title: Former Boston Police Sergeant Sentenced for Overtime Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former Boston Police Sergeant was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with an investigation of overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s (BPD) evidence warehouse. Gerard O’Brien, 66, of Braintree, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to two years of supervised release with six months to be served in home detention. O’Brien was also ordered to pay $25,930 in restitution and a $5,000 fine. In June 2021, O’Brien pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. From at least December 2016 through February 2019, O’Brien submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips for overtime shifts that he did not work at the evidence warehouse. The “purge” overtime was a 4 – 8 p.m. weekday shift intended to dispose of old, unneeded evidence. “Kiosk” overtime involved driving to each police district in Boston one Saturday a month to collect old prescription drugs to be burned. For the “purge” shift, O’Brien claimed to have worked from 4 – 8 p.m., but he and other members of the unit, routinely left at 6 p.m., or earlier. For the “kiosk” shift, O’Brien submitted overtime slips claiming to have worked eight-and-one-half hours, when in fact he and other members of the unit, only worked three-to-four hours of those shifts. As a supervisor, O’Brien endorsed fraudulent overtime slips submitted by the officers at the warehouse for those shifts. Between December 2016 and February 2019, O’Brien personally collected approximately $25,930 for overtime hours he did not work. To date, over a dozen Boston Police officers have been charged in connection with committing overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse. O’Brien is the seventh officer to be sentenced. From 2015 through 2019, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Russell W. Cunningham Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Kades Statement After Airline Group IAG Abandons Acquisition of Air Europa

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Kades of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division after International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (IAG) announced that it would abandon its proposed acquisition of sole control of Air Europa Holding S.L. (Air Europa): “The Antitrust Division is committed to protecting competition in the airlines industry. As a result of this abandonment, travelers between the United States and Europe will benefit from an industry rivalry that lowers prices, boosts quality and promotes choice. I am grateful to our enforcement partner, the European Commission, for its close and constructive collaboration with our staff on this important matter to safeguard competition.” IAG, headquartered in the United Kingdom, is the parent company of Iberian, Vueling and British Airways, among other air carriers. Air Europa is headquartered in Spain.


title: Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Derrick Lee Hodge, 35, of Beckley, was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 1, 2023, Hodge sold a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Beckley hotel where Hodge was staying. Hodge admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling controlled substances containing fentanyl to a confidential informant on January 26 and January 31, 2023, in Beckley. On February 2, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hodge’s Beckley hotel room. Officers seized a small bag containing cocaine, a set of digital scales with purple residue, plastic bags, $347 and a Ruger Model EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun during the search. Hodge admitted that he was distributing drugs out of the hotel room and possessed the seized firearm. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted 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. 5:23-cr-139.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Defrauding Biochemical Company and Diverting Products to China Using Falsified Export Documents

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: A Taiwanese national, Pen Yu, 51, was sentenced today to three years and eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $100,000, the proceeds of the wire fraud. Yu pleaded guilty on May 2. Co-conspirator Gregory Muñoz pleaded guilty on May 9, and co-conspirator Jonathan Thyng pleaded guilty on July 23. According to court documents, beginning in at least July 2016 and continuing through at least May 2023, Yu ordered biochemical products from MilliporeSigma, a subsidiary of multinational science and technology company Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with help from Muñoz, a MilliporeSigma salesperson, by falsely representing that Yu was affiliated with a biology research lab at a large Florida university. This fictitious affiliation led MilliporeSigma to provide Yu over $4.9 million worth of discounts and other benefits, such as free overnight shipping, not available to the public. Yu gave Muñoz thousands of dollars in gift cards for facilitating these fraudulent discounted orders. When the products arrived at the university stockroom, a stockroom employee diverted the products to Yu, who repackaged them and shipped them to China. To avoid scrutiny, Yu made false statements about the value and contents of these shipments in export documents. This scheme continued until MilliporeSigma compliance personnel identified certain orders as suspicious, prompting the company to retain outside counsel who voluntarily disclosed the misconduct to the Department of Justice’s National Security Division only a week later. MilliporeSigma made the disclosure well before its counsel had completed their investigation and understood the full nature and extent of the scheme. MilliporeSigma offered exceptional cooperation to the prosecution team, including by proactively identifying and producing documents to the Department that established probable cause to search residences and electronic devices of culpable individuals. MilliporeSigma’s cooperation allowed investigators to quickly identify the individuals responsible for the scheme, including Yu, Muñoz and Thyng, and secure their felony guilty pleas. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge John Johnson for the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry Security (BIS) Miami Field Office and Colonel Kelly Frushour of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, BIS and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the cases.


title: Five-Year Sentence for District Man Who Used a Firearm During a Drug Crime While He Was Under Investigation for a Stabbing

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Darnell Lamont Savoy, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today today to 60 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, which was revealed during the investigation into an October 2022 stabbing. The stabbing occurred while Savoy was on pre-trial release -- over the federal government’s written and oral objections -- in connection with the December 2018 shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Northeast. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Savoy pleaded guilty on April 17, 2024, to use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly. In addition to the five-year prison sentence, Judge Kelly today ordered Savoy to serve four years of supervised release. Despite the federal government’s written and oral objections, in 2021, Savoy was released from custody while awaiting trial in Superior Court on charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and related offenses stemming from the 2018 shooting. According to court documents, months later, on October 11, 2022, Savoy allegedly stabbed a person during an argument and fled the scene. Investigators tracked Savoy to the 3900 block of Southern Avenue, SE. On the morning of October 21, 2022, MPD officers and FBI agents executed a search warrant at an apartment unit where Savoy was staying with a woman and a 3-year-old child. During the search, law enforcement found a plastic bag containing 4.55 grams of an off-white powder, a digital scale with white powder residue, a red cut straw with white powder residue, and a two-pack of naloxone. The powder and the residues tested positive for fentanyl. In a blue jacket that contained Savoy’s ID and credit card, investigators discovered 27 zip baggies with an off-white powder weighing a total of 7.3 grams, 29 blue pills stamped M30, 16 red zip baggies containing an off-white powder weighing nearly 5 grams, and $473 in U.S. currency. The powders tested positive for fentanyl. In a hall closet, on top of a dryer, officers discovered a loaded, unregistered, semi-automatic Glock 30, loaded with 24 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. DNA testing linked Savoy to the firearm. The fentanyl recovered during the search warrant was found in a common area of the apartment that the three-year-old had access to, which could have led to the death or serious injury of the child. On March 29, 2024, Savoy and two co-defendants -- Jamal Matthews and Stefon Freshley -- pleaded guilty in Superior Court to their roles in the December 28, 2018, shooting of a father and son in the Clay Terrace neighborhood. Savoy was driving as Matthews fired 30 shots into an SUV in which the father and son were sitting. The boy was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The father sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand. The three men are scheduled to be sentenced for those offenses on August 30. The federal case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Long and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Stempel. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Hart and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam. The shooting of the boy and his father was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen and Sharon Donovan. 23cr0178


title: Human Smuggling Coordinator Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jesus Alexandro Sanchez-Armenta, 23, of Phoenix, was sentenced last month by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 72 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised released. Sanchez-Armenta pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit on February 22, 2024. Sanchez-Armenta coordinated and/or recruited his co-conspirators, through social media sites, including Snapchat, to pick up undocumented noncitizens (UNCs) in Southern Arizona and to transport them further into the United States for profit. Sanchez-Armenta provided his co-conspirators with instructions on how and where to pick up the UNCs. Either he or another member of the conspiracy would provide the co-conspirators with GPS coordinates for where to pick up the UNCs, and then provided them with transportation routes designed to circumvent detection by law enforcement. Homeland Security Investigations–Casa Grande and Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol–Tucson Sector conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-0259-PHX-DJH RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-106_Sanchez-Armenta # # # 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: Bethlehem Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography and Related Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Harold Daleus, Jr., 49, of Bethlehem, PA, was sentenced to 20 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for production of child pornography and related offenses. For years, Daleus wired money to the Philippines, in exchange for live access to the sexual abuse of children. Daleus paid Filipino child sex traffickers over $24,000, in order to view the live transmissions of children being sexually abused at his direction. In December 2022, Homeland Security Investigations seized Daleus’ electronic devices from his home and identified dozens of videos and images depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent children. The defendant was indicted in August 2023 and subsequently pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, the use of the internet to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations worked with law enforcement in the Philippines to secure convictions abroad of the involved child sex traffickers. “Harold Daleus paid for the ongoing sexual abuse of numerous children, providing explicit instructions for the vile acts that he wanted to watch in real time,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Whether they’re here at home or half a world away, we must protect our vulnerable young kids from exploitation by predators and traffickers. This sentence ensures accountability for Daleus and some measure of justice for those he victimized.” “HSI’s global reach, cybercrime expertise and dedication to protecting children in the U.S. and abroad has enabled us to bring this dangerous predator to justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Nathan R. Abel. “Our partnership with the tremendous prosecutors of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania continues to produce results for the American public and protect innocent children around the world.” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Allentown Resident Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Priya T. De Souza and Tatum Wilson.


title: Phoenix Man Charged for Role as Recruiter and Coordinator of Alien Smugglers

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Nathan Espinoza Jr., 22, of Surprise, was arrested last week for his role in recruiting a driver and coordinating the transportation of two undocumented noncitizens in March 2024, one of whom suffered fatal injuries after jumping out of the driver’s vehicle while it was moving. Espinoza was charged by criminal complaint with one count of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. The complaint alleges that, since at least March 2024, Espinoza has conspired with others to recruit drivers to transport undocumented noncitizens, in exchange for which he received approximately $1,000 per person transported into the United States. The complaint further alleges that Espinoza has acted as a middleman for other smuggling coordinators and has helped coordinate numerous smuggling loads, including the March 2024 smuggling event that resulted in the death of one of the noncitizen passengers. A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This arrest is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. This work was recently expanded to Panama and Colombia. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 24-MJ-03713-TUC-N/A (EJM) RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-107_Espinoza # # # 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: Foreign national sentenced for transporting over 15 kilograms of cocaine from Texas to Virginia

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Mexican national was sentenced today to four years and four months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, on Nov. 15, 2023, Jesus Alejandro Ibarra-Morales, 30, had crossed into the United States at the Veteran's International Bridge-Los Tomates Port of Entry at Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, using his border crossing card, and driving a Chevrolet Suburban with Mexico license plates. Ibarra-Morales then picked up two car dollies, the axles of which were packed with 15 bricks of cocaine, with a total weight of over 15 kilograms. Law enforcement agents received information that a shipment of narcotics was being transported from Texas to Richmond, Virginia, and on Nov. 27, 2023, agents learned that the Suburban was near the drop location in Richmond. Agents stopped the vehicle and identified Ibarra-Morales as the driver. A drug detection canine alerted to the presence of illegal controlled substances on the car dollies and a search of the axles resulted in the recovery of the cocaine. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-24.


title: Washington man who scammed pandemic relief programs sentenced to over five years in prison

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington man was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for wire fraud. According to court documents, from at least June 2020 through at least June 2021, Clayton Rosenberg, aka Kenneth Clayton and Kobe, 31, and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent applications to defraud multiple COVID-19 relief programs. Rosenberg used these stolen funds to increase his typical lifestyle, including luxury vehicle purchases and $1,800 for beard care products. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided emergency financial assistance expeditiously to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for such expenses as making payroll payments to remain afloat. Federal programs also expanded unemployment insurance (UI) eligibility and increased unemployment benefits during the pandemic to assist those who lost their jobs or were otherwise unable to work through no fault of their own. Rosenberg and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted at least 16 fraudulent PPP loan applications for businesses or purported businesses. In the applications, Rosenberg and his co-conspirators grossly inflated employee numbers and monthly payroll costs. They also created and submitted false tax returns and fake bank statements in support of the applications. After the financial institutions approved and funded the loan applications, the business owners would share the loan proceeds with Rosenberg and his co-conspirators. During this time, Rosenberg and a co-conspirator controlled various shell companies to which the business owners often would transfer a percentage of the PPP loan proceeds. The payout of these fraudulent PPP loans and the wire fraud conspiracy caused a total loss of at least $9.3 million, of which Rosenberg received at least $1,666,290. Rosenberg and his co-conspirators also submitted fraudulent UI applications using other individuals' personal identifying information (PII) that they obtained online. The benefits were issued on prepaid debit cards mailed to addresses the conspirators listed on the applications. Along with individuals' PII, the conspirators included false information in the applications and certifications, including false employment and wage history as well as false contact information. Rosenberg applied for and received over $110,308 in UI and pandemic unemployment assistance benefits. Rosenberg also possessed device-making equipment in his residence, including equipment to create fraudulent documents, black check paper, card stock for IDs, holograms used for passports and driver licenses, at least six fraudulent Social Security cards, and at least eight fake driver licenses. Rosenberg made at least two fake Burkina Faso passports and at least one unauthorized United States passport. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration (SSA) - Office of Inspector General (OIG) Philadelphia Field Division; Charles “Andy” Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police; Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Jason J. Scalzo, Special Agent in Charge of the Electronic Crimes Unit for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and Zachary H. Ray prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-61.


title: Casper man receives 200 months in prison for multiple drug and firearm offenses, including possession of a machinegun

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

body_text: Albert Rueben Gaines, 31, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment for felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a machinegun. According to court documents, in January 2023, DCI agents began receiving information that Gaines was involved in the use and distribution of controlled substances throughout the state of Wyoming. In June of 2023, several incidents occurred that led to the arrest of Gaines and the seizure of 11 guns, multiple rounds and calibers of ammunition and magazines, approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 62 grams (600 pills) of fentanyl, and approximately $11,000 in cash. Amongst the 11 seized firearms, law enforcement seized a Glock, model 17 that had been modified with a Glock switch conversion device. The Glock switch converted the semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic machine gun. Gaines was indicted on July 19, 2023 and pleaded guilty on April 14. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on July 31. This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the Casper Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Timothy J. Forwood. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office takes the illegal possession of firearms very seriously. Tracking down the sale, use, and possession of machine gun conversion devices is one of our top priorities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Eric Heimann. “Possession of these extremely dangerous devices is against federal law and our office will continue to vigorously prosecute these violations.” “I would like to recognize the outstanding work and continued cooperative relationship between our office, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Casper Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Brad Reinhart, V41 Special Agent/Team Leader, Central Enforcement Team, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. “Gaines, a previously convicted felon, was found in possession of multiple firearms, including stolen ones, firearm parts, and a machine gun,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “While armed he was also trafficking meth and fentanyl into the Casper community. This violent criminal will now serve more than 16 years in federal prison due to the incredible collaborative work of the Casper Police Department, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the ATF Cheyenne Field Office.” 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: Monona County, Iowa Kidnapper and Gunman Sent to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Monona County, Iowa man was sentenced today, August 2, 2024, to 16 years in federal prison. Allen Jones, age 35, from Ute, Iowa received the prison term after a March 19, 2024, guilty plea to kidnapping. Evidence in the case revealed on July 7, 2023, Jones called his employer and stated his car would not start and that he needed a ride to work. Jones supervisor instructed a co-worker to pick up Jones at his residence. When the co-worker pulled into the driveway, Jones lured the co-worker into the garage, pointed a loaded shotgun at him, and said we are “going for a ride.” Jones held his victim at gunpoint, forced him into his (Jones’s) car, and ordered him to drive to a near-by casino. Jones told his victim that he planned “to shoot up the casino” and use the victim as a human shield. On the way to the casino, Jones instructed the victim to change course, because he wanted to confront a former girlfriend before he committed the mass-shooting. Near Mapleton, Iowa, Jones further directed his victim to stop at a gas station, go into the store, and buy him food and beer. Jones warned his victim not to try to escape. The victim entered the store, selected some items, held them up to the window for Jones to see, but then set the items down and fled out of the back of the store. The victim ran alongside a storage unit, across a field, struggled across the Maple River, crossed another field, and ran onto an airfield where the victim found help. When law enforcement arrived, they learned Jones had left the gas station on foot. Jones was located and arrested. On his person Monona County Sherriff’s Deputies located methamphetamine and in the truck they located the loaded shotgun. A subsequent search of Jones’ home revealed additional firearms, ammunition, various prescription pills, methamphetamine, and other items of contraband. Jones has a lengthy criminal history including a 2013 federal conviction for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and a history of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine use. Jones was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Jones was sentenced to 192 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Jones is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Iowa State Patrol, Monona County Sherriff’s Office, and the United States Department of Justice-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-4048. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: 60 Year Prison Term for Man Who Shot and Killed a Man in Northeast D.C.

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Eric Davis, 61, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 60 years in prison for the July 2021 shooting of Theodore “Bino” Riley in the Kingman Park neighborhood. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). A Superior Court jury found Davis guilty of first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence or dangerous offense on May 2, 2024, before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe. According to evidence presented during the trial, on July 19, 2021, at around 7:33 p.m., Davis was captured on surveillance walking with the victim, Theodore Riley, to an alley adjacent to 1608 Gales Street Northeast. Once in the alley, Davis shot Mr. Riley once in the head. The defendant then quickly walked out of the south end of the alley and fled while attempting to change his outward appearance by putting on a long-sleeved shirt over the short-sleeved shirt he had been wearing. Mr. Riley was found in the alley face-down with a single .45 caliber casing at his feet. Davis was arrested on September 22, 2021. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Gibbons and Saman Danai of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl

body_text: A man who distributed fentanyl in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison. Colby Joseph Manley, age 26, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 8, 2024 guilty plea to four counts of distribution and aiding and abetting the distribution of a controlled substance and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, in April 2022, Manley distributed an amount of fentanyl to another person, which caused the person to suffer an overdose and die. Following the overdose, on six separate occasions between December 2022 and February 2023, under cover law enforcement officers purchased pills containing fentanyl from Manley. Manley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Manley was sentenced to 98 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Manley is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Johnson County Drug Task Force and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. The Johnson County Drug Task Force consists of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-41. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Great Falls woman sentenced to prison for embezzling from employer

body_text: MISSOULA — A woman who admitted embezzling money from her employer, a tire and service center in Vaughn, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $95,001 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. The defendant, Jennifer Sue Whiteford, 48, pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The government alleged in court documents that Whiteford worked as a bookkeeper for Darryl’s Tire and Service Center, located near Vaughn. From about 2017 and continuing through June 2022, Whiteford stole money from the business to pay for personal expenses without DTSC’s authorization. Whiteford wrote checks to herself from the business accounts and then changed the names of the payees in the accounting software to make it look like the embezzled funds were going to pay legitimate business expenses. In addition, Whiteford skimmed cash deposits from the company by taking cash that was supposed to be deposited into DTSC’s bank account and instead deposited the cash into her personal account. In total, Whiteford embezzled between $88,000 and $139,000 from the company. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Tahlequah Resident Sentenced To 30 Years For Child Sex Abuse And Exploitation

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gregory Neil Bias, age 41, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for nine separate counts of child sex abuse crimes, eight separate counts of child sexual exploitation crimes, and one federal firearm crime. Bias was sentenced to 360 months on nine counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian County, 360 months on two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, and 360 months on two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by a Parent. Bias was also sentenced to 240 months for one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 240 months in prison for one count of Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 240 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 240 months in prison for one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and 120 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm. The sentences are to be served concurrently. On January 18, 2023, Gregory Neil Bias pleaded guilty to 18 counts of the Indictment. On March 21, 2024, Bias’s co-defendant, Leiloni Blake Smith, age 30, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of eight counts of aggravated child sexual abuse, two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by a Parent, and one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Smith awaits sentencing in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service. The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to investigators, in 2020 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerted law enforcement to a Tahlequah-area internet user exchanging electronic files containing images of child sexual abuse. Agents identified, located, and arrested Bias in January of 2022 for distributing child sexual abuse materials. At the time of arrest, Bias resided with Leiloni Blake Smith. During the investigation, searches of electronic devices belonging to Bias and Smith uncovered multiple depictions of sexual abuse perpetrated by Bias and Smith on two children. Agents also located a firearm in the home which Bias could not legally possess because he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. Bias was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2022 of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a child, distributing, receiving, and possessing sexual abuse materials, and felon in possession of a firearm. The crimes occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “Gregory Neil Bias committed heinous crimes against innocent and vulnerable children, and his sentence marks a significant step in bringing a measure of justice for his victims, and making our communities safer,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “This case was the product of the great collaborative work done by federal prosecutors and OSBI, HSI, and FBI agents to ensure that child predators have no place to hide.” The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Bias will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States. 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 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 . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” . We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s website at www.cybertipline.com , call 1-800-843-5678, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or call 877-4-HSI TIP.


title: Tri Cities Man Who Attempted to Escape Law Enforcement Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Richland, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Sharte Dashon Kimble, age 32, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl. Senior United States District Court Judge Edward F. Shea imposed a sentence of 165 months in federal custody. At the time of the offense, Kimble was on supervised release following a conviction on federal drug and firearms charges. As a penalty for the supervised release violation, Senior Judge Shea imposed a penalty of 25 months which will be served consecutively to the 165-month sentence imposed in this case. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in June of 2023, the Missouri River Drug Task Force in Helena, Montana, developed information that Kimble was a large source of supply of illegal narcotics. Law enforcement arranged a controlled buy of fentanyl pills from Kimble at the Walmart in Kennewick, Washington. On June 15, 2023, Kimble was identified as the driver of gray Mercedes E350 that was parked in the Walmart parking lot. As the controlled buy was underway, multiple law enforcement vehicles approached the Mercedes, with the occupants wearing marked vests and their emergency lights activated. Kimble saw the units moving in and took off running towards Highway 395. Kimble tossed a bag of fentanyl pills and a cell phone away as he attempted to escape law enforcement. Investigators located the bag and phone. Inside the bag were two one-gallon-sized plastic bags that contained approximately 20,283 fentanyl pills. Investigators searched the Mercedes and located a loaded Glock .380 caliber pistol that had been reported stolen, a loaded magazine, cocaine packed in small plastic bags, almost $40,000 in cash, more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, as well as receipt for a storage unit in Yakima, Washington. Investigators searched the Yakima storage unit and located hundreds of rounds of ammunition, extended magazines, a Glock pistol, a Norinco rifle, a Colt. 22 rifle, a 2-pound brick of cocaine, and several vials of small blue pills. “Our community is safer and stronger today because of Mr. Kimble’s sentence. Despite a prior conviction on similar charges, Mr. Kimble was undeterred and continued to supply large quantities of deadly fentanyl and other illegal narcotics, all while possessing stolen firearms. Additionally, when investigators moved in to take Mr. Kimble into custody, he attempted to escape putting members of the Tri-Cities community at risk,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Prosecutors in my office, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to target those driving the fentanyl epidemic and hold them accountable.” “This sentence is clearly warranted based on Mr. Kimble’s extensive and expansive illegal actions involving firearms and narcotics,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “This was not the first time ATF has investigated Mr. Kimble, in fact he was on federal probation when he was arrested for these crimes, and we hope this sentence makes him reflect on, and change, his behavior.” This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri River Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Kennewick Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Perez and Stephanie Van Marter.


title: Rochester businessman pleads guilty to tax charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jeffrey Tome, 62, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that Tome owns Tome Enterprises Inc., which provides gutter repair and installation services in Rochester. For the tax years 2017 through 2021, Tome failed to deposit approximately 1,679 customer checks totaling $1,719,283.45 into Tome Enterprises Inc.’s business bank account, instead, cashing the checks at a local check cashing business. Tome then intentionally failed to advise the business’s tax return preparer of the money that was received from cashing the business checks, resulting in the $1,719,283.45 not being reported on the business’s corporate income tax returns. In addition, Tome failed to include the net profits from the corporation as income on his personal federal income tax returns, which resulted in Tome failing to pay personal income taxes totaling $330,137. Also, Tome paid his employees $407,573.60 in cash, which represented wages for which payroll taxes should have been paid. The payroll taxes that Tome failed to pay totaled $62,358.76. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso. Sentencing is scheduled for December 11, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci. # # # #


title: Niagara Falls man arrested on fentanyl charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Levester Rose, 46, of Niagara Falls, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, during an ongoing narcotics trafficking investigation in Niagara Falls, Rose was identified as an individual engaged in narcotics trafficking. Rose has a history of narcotics trafficking, with drug convictions in 1995, 2014, and 2020. On July 31, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at a 26th Street residence in Niagara Falls, a premises known to be utilized by Rose. During the search, law enforcement recovered packages of suspected fentanyl. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith Glass, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nick Ligammari, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michal Filicetti. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For Kidnapping And Death Of Woman Whose Body Was Found In Nevada Desert

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Pennsylvania man who was convicted by a federal jury was sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping a woman in Pennsylvania then driving her to Nevada and killing her in the desert. Following an eight-day jury trial in May 2024, John Matthew Chapman, was found guilty of one count of kidnapping resulting in death. United States District Judge James C. Mahan presided over the trial and sentenced Chapman to the maximum penalty. “The defendant violated the victim’s trust by luring her away from her family and friends in Pennsylvania and out into the Nevada desert where he viciously killed her,” said United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “This sentence should send a clear message to others that kidnapping and killing another person will result in a substantial prison sentence. Thank you to our federal and local law enforcement partners for their hard work in bringing justice for the victim’s family.” “Today’s sentencing holds the defendant accountable for the callous and brutal murder of an innocent young woman,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “We hope it will bring a sense of closure to the victim’s family, while affirming the FBI and our law enforcement partners' commitment to pursuing justice for those affected by violence.” According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, on November 14, 2019, the Bethel Park Police Department in Pennsylvania conducted a welfare check on the victim at the request of a friend. During the welfare check, neighbors stated that they had not seen the victim in approximately two months, but they had observed a person whom they believed to be her boyfriend (Chapman) entering and leaving the victim’s residence. Inside the victim’s residence, officers found identification cards with Chapman’s name and photograph, the victim’s cellular telephone, multiple zip ties, and a roll of duct tape. On November 15, 2019, Bethel Park Police Department detectives arrested and interviewed Chapman. During the interview, Chapman admitted that in September 2019 he drove the victim from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to Las Vegas, Nevada. He further admitted that he misled the victim to believe the trip was a vacation and they would potentially purchase a residence in Las Vegas. Chapman, however, had planned to kill the victim before their departure to Nevada. Chapman told investigators that he drove the victim out to the desert in Lincoln County, Nevada. Under the pretext of a bondage photo shoot, Chapman bound the victim’s hands and feet with plastic zip ties and affixed her to a signpost. Then he applied duct tape to her mouth and nose and watched her die from asphyxiation. The joint investigation revealed that Chapman returned to Pennsylvania. He pretended to be the victim, including using the victim’s Facebook messenger account, and he continuously used the victim’s residence and money following her death. The FBI, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada, and the Bethel Park Police Department in Pennsylvania investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Penelope Brady, Megan Rachow, and Steven Rose prosecuted the case. ###


title: Tonawanda man pleads guilty to production of child pornography

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael E. Swain, 36, of Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to production of child pornography, carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that between October 20 and November 1, 2021, Swain coerced five minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions. Specifically, Swain communicated with a 15-year-old minor female who resided in Colorado using Discord, a social media platform. The communications included sexually graphic conversations, during which Swain requested that the minor female take sexually explicit videos and images and send them to him. In addition, Swain engaged in numerous sexual communications with the minor female from approximately 2019 to 2022, during which other sexually explicit images and videos were sent to Swain. On February 28, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Swain’s residence and seized a desktop computer tower, a laptop computer, and an external hard drive, all of which were found to contain child pornography. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Buffalo Office Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Stanley Edwards III. Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: Jury Convicts Two for Conspiring to Traffic Counterfeit Levi’s

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 2, 2024 SAN DIEGO – After a three-day trial, a federal jury has convicted Marin Morales-Espinoza and Francisco Alvarado-Ramirez of conspiracy to traffic counterfeit Levi’s jeans labels, tags, rivets and buttons to make counterfeit Levi’s jeans. According to the evidence presented at trial, Morales paid people to smuggle counterfeit Levi’s pieces and parts into the United States from Mexico at the Calexico Port of Entry. Another co-conspirator paid Morales to drive the pieces to his home in Los Angeles. That co-conspirator brought the pieces to Alvarado at his factory in the Garment District to make the counterfeit Levi’s jeans. Tens of thousands of counterfeit Levi’s tags, buttons and rivets were seized at the Port of Entry. Over 2,000 completed counterfeit Levi’s jeans were seized from Alvarado’s factory. These fake Levi’s were sold at local swap meets by other co-conspirators. These are photos of the counterfeit parts: The Senior Director of Global Brand Protection for Levi Strauss & Co. testified that none of the co-conspirators worked for Levi’s. He walked the jury through the seized merchandise to explain how they were not genuine Levi’s products. “Counterfeit goods fool consumers and hurt retailers by diluting the value of a product and its trademark,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This case demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting consumers and retailers from fraud.” The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced November 1, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie Pierson and Sarah Akhtar, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Sanniti. DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr1356-JO Marin Morales-Espinoza Age: 63 Calexico, CA Francisco Alvarado-Ramirez Age: 50 Los Angeles, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Traffic in Counterfeit Goods and Labels – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2320 Trafficking in Counterfeit Labels – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2320(a)(2) Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2320(a)(1) Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $2 million fine INVESTIGATING AGENCY Homeland Security Investigations


title: Arkansas Man Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute More than 400 Grams of Fentanyl

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE – A federal jury convicted a Newport, Arkansas man yesterday of Conspiracy to Distribute more than 400 grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing Fentanyl. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl pills in Fayetteville, Arkansas from May to June 2023. The investigation identified Claude Dukes, Jr. , age 42, of Newport, Arkansas, as the source of supply for fentanyl being distributed by co-conspirator, Justin Alexander Ellis , age 36, of Fayetteville. The pills distributed by this group contained fentanyl made or pressed to look like M-30 Oxycontin prescription pills. Dukes was found to be responsible for over 400 grams of fentanyl distributed in the conspiracy through his own conduct and the conduct of co-conspirators. Duke is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date. Conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl is punishable by a minimum term of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Justin Ellis pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl on February 28, 2024, and is awaiting a sentencing date. Distribution of Fentanyl is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and were assisted by the following agencies: Benton County Drug Unit, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Rogers Police Department, Bentonville Police Department, Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Arkansas Department of Corrections Division of Community Corrections, and the Newport, Arkansas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sydney Stanley, Kevin Eaton, and Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov .


title: Tahlequah Resident Sentenced For Federal Firearm Crime

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Billy Lee Murphy, age 76, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a five year term of probation for one count of Possession of a Firearm with the Serial Number Removed. The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On October 12, 2023, Murphy pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 19, 2023, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at Murphy’s residence in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and found Murphy in possession of a Taurus revolver with the serial number removed or obliterated. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.


title: Chambersburg Man Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for  Hacking Into Social Media Accounts and Stealing Private Photographs

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Reginald Adams, aka “Reggie Adams,” 25, of Chambersburg, PA, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Court Judge Michael Baylson to 22 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release, for hacking into numerous social media accounts and circulating the victims’ private photographs. On January 30, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. From May 2020 to August 2021, Adams hacked into the Snapchat accounts of at least 20 female victims. Targeting mostly women he knew from high school, he tricked the victims into providing their account security codes by sending them text messages from anonymized numbers claiming to be Snapchat official staff. Once he obtained the security codes, he logged into the victims’ accounts and reset the passwords. He located any private sexually explicit photographs in the “My Eyes Only” section of the accounts and shared them with the victims’ contacts – their friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. Sometimes, he posted the victims’ private photos on public websites, along with the victims’ contact information, which led to victims receiving unsolicited messages from unknown individuals who had seen their private photos. He also extorted victims, tricking them into sending him photos by falsely promising to pay them, then using their photos to control the victims and extract more photos. “It’s truly hard to understand why someone would be this cruel,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “What’s crystal clear, though, is that Reginald Adams respects the law as little as he respects women. Again and again, he deliberately targeted, tricked, and took the most personal of photos from his victims, posting them online, violating their privacy, and causing significant emotional distress. We and our partners at the FBI take crimes like this incredibly seriously, and we’re committed to seeking justice for victims and accountability for cyber predators like Adams.” “When criminals attempt to exploit the privacy of those in our communities, the FBI and our partners will not stand idly by,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentence sends a clear message; if you commit such criminal activity, we will bring you to justice.” The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe.


title: Detroit Man Admits to Federal Drug Charges

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shakur Jones, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jones was the supplier of methamphetamine, cocaine base, and fentanyl for a drug trafficking conspiracy in Monongalia County, WV. As part of the investigation law enforcement officers searched a Morgantown residence and discovered over a kilogram of methamphetamine, and located Jones in one of the bedrooms. During a search of Jones’s phone, a photograph of 10 pounds of prepackaged methamphetamine taken two days before the search was recovered. Two other defendants, Nolan Eickleberry, 27, of Morgantown, and Dorian Myles, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, have each admitted to their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda Wesley and Christie Utt are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided. ###


title: Trenton Man Admits Assaulting Federal Agent With Deadly Weapon, Armed Robbery, And Discharging Firearm

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Trenton man today admitted assaulting a federal agent with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jabree Johnson, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court on July 31, 2024, to an indictment charging him with one count each of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, robbery with a dangerous weapon of an individual with custody of federal property, and using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence, in which the firearm was discharged. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On March 22, 2021, federal law enforcement officers were investigating firearms trafficking and other illegal activities in and around Trenton and Hamilton, New Jersey. A federal law enforcement agent, working in an undercover capacity, arranged to purchase multiple firearms from an individual later identified as Johnson. After arriving at an agreed-upon location for the firearms transaction, Johnson entered the undercover federal agent’s vehicle, and handed the agent a black, semi-automatic firearm. The undercover federal agent inspected the firearm and then returned it to Johnson and requested to see the other firearms that Johnson had agreed to sell. Instead, Johnson pointed the loaded firearm directly at the undercover federal agent and demanded money from the agent. The undercover federal agent provided Johnson with an amount of U.S. currency that the agent had on him to purchase the guns. Johnson then ordered the undercover federal agent out of the vehicle at gunpoint. The agent exited the vehicle as ordered and immediately drew a service-issued firearm and fired at Johnson, striking Johnson in the shoulder. Johnson also fired his handgun multiple times at the undercover federal agent. Johnson fled the area with the money. Johnson was later identified at a local hospital as the individual who had assaulted and robbed the undercover federal agent at gunpoint and placed under arrest. The charge of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of robbery of federal property with a dangerous weapon carries a maximum potential penalty of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which was discharged, carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum of life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2025. U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Trenton Satellite Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve E. Wilson; officers of the Hamilton Township Police Division, under the direction of Police Chief Kenneth DeBoskey; troopers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, and detectives and prosecutors of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton. johnson.indictment.pdf


title: Arkansas Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm Possession

body_text: HOT SPRINGS – A Little Rock man was sentenced yesterday to the maximum sentence of 120 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs. According to court documents, on June 23, 2022, a deputy with the Garland County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop in the 600 block of East Grand Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The deputy made contact with the driver, and sole occupant, of the vehicle Chantze T. Howze, age 30. As the deputy returned to his vehicle to investigate the information provided by Howze, Howze fled the scene in his vehicle. The deputy began pursuing Howze at speeds more than 100 miles per hour. A trooper with the Arkansas State Police assisted in the pursuit of Howze, whose vehicle traveled in and out of traffic and traveled into the oncoming lane. Howze ultimately lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a motel located at the intersection of East Grand Avenue and Coy Street in Hot Springs causing damage to the building. A search of the vehicle yielded 795 grams of marijuana and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 18 live rounds. Howze was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction of Possession with Purpose to Deliver Controlled Substance Schedule IV and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia to Manufacture. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Garland County Sheriff’s Department, 18 th East Judicial District Drug Task Force, Arkansas State Police and the 18 th East Prosecuting Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov .


title: Appling County man sentenced to federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BRUNSWICK, GA: An Appling County man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine. Christopher Eric Stone , 40, of Baxley, Ga., was sentenced to 68 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Stone to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. “Christopher Stone has a substantial history of arrests and convictions in Appling County, dating back more than two decades,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Significant time behind bars will provide the community with a measure of relief from his serial criminality.” As described in court documents and testimony, deputies from the Appling County Sheriff’s Office found Stone in possession of methamphetamine during a traffic stop and then, while he was on bond on state charges, again found him in possession of methamphetamine during another traffic arrest. Stone has a long history of criminal convictions for charges including drug trafficking and domestic violence, primarily in the Baxley area. “As Sheriff of Appling County, I am very thankful to our federal partners at the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Appling County Sheriff Mark Melton. “The sanctions we see through this partnership make a statement that we are not going to tolerate drug dealers and if they choose to do so here, there will be severe repercussions.” “The investigation and subsequent conviction of this criminal drug dealer demonstrates the DEA’s commitment to fight the drug traffickers who have no regard for the citizens of our community,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Division. The case was investigated by the Appling County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley R. Thompson.


title: Des Moines Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on Friday, July 26, 2024, to 120 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. According to public court documents, Jon-Richard Stamatelos, 63, possessed four internet capable computer devices in October 2023. Three of those devices—two cell phones and a tablet computer—contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. At the time of his offense, Stamatelos was a registered sex offender due to a 2023 state conviction for possession of child pornography in the Iowa District Court for Polk County. Stamatelos was found in possession of child pornography approximately seven months after he was sentenced in state court. After completing his term of imprisonment, Stamatelos will be required to serve ten years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Stamatelos was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, and Iowa’s Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Cape Canaveral Man Sentenced To Five Years In Federal Prison For Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed has sentenced William Alfred Harris (62, Cape Canaveral) to five years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Harris to forfeit the electronic device used in the commission of the offense and to pay a $250,000 fine and $22,000 in additional assessments. Harris entered a guilty plea on April 30, 2024. According to court documents, in January 2023, the FBI identified Harris as being a recipient or downloader of child sex abuse material (CSAM) on a file-sharing platform. Agents downloaded multiple images and videos of CSAM from Harris’s internet protocol (IP) address. In May 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Harris’s residence and seized his laptop. A forensic examination of the computer revealed CSAM, three file wipers, and encryption software. In addition to the 21 images of CSAM recovered on the laptop, the forensic examination also uncovered a pattern of Harris downloading, viewing, and then deleting CSAM. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. 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: Des Moines Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on Thursday, July 25, 2024, to 72 months in federal prison for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. According to public court documents, Carl Edward Gentry, 38, engaged in a Facebook conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old female for approximately ten months. Gentry then began a separate Facebook conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old female. During each of the conversations, Gentry graphically described the sex acts he wished to perform upon the females if they met him in person. Gentry also sent graphic images of his exposed genital area to the 13-year-old female using a texting application. After completing his term of imprisonment, Gentry 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 Altoona Police Department, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Illinois Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, ALABAMA – On July 31, 2024, a federal judge in Montgomery, Alabama ordered 31-year-old Brenden Neil Noel, a resident of Danforth, Illinois, to serve 35 years in prison for producing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. The judge also ordered that Noel remain on supervised release for life following his prison term. Restitution to Noel’s victims will be determined at a later date. There is no parole in the federal system. According to Noel’s plea agreement and other court records, in November of 2022, law enforcement received evidence of explicit communications on various messaging apps between an unknown individual and two females under the age of 14 in the Middle District of Alabama. Investigators discovered that the messages originated from Noel’s residence in Illinois and law enforcement contacted him shortly thereafter. Agents then examined various electronic devices belonging to Noel. They found, stored on the devices, numerous images and videos containing suspected child pornography. In his plea agreement, Noel specifically admitted that he had coerced victims he knew to be under the age of 14 to send him nude images. Noel also admitted that, while he participated in video calls with minor victims, he persuaded the victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Noel recorded the conduct using a second phone. Noel pleaded guilty to production of child pornography in federal court on April 2, 2024. During the investigation, agents learned that Noel had previously been convicted in Illinois of aggravated criminal sexual assault, requiring him to register as a sex offender. “Crimes targeting children are most disturbing,” said United States Attorney Ross. “Offenses like Noel’s have lifelong consequences for the victims. Through the hard work of law enforcement agencies, Noel will not be able to cause further harm to young people.” “Protecting our children is of paramount importance, and the FBI along with our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to prevent their victimization and to hold accountable those who abuse them,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . The FBI Mobile Field Office and the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Tara S. Ratz prosecuted the case.


title: Kennedale Tax Preparer Sentenced to 6+ Years in Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A Texas tax preparer who pleaded guilty to a $2.6 million tax fraud was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Anthony “Tony” Floyd, 51, was charged in June 2023 with ten counts of aiding in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns. On the morning of his trial, shortly after a jury was seated, Mr. Floyd pleaded guilty to all 10 charges. He was sentenced Monday to 77 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, who also ordered him to pay more than $1.9 million in restitution. According to court documents, Mr. Floyd filed approximately 400 fraudulent tax returns that included false information designed to increase the amount of refund owed to the taxpayer. He recruited victim “clients” outside big box stores and through other clients. He obtained their personal information, such as income and deduction information, via text or cell phone conversations, rarely meeting clients in person. Mr. Floyd purposely submitted the returns without reviewing with the taxpayer, then diverted all or most of the refund to his own account. The resultant tax loss to the United States exceeded $2.6 million. The tax filings included falsified W2s – filed on behalf of individuals purportedly working in catering, lawn care, event planning, interior décor, and other professions -- and included nonexistent charitable deductions, nonexistent college attendance, and even fictitious relatives. “Mr. Floyd’s sentencing sends a message that tax fraud is not a victimless crime,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. “Mr. Floyd took advantage of his neighbors by preparing fraudulent tax returns and trying to steal approximately $2 million from the U.S. government. His sentence of 77 months in prison holds him accountable for his crimes.” “Everyone must ensure what is submitted is true and accurate when filing their taxes, even if they are prepared by a professional,” Mr. Altemus added. IRS – Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl, Nancy Larson, and Mark Nicols (fmr) prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Trafficking

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 235 months in prison for importing 69.5 kilograms of methamphetamine into the U.S. from Mexico. According to court documents, Rey David Sonora-Villanueva, 36, of Nueva Rosita, Coahuila, Mexico, attempted to enter the U.S via the Eagle Pass Port of Entry on Feb. 26, 2020. During a vehicle inspection, Customs and Border Protection officers extracted 69.5 kilograms of methamphetamine from Sonora-Villanueva’s vehicle. Analysis of the seized methamphetamine revealed a purity level of 98%. Sonora-Villanueva was indicted for four charges related to the possession and importation of methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 28, 2021 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming and James Ward prosecuted the case. ###


title: Corpus Christi Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Transporting, Endangering Undocumented Noncitizens

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Corpus Christi man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 46 months in prison for conspiracy to transport undocumented noncitizens, placing lives in jeopardy. According to court documents, Thomas Bucciarelli, 40, failed to yield to law enforcement in Carrizo Springs on Aug. 20, 2022. Bucciarelli drove through red traffic lights and struck the driver’s side of a vehicle stopped at an intersection. Border Patrol agents located Bucciarelli’s vehicle in a parking lot, finding four passengers who were revealed to be undocumented noncitizens. Bucciarelli was taken into federal custody. He pleaded guilty to one count on Feb. 6, 2023. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Markovits prosecuted the case. ###


title: Statement Of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams On The Conviction Of Haji Abdul Satar Abdul Manaf

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: “Haji Abdul Satar Abdul Manaf, an international drug trafficker with deep ties to terrorist organizations, attempted to import large quantities of heroin into the United States while paying the Taliban and attempting to provide financial support to the Haqqani Network, another terrorist organization responsible for acts of terrorism against this country. After he was arrested and extradited to the United States, Manaf worked with others in Afghanistan to kidnap and intimidate a witness at gunpoint. Today, Manaf has been found guilty on all counts, and now faces significant time in prison for his attempts to exploit the heroin trade, fuel terrorism, and kidnap and threaten a witness. This verdict brings justice to the countless lives endangered by Manaf’s actions and hope to the many others under threat of terrorist organizations. It is thanks to the exceptional work of the career national security prosecutors of this Office, the DEA, and our international partners that Manaf has been brought to justice. This Office remains resolute in its mission to dismantle such dangerous networks and protect those fighting against terrorism.”


title: Dauphin County Man Indicted For Controlled Substance And Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Keane Jackson, age 38, of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for controlled substance and firearms offenses. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Jackson with possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possessing a firearm (.38 caliber Colt DA) in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. The case was investigated by the Dauphin County Criminal Investigations Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (Wes) Mishoe is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for the charges against Jackson is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons indicted are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Two Men Sentenced for Robbery Spree in Metro Atlanta

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Kujo Duako and Sammetrius Brooks have been sentenced for a string of armed robberies that targeted multiple businesses and a bank in metro Atlanta. “Duako and Brooks terrorized innocent victims and jeopardized their lives during this violent crime spree,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The men’s arrest and prosecution are an example of the excellent coordination that the FBI and our district’s local law enforcement partners routinely leverage to remove dangerous criminals from our communities.” “Carrying weapons into peaceful places of business and terrorizing hard-working citizens is something the FBI and our law enforcement partners will make every effort to prosecute and punish,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “These sentences should be a warning to anyone who would consider armed robbery in our community, and hopefully bring some comfort to the victims that were affected during the commission of these crimes.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On October 29, 2018, Duako attempted to rob a CVS store in the City of South Fulton, Georgia. During the robbery, Duako pointed a semi-automatic handgun at an employee and ordered her to walk to the cash register. Rather than comply with Duako’s demand, the employee fled to the rear of the store and engaged a fire alarm, thwarting the robbery. Later that day, Duako robbed a Dollar General store, also located in South Fulton. Again, he pointed a handgun at an employee and demanded cash. On this occasion, Duako stole cash and personal property from the employee. On October 30, 2018, Duako and a co-defendant, Sammetrius Brooks, drove to various locations in metro Atlanta, including an IHOP restaurant and a Family Dollar store in South Fulton, a Sprint store in Riverdale, Georgia, a Metro PCS store in College Park, Georgia, and a United Community Bank branch in Fairburn, Georgia. Duako robbed each of these businesses at gunpoint, stealing cash and cell phones. Brooks acted as the getaway driver. Less than two hours after the robbery at the United Community Bank, law enforcement apprehended Duako and Brooks. Law enforcement recovered more than $9,000 in cash in Duako’s possession – the approximate amount of money stolen during the five robberies on October 30, 2018. Police also recovered several cell phones that were taken during the robbery at the Sprint store. Kujo Duako, 35, of Ghana, West Africa, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jean-Paul “J.P.” Boulee on July 31, 2024, to 16 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Duako was convicted of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and armed bank robbery on April 24, 2024, after he pleaded guilty. Sammetrius Brooks, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by Judge Boulee on September 29, 2021, to 11 years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Brooks was convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery, armed bank robbery, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence on June 17, 2021, after he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Clayton County Police Department, South Fulton Police Department, Riverdale Police Department and Clayton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer and Joseph Plummer prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Trafficking Charge

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Wayne Burroughs (46, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure or actual methamphetamine. Burroughs faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, in 2022, federal agents began investigating Burroughs’s drug trafficking activity. Agents purchased pure methamphetamine from Burroughs at his residence in Jacksonville on three separate occasions using a confidential source. In 2023, agents identified one of Burroughs’s methamphetamine suppliers as Devan Hall. Between April and June 2023, agents observed Hall and Burroughs conduct multiple drug transactions in Jacksonville. In July 2023, agents arrested Burroughs and Hall on criminal complaints. Hall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure or actual methamphetamine. On January 8, 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.


title: Volleyball Coach Indicted for Sexually Exploiting Minors on Social Media and Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minnetonka man has been indicted for the production and receipt of child sexual abuse material and coercing and enticing minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on multiple occasions between approximately October 2014 and March 2024, Dorian Christopher Barrs, 32, used Snapchat, text messaging, and social media to engage minor girls in sexually focused conversations. Additionally, while in his position of trust as a volleyball coach, Barrs coerced and persuaded minor girls to engage in sexual activity with him and produce and send him sexually explicit material. Further, Barrs produced child sexual abuse material in which he is depicted engaging in sexual activity with minors. Efforts to identify additional minor victims reflected in records are ongoing. Some of the minor victims Barrs solicited for sexually explicit material or sexual contact have self-identified in records as being as young as 13 years old. Law enforcement is still working to identify and confirm the identity of many of the minor victims involved. If you believe you or your minor dependent(s) have been victimized by Dorian Barrs, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov . The indictment charges Barrs with four counts of production of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and four counts of coercion and enticement of a minor. Barrs made his initial appearance yesterday in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Minnetonka Police Department, Maple Grove Police Department, and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: St. Petersburg Man Sentenced To 13 Years For Possession Of Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, And Cocaine With Intent To Distribute

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Jason Washington (42, St. Petersburg) to 13 years and 1 month in federal prison for possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Due to the amount of methamphetamine Washington possessed, he was subject to a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. According to court documents, on April 13, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Washington’s residence. Inside the home, agents located more than 240 grams of methamphetamine, 225 grams of fentanyl, and 102 grams of cocaine. Agents also recovered more than $77,000 in cash and six firearms from inside the home. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. This case was 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on the following 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.