exceed $6 million, with attempted losses exceeding $30 million. Ogunshakin and the co-conspirators committed the offense from outside the United States, mostly from Nigeria. At the request of the United States, Nigerian authorities arrested Ogunshakin for the purpose of his extradition in October 2020, a court in Nigeria found him extraditable in July 2023, and Nigerian authorities extradited him to the United States in September 2023. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Ogunshakin in coordination with the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Abuja, Nigeria’s Office of the Attorney General and Federal Ministry of Justice, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Ogunshakin’s co-conspirator, Adewale Akinloye, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment in February 2019. Co-conspirators Richard Uzuh, Felix Okpoh, and Nnamdi Benson all remain at large. Co-conspirator Abiola Kayode’s extradition proceedings are ongoing. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lecia E. Wright for the District of Nebraska.


title: Alleged San Francisco Gang Members Charged With Racketeering Conspiracy, Murder

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury indicted Loel Amador and Eduardo Alvarez with racketeering (RICO) conspiracy and further alleged that a special sentencing factor applies against both defendants for their role in a 2023 murder. The indictment also charged Alvarez with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment filed Oct. 16, 2024, and unsealed today, Amador, aka “Demon,” 28, and Alvarez, aka “Clumsy” aka “Lalo,” 36, both of San Francisco, allegedly conspired to conduct the affairs of a racketeering enterprise referred to as “the 19th Street/16th Street Sureños.” The 19th Street/16th Street Sureños is described as a single, unified enterprise that resulted from the association of two gangs, one that claimed “territory” bounded by 19th Street to the south, 16th Street to the north, Folsom Street to the east, and Dolores Street to the west, and included Dolores Park and Franklin Square Park (also known as Bryant Park), and the other that claimed “territory” centered around 16th Street and Mission Street in San Francisco’s Mission District. The gang allegedly engaged in, among other conduct, murder, narcotics distribution, assault, robbery, and other violent crimes in order to preserve and protect its power, territory, reputation, and profits. The indictment further alleges that, on or about Oct. 7, 2023, Amador and Alvarez murdered a victim in territory claimed by the gang. According to the indictment, on that same date, Alvarez, a convicted felon, possessed a Glock semiautomatic handgun. This indictment marks the fourth case in the last 10 years in which members of the 19th Street/16th Street Sureños enterprise have been charged with federal racketeering offenses. Amador was arrested in San Francisco from the custody of the San Francisco County Sheriff, and Alvarez was already in federal custody on a pending petition alleging a violation of supervised release conditions. Alvarez made an initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco earlier this week, and Amador made his initial appearance today. Amador and Alvarez are detained pending further proceedings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter H. Kang. The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, defendants each face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d), racketeering conspiracy. 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. The Organized Crime Strike Force section of the United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case. The prosecution is the result of a year-long investigation by HSI and the San Francisco Police Department. Loel Amador Indictment


title: Tahlequah Resident Sentenced For Federal Firearm Charge

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Richard Dale Lea, age 43, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 37 months for illegally possessing a firearm. The charges arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On February 14, 2024, Lea pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. According to investigators, on April 9, 2023, Lea was found in possession of two loaded semi-automatic pistols during the search of a vehicle by Tahlequah Police. At the time of the investigation, Lea had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. 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. The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Lea will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Chandler Man Sentenced to Serve 12 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession Following Shooting Inside Metro Bar

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – NICKLUS COLE SWEET , 42, of Chandler, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to serve 12 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm following a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On December 19, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Sweet with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, on April 1, 2023, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to reports of a shooting at a metro bar. When officers arrived, they found three individuals who had been killed as a result of gunshot wounds, and another three who were injured. Officers reviewed surveillance footage, where they observed Sweet shooting a firearm during the incident, which injured one of the individuals involved. Pursuant to a court approved search warrant, officers searched a vehicle tied to Sweet on April 3, 2023, and located a firearm that was determined to belong to Sweet. Public record further reflects that Sweet has previous felony convictions, including convictions for endangering others while eluding a police officer and driving with a suspended license in Canadian County District Court case number CF-2017-846, knowingly concealing stolen property in Lincoln County District Court case number CF-2011-00227, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in the Western District of Oklahoma case number CR-21-129. On April 18, 2024, Sweet pleaded guilty, and admitted he possessed the firearm despite his criminal record. At the sentencing hearing on October 31, 2024, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Sweet to serve 12 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the serious circumstances in this case, which involved Mr. Sweet shooting an individual during a violent altercation. The court also noted that Mr. Sweet had only been released from prison—for illegally possessing a firearm—about a month before having participated in this shooting. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stan J. West and Wilson D. McGarry prosecuted the case. This case is also part of “Operation Shots Fired.” Operation Shots Fired targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Florida Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 Pandemic

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Florida company, and two individuals associated with the company, have pleaded guilty to charges associated with shipping facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators, and price gouging hospitals, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. JDM Supply LLC (JDM) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Daniel Motha, 40, of Miami, Fla., and Jeffrey Motha, 36, of Norfolk, Mass., also pleaded guilty to one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Daniel Motha and Jeffrey Motha on March 4, 2025 and JDM on March 25, 2025. In August 2023 , a third individual, Jason Colantuoni of Norfolk, Mass, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging in connection with this investigation. In the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, JDM and a company identified as “Company 1” conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. One hospital accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by Company 1 and sold by JDM. Ultimately, the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to Company 1. JDM misled the hospital into believing that the Company 1 masks were NIOSH-approved N95s, when in fact they were not. In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the Company 1 masks that had been shipped to the hospital. The masks tested between 83.94% and 93.24% filtration efficiency, thus falling below the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators. Daniel Motha and Jeff Motha conspired to use JDM to exploit and profit off of the critical need of hospitals and healthcare workers for scarce N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. They accumulated N95 masks from various sources and then sold the N95 masks through JDM to hospitals in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, at prices in excess of the prevailing market price. The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead, brought against JDM, provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form .


title: South Burlington Man Charged with Enticing Minors to Produce Child Sexual Abuse Materials

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Jason McGrath, 44, of South Burlington, Vermont has been charged by criminal complaint with enticing minors to produce child sexual abuse material. On October 29, 2024, McGrath appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that McGrath be detained pending a detention hearing on Friday, November 1, 2024. According to court records, between March 25, 2023 and September 26, 2024, McGrath used an on-line chat application to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce minors to produce child pornography, now referred to as child sexual abuse material. McGrath explicitly sought young girls via the on-line application, requested others to sexually abuse them, and sought video and visual depictions of the abuse. McGrath also is alleged to have paid money in exchange for child sexual abuse materials, including by sending funds through an online payment system to a country in Southeast Asia known to law enforcement as a location where child-sex-trafficking networks operate. On the afternoon of October 28, 2024, McGrath was detained by Customs and Border Protection while reentering the United States from Canada. While McGrath was detained, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his South Burlington residence. During the search warrant execution, law enforcement located a substantial amount of computing equipment, including a high-performance gaming computer, an enterprise-level server rack (including a router, network switch, and network area storage), and other equipment that collectively is capable of storing and processing large amounts of data. Review of this equipment by law enforcement is ongoing. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that McGrath is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. McGrath faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and up to life imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, and thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. McGrath is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. 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 Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Morris County Man Charged with Transmitting Death Threat against Political Commentator

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man has been charged with posting online a death threat aimed at a political commentator, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Haim Braverman, 45, of Morris Plains, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce. He made his initial appearance on Oct. 29, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court and was remanded. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Sept. 10, 2024, Braverman posted a video of himself on a social media platform in which he made various threats to a political commentator who had publicly commented on a prominent, now-deceased rabbi. In the video, Braverman threatened to use a bat against the commentator, stating: “You’ll get what’s coming to you . . . , I’ve never met someone . . . if I could f**king kill you right now, I would not even . . . , f**k it I’ll give you the steel bat. I wouldn’t even stop. I’d kill you. Dead. . . . I’m threatening a death sentence against [the commentator].” Braverman’s post also included a written comment from him, stating: “[the commentator] needs to be killed.” Braverman also transmitted an audio message to a group chat on a messaging application, referencing the commentator and stating, “After I heard what . . . [the commentator] said, I will go to prison, gladly find her and kill her . . . I will find a f**king weapon and f**king kill her. I am outraged.” The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, and the Morris County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Gannon, with the investigation leading to the charge. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the National Security Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. braverman.complaint.pdf


title: Joint Statement of the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office on a Multilateral Meeting to Address State-Sponsored High-Harm Physical Threats and Other Forms of Transnational Repression

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office convened a multilateral meeting at the U.S. Embassy in London to address the urgent challenge of state-sponsored high-harm physical threats and other forms of transnational repression. The meeting was co-chaired by Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security from the U.S. Department of Justice, and Chloe Squires, Director General for Homeland Security from the U.K. Home Office. The meeting brought together senior government officials from partner nations that are confronting increasing levels of transnational violence perpetrated by state actors, particularly authoritarian regimes, and their proxies. This meeting included representatives from intelligence, law enforcement, prosecutorial, and policy organizations to share disruption strategies for countering the alarming rise in transnational assassination plots, kidnappings, and other acts of violence and repression. The engagement was designed to achieve a common understanding of the threat landscape, share operational and strategic approaches to counter the threat, and identify opportunities for ongoing collaboration and partnership. At the conclusion, participants agreed to establish a regular working group to maintain shared visibility into the threat in member countries and to review and develop strategies to increase the capacity of the partner nations to deter and disrupt state-sponsored violence and repression.


title: Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure Elections

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference. Civil Rights Division The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; National Voter Registration Act; Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; Help America Vote Act; and Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws: Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status; Prohibit intimidation of voters; Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union); Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions; Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities; Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books; Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and Require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists. The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee. The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion. Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints. Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints at www.civilrights.justice.gov . Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted. Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process. The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. See Justice Manual 9-85.210 (discussing requirements regarding election crime matters); 9-85.300 (discussing approach to ballot fraud); 9-85.400 (discussing application of 18 U.S.C. § 592); 9-85.500 (discussing timing of actions). The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices). U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically: In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public. Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts . A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us . Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations. All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department. National Security Division The department’s National Security Division (NSD) supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context: NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt. NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes. NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure. NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security. As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats. Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department. Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities. For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit www.justice.gov/voting and www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin/election-crimes-branch .


title: Louisville Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking Resulting in Death

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – This week, a Louisville, Kentucky, man pleaded guilty to carjacking which resulted in the death of teenage motorist. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff Mark Moore made the announcement. According to court documents, Michael Dewitt, pleaded guilty to a single count indictment charging him with carjacking resulting in death. According to court records, Dewitt committed a carjacking at gunpoint on March 1, 2021, and stole a 2011 Ford F350 from its owner in Simpsonville, Kentucky. During the immediate flight from the carjacking, and while still in possession of the stolen truck, Dewitt collided with a vehicle on Dixie Highway in Louisville, causing the death of 17-year-old. Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2025. The maximum penalty is life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. If the plea agreement in the case is accepted by the court, the defendant will be sentenced to serve 29 years and 4 months in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Bonar and Mac Shannon are prosecuting this 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, and measuring the results. ###


title: Four Time Federal Felon Sentenced to  More than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Conviction

body_text: A man who fled from law enforcement while possessing methamphetamine was sentenced October 25, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. Chad Hughes, 40, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on May 31, 2024, to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Hughes was previously convicted of a federal firearms offense in 2005, federal assault in 2010, and two federal escapes in 2017 and 2018, respectively. At the plea and sentencing hearings evidence showed that Hughes possessed almost ½ pound of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others in Sioux City. On June 24, 2023, when law enforcement attempted to stop the motorcycle Hughes was operating, he fled from law enforcement in a high-speed pursuit through cities of Sioux City, Iowa and North Sioux City, South Dakota. During the pursuit Hughes ditched the motorcycle and a backpack to avoid apprehension. Law enforcement seized the backpack which contained methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a BB gun, and other items which aided in the ultimate identification of Hughes. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hughes was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Hughes remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, North Sioux City, South Dakota, Police Department, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4053. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced for Covid-19 Relief Fraud

body_text: GREENSBORO, NC – A Maryland resident was sentenced yesterday for conspiracy to file fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $3.6 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Sandra J. Hairston. BENNETT ABABIO, age 51, of Clarksville, Maryland, was sentenced to 35 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release by the Honorable William L. Osteen, Jr., United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. In addition, ABABIO was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,991,372.96. According to court documents, between May 2020 and December 2021, ABABIO conspired to submit fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan and forgiveness applications for himself and others, including an individual located in Greensboro, North Carolina. ABABIO owned, or partially owned, five companies for which ABAIO submitted fraudulent PPP applications. In total, ABABIO received $2,581,833 in PPP loans for his companies. The PPP applications contained false statements about the payroll expenses of each company, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Separately, ABABIO helped others prepare fraudulent PPP applications, resulting in over $1 million in additional PPP loans being disbursed to ABABIO’s clients. “Our prosecutors will continue to seek active prison sentences for fraudsters who stole federal dollars intended to support businesses during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. “We are grateful to IRS-CI and other agencies that investigate this unconscionable conduct and help us hold defendants accountable.” “During a global pandemic, the defendant committed fraud to gain funds designated to help struggling individuals and businesses,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office. “We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to prosecute those who abuse these programs.” The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Waid. ###


title: Sioux City Woman to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

body_text: Brandy Binneboese, 44, from Sioux City, Iowa was sentenced on October 25, 2024, after pleading guilty on June 7, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from January 2021 through June 2023, Binneboese participated in a conspiracy that distributed over 7 pounds of methamphetamine. Evidence further showed that on three occasions in 2023 Binneboese participated in the distribution of ¼ and ½ pounds of methamphetamine as observed by law enforcement using an individual cooperating with law enforcement. On June 1, 2023, just after one of the meth transactions was completed, Binneboese was stopped by law enforcement and found with ½ ounce of methamphetamine and $2,500 in pre-serialized buy money that had been used for the drug purchase moments earlier. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Binneboese was sentenced to 38 months’ imprisonment and must serve three years of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Binneboese remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Two Members of Transnational Money Laundering Organization Plead Guilty to Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug Proceeds

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco Cartel). Earlier this year, on Aug. 5, a foreign national residing in Illinois pleaded guilty for his role in the same money laundering scheme. According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national residing in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China. On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Additionally, Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States. Tan and Chen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of their pleas, Tan and Chen agreed to forfeit numerous assets to the government, including a residence, a firearm, body armor, and more than $270,000 in seized currency. Additionally, they agreed to the imposition of money judgments totaling over $23 million. Chen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and Tan is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. Chen and Tan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement. The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; DEA offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina; and the Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office. Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.


title: Atlantic County Doctor Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for  Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, doctor was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in defrauding New Jersey state and local health benefits programs and other insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Brian Sokalsky, 46, of Margate, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel imposed the sentence on Oct. 29, 2024, in Camden federal court. Sokalsky, pharmaceutical sales representative Vincent Tornari, 50, of Linwood, New Jersey, and former advanced nurse practitioner Ashley Lyons-Valenti, 67, of Swedesboro, New Jersey, were charged in a 33-count indictment in June 2020. Tornari pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, and Lyons-Valenti pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2023, to their respective roles in the conspiracy. Tornari and Lyons-Valenti are both awaiting sentencing. According to court documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient. The conspirators learned that certain medications made by compounding pharmacies reimbursed for up to thousands of dollars for an individual’s one-month supply. They learned that certain insurance plans – including insurance plans for state and local government employees and certain other insurance plans – covered these medications. Sokalsky agreed to authorize prescriptions for former pharmaceutical sales representative Matthew Tedesco, 49, of Linwood, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty to health care fraud conspiracy in June 2017, and others working with Tedesco. In exchange for authorizing those prescriptions, Tedesco referred approximately 30 patients to Sokalsky’s new medical practice. Sokalsky, in turn, billed insurance for patient visits for those people steered to his practice by Tedesco. Sokalsky also authorized prescriptions for the medications for existing patients of his practice, which he did to financially benefit Tedesco and encourage him to refer more patients to his new practice. Sokalsky authorized medically unnecessary medications, including libido creams for young females and excessive quantities of the medications with the maximum number of refills selected. When insurance stopped covering certain formulations of the medications, Tedesco informed Sokalsky that he needed to authorize new prescriptions. Sokalsky did so, often without seeing the individual for a follow-up visit or informing the person of the change in medication. In total, insurance paid more than $5 million for fraudulent prescriptions authorized by Sokalsky. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Sokalsky to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $5.13 million. Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the Camden office.