title: Guatemalan National Sentenced To Federal Prison For Illegal Possession Of A Firearm

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Juan Dionicio Romero-Mendez (23, Guatemala) to 18 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an alien illegally and unlawfully present in the United States. Romero-Mendez entered a guilty plea on June 10, 2024. According to court documents, Romero-Mendez is a citizen of Guatemala. In January 2024, he was involved in a traffic collision in Marion County. During the subsequent investigation of the traffic collision, Romero-Mendez was found to be in possession of a Chiappa Firearms pistol. As Romero-Mendez is not legally or lawfully in the United States, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Tucson Man Indicted for Deadly Human Smuggling-Related Crash Near Arivaca

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Samuel Lopez-Ozuna, 18, of Tucson, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on charges of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, stemming from a deadly crash last month. On August 9, 2024, near Arivaca, approximately five miles north of the international border, United States Border Patrol agents attempted to pull over a Chevrolet Tahoe with fake license plates, on suspicion that the driver, Lopez-Ozuna, was engaged in human smuggling. Instead of yielding to law enforcement, Lopez-Ozuna sped up and fled, crashing and rolling the Tahoe. Lopez-Ozuna was smuggling seven undocumented noncitizens, all of whom were ejected from the vehicle during the crash. One person died and three others sustained serious injuries. A conviction for any one of the charges - Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death - carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Homeland Security Investigations- Tucson, Custom and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Desiree Chery and Ryan P. DeJoe, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-06035-TUC-AMM RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-123_Lopez-Ozuna # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Two Acting U.S. Trustees Appointed for Region Encompassing Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington and for Region Encompassing Colorado, Utah and Wyoming

component: U.S. Trustee Program

body_text: Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed two Acting U.S. Trustees, the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees announced today. Under 28 U.S.C. § 585(a), the Attorney General may fill U.S. Trustee vacancies by appointing an Acting U.S. Trustee. Jonas V. Anderson has been appointed as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington (Region 18). Anderson replaces Gregory M. Garvin, who has been appointed as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Colorado, Utah and Wyoming (Region 19). Garvin replaces Patrick S. Layng, who is retiring after 36 years of service to the Justice Department, including the last 10 years as the interim U.S. Trustee for Region 19. The appointments of Anderson and Garvin are effective Sept. 28. Anderson joined the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) in 2010 as a trial attorney in the Las Vegas office through the Attorney General’s Honors Program after clerking for Judge Deanell Reece Tacha of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Anderson has served as the Assistant U.S. Trustee in charge of the USTP’s Eugene, Oregon, office since 2016, and for two years he served as the Acting Assistant U.S. Trustee of the Portland, Oregon, office. He received his Juris Doctor and Master of Legal Letters degrees from Duke University School of Law, a master’s degree from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Brigham Young University. After seven years as the Acting U.S. Trustee in Region 18, Garvin will transition to a similar role in Region 19, where he has already been serving as the Assistant U.S. Trustee for the Denver field office since 2008. Before joining the USTP, Garvin was in private practice in the Kansas City area for 17 years focusing on commercial litigation and bankruptcy matters, including representing debtors in chapter 7 and 13 as well as individuals, small businesses and creditors in chapter 11. He received his bachelor’s degree and his law degree from the University of Kansas. The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust .


title: Guatemalan National Arrested For Attempting To Entice A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Reagan Morales Roblero (37, Guatemala) on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Morales Roblero faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Morales Roblero is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case. According to court documents, in July 2024, an undercover (UC) special agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) posed online as a 13-year-old girl. The UC received a message from Morales Roblero, who then engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the UC throughout July and August. On September 5, 2024, Morales Roblero told the UC that he would be in Ocala. Despite the UC describing that she was only 13 years old, Morales Roblero sent her sexually explicit videos and discussed meeting her at a local motel because he wanted to “make love tonight.” Ultimately, Morales Roblero was taken into custody by law enforcement in the lobby of the Marion County motel. A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Madison Man Sentenced to 3.5 Years for Illegal Gun Possession

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dedonta J. Davis, 36, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on September 12, 2024 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 3 1/2 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. This will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Davis pleaded guilty to this charge on June 13, 2024. On January 5, 2024, law enforcement arrested Davis on state charges related to an ongoing investigation into a shooting which occurred weeks prior outside a bar in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Following that arrest, officers executed a search warrant at Davis’s apartment and found a loaded Remington 9mm handgun with an 18-round magazine. The Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory confirmed that Davis’s DNA was on the handgun. Davis is prohibited from legally possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions. At sentencing, Judge Conley said that Davis was modeling dangerous behavior by keeping a loaded firearm in his apartment, which increased the chance of him committing harm. Judge Conley also considered Davis’s admitted involvement in the recent shooting and his criminal history involving drugs and alcohol, as well as Davis’s efforts toward gainful employment in the community. The charge against Davis was the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consisting of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Lennon and Corey Stephan prosecuted this case. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.


title: Court-Authorized Operation Disrupts Worldwide Botnet Used by People’s Republic of China State-Sponsored Hackers

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Note : View the affidavit here . The Justice Department today announced a court-authorized law enforcement operation that disrupted a botnet consisting of more than 200,000 consumer devices in the United States and worldwide. As described in court documents unsealed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, the botnet devices were infected by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers working for Integrity Technology Group, a company based in Beijing, and known to the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.” The botnet malware infected numerous types of consumer devices, including small-office/home-office (SOHO) routers, internet protocol (IP) cameras, digital video recorders (DVRs), and network-attached storage (NAS) devices. The malware connected these thousands of infected devices into a botnet, controlled by Integrity Technology Group, which was used to conduct malicious cyber activity disguised as routine internet traffic from the infected consumer devices. The court-authorized operation took control of the hackers’ computer infrastructure and, among other steps, sent disabling commands through that infrastructure to the malware on the infected devices. During the course of the operation, there was an attempt to interfere with the FBI’s remediation efforts through a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeting the operational infrastructure that the FBI was utilizing to effectuate the court’s orders. That attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the FBI’s disruption of the botnet. “The Justice Department is zeroing in on the Chinese government backed hacking groups that target the devices of innocent Americans and pose a serious threat to our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As we did earlier this year, the Justice Department has again destroyed a botnet used by PRC-backed hackers to infiltrate consumer devices here in the United States and around the world. We will continue to aggressively counter the threat that China’s state- sponsored hacking groups pose to the American people.” “Our takedown of this state-sponsored botnet reflects the Department’s all-tools approach to disrupting cyber criminals. This network, managed by a PRC government contractor, hijacked hundreds of thousands of private routers, cameras, and other consumer devices to create a malicious system for the PRC to exploit,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today should serve as a warning to cybercriminals preying on Americans – if you continue to come for us, we will come for you.” “This dynamic operation demonstrates, once again, the Justice Department’s resolve in countering the threats posed by PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “For the second time this year, we have disrupted a botnet used by PRC proxies to conceal their efforts to hack into networks in the U.S. and around the world to steal information and hold our infrastructure at risk. Our message to these hackers is clear: if you build it, we will bust it.” “The disruption of this worldwide botnet is part of the FBI’s commitment to using technical operations to help protect victims, expose publicly the scope of these criminal hacking campaigns, and to use the adversary’s tools against them to remove malicious infrastructure from the virtual battlefield,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI’s unique legal authorities allowed it to lead an international operation with partners that collectively disconnected this botnet from its China-based hackers at Integrity Technology Group.” “The targeted hacking of hundreds of thousands of innocent victims in the United States and around the world shows the breadth and aggressiveness of PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This court-authorized operation disrupted a sophisticated botnet designed to steal sensitive information and launch disruptive cyber attacks. We will continue to work with our partners inside and outside government, using every tool at our disposal, to defend and maintain global cybersecurity.” “The FBI’s investigation revealed that a publicly-traded, China-based company is openly selling its customers the ability to hack into and control thousands of consumer devices worldwide. This operation sends a clear message to the PRC that the United States will not tolerate this shameless criminal conduct,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office. According to the court documents, the botnet was developed and controlled by Integrity Technology Group, a publicly-traded company headquartered in Beijing. The company built an online application allowing its customers to log in and control specified infected victim devices, including with a menu of malicious cyber commands using a tool called “vulnerability-arsenal.” The online application was prominently labelled “KRLab,” one of the main public brands used by Integrity Technology Group. The FBI assesses that Integrity Technology Group, in addition to developing and controlling the botnet, is responsible for computer intrusion activities attributed to China-based hackers known by the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.” Microsoft Threat Intelligence described Flax Typhoon as nation-state actors based out of China, active since 2021, who have targeted government agencies and education, critical manufacturing, and information technology organizations in Taiwan, and elsewhere. The FBI’s investigation has corroborated Microsoft’s conclusions, finding that Flax Typhoon has successfully attacked multiple U.S. and foreign corporations, universities, government agencies, telecommunications providers, and media organizations. A cybersecurity advisory describing Integrity Technology Group tactics, techniques and procedures was also published today by the FBI, the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force, and partner agencies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The government’s malware disabling commands, which interacted with the malware’s native functionality, were extensively tested prior to the operation. As expected, the operation did not affect the legitimate functions of, or collect content information from, the infected devices. The FBI is providing notice to U.S. owners of devices that were affected by this court-authorized operation. The FBI is contacting those victims through their internet service provider, who will provide notice to their customers. The FBI’s San Diego Field Office and Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the National Security Cyber Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division led the domestic disruption effort. Assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. These efforts would not have been successful without the collaboration of partners, including French authorities, and Lumen Technologies’ threat intelligence group, Black Lotus Labs, which first identified and described this botnet, which it named Raptor Train, in July 2023. If you believe you have a compromised computer or device, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or report online to CISA . You may also contact your local FBI field office directly. The FBI continues to investigate Integrity Technology Group’s and Flax Typhoon’s computer intrusion activities.


title: Sebring Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to  Possess and Distribute Cocaine

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Sept. 16, Hubert Ramon Santiesteban, 55, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempt to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. According to the court record, Santiesteban, of Sebring, Fla., negotiated the purchase of 30 kilograms of cocaine. In April of 2023, Highlands County Sheriff’s Office detectives witnessed Santiesteban and his co-conspirator prepare for the transaction at Santiesteban’s residence. Santiesteban and his co-conspirator then showed the undercover members of law enforcement, during a FaceTime call, large amounts of U.S. currency that they planned to use to purchase the cocaine. Highlands County Sheriff’s deputies searched Santiesteban’s residence and property and located $418,000 hidden in a van on the property. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. Santiesteban faces up to life in federal prison, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; and Paul Blackman, Highlands County Sheriff, made the announcement. DEA Miami Field Division and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock is prosecuting it. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case no. 24-cr-14034. ###


title: Philadelphia Man Admits Enticing Minor

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man today admitted using an internet-based chat application to entice a minor to engage in prostitution, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Louis Goldenberg, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In August 2023, Goldenberg began interacting on a messaging application with an undercover agent, who was posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece. From August through September 2023, Goldenberg messaged the undercover, continuously expressing interest in having sexual contact with the minor. During one of the conversations, Goldenberg indicated a specific hotel in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, where he wanted to have sex with the minor. On Sept. 18, 2023, Goldenberg traveled from Pennsylvania to the Mt. Laurel hotel, where he had a reservation for that evening. When Goldenberg arrived, he was arrested by law enforcement. The charge to which Goldenberg pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 10 years in prison, a potential maximum term of life in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and Mount Laurel Police Department. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Waegener of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. goldenberg.information.pdf


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Indiana County Following Allegations the County Illegally Denied Zoning Approval for Islamic Seminary and Residential Housing

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Hendricks County (the County), Indiana, to settle allegations that the County violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by twice unlawfully denying zoning approval to Al Hussnain Inc., an Islamic educational organization, seeking to develop a religious seminary, school and residential housing in Hendricks County. “Animus directed towards the Muslim community masked under the guise of an ordinary zoning restrictions violates the law and runs contrary to the principles of fairness and tolerance that are core in our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “Federal law prohibits local governments from making zoning decisions about housing or religious land use on the basis of the religion of the developer or those whom they perceive might live at or worship at the development. The Justice Department will use its authority to stop discriminatory anti-Islamic conduct and hold local governments accountable.” “Discrimination on the basis of religion has no place in the Crossroads of America,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “This office will steadfastly defend the right of all persons to enjoy housing free from discrimination. This complaint and consent decree demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that people of all faiths are not discriminated against by unlawful local government actions.” The proposed consent decree , which was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and must still be approved by the court, resolves a lawsuit the United States also filed today. The complaint alleges that the County, facing significant community animus and opposition, denied Al Hussnain’s rezoning applications to develop a mixed-use community containing a residential neighborhood, community center, K-12 religious school, Islamic seminary and dormitories for seminary students at two different locations in the County, citing concerns that lacked a legitimate basis. The complaint further alleges that Hendricks County repeatedly departed from its own zoning ordinances as well as the county’s processes and procedures for reviewing zoning applications and treated Al Hussnain’s application worse than similar applications brought by non-Muslim developers. The complaint alleges that the County engaged in a pattern or practice of unlawful discrimination and denied rights to a group of persons because of religion in violation of the FHA and imposed a substantial burden on the Islamic organization’s religious exercise, treated the organization on less than equal terms with nonreligious assemblies or institutions and discriminated against the organization on the basis of religion in violation of RLUIPA. The consent decree requires Hendricks County to pay monetary damages of $295,000 to Al Hussnain, Inc., a civil penalty of $5,000 to the United States, adopt Fair Housing and Religious Land Use policies, train its officials and employees on the requirements of RLUIPA and the FHA, and establish a procedure for receiving and resolving RLUIPA and FHA complaints. The FHA prohibits discrimination by direct providers of housing, such as landlords and real estate companies as well as other entities, such as municipalities, banks or other lending institutions and homeowners’ insurance companies whose discriminatory practices make housing unavailable to persons because of race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability. More information about the FHA can be found here . RLUIPA is a federal law that protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land. Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Unit at USAINS-CivilRights@usdoj.gov or the Civil Rights Division Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (800) 896-7743, or through the complaint portal on the Place to Worship Initiative website .


title: Shreveport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Committing Wire Fraud and Illegally Possessing a Firearm

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

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Mario Maurice Hall, Jr. , 38, of Shreveport, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 74 months (6 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for committing wire fraud and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Hall was charged in a Bill of Information with wire fraud in connection with his intent to devise a scheme to defraud the government by obtaining money and property from the Small Business Administration (SBA) via a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan. He was also charged in an Indictment with the firearms offense. Hall pleaded guilty to both charges. In March 2020 Congress enacted the CARES Act which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the CARES Act, the SBA provided Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which were low-interest financing to small businesses, renters and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. The CARES Act also provided authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). Hall submitted applications for three separate PPP loans and was approved for these loans after providing false information on each of the applications. On February 24, 2021, and May 26, 2021, Hall was approved for two PPP loans, for $19,415 and $20,833, for purported “Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists.” Hall admitted to knowingly submitting fraudulent 1040 and 1099 tax forms, as well as false bank statements in order to qualify for these loans. When in truth and in fact, Hall had no legitimate income to qualify for the loans, nor did he truthfully meet any of the qualifications. On May 26, 2021, Hall applied for a third PPP loan for purported “Sound Recording Studios” in the amount of $20,832. Hall admitted to again knowingly providing false and fraudulent information on the application related to the business he alleged to have. In connection with the firearms offense, agents with the Shreveport Police Department and United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intercepted a package that was sent to a residential address in Shreveport on March 9, 2023. The package was opened via a federal search warrant, and it contained approximately five pounds of marijuana. The package was then closed, and a tracker was installed. The agents conducted a controlled delivery to the address on the package and it was retrieved by a male at the residence. After a period of time, another individual drove up to the residence and went inside the residence and retrieved the package and put it in the rear driver side of his vehicle. Agents subsequently observed Hall arrive at the residence and remove the package from the rear driver side of the first vehicle and move it to his own vehicle. The package tracker indicated the package had been opened and agents approached Hall and his co-conspirator to execute a search warrant. They found both to have UV powder on their hands. Agents also observed Hall gripping a dark colored object in his waist band and he fled into the residence and came back out. A search of the residence resulted in the discovery of a Glock Model 23 .40 caliber pistol on the couch and over 1.4 kilograms of packaged marijuana. Hall admitted that the gun was his. “This defendant had no legitimate income or business, but nevertheless decided to fraudulently obtain these funds during a time when America was at arguably one of her most vulnerable states,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “He is also a drug dealer, and the combination of the convicted crimes shows we were willing to utilize any statute necessary to hold those in this community accountable for such illicit activity.” The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Shreveport Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Aaron Crawford. # # #


title: Former City of Milwaukee Employee Sentenced in Embezzlement Case

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 17, 2024, Kelly Whitmore-Behling (age: 47), formerly of Milwaukee, was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release for her role in an embezzlement scheme. According to court records, Ms. Whitmore-Behling and her co-defendant were employed by the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works, where their responsibilities included disposing of vehicles and equipment the City no longer needed. Between June and September of 2022, they executed an embezzlement scheme, selling City vehicles and equipment for cash and pocketing most of the proceeds for themselves. The City lost over $350,000 in revenue and was forced to incur additional expenses to replace needed vehicles and equipment that had gone missing. Court records also reveal that during the same time period, Ms. Whitmore-Behling gambled extensively at a local casino. The scheme ended when the co-defendants were suspended from work and the Department of Public Works conducted a thorough equipment audit that revealed the scope of their fraud. “Ms. Whitmore-Behling abused a position of trust and harmed not only the City itself but also every taxpayer who lives and works in Milwaukee,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Her conduct caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of loss and risked undermining public faith in city government. I commend everyone who played a role in seeking to hold Ms. Whitmore-Behling and her codefendant accountable for their actions.” “Ms. Whitmore-Behling was a public employee who cheated not only her employer but the citizens of Milwaukee by embezzling city funds to further her own greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The FBI is committed to investigating matters of public corruption, such as Whitmore-Behling, in which government employees betray the trust of the public for personal gain.” This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Taibleson. # # # For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Maryland Man Sentenced For Selling Fraudulent Nursing Diplomas, Transcripts And Nursing Licenses

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – On Monday, September 16, 2024, the Honorable Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Ejike Asiegbunam, age 55, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland to 21 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Boardman also ordered Asiegbunam to forfeit $1,662,732 that Asiegbunam personally received as a result of the fraud. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. According to Asiegbunam’s plea agreement, Asiegbunam conspired with others to sell fraudulent nursing diplomas and educational transcripts to individuals (“purchasers”), and assisted the purchasers in fraudulently obtaining nursing licensure, which the purchasers needed to obtain employment in the healthcare field. Asiegbunam owned and operated Nursing School 2, which was not licensed to offer LPN degrees. In addition, many students received RN degrees from Nursing School 2 without attending labs, classes, or completing required clinical assignments. Specifically, between approximately January 2018 and June 2021, Asiegbunam and his co-conspirators recruited potential purchasers in Maryland and elsewhere who were looking to obtain nursing degrees. Asiegbunam sold purchasers false and fraudulent Nursing School 2 documents, which Asiegbunam signed as the owner of Nursing School 2. In addition, students paid Asiegbunam and others to complete required prerequisites to enter the nursing program at Nursing School 2. Asiegbunam generally charged purchasers between $15,000 and $22,000 for false and fraudulent Nursing School 2 documents. Asiegbunam also generally charged approximately $5,000 to complete online prerequisites. In total, Asiegbunam sold false and fraudulent Nursing School 2 documents in exchange for at least $1,390,332. In addition, between in or around February 2018 and December 2018, Asiegbunam conspired with Johanah Napoleon, who resided in Florida, to sell false and fraudulent RN degrees from Palm Beach School of Nursing, located in Florida, to individuals located in Maryland and New York. Asiegbunam would send student grades from Maryland to the registrar for the Palm Beach School of Nursing in Florida, via interstate wire, and in exchange would receive transcripts purportedly from the Palm Beach School of Nursing (despite the individuals not attending the school). When Asiegbunam sold a student a degree from Palm Beach School of Nursing, the student paid the school directly, and the school, in turn, paid Asiegbunam 40 percent of the tuition as payment for recruiting the student. In total, Asiegbunam received approximately $272,400 from the Palm Beach School of Nursing. By providing false and fraudulent documents, Asiegbunam and his co-conspirators assisted the purchasers of the false and fraudulent documents to obtain fraudulent nursing licenses from state licensing agencies, including the Maryland Board of Nursing, and ultimately employment in the healthcare field. The scheme thus allowed individuals who had not completed the necessary coursework to apply for licensure and to practice as nurses. The scheme therefore exposed patients in Maryland and elsewhere to potential harm and Asiegbunam and his co-conspirators consciously and recklessly exposed these patients to the risk of death or serious bodily injury. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the HHS-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case. If you have information to report regarding this case or any other case involving falsified medical degrees, please call the FBI hotline: (410) 277-6999. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Manchester Man Charged with Fentanyl and Cocaine Distribution Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a 14-count indictment charging ROBERTO PABON, also known as “Goya,” 44, of Manchester, with fentanyl and cocaine distribution offenses. The indictment was returned on September 11, 2024, and Pabon appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on August 29, 2024. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force has been investigating members of Los Solidos, a Hartford-based street gang, who are involved drug trafficking and other criminal activity. Between December 2023 and July 2024, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from Pabon, a member of Los Solidos. Pabon used an apartment on Brown Street in Hartford to store narcotics, and he typically sold drugs to customers in the area of Hartford’s South Green Park. It is alleged that on August 2, 2024, Pabon was arrested at his residence by Manchester Police on state charges. A drug scale fell from Pabon’s pocket as he was being apprehended, and a search of his car, which he had just exited, revealed more than 1,300 wax folds of fentanyl, and quantities of crack and powder cocaine. A related search of another car parked at Pabon’s residence revealed more than 200 grams of raw and packaged fentanyl, approximately 38 grams of crack cocaine, and approximately five grams of powder cocaine. A search of Pabon’s residence revealed items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $8,800 in cash. It is further alleged that, in August 2024, while Pabon was released on a $750,000 bond in his state case, FBI Task Force investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl from him at a gas station on Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford. The indictment charges Pabon with nine counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl; four counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl and cocaine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Manchester Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.


title: Glendale Woman Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting TSA Agent at Sky Harbor Airport

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ma’Kiah Cherae Coleman, 20, of Glendale, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to four months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for assaulting a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Coleman pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer Inflicting Bodily Injury on April 23, 2024. On April 25, 2023, Coleman assaulted a TSA agent at Sky Harbor Airport by grabbing the agent’s hair, forcing the agent’s head down against a baggage screening area table, and punching the agent in the head several times with a closed fist. Coleman had to be restrained by several other TSA agents. In addition to being sentenced to prison, Coleman is banned from traveling by commercial aircraft during the three-year term of her court supervision. TSA officers are federal employees who work for the Department of Homeland Security to protect the nation's transportation systems. Their primary role is to screen passengers, baggage, and cargo for terrorism threats. Coleman’s actions resulted in the temporary closure of a Sky Harbor Airport Security Checkpoint while law enforcement responded. The Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00780-PHX-DLR RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-124_Coleman # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Two Men Admit Robbing Three Mail Carriers in St. Louis County

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS –Two men have admitted the armed robbery of three U.S. Postal Service letter carriers in St. Louis County in 2022 as part of a conspiracy to steal checks from the mail. Xavier Sean Boyd, 20, of Jennings, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday to three counts of robbery and two counts of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a robbery. Roy Lee Jones, 22, pleaded guilty August 13 to one count of robbery, one count of theft of a mail key and one count of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a robbery. Both men admitted being part of a group of five young adults who in the summer of 2022 engaged in a conspiracy to steal checks from the mail, illegally alter the checks and deposit them into the accounts of third parties. “This guilty plea is a testament to the hard work and dedication by Postal Inspectors and our local partners in bringing perpetrators of violent crimes to justice,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, John Jackman, who leads the St. Louis Field Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The Postal Inspection Service will relentlessly pursue criminals who victimize the general public and postal customers.” A masked Boyd robbed a U.S. Postal Carrier at gunpoint on June 1, 2022, on Chambers Road in St. Louis County, stealing the “arrow” key that opens collection boxes. The group then used that key four days later to steal mail from collection boxes in Berkeley, West Florissant, Normandy, Overland and Ferguson. They were unsuccessful in recruiting third parties to allow their bank accounts to be used, so Boyd and Jones used their own. On June 7, 2022, they deposited $19,199.60 in stolen checks into Jones' credit union account. They next day, they tried to withdraw $19,200, but only obtained a total of $8,500. The remainder was reclaimed when the fraudulent deposits were discovered. They deposited an unknown amount in Xavier Boyd 's bank account but were not able to withdraw any of the stolen funds. On the afternoon of June 9, Boyd was driving his mother’s SUV when Jones robbed another postal carrier of his arrow key. Boyd robbed a third carrier less than 20 minutes later, but the carrier noted the license plate of Boyd’s mother’s car and police spotted the vehicle within minutes. After a high-speed chase, Boyd crashed the SUV and both men fled, carrying pistols. Police tackled Boyd within feet of the SUV and arrested Jones on the front steps of a nearby day care center. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15. Boyd is scheduled to be sentenced December 18. The robbery charge is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The theft charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The firearm charges carry a penalty of at least seven years, consecutive to all other charges. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the St. Louis County Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Manchester Men Charged with Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – Three Manchester men were charged in connection with controlled substances violations, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Raynerson Marcos De La Paz Matos, 29, Randy Gabriel De La Paz Matos, 25, and Edwin Manuel Saldana, 27, were each charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The defendants were arrested on September 11, 2024, and appeared in federal court in Concord on the same date. The defendants are currently detained. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, the underlying investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Manchester Police Department involved a series of 10 controlled purchases of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine, in different locations in Manchester, New Hampshire. These purchases resulted in the total seizure of approximately 450 grams of fentanyl, 59 grams of cocaine, and 27 grams of crack cocaine. As a result of these purchases, DEA and Manchester police obtained and executed federal search warrants at two residences on Cilley Road and Dubuque Street in Manchester. The search of the Cilley Road residence yielded a total of more than 2 kilograms of suspected controlled substances and cash, while the search of the Dubuque Street residence yielded an estimated $59,000. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. 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 Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Suburban Chicago Tax Professional Admits Stealing More Than $1.1 Million in Client Funds

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago tax professional has admitted in federal court that he fraudulently obtained more than $1.1 million from more than ten clients under the false pretense that the money would be sent to the IRS and state revenue authorities to satisfy tax liabilities. ADAM R. OLIVA, 43, of Rolling Meadows, Ill., pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2024, to one count of wire fraud and one count of preparing a false tax return. The wire fraud count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while the tax count carries a maximum sentence of three years. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood set sentencing for Jan. 24, 2025. Oliva held himself out as a tax professional who did business under various names, including Oliva and Associates LLC and The Oliva Group LLC. Oliva admitted in a plea agreement that from 2015 to 2020, he fraudulently induced the clients to provide him with money for the purported purpose of paying the clients’ income taxes. Oliva instead kept the money for himself. Oliva also admitted that he filed false tax returns on behalf of some of the clients, reflecting no or lower tax liabilities in order to make it less likely that the IRS would contact the clients about their unpaid tax liabilities. The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office, and Vincent R. Zehme, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick D. Young. Earlier this year, Oliva pleaded guilty in a separate fraud case for duping investors who had provided him with money to fund purported short-term loans to clients. Oliva promised the investors that they would receive returns of 10-20% on their investments. In reality, Oliva never intended to make any short-term loans. Instead, he pocketed the investors’ money and used it for personal expenses, including gambling, meals at restaurants, and retail purchases. Oliva faces up to 20 years in prison in that case when he is sentenced on Oct. 18, 2024, by U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. Oliva plea agreement (23 CR 195) Oliva plea agreement (22 CR 178)


title: Sex Trafficker of Minor Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Harrison Lee, 43, of Northeast Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl for his own financial benefit, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. Lee pleaded guilty on February 8, 2024, to sex trafficking of a minor before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden. In addition to the 210-month prison sentence, Judge McFadden ordered Lee to serve 15 years of supervised release and pay $70,000 in restitution. According to court documents, in December 2015, Lee began advertising the minor for commercial sex on Backpage.com, a now-defunct website that had an escorts-for-hire section. Lee placed ads with headings such as “Young Exotic MIXED GIRL” on a near-daily basis from December 18, 2015, to January 24, 2016. The advertisements posted by Lee contained nude and sexually explicit images of the minor that constituted child sexual abuse material. Lee transported the minor to hotels in the Washington D.C. area as well as to other states up and down the eastern seaboard, including New Jersey and Georgia. He took all the money that the minor earned, rendering her completely dependent on him. After the victim turned 18, Lee continued to exploit her in commercial sex off and on for years, until the time of his arrest on July 20, 2023. Lee received at least $70,000 from her commercial sex work. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jessica Arco from the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenya Davis from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . 23cr213


title: Connecticut Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Connection With Theft of Firearms from St. Albans Gun Shop

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on September 16, 2024, Jonathan Mitchell, 33, of Meriden, Connecticut, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Mitchell previously pleaded guilty to stealing three firearms and conspiring to straw-purchase a firearm from a federal firearms licensee in St. Albans, Vermont. According to court records, in July of 2023, Mitchell provided a co-conspirator $300 to purchase a firearm for him from the gun shop in St. Albans. Mitchell could not legally purchase or possess the firearm himself because of prior convictions arising out of an armed kidnapping and home invasion for which he was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment. The transaction was delayed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and, several days later, Mitchell and a second co-conspirator returned to the gun shop and stole three firearms from its inventory. Mitchell was arrested in Connecticut in November of 2023. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest stated, “Straw purchases and thefts of firearms lead to violence in our communities. It is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to keep Vermonters safe from violence, and, as this case exemplifies, we continue to use significant resources to address crimes associated with violence in Vermont.” U.S. Attorney Kerest also commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. “When firearms are stolen from federal firearm licensees, they often end up fueling gun violence in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division James M. Ferguson “We are grateful for the strong collaboration between our law enforcement partners and federal prosecutors, whose efforts are essential in investigating and prosecuting these critical cases. Together, we are working to keep our communities safer by preventing stolen guns from being used in violent crimes.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Burris. Mitchell was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Florida Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Interstate Transport of A Minor and Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentences of two defendants who were convicted for child pornography offenses. Timothy Frederick Murphy-Johnson, 40, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to life in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of interstate transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity, one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography, and two counts of production of child pornography. Olivia Ashford Henn, 21, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to 276 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to produce child pornography, and two counts of production of child pornography. “The extreme acts of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse to which this child was subjected over six weeks are indescribable, and nothing short of horrific,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “These sentences account for the defendants’ vile acts of depravity and send a strong message that those who exploit children will face justice. Due to the tireless efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners this child was saved and returned to her family. We will continue to work together to protect our children and hold such dangerous criminals accountable.” In July of 2023, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) assisted the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with locating and recovering a 16-year-old girl that had been reported missing since June 10, 2023, from Corpus Christi, Texas. Investigation at that time had revealed evidence that the child may have been transported to the Gainesville area, although the identity of the responsible parties remained unknown. “Justice demands that this couple, who committed the unspeakable acts of kidnapping, physically restraining, drugging and repeatedly sexually abusing a child, be held to the fullest extent of the law,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “This life sentence serves as a solemn reminder HSI, alongside our partners at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, are committed to protecting the innocent and ensuring that such egregious violations of human dignity are met with unwavering accountability.” FDLE and ACSO engaged in extensive investigation using IP address information and prior contacts with Murphy-Johnson, a citizen of the United Kingdom residing in Gainesville, Florida, to locate the victim. Based on that information, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Murphy-Johnson’s residence, which was executed on July 25, 2023. Execution of that warrant led to the discovery of the missing child, who appeared severely fatigued and malnourished, within Murphy-Johnson’s residence. Law enforcement documented several injuries to the child, including ligature marks on her wrists and ankles, bruising, and several cuts and scrapes in various stages of healing. “Thank you to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security Investigations agents and investigators who so swiftly and meticulously worked this case and rescued the child from these heinous predators,” said FDLE Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Keesha Nauss. “These sentences help ensure that no other children will be terrorized by this criminal duo.” Investigation later revealed that Murphy-Johnson had met the child in a chat on the online platform Discord and had arranged for the child to be transported to his residence in Gainesville, Florida. Following the child’s arrival, Murphy-Johnson, along with co-defendant Olivia Henn, physically restrained the child within Murphy-Johnson’s residence, administered narcotics to the child, and engaged in the repeated physical and sexual abuse of the child until the child’s rescue on July 25, 2023. Co-defendant Henn was later arrested in Winter Garden, Florida, on August 4, 2023, and admitted to physically and sexually abusing the child on three separate occasions in Gainesville, Florida. Henn also admitted to lying to law enforcement over the phone on June 28, 2023, when ACSO deputies responded to Murphy-Johnson’s residence in reference to the child victim screaming for help. Forensic extraction of the electronic devices used by Murphy-Johnson and Henn revealed many images and videos depicting the physical and sexual abuse of the child victim. Investigation also revealed that the co-defendants administered narcotics to the victim on a regular basis, resulting in the victim’s overdose and resuscitation on at least two occasions. Murphy-Johnson, should he ever be released from prison, will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release. Henn’s imprisonment will also be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Both defendants will be required to register as sex offenders, and subject to all sex offender conditions. The Court also ordered forfeiture of the residence and property owned by Murphy-Johnson, which was used to house the victim during the commission of the offenses as well as electronic devices used to commit the offenses. Both defendants were ordered to pay $56,000 in restitution to the child victim. This conviction was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Williams and David Byron prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Doctor Charged in $32.7M Medicare Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana, returned an indictment today charging a Louisiana doctor for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare of over $32.7 million by submitting claims for medically unnecessary definitive urine drug testing services. According to court documents, Michael W. Dole, MD, 59, of Alexandria, owned and operated a pain management practice located in Alexandria, which had an in-house drug testing laboratory. From in or around January 2010 through July 2023, Dole allegedly billed Medicare over $32.7 million for definitive testing of routinely over 22 classes of drugs in urine specimens from nearly all his patients, despite a lack of documentation of use or suspicion of use of those drugs by the patients. It is alleged that Medicare subsequently reimbursed Dole over $11.7 million for the medically unnecessary urine drug testing claims, and Dole used the proceeds of the fraud on personal expenses. Dole is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and five counts of health care fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil of the FBI New Orleans Field Office made the announcement. HHS-OIG and the FBI New Orleans Field Office are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Samantha E. Usher and Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Sabine Parish Man Found Guilty by Federal Jury of Possession of Methamphetamine

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a federal jury returned a guilty verdict late yesterday evening against Huey P. Scott, Jr. , 63, of Many, Louisiana, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The jury acquitted Scott of one count of possession of firearms during a drug trafficking offense and one count of receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that agents with the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Tactical Narcotics Team conducted controlled buys of methamphetamine from Scott at his residence in Many, Louisiana, on three separate occasions in 2022. Testimony established that Scott was a frequent user and distributor of methamphetamine, and it was proven that he sold the drugs. After law enforcement conducted multiple controlled buys, agents executed a search warrant and arrested Scott at his residence. During the search of Scott’s property, agents found and seized a duffel bag containing a clear plastic bag which had approximately 139.31 grams of methamphetamine. In another bag, agents found what appeared to be smaller baggies containing smaller quantities of methamphetamine. The seized drugs were tested by the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory and found to be methamphetamine. Scott faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison, a $10,000,000 fine, or both, on the drug charge. His sentencing has been scheduled for January 30, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Shannon and Earl M. Campbell. # # #


title: Guilty Verdict Returned in 2022 Murder at East River Park

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Darius Anderson, 23, of Washington, DC, has been found guilty by a jury today, of first-degree murder while armed for 2022 killing of 30-year-old Israel Mattocks, in in the 3900 block of Minnesota Ave, NE., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Anderson was found guilty by a jury on September 18, 2024, following a one-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of one count of first-degree murder while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Marisa Demeo scheduled sentencing for December 13, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:00 a.m. on June 15, 2022, the victim, Mr. Mattocks, a shoe reseller, asked the defendant for help purchasing shoes from Shoe City located at the East River Park Shopping Mall. After the defendant failed to purchase the shoes for Mr. Mattocks, the two had a brief conversation and parted ways. A short time later, the two met again in another nearby local shoe store, DownTown Locker Room. Mr. Mattocks and the defendant had a brief argument. Afterwards, Mr. Mattocks left the store with another individual to return to Shoe City to buy the shoes the defendant failed to purchase. In the meantime, defendant Anderson walked home, dropped off his purchase from the DownTown Locker Room, and returned to the Shoe City. When the victim and the other individual walked out of the Shoe City, Anderson, was waiting, standing to the right entrance of the store, and fired numerous shots at Mr. Mattocks. Mr. Mattocks was shot at least six times – sustaining injuries to his left and right arms, his right chest, and his neck. He was pronounced dead a short time later. In announcing this verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ariel Dean and Stephanie Dinan.


title: Self-Described Racist Skinhead Sentenced for Race-Based Threats via Social Media Against Black Neighbors in Maine

body_text: A Lewiston, Maine, man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for threatening a Black family who lived in his apartment complex. Charles Allen Barnes, 47, previously pleaded guilty to one count of threatening communications in interstate commerce. In connection with his plea, Barnes admitted to sending a Facebook voice message in which he stated that he was outside a neighbor’s residence and would kill anyone who emerged. In the message, Barnes repeatedly used racial slurs to refer to the victims. “Violent and racially motivated threats have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant, a self-described racist skinhead, used social media to terrorize his innocent neighbors because they are Black. This sentence cannot undo the fear and trauma his hateful actions caused but should make clear that online threats come with real-world penalties. The Justice Department is steadfast in enforcing our federal civil rights laws to ensure all communities, including communities of color, are protected from hate-fueled threats of violence.” “The hate-fueled threat and his subsequent possession of a weapon nearby instilled fear in this family in the one place we all should feel safest,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “Hate of any kind will not be tolerated in Maine, and we will continue to pursue justice for victims of racial harassment, threats, and violence.” “Charles Barnes’ abhorrent behavior and racist threats put his neighbors through a horrific experience,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Division. “People of all races and faiths deserve to feel safe in their communities. It is our hope that today’s sentence helps the victims in this case heal, while making it clear to others that violence, especially borne from hate, will not be tolerated.” According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Barnes harbored longstanding racist views, espoused white supremacist rhetoric online and had described himself to an acquaintance as a racist skinhead. After hearing this and other evidence, the court enhanced the sentence based on its finding that Barnes intentionally selected his victims because of race. The court also heard that, several hours after Barnes sent the threatening message, police officers found him sitting outside of his apartment located in the same complex, armed with a large knife. Based on this evidence, the court imposed an additional sentencing enhancement. The FBI Boston Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Maine Attorney General’s Office and Lewiston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.


component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana returned an indictment today charging a Louisiana doctor for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare of over $32.7 million by submitting claims for medically unnecessary definitive urine drug testing services. According to court documents, Michael W. Dole, M.D., 59, of Alexandria, owned and operated a pain management practice located in Alexandria, which had an in-house drug testing laboratory. From in or around January 2010 through July 2023, Dole allegedly billed Medicare over $32.7 million for definitive testing of routinely over 22 classes of drugs in urine specimens from nearly all his patients, despite a lack of documentation of use or suspicion of use of those drugs by the patients. It is alleged that Medicare subsequently reimbursed Dole over $11.7 million for the medically unnecessary urine drug testing claims, and Dole used the proceeds of the fraud on personal expenses. Dole is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and five counts of health care fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri , head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil of the FBI New Orleans Field Office made the announcement. HHS-OIG and the FBI New Orleans Field Office are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Samantha E. Usher and Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Fort Pierce Man Pleads Guilty to Producing a Video of the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

body_text: MIAMI – On Sept. 13, Blaine Korbin Hulten, 23, pled guilty to production of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors. According to the court record, Hulten, of Fort Pierce, Fla., had sex with a 13-year-old minor and a 16-year-old minor, and recorded the sex act with the 16-year-old victim. Social media records contained Hulten’s conversations with both minor victims, as well as evidence that Hulten was aware they were under the age of 18. Hulten distributed the recording of his 16-year-old victim using a social media platform. Hulten is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18, before U. S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg. Hulten faces up to 30 years in federal prison, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and William D. Snyder, Martin County Sheriff, made the announcement. HSI Fort Pierce and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock is prosecuting it. 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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . If you have information regarding the sexual exploitation of a minor, please contact the HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case no. 22-cr-14027. ###


title: Hartford Man Admits Robbing Victims Who Advertised Goods on Internet Marketplaces

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JALEN LASALLE, 20, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to a series of gunpoint robberies targeting individual sellers of luxury goods over online marketplaces. According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF, the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Departments investigated a series of gunpoint robberies of individuals who advertised items for sale on internet marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. At an arranged meeting place to sell their items, which included cell phones and luxury sneakers and accessories, the purported purchaser would brandish a firearm, force the victim to hand over the luxury goods, and flee. The investigation revealed that Lasalle and John Villegas, also known as “Kirby,” committed five armed robberies in Hartford in late August and early September 2022. Villegas, with Valerie Meneses, also committed an armed robbery in August 2022 in Middletown. Lasalle was arrested on February 3, 2023. Lasalle pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years on each count. Lasalle is released on a $50,000 pending sentencing, which is scheduled for January 7. Villegas and Meneses, both of Hartford, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Villegas has been detained since his arrest on December 14, 2022, and Meneses is released on bond. This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and A. Reed Durham. U.S. Attorney Avery encouraged those who sell and purchase items online, and need to meet an individual in person to complete the sale, to use a visible, monitored location. Contact your local police department to see if it offers a monitored meeting location, or search online for a nearby monitored location.


title: Former Assistant District Attorney Indicted on Bribery, Money Laundering Conspiracy, and Other Felony Charges

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana returned an indictment today charging a former Louisiana Assistant District Attorney with conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, using his cell phone in furtherance of bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and obstruction of justice. According to court documents, Gary Haynes , 66, of Lafayette, conspired with Dusty Guidry, Leonard Franques, and others to solicit bribes and kickbacks and to accept things of value while Haynes was an Assistant District Attorney in the 15 th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (the D.A.’s Office). According to the indictment, Haynes oversaw the D.A.’s Office’s Pretrial Intervention (PTI) program–a program that offered an alternative to criminal prosecution for certain criminal offenders. Haynes approved defendants to participate in the program and then directed them to take classes from Franques’s companies. Those defendants paid money to take classes through Franques’s companies to complete the program and obtain dismissal of the criminal charges against them from Haynes. Haynes, Guidry, and Franques agreed that Haynes would receive kickbacks in exchange for accepting people into the PTI program, directing those people to Franques’s companies, and then dismissing the charges against the people who enrolled in and paid for the courses that Franques’s companies provided. Further, according to the charges in the indictment, Haynes and his co-conspirators discussed several ways to conceal the nature of the money that Haynes would receive from the kickback scheme, including having Haynes reactivate a defunct company during the conspiracy to hide the proceeds from the kickbacks. Finally, Haynes directed a coconspirator to alter, destroy, and conceal documents and records to prevent their availability in a future proceeding. Haynes is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, two counts of using his cell phone in aid of bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and obstruction of justice. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in prison. Franques pleaded guilty on January 12, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Guidry pleaded guilty on March 23, 2023, to two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Both Guidry and Franques are scheduled to be sentenced on October 24, 2024. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Brandon Bonaparte Brown for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement. The FBI New Orleans Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Steven Loew and Trevor Wilmot of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and John Nickel for the Western District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christian Elliott, 21, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 2, 2024, Elliott was on parole when his residence was searched as a condition of his parole supervision. The search revealed a loaded Glock model 43X 9mm pistol, a loaded Diamondback firearms model DB-15 multi-caliber pistol and a loaded Glock model 29SF 10mm pistol in the residence. Elliott admitted to possessing the firearms. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Elliott knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer in Lucas County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on September 7, 2022. Elliott is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-97. ###


title: Court-Authorized Operation Disrupts Worldwide Botnet Used by People’s Republic of China State-Sponsored Hackers

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: Actors Unsuccessfully Sought to Prevent FBI’s Disruption of Botnet WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced a court-authorized law enforcement operation that disrupted a botnet consisting of more than 200,000 consumer devices in the United States and worldwide. As described in court documents unsealed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, the botnet devices were infected by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers working for Integrity Technology Group, a company based in Beijing, China, and known to the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.” The botnet malware infected numerous types of consumer devices, including small-office/home-office (SOHO) routers, internet protocol (IP) cameras, digital video recorders (DVRs), and network-attached storage (NAS) devices. The malware connected these thousands of infected devices into a botnet, controlled by Integrity Technology Group, which was used to conduct malicious cyber activity disguised as routine internet traffic from the infected consumer devices. The court-authorized operation took control of the hackers’ computer infrastructure and, among other steps, sent disabling commands through that infrastructure to the malware on the infected devices. During the course of the operation, there was an attempt to interfere with the FBI’s remediation efforts through a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeting the operational infrastructure that the FBI was utilizing to effectuate the court’s orders. That attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the FBI’s disruption of the botnet. “The Justice Department is zeroing in on the Chinese government backed hacking groups that target the devices of innocent Americans and pose a serious threat to our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As we did earlier this year, the Justice Department has again destroyed a botnet used by PRC- backed hackers to infiltrate consumer devices here in the United States and around the world. We will continue to aggressively counter the threat that China’s state- sponsored hacking groups pose to the American people.” “The targeted hacking of hundreds of thousands of innocent victims in the United States and around the world shows the breadth and aggressiveness of PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said Eric G. Olshan, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This court-authorized operation disrupted a sophisticated botnet designed to steal sensitive information and launch disruptive cyber attacks. We will continue to work with our partners inside and outside government, using every tool at our disposal, to defend and maintain global cybersecurity.” “This dynamic operation demonstrates, once again, the Justice Department’s resolve in countering the threats posed by PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “ For the second time this year , we have disrupted a botnet used by PRC proxies to conceal their efforts to hack into networks in the U.S. and around the world to steal information and hold our infrastructure at risk. Our message to these hackers is clear: if you build it, we will bust it.” “The disruption of this worldwide botnet is part of the FBI’s commitment to using technical operations to help protect victims, expose publicly the scope of these criminal hacking campaigns, and to use the adversary’s tools against them to remove malicious infrastructure from the virtual battlefield,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI’s unique legal authorities allowed it to lead an international operation with partners that collectively disconnected this botnet from its China-based hackers at Integrity Technology Group.' According to the court documents, the botnet was developed and controlled by Integrity Technology Group, a publicly traded company headquartered in Beijing, China. The company built an online application allowing its customers to log in and control specified infected victim devices, including with a menu of malicious cyber commands using a tool called “vulnerability-arsenal.” The online application was prominently labelled “KRLab,” one of the main public brands used by Integrity Technology Group. The FBI assesses that Integrity Technology Group, in addition to developing and controlling the botnet, is responsible for computer intrusion activities attributed to China-based hackers known by the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.” Microsoft Threat Intelligence described Flax Typhoon as nation-state actors based out of China, active since 2021, who have targeted government agencies and education, critical manufacturing, and information technology organizations in Taiwan, and elsewhere. The FBI’s investigation has corroborated Microsoft’s conclusions, finding that Flax Typhoon has successfully attacked multiple U.S. and foreign corporations, universities, government agencies, telecommunications providers, and media organizations. A cybersecurity advisory describing Integrity Technology Group tactics, techniques and procedures was also published today by the FBI, the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force, and partner agencies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. JCSA: People’s Republic of China-Linked Actors Compromise Routers and IoT Devices for Botnet Operations The government’s malware disabling commands, which interacted with the malware’s native functionality, were extensively tested prior to the operation. As expected, the operation did not affect the legitimate functions of, or collect content information from, the infected devices. The FBI is providing notice to U.S. owners of devices that were affected by this court-authorized operation. The FBI is contacting those victims through their internet service provider, who will provide notice to their customers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, FBI’s San Diego Office and Cyber Division, and the National Security Cyber Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division led the domestic disruption effort. Assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. These efforts would not have been successful without the collaboration of partners, including French authorities, and Lumen Technologies’ threat intelligence group, Black Lotus Labs, which first identified and described this botnet, which it named Raptor Train, in July 2023. If you believe you have a compromised computer or device, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or report online to CISA . You may also contact your local FBI field office directly. The FBI continues to investigate Integrity Technology Group’s and Flax Typhoon’s computer intrusion activities.


title: Boynton Beach Man Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Sept. 16, Jacob Elijah Groover, 26, of Fort Pierce, Fla., was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison to be followed by two years’ supervised release by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, after previously pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. In October of 2022, during the execution of a car stop related to a drug investigation, Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputies found a Glock 19 9mm firearm under the driver’s seat of the car Groover was driving. Groover admitted that the firearm was his, and that he knew he was previously convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and William D. Snyder, Martin County Sheriff, made the announcement. HSI Fort Pierce and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-14052. ###


title: ATF honors U.S. Attorney Luger during annual awards ceremony

body_text: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Director Steven Dettelbach, with the assistance of ATF Assistant Director Marvin Richardson, presented U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, for the District of Minnesota, with the Honorary Award of Appreciation during the 28 th Annual Awards Ceremony held at ATF headquarters in Washington, D.C., Sept. 18, 2024. During the ceremony, U.S. Attorney Luger was recognized for his exceptional level of support to the overall mission of ATF. He was praised for being a steadfast ally to ATF in the fight to combat violent crime and was commended for his innovative strategy of both targeting those who are committing firearm violence and disrupting the supply of firearms to criminals. He was additionally recognized for leading public outreach and education efforts, raising awareness of the causes of firearms violence, and promoting evidence-based prevention strategies. The Honorary Award of Appreciation recognizes senior officials, the head of or the entire staff of a major department or organization that provided an exceptional level of assistance to an ATF field division or directorate. The Award of Appreciation is one of ten Honorary Awards given, in addition to the Memorial and Meritorious Award categories, all of which make up the award ceremony held annually in the Elizebeth Smith Friedman Auditorium at ATF Headquarters in Washington, D.C. ATF is the federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction involving firearms and violent crimes and regulates the firearm industry. For more information about ATF, go to www.atf.gov or follow @ATFHQ on Twitter. Follow @ATFStPaul on Twitter for ATF news in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.