title: Mullins Man Sentenced to Nearly a Decade in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearms Crimes

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: FLORENCE, S.C. — Marquand Jerome Newell, 41, of Mullins, was sentenced to more than 9 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Evidence presented to the Court showed that, on September 28, 2022, Deputies with Dillon County Sheriff’s Office went to a home in Dillon, South Carolina to serve an Order of Protection. When they arrived at the home, they discovered Newell sitting in a vehicle in the driveway. Deputies made contact with Newell to determine if he was the individual they were looking for. Upon approach to the vehicle, Deputies detected the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. Newell admitted he had marijuana and handed Deputies a cooler containing a large bag of suspected marijuana. Newell also indicated there was something in the glove compartment of the vehicle that law enforcement should recover. In a search of the vehicle, Deputies found 33 grams of methamphetamine, 56 grams of cocaine, 13 grams of crack cocaine, and 27 grams of fentanyl. In the glove compartment of the car was a loaded .40 caliber Smith and Wesson handgun. Deputies found approximately $1,800 in cash on Newell. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced Newell to 117 months imprisonment, 57 months on the drug charge with 60 months consecutive on the firearm charge, to be followed by a 5-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by Dillon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Jury Convicts Self-Described Civil Rights Activist from Toledo of Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TOLEDO – Sir Maejor Page, 35, of Toledo, was found guilty of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering by a jury after a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick. According to court documents and testimony, in 2016, Page created a Facebook page for “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta” (“BLMGA”) and registered this organization as a domestic non-profit with the Georgia Secretary of State Corporation’s Division. In 2017, the IRS approved Page’s request granting BLMGA tax-exempt status under Section 503(c)(3) of the tax code, but dissolved this status in 2019. Page nonetheless accepted donations after falsely portraying BLMGA to the public as a legitimate charity engaged in social justice work, when in fact, it was not. Instead, Page used the money that individual donors gave to BLMGA not for social justice causes, but rather to buy items for his own personal use, such as a house and furniture. Page also committed money-laundering crimes when he bought these items with the donations that he fraudulently obtained. “The United States Attorney’s Office prioritizes the prosecution of white-collar criminal conduct, particularly conduct involving deceptive schemes that selfishly exploit a charitable donor’s goodwill for personal gain,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, for the Northern District of Ohio. “The donors to BLMGA thought they were giving their hard-earned money to a cause they believed in. But instead of using it to support that cause, Page used it for himself. The jury’s verdict is a warning to every fraudster that when you misrepresent how donations or other money given to you in trust will be used, you will be prosecuted and punished.” "Preying on the generosity of the public for personal gain is cold and calculated," said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. "The FBI and it's white-collar crime division along with our federal, state, and local partners will continue to aggressively find and investigate criminals who believe they can deceive others through shady business practices." No sentencing date has been set. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Rob Melching.


title: Foreign National Extradited from Chile to the United States for Kidnapping and Assaulting U.S. Army Soldiers in Colombia

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Colombian national was extradited from Chile to the United States yesterday to face charges related to kidnapping and assaulting two U.S. Army soldiers who were on temporary duty in Bogota, Colombia. Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, also known as Tata, 47, of Bogota, will make his initial court appearance today at 1:30 p.m. in Miami, Florida, before Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. According to court documents, Silva Ochoa and his co-conspirators targeted, incapacitated, and kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in Bogota in order to rob them of their valuables. On the evening of March 5, 2020, the two victims went to an entertainment district in Bogota to watch a soccer game. They visited a pub, where one of Silva Ochoa’s co-conspirators incapacitated the two victims by putting drugs, including benzodiazepines, in their drinks. Silva Ochoa’s co-conspirators then escorted the victims into a waiting car driven by Silva Ochoa, kidnapped them, and took their wallets, debit cards, credit cards, and cell phones. Silva Ochoa and his co-conspirators used one victim’s credit card and the other victim’s debit card to make purchases and withdraw money. The two victims lost consciousness until the following day, by which point they had been separated. Silva Ochoa is charged with kidnapping an internationally protected person, conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person, assaulting an internationally protected person, and conspiracy to assault an internationally protected person. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. One of Silva Ochoa’s co-defendants, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, was extradited from Colombia to the United States in April 2023 and pleaded guilty in January to the charges in the indictment. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole A. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case and escorted Silva Ochoa from Chile to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Miami Field Office, the Office of the Legal Attaché Santiago, and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s Office in Bogota provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Silva Ochoa. The United States also thanks Colombian and Chilean law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance. Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida 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: District Man Indicted on Murder and Assault Charges

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Benjamin Robertson, 33, of Washington, D.C., was indicted yesterday by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on second degree murder of a senior citizen, assault with a dangerous weapon committed against a minor, fleeing a law enforcement officer, tampering with physical evidence, and destroying property stemming from an event occurring on July 12, 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor, of the United States Park Police (USPP) announced. Robertson is to be arraigned on April 29, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge. According to the government’s evidence, on July 12, 2023, Robertson fled a traffic stop striking and killing Bing Wong and injuring a minor victim. Robertson was located and arrested after investigation by the United States Park Police. This case was investigated by the United States Park Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: Lumberton Gang Member Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison After Conviction for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – A Robeson County man was sentenced to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On November 29, 2023, a federal jury convicted, Quillan Inman of the charge. "This defendant’s long history of violence has finally caught up to him, now getting ten years in federal prison after a high-speed chase exceeding 90 miles per hour in Robeson County," said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. "We are proud to partner with the FBI and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office to prioritize cases involving violent felons undermining safety in Southeastern North Carolina." "I want to thank our federal partners for their continued collaboration with our agency and hard work to help us keep the residents of Robeson County safe," said Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins. "Gangs, guns, and drugs continue to be an issue in our county, and efforts such as this should send a message that we won’t tolerate it. A jury has spoken in this case, which I consider to be further evidence that people are fed up with this type of behavior." According to court documents and other information presented in court, Inman, 33, possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Robeson County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered this during a traffic stop involving a vehicle in which Inman was a passenger. The deputies initiated a traffic stop, but the vehicle initially evaded them, accelerating to speeds over 90mph. When the vehicle eventually came to a stop, a deputy observed Inman making suspicious movements toward the front of his hooded sweatshirt. Inman was ordered to step out of the vehicle. As Inman stepped out of the vehicle, the deputy saw the handle of a handgun sticking out of the pocket of the hoodie. He immediately cuffed Inman, who attempted to grab the gun as the deputy patted him down. The deputy also recovered suspected cocaine and suboxone strips. A search of the vehicle revealed three more firearms. Inman denied his possession of the firearm throughout the case even telling the jury at trial that the Sheriff’s Office planted all of the evidence in the case. Inman was previously convicted in North Carolina state court of robbery with a dangerous weapon and two counts of second-degree kidnapping as well as multiple breaking and entering charges. He has a lengthy criminal history spanning back to 2010. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Warlick and Phil Aubart prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-7-FL.


title: South Carolina Man Charged With Sextortion That Caused Death

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Glenn Daeward Boyd, 35, of Kershaw, South Carolina, was charged in a 7-Count indictment, alleging he engaged in attempted extortion, stalking, and 5 counts of wire fraud. The indictment is attached. “Nationally and here in Michigan we have seen a startling increase in the number of sextortion crimes – like we have alleged here – that result in the victim’s death,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We are fully committed to holding perpetrators of these crimes accountable. At the same time, I strongly urge everyone who carries a device or is active online to remain aware that criminals constantly troll the internet and social media, to not assume people are who they say they are, and to know that if you make a mistake, law enforcement is eager and ready to help.” The indictment alleges Boyd committed these crimes from August 2-4, 2023. According to the indictment, Boyd posed as an 18-year-old woman on a dating website, and he sent a nude image to the victim. While continuing to pose as the woman, Boyd told the victim he was actually 15. Boyd then posed as the 15-year-old’s grandparents, telling the victim the grandparents would report the victim as a pedophile to his family, friends, and the police unless paid. The indictment further alleges the victim died by suicide as a result of Boyd’s sextortion. “Our deepest sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the victim at the center of this case, said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “Sextortionists use any means necessary to exploit and deceive their targets, counting on the victim's feelings of shame and fear to achieve their goals. The FBI has several resources available to anyone who believes they may be a victim of a sextortion scheme. If you are uncomfortable reporting this crime to the FBI directly, you can rely on a trusted individual to do so on your behalf by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.” The FBI provides the following six tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes: Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you. Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers. Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims. Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform. Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next. Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone. If you have information about or believe you are a victim of sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at http://tips.fbi.gov . More information is available at https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion . The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. ###


title: Final Defendant Arrested During 2023 Joint Enforcement Operation in Carlsbad Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Offenses

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – The last of the eight defendants indicted following a joint law enforcement operation in Carlsbad last year pleaded guilty to federal drug offenses in federal court yesterday. Jesus Alonso Cerezo-Espidio , 51, of Carlsbad, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 5 grams and more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine. According to court records, on April 2, 2023, Cerezo-Espidio took possession of an ice chest which he knew to contain drugs from a co-conspirator in Mexico. Cerezo-Espidio was supposed to transport the drugs to Carlsbad, New Mexico, but not want to make the drive. Instead, Cerezo-Espidio left the ice chest in a car parked in El Paso, Texas overnight. The following day, Cerezo-Espidio ’s co-defendants, Kassandra Lee Perales and Carlos Venegas, Jr., arrived to pick up the ice chest and transport it to Carlsbad. Unbeknownst to them, law enforcement had seized the drugs overnight. Lab tests later showed that the drugs in the ice chest were 1,974 net grams of cocaine and 501.4 net grams of pure methamphetamine. Cerezo-Espidio will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing Cerezo-Espidio faces between five and 40 years in prison followed by a term of supervised release. Venegas, Perales, Amber Owen, Kinny Gonzalez, Jared Michael Moore, Brian Kain Purdy and Sabino Alfonso Maldonado each pled guilty to federal drug charges and remain in custody pending sentencings, which have not been scheduled. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, with enforcement assistance from the United States Marshal Service, Carlsbad Police Department, Eddy County Sheriff’ Department, Roswell Police Department, Chaves County Drug Task Force, DEA Airwing and Customs and Border Patrol. The New Mexico Air National Guard’s Air Unit, Artesia Police Department and Customs and Border Patrol’s Air Unit provided support during the operation on August 1, 2023. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Renee L. Camacho and Devon Aragon-Martinez are prosecuting the case. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The task force initiatives are also part of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), a federal grant program that supports law enforcement efforts to combat the drug threat in the state. # # #


title: Lawrence Jackson of Rutland Convicted of Federal Drug and Firearm Charges

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that yesterday, Lawrence Jackson, also known as “Boo-Bee”, 53, of Rutland, Vermont was convicted in U.S. District Court in Burlington of seven drug and gun charges after a seven-day jury trial. U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss ordered that Jackson remain in jail pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Jackson has been held without bail since his arrest in November 2021. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Jackson was arrested in Rutland City on November 23, 2021 while in possession of over 400 grams of powder cocaine and cocaine base. A Taurus Judge .410/45 caliber revolver was seized during a law enforcement search of Jackson’s Rutland residence. The Judge revolver was located in a bedroom identified as belonging to Jackson. A desk in the bedroom contained numerous items used for cooking, weighing, and packaging cocaine and cocaine base. Elsewhere in the residence, law enforcement located two more firearms. At the time The Judge was seized, the revolver was loaded with both .45-Long Colt bullets and .410 shotshells. Jackson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his extensive criminal history. Evidence at trial also established that Jackson sold cocaine in August 2020 and cocaine base in September 2020 to a confidential informant working at the direction of law enforcement. The jury also convicted Jackson of participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and over 500 grams of cocaine from approximately January 2021 until he was arrested on November 23, 2021. Jackson used firearms, including The Judge revolver, to further his drug trafficking conspiracy. For example, Jackson used a firearm to strike a man who owed him a drug debt. Based on the jury’s verdict, Jackson faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life. The actual sentence will be determined with reference to Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest commended the collaborative investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations, the Rutland City Police Department, and the Vermont Drug Task Force. U.S. Attorney Kerest also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Vermont State Police for their investigative assistance, Homeland Security Investigations for extensive support during trial, and the U.S. Marshals Service for assistance during trial. “Lawrence Jackson did a lot of damage to many peoples’ lives in the Rutland area, both by distributing cocaine and with physical violence,” stated U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest. “Thanks to the dedication of the team in this office and our many law enforcement partners who contributed to this investigation and trial, Mr. Jackson has been brought to justice. This guilty verdict and the focused effort put into this case by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners exemplifies our dedication to addressing violent drug crime in Rutland and throughout Vermont. We will continue to prioritize the prosecution of violent drug crime and will not rest in that effort as long as conduct like Mr. Jackson’s persists.” “Our investigation into Jackson painted a picture of a violent and cruel individual who used his reputation to perpetrate a string of crimes in Rutland. Yesterday, a jury found him guilty on seven counts related to drug trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm and now he’s facing a serious federal sentence. HSI is proud to work alongside our partners here in Vermont to make our communities safer,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “As a direct result of the collaborative effort between local, state, and our federal law enforcement partners, Mr. Jackson has been held accountable for the harm he inflicted upon many individuals and the entire Rutland community. We give thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont for its dedication to the prosecution of this matter,” said Rutland City Police Chief Brian Kilcullen. At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Ophardt and Nicole Cate represented the government. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig worked on this matter for the government during the pre-trial phase. Jackson represented himself at trial, and Robert Behrens, Esq. served as standby counsel. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: La Crosse Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Possessing Firearm as a Felon

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Shane Tucker, 30, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Tucker pleaded guilty to this charge on January 22, 2024. On July 20, 2023, La Crosse police officers responded to a reported domestic incident involving Tucker. The reporting party said that Tucker was carrying a handgun in his backpack, and another witness to the incident said that Tucker threatened to “shoot this whole place up.” When officers contacted Tucker, they found a loaded .22 caliber silver handgun in a backpack that he had been carrying but tried to hide. Tucker has two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. At sentencing, Judge Peterson was concerned that the firearm could cause great harm and noted that Tucker had an established pattern of domestic violence. Judge Peterson remarked that because Tucker’s conviction in this case was related to his long history of domestic offenses, a substantial period of incarceration was necessary to protect the public and send a message to Tucker. Tucker was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. The charge against Tucker was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney 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: Twelve Indicted for Drug Trafficking in Northern Panhandle

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Twelve people from Ohio and West Virginia have been charged with distributing cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that ten individuals from the Greater Cleveland area plus two more from the Ohio Valley have been indicted on federal drug trafficking charges. The cases were investigated by multi-jurisdictional drug task forces based in Weirton, Wheeling, and Moundsville which are comprised of local, state, and federal agents. “We have recently experienced a surge of drug traffickers from Northern Ohio traveling to West Virginia to sell drugs and engage in violence,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Our drug task forces responded swiftly to this influx and as a result, we were able to build cases, obtain indictments, and push back against the threat.” The individuals charged and the allegations each face are as follows: Deangelo Smith, age 45, Cleveland (cocaine distribution in Ohio County); Derrick Leflore, 35, Cleveland (cocaine distribution in Ohio County); Dontrell Ivery, 46, Cleveland (cocaine distribution in Ohio County); Alexander Davis, 43, Cleveland (methamphetamine distribution in Ohio County); Tiajuana Sharnna Greer, 29, Cleveland (cocaine distribution in Ohio County); Ahmere Williams, 20, of Akron (methamphetamine distribution in Marshall County); Demarcus R. Brown, 21, Akron (methamphetamine/fentanyl distribution in Marshall County); Michael J. Lloyd, Jr., 21, Akron (methamphetamine/fentanyl distribution in Marshall County); Sirvonte R. Suggs, 18, Akron (methamphetamine/fentanyl distribution in Marshall County); Stephan G. Ward, 32, Akron (methamphetamine/fentanyl distribution in Marshall County); Carol Hope Lucscious, 36, Wheeling, WV (cocaine distribution in Ohio County); and David Bushovisky, 47, Moundsville, WV (methamphetamine distribution in Marshall County) Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton Reid and Carly Nogay are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the United States. The matters were investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, and the Marshall County Drug Task Force, each one a HIDTA-funded initiative. An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Dauphin County Man Indicted For Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jaquan Ardrey, age 30, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for methamphetamine trafficking. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Ardrey with two counts of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Dauphin and Cumberland Counties. The charges resulted from an investigation by the FBI Capital City Safe Streets Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police, Harrisburg City Police, and Cumberland County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera 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. Under federal law, Ardrey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison, a term of supervised release, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Pharmacy Owner Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NERIK ILYAYEV was sentenced today to four years in prison for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar health care fraud scheme that targeted the Medicare and Medicaid programs and private insurance companies. ILYAYEV owned and operated two different pharmacies and submitted millions of dollars in fraudulent claims to the government health care programs and private insurers. ILYAYEV previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods, who imposed today’s sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Nerik Ilyayev took advantage of our nation’s health care system, which provides payments for critical medications for low-income HIV patients. He paid illegal kickbacks to these patients to use their billing information and took millions of dollars in reimbursements from the Medicare and Medicaid program for medications that he did not actually dispense. This prosecution and today’s sentence are part of our Office’s ongoing work in combating fraud in the health care system and ensuring that public resources are spent on patients who need them, rather than being fraudulently stolen by criminal actors.” According to the Complaint, Information, court filings, and statements made in public court proceedings: From approximately February 2021 through March 2022, ILYAYEV owned and operated a pharmacy in Manhattan (“Pharmacy-1”). ILYAYEV used Pharmacy-1 to pay illegal kickbacks to low-income HIV patients to recruit them to fill prescriptions for expensive HIV medications at Pharmacy-1. ILYAYEV did not actually obtain or provide HIV medications to these illegally recruited patients, but instead bought unopened bottles of pills back from the patients at a small fraction of their true value so he could re-use the same pills over and over again. ILYAYEV, on behalf of Pharmacy-1, then submitted fraudulent insurance claims to Medicare and Medicaid to cover the cost of the HIV medications he claimed to be dispensing. In order to conceal his role in the fraud scheme, ILYAYEV used the identity of another person (“Individual-1”) and pretended to be Individual-1 to own and operate Pharmacy-1. Medicare and Medicaid collectively paid approximately $5.2 million in fraudulent claims for HIV medications to Pharmacy-1. After shutting down Pharmacy-1, ILYAYEV took control of another pharmacy in Queens, New York (“Pharmacy-2”). Again, to conceal his role in the fraud, ILYAYEV used the identity of another person and pretended to be this individual to own and operate Pharmacy-2. Pharmacy-2 submitted fraudulent insurance claims to no-fault automobile insurance providers. Pharmacy-2 defrauded the no-fault automobile insurance providers of approximately $1.2 million. In addition, Pharmacy-2 unlawfully sold pharmaceuticals to other pharmacies that ILYAYEV had obtained from illegitimate sources. * * * In addition to the prison term, ILYAYEV, 36, of Queens, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution and forfeit more than $6 million. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. Mr. Williams also thanked the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor for their assistance in the investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cecilia E. Vogel and Thane Rehn are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Court Sentences Clarke County Man to 110 Months Imprisonment in Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – On March 14, 2024, United States District Court Judge, Terry F. Moorer sentenced Eriskey Lashon Crowell to 110 months imprisonment for his role in a multi-defendant drug trafficking conspiracy. Documents filed with the Court established that on January 7, 2020, a co-defendant in the case, Justin Bonard Douglas, was observed on a camera and by officers conducting live surveillance, making a hand to hand sale of drugs to Crowell in Prichard, Alabama. After Crowell left the location a Creola Police Department officer attempted to stop Crowell for speeding. Crowell fled from the officer and was observed throwing five bags out the window of his vehicle. After a pursuit Crowell was eventually stopped and arrested. Officers recovered three of the five bags observed to be thrown by Crowell. The three bags recovered contained a total of approximately 68.41 grams of cocaine. Further investigation revealed that Crowell had purchased cocaine from Douglas for four or more months, obtaining cocaine normally twice a week, and obtaining two to five ounces of cocaine at a time. Crowell’s two previous felony convictions triggered the career offender provisions under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. The investigation and prosecution of this case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mobile Police Department and the Creola Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.


title: Jury Convicts FCI-Greenville Inmate of Possessing a Weapon in Prison

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A man who was serving a prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Greenville was found guilty by a jury of possessing a weapon. Tavian C. Steward, 22, was convicted Tuesday on one count of possession of contraband in prison. “Inmates in possession of weapons pose a significant threat to correctional officers, prison staff and other inmates, and thanks to quick and efficient efforts by FCI-Greenville personnel, a dangerous situation was avoided,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, a correctional officer at FCI-Greenville received a tip Steward was in possession of a homemade weapon on Oct. 27, 2022. Following a pat-down search, correctional officers located a handmade weapon in the pocket of Steward’s jacket. "Thanks to the watchful eyes and proactive efforts of FCI-Greenville correctional officers, a potentially dangerous situation was averted,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Rodriguez. “FBI Springfield is committed to working closely with FCI-Greenville to help maintain the safety of their staff and inmates.” The weapon was a piece of metal sharpened to a point with brown fabric wrapped around the base as a handle. The weapon was approximately 5.25 inches in length. Possession of contraband in prison is punishable by up to 5 additional years’ imprisonment, which must be served consecutively to an inmate’s initial sentence. Steward’s sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on July 25 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. The FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation with support from FCI-Greenville officials. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Dean and Tom Leggans are prosecuting the case.


title: Two Drug Traffickers Arrested on Federal Charges  for Premeditated Robbery Scheme Ending in Murder and Arson

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A federal grand jury in Roanoke has charged a pair of Central Virginia men with multiple federal crimes related to a 2023 drug robbery and murder where one defendant sought to dispose of the victim’s body by setting it aflame. In an indictment returned April 11, 2024, the grand jury alleges that Joseph Richard Walker, a.k.a. “Joe,” 30, of Roanoke, and Garrett Isaac Williams, a.k.a. “Gary,” “Taz,” and “Tez,” 21, of Lynchburg, conspired to traffic marijuana; committed robbery; and conspired to commit robbery. Additionally, the indictment alleges Walker discharged a firearm to further the drug trafficking and robbery; possessed firearms as a prohibited person; and committed arson. “There is no higher priority for my Office than keeping our communities safe by prosecuting violent crime,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “The federal charges brought in this case show the determination of the United States Attorney’s Office — and our local, state, and federal partners — to hold those who commit these acts accountable.” “Our dedication to protecting the public from violent offenders in collaboration with our partners is unwavering. We will continue to work together to make our communities safer,” FBI Richmond Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador said. “This indictment highlights the steadfast commitment of federal, state, and local partners to hold violent criminals accountable.” “These two arrests are the result of the exceptional and relentless investigative work of law enforcement from a myriad of agencies," said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent. "Within 48 hours, our special agents had identified Walker and Williams as the murder suspects and had state charges placed thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the US Marshals Service, FBI, Roanoke City Police, Roanoke County Police, the Bedford County and Roanoke City Commonwealth's Attorneys, and Bedford County Sheriff's Office.” According to court records and public documents, beginning around January 2023, Walker and Williams conspired to sell large amounts of marijuana that they bought from the victim in York, Pennsylvania. By early April 2023, the defendants had accrued a $40,000 drug debt to the victim. Rather than pay the debt, they arranged a final marijuana delivery from the victim and planned to rob him when he arrived. On April 17, 2023, the victim traveled to Walker’s house in southeast Roanoke, where Walker shot the victim twice in the head and stole the marijuana. After killing the victim, Walker loaded his body into the trunk of the car and drove to a rural road in Bedford County where Walker set fire to the car. The Virginia State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the City of Lynchburg Police Department, and the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office are investigating the case. The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force also aided in the investigation and is comprised of officers from the Roanoke City Police Department, Roanoke County Police Department, City of Salem Virginia Police Department, the Vinton Police Department, and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Salem Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew O. Inman and M. Coleman Adams are 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. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Agencies Launch Portal for Public Reporting of Anticompetitive Practices in Health Care Sector

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today launched an easily accessible online portal for the public to report health care practices that may harm competition. The online portal, HealthyCompetition.gov , allows the public to report potentially unfair and anticompetitive health care practices to the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and FTC. The launch of the new portal advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to lower health care and prescription drug costs and help create more competitive health care markets that are fairer to patients, providers, payers and workers. “Competition in health care is crucial to ensuring fair and competitive wages across the healthcare sector and affordable and quality healthcare for all Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s launch of HealthyCompetition.gov – a one-stop shop to report potential violations of our competition laws to the Justice Department and FTC – will allow the agencies to collaborate early and often, helping to promote economic opportunity and fairness for all.” “All too often, we hear how unfair methods of competition and monopolistic practices may be depriving Americans of access to affordable, high-quality healthcare,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “This joint initiative between FTC, DOJ and HHS will provide a crucial channel for the agencies to hear from the public, bolstering our work to check illegal business practices that harm consumers and workers alike.” “Americans depend on competitive health care markets to provide quality choices and lower costs for coverage. That’s why we are working to tackle anticompetitive practices in the health care markets,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration and HHS know it is our responsibility to stop monopolistic, anti-competitive practices that undermine the delivery of health care to Americans. The information provided by the public will help to root out these behaviors.” Complaints will undergo preliminary review by staff at the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and FTC. If a complaint raises sufficient concern under the antitrust laws or is related to HHS authorities, it will be selected for further investigation by the appropriate agency. This action may lead to the opening of a formal investigation. The privacy and confidentiality policies that govern information submitted through the portal, including any personal information members of the public choose to provide, can be found at DOJ Privacy Policy , DOJ Antitrust Division Confidentiality Policy Regarding Complainants and FTC Privacy Policy HealthyCompetition.gov is the latest effort by the Justice Department, FTC and HHS to promote competition in health care markets to ensure that every American has access to high-quality, affordable care. As announced in December 2023, the Justice Department, FTC and HHS have continued to partner on new initiatives, which included a joint request for information to seek input on how private-equity and other corporations’ control of health care is impacting Americans.


title: Leader sent to prison in unemployment insurance fraud scam

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old man from Edinburg is the final man to be ordered to prison for fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits from the Department of Labor (DOL), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jose Luis Gonzalez pleaded guilty March 21, 2023. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered him to serve a total of 74 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $531,161 in restitution. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence and testimony that described how Gonzalez kept this fraud going on for a decade and caused substantial loss to the Department of Labor (DOL) and Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The court also heard how he kept the money from the citizens in our community who qualified for the benefits and needed those benefits. “Gonzalez and others committed substantial fraud against the taxpayers of Texas,” said Hamdani. “By creating fictitious companies, forging documents and ultimately cheating the TWC, Gonzalez kept money from people who truly needed it. Thanks to the work of law enforcement, Gonzalez will have to trade his fake companies for a real prison cell.” Beginning in August 2008, Gonzalez devised a scheme in which he filed fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). He created and provided several fraudulent documents to file for unemployment benefits. He then advertised his scheme on Facebook where he recruited and assisted others to do the same. Several others paid Gonzalez to assist them in making fraudulent employment benefits claims. Specifically, Gonzalez would create a fictitious employer account with the TWC to include an employer name, address and similar information. The address he created was his address or an address he controlled. TWC would mail a notice to the fictitious employer at that address, and Gonzalez would pretend to be the employer and respond to the TWC letter confirming the fictitious employment of the applicant. This caused TWC to generate and fund a debit card and mail it to a separate address Gonzalez or another individual controlled. Ultimately, the scheme resulted in approximately 50 fraudulent unemployment claims totaling $531,161. Nine others had also pleaded guilty and have already been sentenced. Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. DOL - Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Sarina S. DiPiazza prosecuted the case along with former AUSAs Steven Belt and Michael Mitchell.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms Charge

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

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced April 11, 2024, to 27 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon, following a guilty plea. According to public court documents, Keshawn C. Houtz-Mayfield, 21, was found to be in possession of a firearm during the execution of a search warrant at his residence. Houtz-Mayfield was a convicted felon at the time of the search warrant and knew he could not possess firearms. After completing his term of imprisonment, Houtz-Mayfield will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 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: United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (“OVC”) will join communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 21-27, 2024, and features the theme, “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” The theme aims to ensure that everyone in a community knows where and how crime victims and survivors can find help — including friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, or other trusted members of the community. Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2022, there were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.6 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.6 million, only about 42% were reported to police. The United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and right of victims of crime. Here, in the Western District of Tennessee, we have a dedicated Victim Witness Coordinator who supports federal crime victims by providing victims with essential services, including referrals to counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim’s compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court proceedings to provide support and guidance. These services provide victims with tools to reshape their futures. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of the art knowledge and practices across the United States, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can bae effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter partnerships with these officers. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week resources can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw . More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov .


title: Former Carroll County Coach And Substitute Teacher Sentenced To 17 Years In Federal Prison For Sexual Exploitation of A Child

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced Evan Thomas Harris Frock age 34, of Taneytown, Maryland, to 17 years in the Bureau of Prisons for sexual exploitation of a child. Frock, a substitute teacher and volleyball coach in Carroll County, Maryland, posing as a teenager, used social media accounts to meet and communicate with children and to encourage them to produce and send to Frock images and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit activity. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; Carroll County Sheriff James DeWees; Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department, and Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker. According to his plea agreement, from 2021 through May 2022, Frock, pretending to be a minor male and a minor female, used a variety of aliases on several social media platforms to communicate with other users, including eight minor victims, ranging in age from 9 to 17 years old. Specifically, Frock used the internet-based accounts and aliases to persuade, induce, and coerce the victims to produce sexually explicit images and videos of themselves and send those images and videos to Frock. On at least one occasion, Frock distributed a sexually explicit video of a minor male and sent images of his own genitalia to the minors to induce them to reciprocate. Further, Frock possessed several hundred commercially available images and videos of child sexual abuse material that depicted toddlers, violence, and bestiality. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Howard County Police Department, and the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn, who prosecuted the federal case. 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Traffickers sent to prison after multi-kilogram narcotics smuggling attempt

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – Two men have been sentenced for their roles in a cocaine smuggling operation, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Argelio Chavero, 51, Alton, and Agustin Romero Jr., 41, U.S. citizen residing in Mexico, pleaded guilty April 24, 2023, and Dec. 19, 2022, respectively, to importing 12 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 188-month-term of imprisonment for Chavero, while Romero received 57 months. Both must also serve five and three years of supervised release, respectively, following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence of Chavero’s lengthy criminal history which includes a prior attempt to smuggle 14 kilograms of marijuana in a vehicles’ spare tires and gas tank through the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. In addition, the court heard that drug trafficking runs in the Chavero family as his brother is also in federal custody for a 2021 conviction of importing meth. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Chavero has led a life crime. On April 24, 2021, Romero drove to the Hidalgo Port of Entry attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. Upon an x-ray inspection of the vehicle, law enforcement noticed anomalies in the gas tank. Further inspection revealed, four kilograms of marijuana and 12 kilograms of meth concealed within 33 packages inside the gas tank. Chavero recruited Romero and provided him with a vehicle at the Mexican entrance to the Port of Entry. Chavero initially denied knowledge of Romero and the vehicle; however, authorities confronted Chavero with photographs of him driving the vehicle with Romero as passenger. Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.


title: Wauchula Man Sentenced To 14 Years In Federal Prison For Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Richard Aldo Melendez (36, Wauchula) to 14 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking ring. Melendez entered a guilty plea on August 28, 2023. According to court documents, Melendez conspired with Ellen Jean Bivens (25, Zolfo Springs) and Abdon Rivera, Jr. (33, Lake Wales) to distribute methamphetamine in the Middle District of Florida. In late 2022, Melendez sold methamphetamine to undercover agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Then, in January 2023, troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol, in coordination with DEA, stopped Melendez and Bivens as they were returning from a trip to Texas. A search of their vehicle yielded nearly 15 kilograms of methamphetamine. Bivens was previously sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. Rivera has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.


title: Edcouch man imprisoned for downloading over 100 sexually explicit and violent videos of minors

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. A federal jury deliberated for less than 45 minutes before convicting Miguel Martinez Feb. 28, 2019, following a two-day trial. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Martinez to serve 168 months in federal prison. Martinez was further ordered to pay a total of $6,000 in restitution. Martinez will serve five years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Martinez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Martinez came to the attention of law enforcement following an investigation in the spring of 2012 into persons using the internet to traffic in child pornography. Authorities located and identified Martinez as a participant on a peer-to-peer network offering to distribute and receive videos of child pornography. On Nov. 14, 2012, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Martinez's residence, at which time they seized a computer and various external storage media devices. A forensic examination of the devices revealed 123 videos and images of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct including bondage and acts of violence against them. Some of the images are of known victims as identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In a subsequent interview, Martinez admitted to downloading the child pornography found on his computer and external storage media, which were stored in a folder labeled “Mike’s Stuff.” At the time of the trial, Martinez denied any wrongdoing and testified that he could not remember any of the events that transpired at the time of the execution of the search warrant. Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Ann Leo and Laura Garcia prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Palm Harbor Man Sentenced To Prison For Receiving And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced James Joseph Weishaar (65, Palm Harbor) to eight years in federal prison for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Weishaar to pay $27,000 in restitution to victims of the offenses and register as a sex offender. He entered a guilty plea on September 27, 2023. According to court documents, between March and December 2020, the FBI used a file sharing program to connect to Weishaar’s computer and download from it several files depicting the sexual abuse of children. In January 2021, the FBI executed a search warrant at Weishaar’s home and seized several electronic devices. A forensic search of those devices revealed more than 1,000 photos and over 100 videos of child sexual abuse material, including images depicting sadistic conduct and toddlers. In an interview with the FBI, Weishaar stated, “I don’t even know if it’s okay, but I’m attracted to it.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Tampa, with substantial assistance from the Largo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Ross Roberts. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Drunk Driver Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter and Assault

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Broderrick Ramon Coggeshell, 38, of Chinle, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Coggeshell pleaded guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury on January 30, 2024. In December 2022, Coggeshell, while intoxicated, crossed the center line of traffic with his truck and collided with a vehicle occupied by three brothers, killing one and seriously injuring another. Coggeshell and the victims are all members of the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation Criminal Investigations Division conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiyoko Patterson, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-08074-PCT-MTL RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-053_Coggeshell # # # 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: Former Army Servicemember Sentenced to Prison in Money Laundering Romance Scam

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Sanda G. Frimpong, 33, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to victims for laundering the illicit proceeds of an elaborate series of romance scams. Frimpong pled guilty to three counts of money laundering on September 14, 2023. “Romance scammers exploit our most vulnerable citizens, even our seniors and military veterans, sometimes leaving them financially and emotionally devastated,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The fact that an Army servicemember was involved in romance scams while serving as a soldier is appalling. We are partnering with the Department of Defense to drum out fraudsters and money launderers like Frimpong from our military ranks and put them in prison where they belong.” “Integrity is a core tenet of the armed forces and when servicemembers choose to compromise their integrity for greed, it tarnishes the reputation of all others serving in uniform,” stated Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “DCIS and its law enforcement partners will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold those accountable who cheat government programs and use online scams to prey on the most vulnerable.” Frimpong and other conspirators, engaged in elaborate scams, impersonating romantic love interests, diplomats, customs personnel, military personnel, and other fictitious personas for the purpose of ensnaring their victims by earning their confidence, including promises of romance, sharing of an inheritance or other riches, or other scenarios intended to fraudulently induce the victims to provide money or property to the conspirators. Frimpong then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds of these frauds through his various bank accounts across state lines and through his contacts in Ghana. Frimpong was also an active-duty Army servicemember stationed at Fort Bragg during the commission of the offenses up until shortly after his arrest in 2023. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III announced the sentence. Defense Criminal Investigative Service led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-0035-D.


title: Man Convicted For $110 Million Cryptocurrency Scheme

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Nicole M. Argentieri, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Timothy Langan, the Executive Assistant Director of the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced today the conviction of AVRAHAM EISENBERG of commodities fraud, commodities market manipulation, and wire fraud in connection with manipulation on the Mango Markets decentralized cryptocurrency exchange. EISENBERG was found guilty following a 10-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Moments ago, Avraham Eisenberg was found guilty by a unanimous jury in the first-ever cryptocurrency open-market manipulation case. This ground-breaking prosecution epitomizes this Office’s ability to employ innovative methods and cutting-edge law enforcement tools to continue to protect all financial markets. The career prosecutors of this Office continue their expertise in prosecuting financial fraud, one of our core priorities, and would-be financial criminals should think twice before daring to engage in illicit conduct on our watch.” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri said: “Avraham Eisenberg executed a manipulative trading scheme on a cryptocurrency exchange, defrauding the exchange and its investors out of $110 million. Manipulative trading puts our financial markets and investors at risk. This prosecution — the first involving the manipulation of cryptocurrency through open-market trades — demonstrates the Criminal Division’s commitment to protecting U.S. financial markets and holding wrongdoers accountable, no matter what mechanism they use to commit manipulation and fraud.” FBI Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan said: “The FBI and its partners will not stand by when criminals engage in illicit activity at the expense of the American people and our financial institutions. If you engage in fraudulent activity, whether that be in the cryptocurrency space or through other forms of market manipulation, you will be held accountable for your ill-gotten gains.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “With today’s conviction, Avraham Eisenberg now rightly faces justice for his duplicitous manipulation of virtual currencies on the Mango Markets exchange. The FBI will continue to ensure that any individual attempting to scheme and take advantage of financial markets, whether traditional or emerging, for personal gain be held accountable.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial: EISENBERG engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $110 million worth of cryptocurrency from Mango Markets and its customers by artificially manipulating the price of certain perpetual futures contracts. * * * EISENBERG, 28, of Puerto Rico, was convicted of commodities fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; commodities manipulation, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. EISENBERG is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the FBI and further thanked Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (“NCET”). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Burnett and Peter Davis and Trial Attorney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, a member of the NCET, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Ryan Sears and Jonathan Oshinsky. The NCET was established to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Within the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that are enabling the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and infrastructure providers. The NCET also works to set strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identify areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and lead the Department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.


title: Sterling businessman indicted for Covid-19 relief fund fraud

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Sterling businessman with wire fraud involving Covid-19 relief funds. According to court documents, Kent Tompkins, 55, made false statements about his criminal history on Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications for his business, J & B Construction. In 2018, the defendant was indicted on multiple felony grand theft charges in South Dakota and was convicted in August 2020. During the alleged scheme, Tompkins applied for two EIDL loans—one in May 2020 and one in November 2021. On both applications, which were submitted after he had been indicted and arraigned in South Dakota, Tompkins falsely stated that he had not been presently or recently subject to an indictment or arraignment for formal criminal charges. On the second application, Tompkins also provided false information about his prior conviction and probation. Tompkins allegedly obtained over $95,000 in relief funds through the first loan application and attempted to obtain $276,500 through the second loan application. Tompkins is charged with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1343. The defendant made his initial court appearance on April 17 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Weston King of the Small Business Association Office of Inspector General Western Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement. The Small Business Association Office of Inspector General and FBI Anchorage Field Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Buxton Man Sentenced for Threats Against the Jewish Community

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Buxton man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for transmitting a threatening interstate communication. U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Brian Dennison , 27, to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Dennison was found guilty by a federal jury on December 7, 2023, following a three-day trial. According to evidence presented during the trial, on September 8, 2021, Dennison posted on Twitter, “I’m going to kill jews with my ar15 tomorrow.” FBI investigators identified Dennison as the likely author of the threat and executed search warrants at his Buxton residence. Among the items seized were approximately 1,700 rounds of ammunition that could be fired from an AR-15-style rifle. Investigators also found evidence that Dennison had a long-standing animus toward Jewish people. In October 2021, investigators executed another search warrant at the property and found an AR-15-style rifle and ammunition in a case that had been hidden in the woods behind the residence. In imposing sentence, Judge Levy noted that threats like the one Dennison communicated are corrosive and strain the fiber of our country. He also noted that the core liberties enshrined in the Constitution are undermined by threats based on someone’s faith. “Brian Dennison communicated his violent anti-Semitic threat on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration,” said Darcie McElwee, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine . “Such repugnant threats have no place in any society. I commend the FBI for its excellent investigative work in this case. Under the First Amendment, you have a right to believe hateful things, and to express those hateful beliefs in lawful ways. But when your speech constitutes a true threat to kill or injure others, you will be held accountable.” “Our Maine Joint Terrorism Task Force is to be highly commended for its rapid response to Brian Dennison’s threat to commit mass murder with an assault rifle, born out of his long-standing hatred for Jewish people,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division . “Hate has no place here in Maine, and the fact that Mr. Dennison had the actual means to carry out his articulated threat is chilling. Protecting human life is our absolute priority, and the FBI stands ready to intervene whenever threatening language crosses the line into illegal activity.” The FBI and U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case. ###


title: Pittsburgh Health Care Facility Owner Indicted on 33 Counts, Including Fraud, Money Laundering, and Making False Statements Related to Health Care Matters

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of health care fraud, making false statements relating to health care matters, and money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The 33-count Indictment named Kelley Oliver-Hollis, 59, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, from December 2016 to July 2023, Oliver-Hollis, as owner of SerenityCare LLC, located in Penn Hills, schemed to overbill Pennsylvania Medicaid in connection with services SerenityCare provided to residents with intellectual disabilities. The Indictment asserts that, as part of the scheme to defraud, Oliver-Hollis failed to adequately train direct care workers in the proper care of residents, failed to keep adequate records, and allowed the residents’ homes to fall into a state of disrepair. In addition, according to the Indictment, Oliver-Hollis submitted false and fraudulent claims regarding the care and staffing provided to residents, which caused an overpayment of Medicaid benefits in excess of $2 million dollars. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the health care fraud charge; up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the false statements relating to health care matters charge; and up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on the money laundering charge. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Labor, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The United States Attorney’s Office’s efforts to combat healthcare fraud are frequently made possible by tips from the community. To report suspected fraud, please contact the FBI’s healthcare fraud tipline at WDPAhealthcarefraud@fbi.gov or the Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.


title: Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gary Allen Swift Jr., 62, pleaded guilty today to failure to provide information related to interstate travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about July 1, 2023 through on or about February 6, 2024, Swift failed to register or update his registration as required by SORNA after he relocated to West Virginia from Iowa. Swift is required to register as a sex offender and comply with SORNA because of his convictions for first-degree sexual abuse in Nicholas County, West Virginia, Circuit Court on March 18, 1986, and criminal sexual assault in Rock Island, Illinois, Circuit Court on November 20, 2006. Swift is scheduled to be sentenced on August 1, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, 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 United States Marshals Service (USMS). Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case. SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school. 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-27. ###


title: Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — David Tran, 36, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to money laundering, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between Oct. 18, 2022, and Jan. 11, 2023, Tran conducted multiple financial transactions involving funds he believed to be proceeds of cocaine trafficking. Tran’s belief was based on representations of a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The transactions involved the confidential informant giving Tran purported trafficking proceeds in cash in exchange for cashier’s checks payable to a fake company. Tran retained 10% of the cash as a commission. In total, the confidential informant gave Tran $90,000 in cash and Tran gave the confidential informant $81,000 in cashier’s checks. Tran engaged in the transactions intending to conceal or disguise the nature and source of the purported drug trafficking proceeds. As part of his plea agreement, Tran agreed to pay the U.S. Small Business Administration approximately $240,000 as restitution for payments he received based on fraudulent applications for funds under the Paycheck Protection Program. This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen is prosecuting the case. A sentencing date for Tran has not been set. Tran is scheduled for a status hearing regarding sentencing before U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on Aug. 1, 2024. Tran faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: York County Man Indicted For Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Porfirio Peralta-Nunez, age 45, of York, PA, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges. According to U.S. Attorney Gerard Karam, the indictment alleges that between November 2022 and October 2023, Peralta-Nunez engaged in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine into York County. The indictment further alleges that on October 23, 2023, Peralta-Nunez possessed five kilograms or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute the controlled substance. The case was investigated by the York County Drug Task Force, along with the Drug Enforcement Agency and the York City Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Monroe 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. The maximum penalty for the offenses is life imprisonment, a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $10,000,000 fine. A sentence for each of these offenses also includes a period of supervised release following imprisonment. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Chicago-Area Tax Preparer Indicted for False Tax Returns

component: Tax Division

body_text: An Illinois man made his initial appearance today on an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Chicago charging him with 21 counts of preparing false tax returns for others. According to the indictment, Byron Taylor, of Homewood, allegedly operated We Are Taxes Inc., a return preparation business. For tax years 2017 through 2020, Taylor allegedly prepared returns for clients that contained false information resulting in the clients claiming refunds to which they were not entitled. The false information allegedly included, among other things, fraudulent business losses and false deductions – including medical and dental expenses, gifts to charity and state and local real estate taxes – and unreimbursed employee expenses. If convicted, Taylor faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Boris Bourget of the Tax Division 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: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Lamar Tyrell Coles, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 23, 2022, a law enforcement officer arrested Coles on an outstanding warrant. Coles advised the officer that he had a firearm in his pocket. The officer recovered a loaded SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistol from Coles’ right sweatpants pocket which was zipped closed, concealing the firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Coles knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for felonious assault on March 31, 2017, burglary on March 17, 2014, and illegal possession of firearm in open air arena on December 12, 2011, all in Columbiana County, Ohio. Coles is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, 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 Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Francesca C. Rollo is prosecuting the case. 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. 2:23-cr-96. ###


title: Western Washington Carjacking Task Force part of federal effort to combat violent crime

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced today that the Western District of Washington is one of seven districts that are adding a carjacking task force to focus efforts and resources on this important public safety threat. “Our task force harnesses the resources of the FBI, ATF, the Seattle Police and Kent Police Departments. Prosecutors will look at all carjacking incidents in the district to see if federal prosecution is appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Where adults are using juveniles to commit these crimes, we will explore significant federal penalties to hold the adults accountable.” “The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do so by targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime and by acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. We’re seeing results — with violent crime declining broadly nationwide,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, we are launching seven new carjacking task forces across the country to build on the success of task forces in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where available data shows that carjacking rates are now falling. When prosecutors, officers, agents, and analysts come together to crunch data, share intelligence, and apply best practices, we can make real progress in the fight against all forms of violent crime, including carjacking.” “Addressing violent crime is a task that takes teamwork.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “I am proud to join with our law enforcement partners in the Seattle area to protect the communities we all call home.” In keeping with the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime , the task forces represent a strategic enforcement priority for the department, focusing federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Building on the initial efforts of and best practices learned from carjacking task forces in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Columbia, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Middle District of Florida, the following offices in seven other districts are announcing the creation of carjacking task forces in their communities: District of Oregon Eastern District of Texas Northern District of Alabama Northern District of California Eastern District of Louisiana Southern District of Mississippi Western District of Washington Carjacking and other violent crime task forces have proven to be an effective part of successful violent crime reduction strategies by focusing on significant crime drivers and taking violent offenders off the streets of our communities. For example, carjackings in Philadelphia declined by 31 percent from 2022 to 2023, and armed carjackings are down 28 percent in the District of Columbia this year to date compared to the same period in 2023. In Chicago, carjackings decreased 29 percent from the high in 2021 through the end of 2023. The newly formed task forces will be led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with state, local and other law enforcement partners. At an initial kickoff meeting, the task force members will come together to outline how they will share and act promptly on information related to car thefts, carjackings and the recovery of stolen or suspect vehicles. The task forces will also collaborate on how to use federal sentencing enhancements for cases where adults use juveniles to commit carjackings, as well as working with state and local authorities to ensure the appropriate handling of juvenile suspects. The task forces will also assist state and local officials who wish to seek Justice Department grant funding for juvenile intervention and diversion resources.


title: District Man Indicted on Carjacking and Kidnapping Charges

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Kevin Weaver, 31, of Washington, D.C., was indicted yesterday on carjacking and other charges stemming from the September 10, 2023, carjacking and kidnapping of a D.C. Neighborhood Connect driver, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. Weaver was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of carjacking a senior citizen, kidnapping a senior citizen, and threatening to injure and kidnap a senior citizen. Weaver was also charged with committing each of these offenses against a taxicab driver. Weaver is to be arraigned on April 30, 2024, at a hearing before the Honorable Erik Christian. Weaver faces a mandatory minimum of seven years’ incarceration if convicted of the charge of carjacking and is subject to enhanced penalties for having allegedly committed these offenses against a senior citizen and a taxicab driver. According to the government’s evidence, on September 13, 2023, at about 3:39 p.m., the victim, a driver for D.C. Neighborhood Connect, picked up Weaver and another individual at 1228 Perry Street NE and drove them to 501 Franklin Street NE, where both passengers exited the vehicle. As the driver began to drive away from the area, Weaver stepped into the middle of street, forcing the driver to bring his vehicle to a stop. Weaver then entered the Neighborhood Connect vehicle, demanded to be driven to 1228 Perry Street NE, and repeatedly threatened to kill the driver of the van. As the driver approached the intersection of 7th Street NE and Monroe Street NE, the driver stopped and exited the vehicle, and ran to a nearby police vehicle to seek assistance. Weaver then entered the driver’s seat of the Neighborhood Connect vehicle and drove to 1228 Perry Street NE, where he was apprehended by members of the Metropolitan Police Department. Weaver has been in custody since his arrest. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: Doctor Convicted of Improper Prescribing of Adderall

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A West Virginia doctor was found guilty today by a jury for the unlawful distribution of controlled substances and for destroying evidence of his crimes. David Elwood Hess, 60, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was convicted of four counts of improper prescribing and one count of destroying records in a federal investigation. The jury found that Hess wrote prescriptions for Adderall to his patients without a legitimate medical purpose and beyond the bounds of professional practice. The jury also found that Hess remotely wiped his iPhone after it had been seized by law enforcement. “Dr. Hess was reckless in his prescribing and put himself and his sexual desire ahead of the wellbeing of his patients,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “His sexual misconduct corrupted his decision-making and put his patients at great risk. Thanks to the jury’s verdict and the excellent work of investigators and prosecutors, Dr. Hess will be held accountable for his crimes.” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Cogar and Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Hess will be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Kleeh once a pre-sentence investigation report has been completed. ###