title: Truck Driver Charged in Attempt to Smuggle Half-a-Ton of Cocaine Into the United States

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Oswaldo Lopez-Escobar, of Mexico, was charged by complaint on October 5, 2023, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. The complaint alleges that, on October 4, 2023, Lopez-Escobar, driving a semi-truck, applied for admission into the United States from Mexico at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales. During a customs inspection of the vehicle, Customs and Border Protection Officers found 155 packages of cocaine concealed in the floor of the trailer. The total weight of the packages was approximately 587 kilograms, or about 1294.2 pounds. The cocaine has an estimated value of between $10.7 and $12.5 million. A conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of $10,000,000.00, or both; and a term of between five years and lifetime supervised release. A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the interdiction and subsequent investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 23-00747MJ RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-154_Lopez-Escobar # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Enid Man Sentenced to Serve a Year in Federal Prison for Threatening Government Officials

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, TYLER JAY MARSHALL , 36, of Enid, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in federal prison for threatening government officials, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Marshall. Count 1 charged him with threatening to murder a United States official. Count 2 charged him with interstate transmission of threatening communications. According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on May 15, 2023, the FBI received information that Marshall had made multiple posts on Twitter threatening to kill several government officials and their families. The threats targeted Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and United States Senator Ted Cruz. On August 2, 2023, Marshall pleaded guilty to Count 2. As part of his plea, Marshall admitted that he knew his posts would be perceived as real threats. At the sentencing hearing on Friday, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Marshall to serve 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Russell noted Marshall’s prior military service and his apparent lack of actual intent to carry out the threats. However, the Court also noted the need to deter others from making similar unlawful online threats. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, with assistance from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Enid Police Department. Assistant U. S. Attorney Mark Stoneman prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for more information.


title: Fairfield Man Indicted for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Sept. 28, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Steven Daniel Miller, 47, of Fairfield, charging him with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Yesterday Miller made his first appearance in federal court on the case. According to court documents, in October 2018, Miller used another person’s social security number to complete a credit application with a bank in order to purchase a 2018 Dodge Challenger Hellcat at a car dealership in Yuba City. Based on the false information on the credit application, the bank approved the loan and paid approximately $75,754 to the car dealership. Miller left the dealership with the vehicle, and it was subsequently seized by law enforcement. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service with assistance from the California Highway Patrol, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Rocklin Police Department, the Gilroy Police Department, and the Fairfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Miller faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million 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.


title: Shakopee Man Sentenced to Prison for $3.1 Million Ponzi Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Shakopee man has been sentenced to 51 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3.1 million in restitution for operating a fraudulent investment scheme, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents and his guilty plea, between 2014 and 2021, Jason Dodd Bullard, 59, and others working at his direction solicited funds from individuals, entities, and trusts purportedly to invest in a foreign currency investment program. In reality, Bullard was operating a Ponzi scheme. The funds collected from investors over time were used to fund other entities owned or controlled by Bullard, which were not part of the purported investment plan, and to make payments back to investors to falsely portray the appearance of actual returns. Bullard also used investor funds to support his and his family’s lifestyle. Bullard lied to investors in reports and statements sent to investors that purposed to describe the balances and activity in investors’ accounts. These statements were meant to encourage further investment and to keep investors from learning the truth and to allow Bullard to continue the fraudulent scheme. In total, Bullard defrauded approximately 100 victims in several states, including Minnesota, out of $3,108,312.24 over the course of the scheme. Bullard pleaded guilty on April 25, 2023, to one count of wire fraud. Bullard was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Lewis prosecuted the case.


title: 23-Year-Old Human Smuggler Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. –Delmetrice Tavion Marquin Taylor, 23, of Mesa, was sentenced on October 3, 2023, by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On July 12, 2023, Taylor pleaded guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person. Taylor was also sentenced to four months of consecutive imprisonment for violating pretrial release conditions of an unrelated federal case in the District of Colorado. On June 6, 2023, Taylor was encountered by United States Border Patrol (USBP) agents while transporting three individuals who were illegally in the United States. Taylor failed to yield to agents, struck an agent’s vehicle, and traveled at high speeds through a USBP checkpoint. Agents attempted to bring an end to his dangerous driving behavior with an immobilization device, but Taylor continued to drive at high speeds despite one tire beginning to deflate. When apprehended, Taylor was in possession of a short-barrel rifle loaded with one hundred rounds in a magazine drum. At the time of his arrest, Taylor was on federal pretrial release for the offense of Aiding and Abetting Making a False Statement in Connection with the Acquisition of a Firearm from a Licensed Dealer, committed in the District of Colorado. Agents from the United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 23-CR-00910-TUC-JCH RELEASE NUMBER: 2023- 155_Taylor # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Union County Teacher Charged with Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for producing a video depicting images of child sexual abuse and receiving and possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Michael Hamilton, 51, of Springfield, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count each of production, receipt and possession of child pornography. He made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From February 2023 through July 2023, Hamilton, a high school teacher, began an exchange with a minor victim on a messaging platform. Hamilton and the minor victim exchanged hundreds of sexually explicit messages, pictures, and videos, many of which constituted child pornography depicting the minor victim. The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of receipt of child exploitation material carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child exploitation material carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Springfield Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Sussman of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. hamilton.complaint.pdf


title: Former San Diego Police Officer and Three Others Sentenced for Crimes Stemming from Years-long Operation of Illicit Massage Businesses

component: Criminal - Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 13, 2023 SAN DIEGO – Peter Griffin, a retired San Diego police vice detective, attorney, and private investigator, was sentenced in federal court today to 33 months in custody for his central role in a conspiracy to operate five California- and Arizona-based illicit massage businesses that profited for years by selling commercial sex under the guise of offering therapeutic massage services. Griffin’s three co-defendants - Kyung Sook Hernandez, Yu Hong Tan, and Yoo Jin Ott - who managed the illicit massage businesses in Griffin’s network and actively concealed the scheme from law enforcement, were each sentenced to six months in custody. According to court documents and admissions in plea agreements, the defendants owned and operated “Genie Oriental Spa,” “Felicita Spa,” “Blue Green Spa,” “Maple Spa,” and “Massage W Spa,” located in the greater San Diego area and in Tempe, Arizona, between 2013 and August 2022. The criminal scheme included incorporating their businesses with state agencies, managing the businesses’ illicit proceeds, advertising commercial sexual services online, recruiting and employing women to perform commercial sex services in the businesses, and benefiting financially from the illegal enterprises. The defendants leased multiple commercial properties as storefronts, leased and bought residential properties to use as housing for employees, and secured credit card processing equipment to facilitate the illegal businesses. Griffin oversaw nearly every aspect of the illicit businesses, making himself indispensable to their operation, and assumed the role of “boss.” Through the course of the scheme, the defendants exploited the victims, mostly vulnerable, non-English speaking immigrants from Korea and China with limited employment opportunities and financial resources; pressured and expected the employees to perform commercial sex services inside the businesses; and made substantial financial profits from the illegal commercial sexual activity. When one employee initially refused to perform commercial sexual services, one of the defendants instructed her to “leave [her] morals in China” in order to “make the customers happy.” Griffin, who left the department in 2002, previously worked as a detective with the Vice Operations Unit of the San Diego Police Department, a unit tasked with dismantling the very businesses he operated and promoted for personal profit. Throughout the nine-year criminal scheme, Griffin used the experience and skills he acquired through his work as a vice detective – skills honed by his education as an attorney and work as a private investigator – and his reputation as a former police officer to help the businesses evade law enforcement; conceal evidence; pressure employees to engage in commercial sex; maintain a façade of legitimacy; and thwart regulatory inspections, investigations, and any official action against the businesses. According to his plea agreement, on several occasions, Griffin used his status as a former law enforcement officer to falsely assure local authorities that his businesses would be operated legitimately. On another occasion, Griffin flashed his badge to a local officer responding to a citizen complaint regarding one of his illicit businesses. Additionally, Griffin told an employee that he was a former police officer and instructed her not to “open [her] mouth” about working at the illicit massage business. Griffin’s co-defendants similarly informed employees of Griffin’s law enforcement background and his resulting “connections” and promised he would protect the illegal businesses from law enforcement detection. Griffin also abused resources he had access to by virtue of his private investigator license to obtain information on customers and employees on behalf of the illicit massage businesses. “Illicit massage businesses hide in plain sight in many communities in America, including our district,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “Operators of these businesses often profit through exploitation. For years, Peter Griffin used his connections as a former police officer for his own criminal profiteering. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting these kinds of offenses, protecting our communities, and ensuring that legitimate local businesses are not tarnished by criminal activity.” “No one is above the law. I’m appalled that someone who once took an oath to protect our community could prey on the vulnerable,” said San Diego Chief of Police David Nisleit. “I’m proud of our own SDPD officers who helped make this investigation possible and I commend our partner agencies for their diligence in holding Peter Griffin and his accomplices accountable. This is an important step toward justice for the survivors of these crimes.” “Law enforcement professionals swear an oath to protect and defend our communities, and the spirit of that oath should live on even when we stop carrying a badge,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Mr. Griffin preyed on people who should have felt safer because of his presence. He and his co-conspirators failed in their attempts to conceal their illicit activities because of our special agents’ unique ability to follow the money and a strong cross-agency effort to find the evidence to bring these predators to justice.” “Peter Griffin abused and exploited vulnerable women by pressuring them into providing commercial sex for profit while taking advantage of his status in the community,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “This sentence sends a clear message to those who mistakenly believe they can get away with such repugnant crimes. HSI, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work vigorously to bring to justice those who exploit and victimize vulnerable members of our community.” This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill S. Streja, Trial Attorney Caylee Campbell of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, and Trial Attorney Leah Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. DEFENDANTS Case Number 22cr1824-JO Peter Griffin 79 Kyung Sook Hernandez 59 Yu Hong Tan 57 Yoo Jin Ott 46 SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy, Interstate and Foreign Travel or Transportation in Aid of Racketeering (ITAR), Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud Maximum Penalty: Thirty years in prison, $1 million fine Engaging in Monetary Transactions in Property Derived from Specified Unlawful Activity Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice amount of criminally derived property Misprision of a Felony Maximum Penalty: Three years in prison, $250,000 fine AGENCIES Homeland Security Investigations Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, a regional, multi-agency effort led by the California Department of Justice dedicated to supporting survivors and holding traffickers accountable. The task force is comprised of numerous federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program. U.S. Department of Justice, Money Laundering Asset Recovery Section, Special Financial Investigations Unit Federal Bureau of Investigation San Diego Police Department San Diego Sheriff’s Department Escondido Police Department San Diego County District Attorney’s Office Tempe, Arizona Police Department. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org .


title: Former Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Delaying and Stealing  the Contents of U.S. Mail

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DAZMON DYER , age 30, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023 to a two-count indictment charging him with delay of U.S. mail and theft of U.S. mail matter by a postal employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1703 and 1709. DYER faces a maximum sentence of up to five years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee as to both counts. According to court records, DYER stole U.S. currency and gift cards from First-Class mail which had come into his possession and intended to be delivered by him as a U.S. Postal Service employee. United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon will sentence DYER on January 18, 2024. The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Arizona Woman Sentenced for Violating Federal Controlled Substances Act

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EMILY HUCKABEE , age 23, a resident of Yuma, Arizona, was sentenced on October 12, 2023 by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to thirty (30) months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee after pleading guilty to a superseding bill of information charging her with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841 (b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on June 28, 2022, a Louisiana State Police Trooper executed a traffic stop of a 2015 Ford F-150 traveling on I-59 in Pearl River, Louisiana. The driver of the vehicle was HUCKABEE . A narcotics detection canine sniffed the vehicle and detected a narcotics odor. As a result, Troopers searched the vehicle and discovered a large amount of controlled substances in a bag on the rear seat. The controlled substances were determined to be 10.58 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, wrapped in twenty-seven vacuum sealed packages. In a post-arrest statement, HUCKABEE told Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agents that in June of 2022, an individual offered her $8,000.00 to drive from Arizona to New Orleans to deliver methamphetamine to a customer in New Orleans. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Slidell Woman Sentenced to 18 Months for Misappropriating Veteran’s Funds

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SLOANE SIGNAL-DEBOSE, Ph.D. , age 52, a resident of Slidell, was sentenced on October 11, 2023 to 18 months in prison for misappropriating funds from a veteran. SIGNAL previously pled guilty to misappropriation by a veteran’s fiduciary, in violation of Title 38, United States Code, Section 6101. According to court documents, from 2016 until 2018 SIGNAL was a fiduciary for a veteran who needed assistance with the management of his affairs, and she had control over the veteran’s finances and bank accounts. During that time, SIGNAL took over $100,000 from the veteran’s accounts, and routed it through bank accounts in her own name. SIGNAL ultimately used the money as the down payment on a home for which she was the sole legal owner. SIGNAL also used additional funds from the veteran to pay contractors working on SIGNAL ’s home. SIGNAL then submitted false records to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to hide her misuse of the veteran’s funds. The United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced SIGNAL to eighteen months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Judge Vance ordered a restitution hearing to be set at a future date. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, Health Care Coordinator, is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Slidell Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of the  Federal Gun Control Act

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RODERICK WILLIAMS , age 27, of Slidell, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023, to two counts of an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). According to court documents, on April 9, 2023, members of the New Orleans Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by WILLIAMS . After stopping WILLIAMS , officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and located a Glock Model 19, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun in the trunk of the vehicle. This handgun was loaded, with one bullet in the chamber and carried an extended, twenty-five (25) round magazine. On April 28, 2023, investigators conducted video surveillance of the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Werner Drive. Officers noted an unknown black male hold a firearm as he entered a convenience store. New Orleans Police Officers were notified, entered the store and encountered WILLIAMS . As the officers approached, WILLIAMS moved his body away to conceal the firearm that he possessed. As WILLIAMS did so, the officers observed the outline of a firearm in WILLIAMS’s waistband, officers detained and searched him. Officers then located and seized a Glock Model 26, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun from WILLIAMS . WILLIAMS was previously convicted of felonies, which prohibited him from possessing firearms. As to each count, WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment as well as payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Sentencing is scheduled for February 1, 2024. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Rayburn of the Violent Crimes Unit.


title: Hotel Owner Sentenced for Conspiring with Bank President  to Defraud First NBC Bank

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ARVIND “MIKE” VIRA (“VIRA”) , age 77, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on October 12, 2023 by Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to a year and a day in prison for conspiring with First NBC Bank president Ashton J. Ryan to defraud the New Orleans-based bank that failed in April 2017. According to court documents, in 2006, Ryan lobbied VIRA to move his business accounts to First NBC Bank. VIRA agreed and became a customer of First NBC Bank. Thereafter, Ryan provided VIRA with preferential treatment. Although VIRA was assigned another loan officer, Ryan acted as his de facto loan officer at the bank. Ryan provided VIRA with low interest rates for VIRA’s loans. He also ensured that VIRA received high interest rates on his savings and checking accounts. Ryan personally approved 3% interest rates for savings and checking accounts held by VIRA , his businesses, and his family members. Ryan instructed VIRA to inflate his assets on bank loan documents, and VIRA complied by claiming to have substantial real estate and outside bank accounts that did not exist. VIRA , in turn, provided personal loans to Ryan at Ryan’s request. Ryan, knowing that such a loan relationship was prohibited by banking regulations, instructed VIRA to conceal this personal loan relationship from First NBC Bank employees. During an FDIC regulatory exam in December 2012, FDIC examiners discovered that Ryan had borrowed money from First NBC Bank using VIRA’s loan proceeds. When examiners questioned him, Ryan admitted to their relationship, but claimed that he had not been aware that the source of the funds were First NBC Bank loan proceeds. In order to further conceal the loans that he made to Ryan, VIRA misrepresented or omitted the interest payments he received from Ryan on his personal tax returns from 2011 through 2015. From 2011 through 2017, VIRA received approximately $1,220,271.07 in profits from Ryan’s interest payments and from Ryan’s preferential treatment of him at First NBC Bank. In addition to prison, Judge Brown sentenced VIRA to three years of supervised release, the payment of $800,000 in restitution to the FDIC and the forfeiture of $420,271.07 to the United States. Further, VIRA was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the agencies that conducted this years-long investigation: the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Field Office; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, Dallas Regional Office; and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. Payne of the Financial Crimes Unit, Nicholas D. Moses, Health Care Coordinator J. Ryan McLaren of the Appellate Unit, and Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced on Charges Connected to Fentanyl Distribution Ring

body_text: WASHINGTON – Garnell Lucas, 33, of Upper Marlboro, MD, was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for his role in a fentanyl distribution ring, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered 60 months of supervised release. Lucas pleaded guilty on May 15, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. He admitted he is accountable for more than 1.2 kilograms of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. According to court documents, in August 2021, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking group running a fentanyl pill pressing operation in and around Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Law enforcement learned that the group was in possession of at least three pill presses, used to press fentanyl into counterfeit prescription pills which the group then distributed throughout Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Lucas and others were identified as participants in the drug trafficking operation. Between May 2020 and late-September 2022, the conspiracy utilized at least three pill presses, including one industrial pill press, to press mixed fentanyl. As part of the conspiracy, the defendant distributed the counterfeit pills in a coordinated manner with co-conspirators, including to other co-conspirators and to other distributors and/or users. The co-conspirators would coordinate their distribution, including resupplying or helping each other fill orders, if necessary, to further the object of selling narcotics, and referring customers to each other. On March 29, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at an apartment in Southeast Washington, DC, a stash house used by the conspiracy to run the pill press operation. During the search, law enforcement seized baggies of pills and loose powder, together amounting to more than 516 pills and more than 76 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, prosecuted the case. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Wasserman and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marnee Rand.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to 67 ½ Years for First Degree Murder and Assault in Deadly D.C. Shooting

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jalen Browne, 22, of Upper Marlboro, MD, was sentenced today to 810 months (67.5 years) in prison for the murders of Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley, in July of 2021, in Northwest D.C. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Browne was convicted on July 21, 2023, following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was found guilty of and sentenced for two counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and six counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. According to the government’s evidence, shortly after 3:38pm on July 25, 2021, the defendant disguised himself and walked around the 100 block of Q Street, NW, eventually lying in wait to shoot young men enjoying the hot summer day. The defendant, using a backpack to catch his shell casings, fired 12 shots in succession at six young men. Narrowly missing three of his targets, the defendant hit 22-year old Jovan Hill, 19-year old Tariq Riley, and another man in the back. First responders found Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley on the ground. Both men were transported to nearby hospitals, but all life-saving efforts failed; both men died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the back. No witnesses provided information regarding the identity of the shooter. The government presented forensic, video surveillance, circumstantial, and motive evidence in securing a conviction on all counts. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of the members and detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case. They also recognized the members of the prosecution team, including: Charlie Bruce, Zachary McMenamin, Victim Advocates Christie Bloodworth and Deidria Ellis, and Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarity, Lauren Douglas, and Tasha Harris. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Wojcik and Lauren Galloway who prosecuted the case.


title: Indictment Charges Maryland Man in a 2022 Pre-Meditated Double Murder and Assault in SE Washington

body_text: WASHINGTON –Amarii Fontanelle, 20, of Bowie, Md, was charged by indictment yesterday in the October 2022 killings of Reginald Cooper, Jr. and Davonte Berkley, and the non-fatal shooting of Christian Murray that occurred in Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. The indictment charges Fontanelle with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, one count of assault with the intent to kill while armed, one count of aggravated assault while armed, and other firearms-related charges. On Oct. 17, 2022, Cooper and Berkley, both 19 and residents of Maryland, drove to 1307 Congress St., SE. Fontanelle greeted them with handshakes, then led them into the house where Fontanelle’s associates were waiting in a stairwell. About two minutes after entering the building, video surveillance footage captured images of muzzle fire coming from Fontanelle. Seconds after the shooting, Fontanelle ran from the building followed by his associates. Cooper—who sustained eight gunshot wounds to his head, back and torso—was pronounced dead at the scene. Berkley suffered four gunshot wounds to his back, torso, arm, and buttocks and was taken to Medstar Washington Medical Center where he was pronounced dead three hours later. Murray, a resident of the District who was also at the scene of the slayings, sustained a gunshot wound to his leg that shattered the bone. Murray underwent surgery at Medstar and was hospitalized for a week. Fontanelle was identified using still photos from video surveillance footage. He was arrested on Jan. 12, 2023. Trial is scheduled for Oct. 7, 2024, before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Fontanelle is being held without bond pending trial. This case is being investigated by members of the Major Case Squad of the Homicide Division of the MPD. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marybeth Manfreda. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Ongoing Acts of Child Sexual Abuse

body_text: WASHINGTON - Tyrone Wiggins, 66, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to second-degree child sexual abuse, admitting that over an eight-year period, he regularly engaged in sexual acts with a minor. The plea was announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Wiggins pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on January 5, 2024, by the Honorable Rainey Brandt. According to the facts agreed to by both parties, between May 11, 1999 and October 20, 1999, when the victim was 13-years old and Wiggins was 42, Wiggins engaged in penetrative sexual acts with the victim on multiple, regular occasions. Wiggins also admitted that he had abused the victim when the victim was 10-years old; and that he continued doing so until she was 18-years old. All of the sexual abuse took place in the District of Columbia. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who assisted on complex legal issues and in negotiating the plea agreement.


title: District Man Sentenced to Seven-Year Prison Term For Metro Stabbing

body_text: WASHINGTON – Christopher Wade, 40, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, to 84 months in prison for stabbing a woman as she descended into the Potomac Avenue Metro Station and for robbing another woman at knifepoint in the Eastern Market Metro Station, announced U.S. Matthew M. Graves. Mr. Wade pleaded guilty, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, in August of 2023, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of robbery. According to the government’s evidence, just after 10 p.m. on June 25, 2023, Wade saw a woman descending, alone, into the Eastern Market Metro Station. Wade waited for her at the bottom of the escalator, pushed her into a wall, and demanded her property while wielding a knife. Wade fled the Metro after stealing her phone and other property. Five days later, on June 30, 2023, Wade walked into the Potomac Avenue Metro Station just before noon. A woman stood on the escalator, alone, and Wade approached her from behind, grabbed her by the neck, and demanded her property. He then pushed her down to the stairs of the escalator and stabbed her in the arm before fleeing up the escalator and out of the Metro. After review of the surveillance footage from both incidents, Metro Transit Police Department officers were able to locate Wade and confirm he was the suspect from both incidents. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Yaske, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.


title: Investment Banker Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

body_text: Defendant Concealed over $5.1 Million in Offshore Accounts WASHINGTON – A U.S. citizen residing in the Principality of Monaco pleaded guilty today to tax evasion for concealing from the IRS over $5,130,000 in income derived from a real estate transaction and securities investments in offshore bank accounts. According to court documents and statements made in court, Stephen L. Schechter was a licensed U.S. investment banker, U.K. corporate finance advisor and owner and operator of a U.S.-based financial investment advisory firm. In 2002, Schechter formed an entity called Charles Penn Longview (CPL) in the British Virgin Islands. In June 2004, Schechter opened a Swiss bank account in the name of CPL at what ultimately became known as Piguet Galland & Cie SA. In doing so, he and his bank relationship manager concealed Schechter's U.S.-citizenship status in bank documents. Until it was closed around January 2013, the account generated interest and dividends that Schechter never reported to the IRS as income. In June 2011, Schechter sold a Monaco apartment for approximately €14,000,000, which he deposited into his CPL account at Piguet. He subsequently used the sale proceeds to purchase $8,856,691 in various securities, on which he earned interest, dividends, and capital gains. Schechter never disclosed the income from the sale of the Monaco apartment or the securities bought from sale proceeds to his tax return preparer. Schechter knew that, as a U.S. citizen, he was obligated to report and pay taxes on his income, even if he earned it abroad and lived outside the United States. Schechter later opened another CPL bank account at UBS Monaco SA, closed his account at Piguet, and transferred the balance of approximately $10.2 million into the new UBS Monaco account, further earning undisclosed interest and dividends until 2017. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are required annually to file a FinCEN Form 114 – Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) – if the combined balance of all foreign accounts they own, have a financial interest in or signature authority over is more than $10,000 at any point during that calendar year. However, Schechter did not file FBARs reporting his Piguet or UBS Monaco accounts. Schechter is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorney George Meggali of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Goemaat for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.


title: Wenatchee Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography on the “Dark Web”

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – On October 11, 2023, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Michael Luis Ibarra, 36, of Wenatchee, Washington, to 12 years in federal prison for distributing images of child pornography on the “Dark Web.” Judge Rice also ordered Ibarra to serve the remainder of his life on federal supervision after he is released from prison. Ibarra was also ordered to pay a total of $114,000 in restitution to 38 individual victims of his conduct. In January of 2021, Ibarra was identified as a user of a website on the “Dark Web” dedicated to the distribution of child pornography. Ibarra was commended at one point by website administrators for distributing a “herculean” quantity of child pornography. Ibarra communicated with undercover federal agents in chat rooms and shared with them child pornography on several occasions. Ibarra’s electronic devices were seized at his home in Wenatchee and searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Agents found more than fifteen thousand child pornography files, with more than five thousand files depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. “The FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office stand ready to respond with thorough investigations, vigorous prosecutions, and significant sentences for anyone who abuses children,” said Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District. “No sentence can give these children back their innocence; however, our community is safer with Mr. Ibarra behind bars. Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to victimize children, whether behind closed doors, through the dark web, or computer screens: the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice, and the consequences of exploiting children will be severe.” “Mr. Ibarra may have believed the Dark Web afforded him a level of protection from law enforcement” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Thanks to the dedication of our investigators, we were able to bring his reprehensible activities to an end. The FBI and our partners will continue the work of protecting the most vulnerable of our citizens.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, and Kyle P. Reynolds, Trial Attorney for the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the United States Department of Justice Criminal Division. 2:21-CR-00173-TOR


title: Former Spokane Resident Indicted by Grand Jury for Cryptocurrency Investment Scam

body_text: Spokane, Washington – Today, Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a grand jury returned an Indictment charging Michael Joseph McElhiney, age 37, formerly of Spokane, Washington, with thirty-three counts of fraud in connection with running a cryptocurrency investment scam theft that defrauded investors of more than $350,000 between March 2021 and September 2022. The Indictment alleges that McElhiney defrauded investors by pretending to operate a cryptocurrency investment fund known as MAC Blockchain Solutions. The Indictment alleges that McElhiney promised prospective investors that he and his purported business partners ran a successful cryptocurrency investment fund that invested in emerging cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-based projects, such as Ethereum staking and cryptocurrency liquidity pools. According to the Indictment, McElhiney promised that he would invest funds provided by investors, and manage those investments for the benefit of his clients. McElhiney promised guaranteed or variable returns depending on the supposed investment vehicle, and always promised investors that they could liquidate their investments and get their money back at any time. McElhiney then sent investors information using a platform called Coin.FYI that purported to track the progress of their investments. In actuality, the Indictment alleges, McElhiney never invested the funds provided by investors, but instead kept the funds for his own personal use, and the purported Coin.FYI accounts that McElhiney showed investors did not correspond to any actual investment funds but instead were fabricated figures intended to convince investors that McElhiney had invested their funds and that the investments were appreciating in value. The Indictment alleges that McElhiney defrauded investors of more than $350,000 in this manner, including defrauding investors not only of cash but rare art and precious metals. “Cryptocurrency fraud is a new variation on the same old song and dance of investment fraud,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “Whether it’s cryptocurrency fraud, multilevel pyramid scams, real estate scams, old-fashioned Ponzi schemes, or other investment fraud vehicles, we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold fraudsters accountable when they prey on innocent members of the community in order to line their own pockets.” The fraud charges carry maximum sentences of up to 30 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Spokane Resident Agency, and by the Spokane Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler Tornabene are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States v. McElhiney, Case No: 2-23-CR-00082-TOR


title: ST. THOMAS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE 87 KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE

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

body_text: ST. THOMAS, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced that Yefri Martinez Herrera, 30, of St. Thomas, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller to conspiracy to possess cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, in January 2022, Martinez Herrera brokered 200-kilogram cocaine deal with individuals later revealed to be a confidential source and an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent. On February 2, 2022, Martinez Herrera agreed to sell the undercover agent 86 kilograms of cocaine, as part of that 200-kilogram deal. Federal agents later executed a search warrant on Martinez Herrera’s home in Frenchtown where 87 kilograms of cocaine and a Glock pistol were seized. Martinez Herrera was taken into custody after agent found him hiding inside a bedroom closet. This case is being investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigation Air Marine Operations, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Puerto Rico Police Department and Virgin Islands Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith Edwards.


title: PUERTO RICO COUPLE CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING COCAINE THROUGH CYRIL KING AIRPORT

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced that Pedro Negron-Rodriguez, 21, and Emma Mueses-Dilone, 19, both of Puerto Rico, were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. United States Magistrate released both Negron-Rodgriguez and Mueses-Dilone on $25,000.00 unsecured bonds pending trial in this matter. If convicted, both face a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $5,000,000.00. According to court records, on September 29, 2023, Negron-Rodgriguez and Mueses-Dilone were ticketed passengers on Spirit Airlines departing St. Thomas to Orlando, FL, with a final destination of Philadelphia, PA. During inspection by Customs and Border Protection, officers recovered eight kilograms of cocaine from Mueses-Dilone’s suitcase. Prior to the search, Dilone confirmed that she personally packed the suitcase and that the suitcase belonged to her. Negron-Rodriguez and Mueses-Dilone also confirmed that they were traveling together. This case is being investigated by Department of Homeland Security Investigation and Customs and Border Protection and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne. United States Attorney Delia L. Smith reminds the public that a complaint is merely an allegation, and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, VIRGIN ISLANDS DISTRICT, OBSERVES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

body_text: St. Thomas, VI – October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. United States Attorney Delia L. Smith joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating Domestic Violence Awareness Month, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors. One in four women and one in seven men experience severe physical violence from intimate partners during their lifetime, and over 43 million women and 38 million men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Such abuse invariably leaves an indelible mark on survivors and their families, manifesting in diverse ways – from physical harm and psychological distress to socioeconomic repercussions, encompassing housing, employment and education. Supporting survivors and preventing these forms of violence is our shared responsibility. Domestic Violence Awareness Month offers us a platform, in collaboration with community allies, to unequivocally proclaim our solidarity with survivors, reassuring them of our support and our intolerance for violence, be it within our homes, localities, workplaces, or wider communities. “Domestic violence is more prevalent than many realize, and every instance is unacceptable,” said United States Attorney Delia L. Smith. “Our office recognizes and appreciates the Virgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council and the Family Resource Center for their service to the community. The United States Attorney’s Office has a duty to use all the tools at our disposal to ensure that victims have a viable path to safety and justice.” The Virgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council encourages all to wear purple on Thursday, October 19, 2023, to show your commitment to ending domestic violence, and invites all to participate in a Domestic Violence Awareness March and Candlelight Vigil beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Emancipation Garden in St. Thomas.


title: Grant County Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years for Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography

body_text: Spokane, WA – On October 11, 2023, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Michael Gene Rice, 49, of Soap Lake, Washington, to 264 months and 27 days in federal prison for Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography. Defendant Rice pleaded guilty on July 13, 2023. Judge Rice also ordered Defendant Rice to pay $48,000 in restitution to his victim and be federally supervised for the rest of his life after being released from custody. According to court documents and proceedings, Rice was apprehended after an 11-year-old girl disclosed that Rice directed her to record herself on a phone engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The recorded footage was later found in Rice’s iCloud account. The Grant County Prosecutor’s Office successfully prosecuted Rice on charges of First Degree Dealing in and Possession of Child Pornography, resulting in guilty verdicts after a jury trial. Sentencing is pending in that case. Rice previously was convicted of Rape of a Child in the First Degree in 2002, for which he received a suspended sentence. The victim in that case was also 11 years old. Combined with the time Rice spent in state custody prior to appearing in federal court – 338 days, the federal sentence results in confinement of Rice for a total 23 years. “Protecting our children is a top priority of my office,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref said. “Mr. Rice repeatedly engaged in harmful conduct taking advantage of our youth in the Eastern District of Washington. With our strong partnership with state and local law enforcement and prosecutors, we were able to successfully remove Mr. Rice from the streets and prevent him from further victimizing the most vulnerable among us.” “Grant County is a safer place after this significant sentencing,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are relentless in protecting the children of our communities and this result should serve as a warning to others that seek to target our children.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Ann T. Wick, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. The Grant County case is being handled by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Carlee Bittle, who is also a Special Assistant United States Attorney. 2:23-CR-23-TOR


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes Outstanding Law Enforcement Officers

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Oct. 5 and 11, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida held the 2021-2023 Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer (OLEO) Award Ceremony, in Miami-Dade County and Broward County, respectively. Approximately 200 award recipients, from various federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations, were recognized for having distinguished themselves by virtue of the work they performed in a criminal prosecution. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida handles some of the most important and impactful cases in the nation. The stellar investigative work by the office’s law enforcement partners, in particular the award nominees, makes it possible for the district’s Assistant U.S. Attorneys to file cases charging the gamut of federal crimes. Collectively, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, civil rights violations and hate crimes, violent crime, illegal firearms offenses, bank robbery, public corruption, environmental crimes, national security threats, the broad landscape of financial fraud that plagues our district, and more. As U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida stated, “It takes a village to carry out the mission of the U.S. Department of Justice - to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights. The office’s prosecutors cannot do their jobs alone.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office relies on the dedicated men and women in law enforcement who work tirelessly to identify the criminals so that they can be held accountable in a court of law. The honorees hard work often comes with tremendous personal sacrifice. The award recipients’ commitment to the pursuit of justice is worthy of special recognition. “They are having a direct impact on our quality of life, safety, and security,” said Lapointe. Law enforcement partnerships and collaboration are invaluable crime-fighting tools. The honorees represent agencies and departments from across the district that work together to protect and serve the public. Lapointe noted that the South Florida award recipients are “some of our nation’s most talented, effective, and impactful public servants.” Honorees were recognized from agencies and departments to include: Biscayne Park Police Department, Boca Raton Police Department, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), City of Miami Police Department (MPD), FBI, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD), Hialeah Police Department, Homestead Police Department, Hollywood Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Lauderhill Police Department, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), Miami Gardens Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Springs Police Department, Sunny Isles Police Department, Sweetwater Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and CBP-Office of Intelligence, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG). ###


title: Gary Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison

body_text: HAMMOND- Dwight Culver, 30 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Culver was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on April 6, 2022, during a traffic stop, Culver admitted to possessing a pistol that was located on the passenger floorboard. A trace of the firearm revealed that it was reported stolen from Indianapolis. Culver’s criminal history revealed that he had prior felony convictions for possession of marijuana in 2012 and criminal recklessness in 2015, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth. 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: Concord Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Concord man pleaded guilty in federal court in connection to the exploitation of a minor in New Jersey and possession of child sexual abuse material in Concord, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young and U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announce. Scott Wilkinson, age 38, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2024. Wilkinson was charged by complaint on November 14, 2022, and indicted December 5, 2022. Wilkinson traveled from New Hampshire to New Jersey in April 2022, where he engaged in sexual acts with a 12-year-old child. Wilkinson had been corresponding with the child online for approximately one year prior to traveling to New Jersey to meet the child. A video that Wilkinson created of himself engaged in sexual acts with the child was found on his cell phone in Concord, as were other images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Wilkinson faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, up to lifetime supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and mandatory restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Egg Harbor Township Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland from the District of New Hampshire and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Harteis from the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Former Murrieta Police Detective Pleads Guilty to Accepting Illicit Benefits from Foreign Businessperson in Exchange for Immigration Help

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: RIVERSIDE, California – A former detective with the Murrieta Police Department pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for soliciting bribes from a foreign businessperson who was seeking immigration benefits in the United States. Paul John Gollogly, 74, of Temecula, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery. According to his plea agreement, Gollogly began working for the Murrieta Police Department (MPD) in March 2013 to lead its purported anti-money laundering program. In this role, he handled and directed confidential informants (CI) registered with the department, including non-U.S. citizens who needed authorization from the U.S. government to enter and work in the United States. In April 2013, Gollogly registered an individual – identified in court documents as “Person A” – as a CI with MPD. Person A was a foreign national and a wealthy business person had significant business interests in multiple countries including the United States. Person A owned businesses in the United States, and in other countries as well. While previously employed at a police department in Florida, Gollogly had registered Person A as a CI with that police department. Person A was neither a U.S. citizen nor had legal permanent resident status, commonly known as holding a “green card.” From April 2013 to February 2020, Gollogly helped Person A obtain various immigration benefits, including authorization from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to allow Person A to enter and work in the United States for one year at a time and facilitation of Person A’s physical entry into the United States. Gollogly also attempted to assist with Person A’s permanent residency application. Gollogly wrote letters of support to DHS for Person A’s approvals to enter the United States, falsely stating that Person A’s work as a CI resulted in arrests, seizures of large amounts of money and drugs, and additional investigations. In fact, the information Person A provided MPD resulted in none of these things. Also, on at least 25 occasions, Person A texted Gollogly to inform him of Person A’s arrival in the United States, including Person A’s arrival date and location, and flight information in case Person A got held up at a port of entry by immigration authorities. On at least five occasions, after receiving notice of Person A’s arrival at the San Ysidro Port of Entry at the U.S.-Mexico border, Gollogly personally drove to San Ysidro to meet Person A and facilitate Person A’s incident-free reentry into the United States. In exchange for this help with immigration authorities, Gollogly solicited and received benefits from Person A, including: receiving tickets to shows in New York and Miami; the hiring of a Gollogly family friend to work at one of Person A’s businesses and making efforts to help a Gollogly relative secure a job; arranging for hotel stays for two close Gollogly relatives and another Gollogly friend, including one July 2014 stay in which – at Gollogly’s request – Person A had wine and flowers inside the hotel room of one of the close relatives; paying four months’ rent in 2018 and 2019 for a Gollogly relative; and paying for dinner at an upscale restaurant for Gollogly and four of his relatives in December 2019. United States District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes scheduled a January 19, 2024 sentencing hearing, at which time Gollogly will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Prosecutors have agreed to seek no more than 18 months’ imprisonment for Gollogly. The FBI investigated this matter, with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility. Assistant United States Attorneys Julius J. Nam of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Courtney N. Williams of the Riverside Branch Office are prosecuting this case.


title: Eighteen indicted for drug trafficking in Northern Panhandle

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Eighteen individuals have been indicted for distributing drugs in the Northern Panhandle, including two Chicago men accused of operating a fentanyl trafficking organization in Weirton and Steubenville. United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that a federal grand jury has returned a series of indictments alleging the sale of drugs in Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, and Wetzel counties. In the first indictment, Gerald Henry, also known as “Unc,” age 39, and Stephen Price, also known as “Sleepy,” age 38, both of Chicago, Illinois, are accused of leading a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Hancock County. The others charged in the conspiracy are Jasmine McCullough, age 39, also of Chicago, Daniel Paul Truax, age 45, of Weirton, West Virginia, Paula Jean Truax, age 43, of Weirton, and William Dean Tredway, age 34, of Colliers, West Virginia. The second indictment alleges a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Ohio County, led by Teo Marcero Coleman, also known as “Teddy,” age 43, of McMechen and including Marlow Hurd, also known as “Brah,” age 45, of Wheeling, and Terry L. Blair, Jr., also known as “Fool,” age 40, also of Wheeling. A Wetzel County conspiracy is alleged in the third indictment, charging Nolan Eugene McCray, age 39, of Cedar Lane, Texas, with coordinating efforts to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. The others charged in the indictment are Regina Anne Shaw, age 54, of Pine Grove, West Virginia, Maranda Rose Richardson, age 35, of Burton, West Virginia, and Cody Norris, age 34, also of Burton. The fourth indictment charges David Adam Stewart, age 41, and Ginny Lynn Richmond, age 42, both of Moundsville, West Virginia, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Marshall County. The fifth indictment charges Joseph William Alfred, also known as “Chris,” age 49, of Moundsville, West Virginia, for the distribution of methamphetamine in Ohio County. The sixth indictment charges Gerald Lee Young, age 56, of Weirton, West Virginia, with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and methamphetamine in Hancock County. The final indictment charges an individual with the distribution of fentanyl in Ohio County but it remains sealed until the person charged has been arrested. “We are fortunate to have three outstanding drug task forces in the Northern Panhandle to respond to the threat posed by out-of-town traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Their efforts make our communities safer and make life uncomfortable for dealers who choose to operate here.” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Nogay and Clayton Reid are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The cases were investigated by the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, the Marshall County Drug Task Force, the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office. Indictments are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Hebron Man of Being a Felon in Possession of Firearms

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Hebron man was found guilty today of being a felon in possession of firearms following a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Portland. According to evidence presented during the trial, in January 2022, Maine State Troopers executed search warrants at the home of Dario Giambro , 75. Investigators located hundreds of firearms, including shotguns, rifles, pistols, and revolvers, and a large amount of ammunition inside Giambro’s residence. Giambro is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior federal conviction in the District of Maine for possessing an unregistered firearm, a felony offense. Giambro faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Maine State Police investigated this case, with assistance from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office and Norway Police Department. ###


title: Lewiston Man Sentenced to 7+ Years for Being a Felon in Possession of Ammunition

body_text: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of ammunition. U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Shaiquan Moran-Stenson , 27, to 77 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, to be served consecutively with an 18-month sentence for revocation of a term of supervised release on a previous felon-in-possession conviction in the Western District of New York. Moran-Stenson pleaded guilty on May 16, 2023. According to court records, in December 2021, Moran-Stenson fired multiple shots near Bartlett Street in Lewiston. Video cameras at two residences recorded him firing shots across the street before he ran to a parked car and fired additional shots as the vehicle drove away. Investigators recovered .40 caliber shell casings from the area. At the time of the shooting, Moran-Stenson was on supervised release for a prior conviction and was prohibited from possessing ammunition. The Lewiston Police Department, Portland Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Project Safe Neighborhoods : 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. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn . ###


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison Related to Fentanyl Overdose of Child

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced today to 27 years in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl which resulted in the overdose of an 18-month-old child. According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kathan Daniel Wiley, 23, possessed fentanyl, which had been pressed into pills resembling prescription Percocet pills—blue pills stamped with “M30”—with the intent to distribute the pills, which an 18-month-old child ingested. The child had stopped breathing as a result of ingesting the fentanyl, but was able to be revived by medical professionals. A jury found Wiley guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury (relating to the overdose of the child), after a trial in April 2023 . Others charged as a part of the conspiracy include Linder Kai Divos (a.k.a. Lindo), Jordan Thomas Hopper, Austen Michael Thomas (a.k.a. Waynski, a.k.a Mitch), and Marshall Matthew James Carver. Linder Kai Divos, 27 of Davenport, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On February 21, 2023, Divos was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in federal prison. Jordan Thomas Hopper, 25 of Davenport, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, relating to an April 2021 overdose which occurred in Bettendorf, and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, relating to a June 2021 overdose which occurred in Davenport. Hopper’s sentencing is scheduled for November 28, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Austen Michael Thomas, 26 of Davenport, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. Thomas’ sentencing is scheduled for November 29, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. Marshall Matthew James Carver, 26 of Davenport, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, relating to an April 2021 overdose which occurred in Bettendorf. Carver’s sentencing is scheduled for January 23, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated this case.


title: California man sentenced to federal prison for role in health care kickback conspiracy

body_text: TEXARKANA, Texas – A Temecula, California, man has been sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to commit health care kickbacks, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Steven Donofrio, 49, was found guilty by a jury on May 5, 2023, following a two-week-long trial. Donofrio was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III on October 11, 2023. “Donofrio leveraged the access, influence, and relationships that his employees wielded to secure physicians’ referrals. He added costs, not value, to an overburdened, taxpayer-funded system. The taxpayers deserve better,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Today’s sentence sends the clear message that no matter who you are, if you do wrong, you will be found out, and you will be brought to justice.” “While this health care fraud scheme appeared complex on the surface, it was simple greed and theft at its core,” said Jason E. Meadows, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Illegal kickback payments lead to unnecessary medical procedures and cost taxpayers millions of dollars. HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who blatantly steal taxpayer money for their personal benefit.” “Today’s sentence brings a conclusion to an illegal kickback scheme that defrauded our health care system for millions of dollars. The defendant and his co-conspirators enriched themselves and in turn affected the quality of care of innocent taxpayers,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement, public, and private sector partners to combat health care fraud and seek justice for the patients that are harmed because of these schemes.” According to information presented in court, Donofrio conspired with others to pay and receive kickbacks in exchange for the referral of, and arranging for, health care business, specifically pharmacogenetic (PGx) tests. Pharmacogenetic testing, also known as pharmacogenomic testing, is a type of genetic testing that identifies genetic variations that affect how an individual patient metabolizes certain drugs. The illegal arrangement concerned the referral of PGx tests to clinical laboratories in Fountain Valley, California; Irvine, California; and San Diego, California. More than $28 million in illegal kickback payments were exchanged by those involved in the conspiracy. In December 2019, twelve individuals from three states were charged for their roles in the kickback conspiracy. A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas returned an indictment against Philip Lamb, of Eagle, Colorado; Nicolas Arroyo, of Tempe, Arizona; Vincent Marchetti, Jr., of Coronado, California; William Flowers, of Houston, Texas; Steven Donofrio; James J. Walker, Jr. a/k/a Jimmy Walker, of Frisco, Texas; Timothy Armstrong, deceased, formerly of Frisco, Texas; Virginia Blake Herrin, of Frisco, Texas; Patrick Ridgeway, of Jackson, Mississippi; Chismere Mallard, of McAllen, Texas; Dr. Ray W. Ng, of Dallas, Texas; and Ashley Kretzschmar, of Aledo, Texas; for conspiring to commit illegal remunerations in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Philip Lamb, Nicolas Arroyo, Jimmy Walker, Timothy Armstrong, Virginia Blake Herrin, Patrick Ridgeway, Chismere Mallard, and Ashley Kretzschmar pleaded guilty prior to trial. Kimberly Willette, of Friendswood, Texas, and Edwin Chad Isbell, of Atascocita, Texas also pleaded guilty to related charges. Vincent Marchetti, Jr., was found guilty by a jury on December 16, 2021, following a month-long trial. He was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison on August 30, 2022. On April 25, 2022, Nicolas Arroyo was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. On August 23, 2022, Kimberly Willette was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, and Patrick Ridgeway was sentenced to a three-year term of probation and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. On September 11, 2023, Jimmy Walker was sentenced to five months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $50,100 fine. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remunerations in exchange for the referral of or arranging for or recommending the ordering of items or services payable under federal health care programs. Under federal statutes, violations of the Anti-Kickback statute are punishable by up to five years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the FBI Dallas – Frisco Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld, Lucas Machicek, and Adrian Garcia, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan E. Oestreicher, Jr., Brent Andrus, and L. Frank Coan, Jr., and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel E.P. Simmons. ###


title: Dows Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Meth and Heroin Convictions

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and heroin was sentenced on September 27, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City. Nathan Miller, 49, from Dows, Iowa, pled guilty May 10, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and one count of distribution and aiding and abetting another in the distribution of methamphetamine. At the plea and sentencing hearings evidence showed that during the course of the conspiracy, October 2020 through December 2021, Miller and others participated in the distribution of nearly two kilograms of mixed methamphetamine and nearly one kilogram of heroin. Miller and another would receive packages of drugs through FedEx and DHL from a source in Mexico to addresses in Minnesota and Iowa for further distribution in Iowa. Miller also admitted that on April 28, 2021, he and another distributed methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Miller was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Miller 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 Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and the Rochester Minnesota Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-3024. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Michael Gonzalez Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Possessing and Selling Stolen Teslas

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on October 11, 2023, Michael Gonzalez, 34, of Shelburne, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey Crawford to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Gonzalez previously pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing and disposing of stolen vehicles that had crossed state lines. According to court records, in 2018 and 2019, Gonzalez executed a scheme to obtain five different, brand new Tesla electric vehicles by falsely indicating he was prepared to pay the full purchase price. Gonzalez never intended to pay for the vehicles. The combined retail price of the five fraudulently obtained vehicles totaled more than $560,000. Gonzalez also submitted false statements to the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain title to these cars. Gonzalez sold three of these vehicles to unwitting purchasers, grossing $231,900. When he was unable to sell one of the Teslas, court records explain that Gonzalez drove it onto the frozen surface of Lake Champlain in Shelburne Bay, set it on fire, and submitted an insurance claim for the value of the vehicle. The sentence also included an order that Gonzalez pay restitution to Tesla in the amount of $493,043.93, and also forfeit $231,900 to the United States. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the United States Secret Service, the Investigations Unit of the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement & Safety, and the police departments of Shelburne, Vermont, and Seabrook, New Hampshire. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Davis, John Boscia, Jon Ophardt, Nicole Cate, and Michael Drescher. Gonzalez was represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.


title: Massachusetts Awarded Over $118 Million in Federal Grants to Support Community Safety

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy has announced that $118,366,566 in federal grants has been allocated to the District of Massachusetts to support public safety and community justice initiatives. The grants are part of $4.4 billion in funding awarded by the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), which help to build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, and achieve fair outcomes through evidence-based criminal and juvenile justice strategies. The more than 3,700 OJP grants being awarded this fiscal year will support state, local and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at-risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges. “Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.” “Protecting the people of Massachusetts is my highest priority, and the best way to accomplish that goal is to forge close working relationships with our state and local partners. Federal resources like this are invaluable in the support they provide for comprehensive public safety solutions and resources specific to the unique needs of Massachusetts communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Levy. “By investing in state and local programs, we aim to empower victims, enhance officer safety, strengthen public trust in law enforcement, and ultimately create safer communities across Massachusetts.” In Massachusetts, nearly $60 million has been awarded under OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), which provides leadership and assistance to local criminal justice programs that improve and reinforce the nation’s criminal justice system. BJA’s goals are to reduce and prevent crime, violence, and drug abuse and to improve the way in which the criminal justice system functions. BJA funding announcements are posted at: https://bja.ojp.gov/news/announcements . Additionally, over $34 million has been awarded to support crime victim compensation and assistance in Massachusetts under OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). This funding will support local victim assistance and compensation programs across Massachusetts to help build capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization. To learn more about OVC funding, visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/funding . “Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse, and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.” “The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs, and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal, and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy, and just communities for all.” “Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.” Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities nationwide: Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust , helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success and address the rise in hate crimes across the country. More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders. Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime, and are protected from violence and abuse. More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization. Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent, and deliver justice to victims. In addition, OJP will award more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending. An interactive map that shows where grants are going can be found at: Workbook: OJP Awards Dashboard


title: Albanian National Pleads Guilty To Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Alban Lukaj (52, Albania) has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after removal subsequent to a conviction for commission of an aggravated felony. Lukaj faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, Lukaj is a native and citizen of Albania. In 2009, Lukaj was convicted of trafficking and conspiracy to traffic MDMA. In 2010, he was convicted of aggravated battery with a firearm. Due to his conviction for an aggravated felony, Lukaj received a permanent ban from the United States. On February 10, 2020, following his release from state prison, Lukaj was deported to Albania. Law enforcement officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Miami – Jacksonville sub-office subsequently learned that Lukaj had unlawfully returned to the United States and arrested him in Jacksonville on August 11, 2023. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.