title: Arrestados dos colombianos traficantes de personas acusados en EE. UU.

body_text: Nota : Vea una copia de la acusación aquí (en inglés). El 13 de diciembre, las autoridades colombianas detuvieron a dos hombres acusados de conspiración para el tráfico de personas por trasladar migrantes a través de Colombia con destino a Estados Unidos. En el transcurso de dicha conspiración, se alega que los acusados habrían puesto vidas en peligro, entre otras cosas al colocar a algunos de los 40 migrantes y a dos capitanes de barco en una embarcación que desapareció de camino a Nicaragua tras zarpar de la isla de San Andrés el 21 de octubre de 2023. Hernando Manuel de la Cruz Rivera Orjuela, de 52 años, y Luis Enrique Linero Pinto, de 40 años, ambos de nacionalidad colombiana, fueron detenidos en Colombia a petición de Estados Unidos por su presunta participación en la operación transnacional de tráfico de personas, según una acusación obtenida el 23 de octubre de un gran jurado federal del Distrito Oeste de Texas. Según la acusación hecha pública ayer, los acusados participaron en una conspiración que traficaba ilegalmente con migrantes, transportándolos desde otros lugares a la isla de San Andrés, y desde allí a Nicaragua en embarcaciones, hacia el norte a través de América Central y México, antes de llegar a su destino final en Estados Unidos. Supuestamente, Rivera Orjuela y Linero Pinto aconsejaban a los migrantes cómo llegar a la isla de San Andrés, los recibían personalmente una vez llegaban a la isla, organizaban su alojamiento y los llevaban a las embarcaciones que los transportaban a Nicaragua para que pudieran entrar ilegalmente en Estados Unidos. Al parecer, Linero Pinto sobornó a miembros uniformados de la Armada colombiana para obtener información en tiempo real sobre la posición de las patrulleras de la Armada situadas entre la isla de San Andrés y Nicaragua, lo que permitió a las embarcaciones que transportaban a los migrantes evitar ser detectadas. “Gracias a la coordinación con nuestras fuerzas del orden nacionales e internacionales, hemos logrado el arresto de dos ciudadanos colombianos que, según se afirma, participaron en una operación de contrabando de personas que dio lugar a la desaparición de una embarcación en la que viajaban 40 inmigrantes”, declaró el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland. “Como deja claro esta acusación, la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alpha ( Joint Task Force Alpha, JTFA) sigue siendo una de las herramientas más eficaces del Departamento de Justicia para contrarrestar las insidiosas operaciones de contrabando de seres humanos que alimentan el sufrimiento y la explotación” “Durante más de tres años, la JTFA ha desplegado todas las herramientas a nuestro alcance para desarticular y desmantelar las redes de contrabando de seres humanos”, declaró la vicefiscal general Lisa Monaco. “Esta última acusación demuestra el compromiso continuado del Departamento [de Justicia de EE. UU.] para combatir el contrabando de personas en todo el Hemisferio Occidental y llevar a los responsables ante la justicia”. “La acusación alega que, como parte de su participación en una conspiración para traficar migrantes a los Estados Unidos, estos acusados pusieron a varios migrantes en el bote que desapareció frente a la costa de Nicaragua en octubre de 2023”, dijo Nicole M. Argentieri, viceasistente principal del Fiscal General y jefa de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “Esta acusación refleja la importancia de la expansión de la JTFA para abordar el contrabando de personas en Colombia y a través de ese país. El anuncio de hoy también subraya el compromiso de la División Penal de investigar y perseguir a las organizaciones delictivas transnacionales cuyo modelo de operar pone en peligro vidas humanas para obtener beneficios económicos”. “Como se alega en la acusación, estos imputados son acusados por su papel en la desaparición de docenas de migrantes, y las acusaciones detallan muchos de los peligros que se observan con demasiada frecuencia en la lucha contra el tráfico de personas; desde el soborno a los riesgos mortales que los migrantes toman todos los días”, dijo el fiscal federal para el Distrito Oeste de Texas Jaime Esparza. “Agradezco los esfuerzos combinados de la JTFA, de nuestros socios internacionales y de los fiscales implicados. Estas asociaciones son esenciales para desmantelar las organizaciones delictivas que nos afectan a todos y otorgan prioridad a las ganancias económicas ilícitas sobre la vida humana”. “Estos presuntos conspiradores orquestaron una compleja operación de contrabando de personas que arriesgaba imprudentemente vidas humanas a cambio de ganancias mal habidas”, declaró Katrina W. Berger, directora ejecutiva adjunta de la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional ( Homeland Security Investigations , HSI). Los dedicados agentes especiales de HSI trabajan con diligencia para combatir las empresas delictivas que se aprovechan de la victimización de personas inocentes. HSI mantiene su compromiso de desmantelar las redes de tráfico de seres humanos que explotan y someten a sus víctimas a condiciones peligrosas y opresivas. Estas organizaciones transnacionales se aprovechan de personas vulnerables, y HSI continuará desmantelando este tipo de operaciones. Cada uno de los imputados está acusado de un cargo de conspiración para inducir a extranjeros ilegales a venir, ingresar y residir en Estados Unidos y de poner en peligro una vida durante esa conspiración. De ser sentenciados, los acusados enfrentan una pena máxima de 20 años de prisión y una multa de hasta 250.000 dólares. Un juez del tribunal federal de distrito determinará cualquier sentencia tras considerar los reglamentos para las sentencias en Estados Unidos y otros factores estatutarios. La HSI está dirigiendo la investigación con participación de las oficinas locales en McAllen, El Paso y Cartagena. La Unidad contra el Contrabando de Personas de HSI, el Centro Nacional de Identificación del Grupo de Trabajo de Interdicción Internacional de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP) de EE. UU., y la Oficina de Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación Fiscal en el Extranjero (OPDAT) del Departamento de Justicia; la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales (OIA); y la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas (NDDS) de la Oficina del Agregado Judicial en Bogotá aportaron una valiosa asistencia. El Departamento de Justicia agradece a los oficiales de las fuerzas del orden colombianas que fueron instrumentales para profundizar esta investigación. El codirector de la JTFA Jim Hepburn y la vicedirectora Daria Andryushchenko y la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesos Especiales (HRSP) de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia de EE. UU. (DOJ) y el fiscal federal adjunto de Estados Unidos, José Luis Acosta, del Distrito Oeste de Texas se hallan procesando el caso. La sindicación de estos procesados es resultado de los esfuerzos coordinados de la JTFA. El fiscal general Merrick B. Garland estableció la JTFA en junio de 2021 para combinar los recursos del Departamento de Justicia para la investigación y procesamiento, en asociación con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) para combatir el aumento de los prolíficos y peligrosos grupos de contrabando y tráfico que operan en México, Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras. En junio de 2024 la iniciativa fue ampliada (en inglés) a Colombia y Panamá para combatir el contrabando humano en la zona del Darién. La JTFA está compuesta de miembros de las fiscalías federales de Estados Unidos a lo largo de la frontera del suroeste, incluyendo los Distritos Sur y Oeste de Texas, el Distrito de Nuevo México, el Distrito de Arizona y el Distrito Sur de California. El apoyo dedicado es aportado por numerosos componentes de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia, dirigida por HRSP, con apoyo de OPDAT, NDDS, la Sección de Lavado de Dinero y Recuperación de Activos, la Oficina de operaciones de aplicación de la Ley, la OIA, y la Sección de crímenes violentos y extorsiones. La JTFA también depende de la participación sustancial para la aplicación de la ley procedente del DHS, FBI, la Administración de Control de Drogas y otros asociados. Hasta el momento el trabajo de la JTFA ha resuelto más de 345 arrestos en el país e internacionales de líderes, organizadores e importantes facilitadores del contrabando de seres humanos; más de 290 condenas en Estados Unidos; la imposición de más de 240 importantes sentencias de cárcel y la incautación de importantes activos. Una acusación es simplemente una alegación. Se presume la inocencia de todos los acusados hasta que se prueben culpables sin lugar a dudas razonables en un tribunal de justicia. Esta traducción se proporciona como una cortesía y únicamente debe considerarse fidedigna la fuente original en inglés.


title: Brothers Re-Sentenced To 360 Months For Two Armed Bank Robberies And Conspiracy To Commit Armed Robbery

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Two brothers were re-sentenced to 360 months for committing two armed bank robberies and conspiring to commit a third armed robbery of an armored car in 1997-1998, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Charles Rodriguez, 58, of New Jersey and Joseph Rodriguez, 57, of New Jersey were originally convicted by a jury after an approximately six week trial in 1999 for conspiracy to commit two bank robberies and attempted robbery of an armored car, the two bank robberies, using firearms during the bank robberies, carjacking, an attempted robbery of an armored car, using firearms in relation to the attempted robbery of an armored car, and being felons in possession of firearms. Charles and Joseph Rodriguez were originally sentenced on March 30, 2000 to life sentences. Based on a challenge to the sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 2255, Judge Claire C. Cecchi dismissed one of the counts, Count Eight, for using firearms in relation to the attempted robbery of an armored car, due to intervening changes in the law. Therefore, Charles and Joseph Rodriguez were re-sentenced on the remaining counts. On July 19, 1997, four armed men—including Charles and Joseph Rodriguez—wearing masks and body armor and heavily armed with rifles and a handgun robbed the Corestates Bank branch in Woodlynne, New Jersey, terrorizing numerous civilian victims. The robbers hit multiple victims with the stock of their rifles, pointed firearms at victims’ faces, and threatened the kill them. After completing the robbery, the robbers got into a stolen vehicle and drove to an empty parking lot. There, they abandoned the vehicle, set it on fire, and switched to a second stolen vehicle. The robbers stole $64,039 from the bank. On May 23, 1998, three armed men—including Charles and Joseph Rodriguez— wearing masks and tactical gear robbed the Commerce Bank branch in Moorestown, New Jersey. Arriving shortly before the bank opened for business, the robbers shot out the plate glass entrance doors, pointed their firearms at victims, and threatened to shoot them. The robbers also fired three shots into the ceiling of the bank and six shots at a plexiglass door in front of a vault. After the robbery, the robbers first attempted to flee on a stolen vehicle. When the stolen vehicle stalled, they demanded the car keys of a bank employee at gun point. They stole the employee’s car and drove a short distance before switching to another vehicle. The robbers stole $15,373 from the bank. On September 1, 1998, Charles and Joseph Rodriguez, along with a co-defendant, Jose Soto, attempted to rob an armored car at the Walt Whitman rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike in Cherry Hill. When the defendants arrived at the rest stop, they were dressed in tactical gear, including bullet proof vests, and were carrying numerous firearms, including two machine guns. In total, they brought approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition to the intended robbery. Due to law enforcement intervention, Charles and Joseph Rodriguez were prevented from committing the intended robbery. On November 18, 2022, Judge Cecchi sentenced Jose Soto to time served—approximately 289 months— for charges connected to the attempted robbery of an armored car. He was acquitted of the two bank robberies. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the assistance leading to the re- sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clara Kim of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark and Norman Gross of the Camden Office. rodriguezetal.sindictment.pdf


title: Randolph County Man Admits to Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – William Durnal, 60, of Elkins, West Virginia, has admitted to methamphetamine possession and distribution. According to court documents and statements made in court, Durnal was part of a drug trafficking organization that was supplying large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Morgantown, West Virginia. In a separate case, during a search of his home, officers found hundreds of grams of methamphetamine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda Wesley and Stephen Warner are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. Investigative agencies include the Mon Metro Drug Task Force and the Mountain Region Drug Task Force, both HIDTA-funded initiatives. This effort 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 . U.S. Magistrate Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Honduran National Sentenced for Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – VARION ROGELIO LOBO-BARAHONA (“LOBO-BARAHONA”) , age 31, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on December 10, 2024 by United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. LOBO-BARAHONA was sentenced to time served, supervised release for three (3) years and payment of a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, on or about November 23, 2023, LOBO-BARAHONA, an alien present illegally in the United States, was found in possession of a Smith and Wesson handgun. Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) deputies observed a vehicle without a license plate being driven carelessly at a high speed, while attempting to flee, and succeeded in pulling over the vehicle. The JPSO then noticed a handgun in the defendant’s waistband. The gun, a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson Model SD40, was manufactured out of state and had been reported stolen. JPSO learned from federal immigration authorities that the defendant was a Honduran citizen, who had been deported on July 5, 2013 and had not received permission to come back to the United States. 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. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Justice Department Sues City of Brunswick, Georgia, for Trying to Close Christian Resource Center for Homeless Individuals

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced yesterday that it filed a lawsuit alleging that the City of Brunswick, Georgia, violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) through its efforts to interfere with and permanently close The Well, a faith-based resource center affiliated with the United Methodist Church for those experiencing homelessness. “Federal law protects the right of religious groups such as The Well to use their land to help others,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The division will continue to vindicate the rights of groups to exercise their religion and fight local land use laws that unlawfully restrict those rights.” “We will take the steps necessary, including filing suit, to protect religious exercise against unreasonable and improper restrictions,” said U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia. “This office will steadfastly defend against unlawful local action the right of institutions like The Well to lawfully use their land to help their communities as an expression of their religious beliefs.” The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia alleges that, since 2014, The Well, as an expression of its staff’s Christian faith, has operated a daytime hospitality and religious resource center for those experiencing homelessness, offering showers, laundry, meals and other services. In public filings seeking federal funding, the city touted The Well’s services as part of the city’s efforts to reduce and end homelessness, but the city later engaged in a campaign to close The Well, blaming it for unrelated criminal activity in Brunswick. Even after The Well adopted safety and security measures suggested by the Brunswick Police Department, the city filed a lawsuit in state court seeking to close it. The complaint alleges that the city’s efforts to close The Well have imposed a substantial burden on The Well’s religious exercise, that the city lacks a compelling interest and has not employed the least restrictive means of enforcing its purported interest. The complaint seeks injunctive relief prohibiting the city from substantially burdening The Well’s religious exercise. RLUIPA is a federal law that protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land. Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at USAGAS.Civil.Rights@usdoj.gov or the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (800) 896-7743, or may submit a report through the complaint portal on the Place to Worship Initiative website .


title: Gonzales Man Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud the COVID-19 Employee Retention Credit Program

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that a Bill of Information has been filed charging Damian R. Raby, age 41, of Gonzales, Louisiana, with conspiracy to launder money and obstructing the administration of the internal revenue laws, relating to a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud a COVID-19 economic relief program. According to the Bill, between August 2022 and April 2023, Raby devised a scheme to defraud the United States, through the Internal Revenue Service, by preparing and filing tax forms fraudulently claiming Employee Retention Credit (ERC) tax credits on behalf of numerous businesses purportedly located in the Baton Rouge area, businesses that either did not exist during the COVID-19 pandemic or that did not have any legitimate business activity prior to the pandemic. The ERC program was a new tax credit provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES” Act), intended to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, Raby would file documents with the IRS asking the IRS to assign Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) to the fraudulent businesses, he would open bank accounts in the names of the fraudulent businesses, and he would file tax forms in which he falsely represented the businesses’ number of employees and payroll amounts and falsely claimed that the businesses were entitled to large tax credits. According to the Bill, Raby filed fraudulent applications on behalf of dozens of businesses and caused the IRS to issue more than 30 checks totaling approximately $4.4 million. According to the Bill, as Raby and his associates received the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme, they would quickly make additional financial transactions to move the fraudulent proceeds among the various accounts Raby controlled, in an attempt to conceal, disguise, and spend the proceeds. The Bill alleges that Raby used the proceeds to make large payments on numerous luxury vehicles, the mortgage of his personal residence, and numerous other large purchases. Finally, according to the Bill, after Raby became aware of a pending investigation into his conduct, he obstructed and impeded the investigation, including by making false statements to an IRS agent, sending fictitious documents to the IRS, and encouraging one of the witnesses to provide false information to the IRS. This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with valuable assistance from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel, and J. Brad Casey. NOTE: A Bill of Information is an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty.


title: Thirty-four Individuals Indicted for Drug Trafficking within the Puerto Rico Prison System

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

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On December 12, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 34 individuals with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances within the Puerto Rico prison system, and other offenses, including charges relating to four overdose deaths. According to court documents, defendants distributed fentanyl, suboxone, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and synthetic marijuana within Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facilities. Members of the drug organization smuggled the drugs into the jails using unmanned aerial vehicles (“drones”) that carried packages containing the illegal substances. Other smuggling methods included the use of legal mail, family visits, official corruption/indifference, catapulting or throwing drugs into the prison yards (“ picheos ”), and hiding drugs inside other items brought into the prisons ( e.g. , PlayStations, remote controls, food items, and bags of ice). During the time period relevant to the Indictment, the illegal substances introduced by this drug trafficking organization also caused many overdoses, including at least four overdose deaths attributed to a drug mixture containing fentanyl. Many of the defendants arrested today were part of a prison gang known as Group 31 or “ Los Tiburones ”. Group 31 established and maintained control of the distribution of significant quantities of illegal substances within numerous institutions operated by the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Those institutions included, but were not limited to: Institución Correccional Guerrero, Aguadilla; Complejo Correccional Las Cucharas Sgto. Pedro Joel Rodríguez Matos, Ponce; Institución Correccional Bayamón (501); and Institución Correccional Guayama Máxima Seguridad (1000). The defendants charged in the indictment are: [1] Juan Carlos Ortiz-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Flaco” [2] Cristina Guevara-Casellas [3] Elías Martínez-Rivera, a.k.a. “Viejo-Coli” [4] José Luis Audain-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Wichy/Negre/Doble V-W/Dobleta” [5] Christopher Sánchez-Asencio, a.k.a. “Guayna” [6] Moisés Mojica-Torres, a.k.a. “Moi” [7] Ernesto Malavé-Santiago, a.k.a. “Ponce” [8] Steve Vergeli-Negrón, a.k.a. “Bocillo” [9] Jim Almodóvar-Quirindongo, a.k.a. “Jim Ball” [10] Ángel Abdiel Archilla-Montalvo [11] Efraín González-Serrano, a.k.a. “El Señor De Los Cielos/Junito” [12] Ernesto Vargas-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Golo” [13] Eddiber Pérez-Burgos, a.k.a. “Coamo” [14] Abraham Rodríguez-Cruz, a.k.a. “Bebe” [15] Alexander Alvarado-Almestica, a.k.a. “Bala” [16] Jensen Medina Cardona [17] Edgardo Santiago-Colón, a.k.a. “Cuco” [18] Edwin Sánchez-Rijos, a.k.a. “Tocayo” [19] Félix Serrano-Román, a.k.a. “Coba” [20] Harry Acevedo-Méndez, a.k.a. “La H” [21] Heriberto Romero-Corchado, a.k.a. “Eri” [22] James Santana-González, a.k.a. “Pilin” [23] Julio Vargas-Jiménez, a.k.a. “Julio Gatillo” [24] Kervin López-Torres, a.k.a. “Beethoven/Gordo/Gemelo” [25] Kevin Hernández-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Pesadilla” [26] Miguel González-Concepción, a.k.a. “Omy Barber/Omy Gallina” [27] Luis Meléndez-García, a.k.a. “Luisito Humacao” [28] Aníbal Ramírez-Alicea, a.k.a. “Nibby/Aníbal Martínez-Alicea” [29] Benny Rodríguez-Mercado [30] Christian Candelaria-Feliciano, a.k.a. “Garbanzo” [31] Donato Cortés-Matos [32] Wesley Correa-López [33] Milagros Jeanette Rivera-González, a.k.a. “Janet” [34] Minerva Román-Domínguez “Gang activity poses a grave risk of harm to our communities and within correctional institutions,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “For several years, these gang members and their associates distributed significant quantities of lethal drugs within the local prison system, through the enforcement of strict rules and violence. This indictment is the culmination of a coordinated federal and state law enforcement investigation aimed at dismantling this criminal organization.” “This operation represents a critical step in our fight against the influx of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into Puerto Rico’s correctional facilities,” said Denise Foster, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Caribbean Division. “By dismantling this organization and disrupting their use of drones to smuggle contraband, we are not only holding criminals accountable, but also saving lives. This success highlights the power of collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies, and underscores our commitment to protecting the people of Puerto Rico from the devastating effects of drug trafficking.” The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison on the drug trafficking and firearm charges, and a maximum sentence of ten years for the money laundering charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Drug Enforcement Administration is in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau Ponce Strike Force, Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Puerto Rico Department of Justice, Puerto Rico Forensic Sciences Institute, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Border Patrol, United States Customs and Border Protection, the United States Marshals Service, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge L. Matos of the Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Greenville man sentenced to prison for drug trafficking

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Aberdeen, MS – A Greenville man was sentenced today to more than five years in prison for selling illegal drugs. According to court documents, Damien Brown, 48, previously pled guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, a charge which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Brown today to 71 months of incarceration followed by five years of supervision upon release from prison. Following sentencing, Brown was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals. “This case demonstrates the continued effectiveness of our partnership with the Greenville Police Department,” US Attorney Clay Joyner said. “We will continue to hold accountable those that spread this poison in our communities.” “The Greenville Police Department will continue to use all available resources to pursue individuals that spread illegal drugs in our community. The distribution and use of illegal drugs such as methamphetamine has traumatic consequences that not only affect the user, but the entire community. We would like to thank each agency involved in the success of this conviction and for aiding us in creating a safer environment for individuals to work and live.” This case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Robert Mims.


title: Fox Point Man Sentenced to 24 Months’ Imprisonment for Investment Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 16, 2024, David Braeger (age 57), of Fox Point, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 24 months’ incarceration for committing an investment fraud scheme that resulted in a loss of over $2,500,000 to investors. According to court records, David Braeger was previously barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) from serving as a broker or otherwise associating with a broker-dealer firm. In 2017, Braeger incorporated an entity known as Blue Star Automotive Fund (“Blue Star”), in which he sold limited partnership shares to twenty-seven investors who gave him over $5.4 million for those shares. Braeger represented to those investors that those funds would primarily be used to fund an automobile dealership. Although Braeger provided approximately half of the money to the dealership, he misappropriated more than $2.5 million of investor funds in ways contrary to his representations. He spent his victims’ money on his own living expenses, including, but not limited to the purchase of several luxury vehicles and personal legal fees. Braeger also used his victims’ money to purchase the Silver Spring House Restaurant in Glendale, sponsor a NASCAR driver, and buy cryptocurrency. In addition to the Blue Star Scheme, Braeger also stole $100,000 from an investor as part of a venture he called IEF, which Braeger claimed would be used to fund litigation related to a Ugandan Energy company. Instead, Braeger misappropriated most of that money for his own personal use. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman focused on the pain and suffering Braeger caused to his victims and noted that Braeger’s crime called for a significant period of incarceration because Braeger was motivated by “greed and self-aggrandizement.” In addition to the 24-month period of incarceration, Braeger was ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $2,535,103.19. “Mr. Braeger, who held no other job and earned no other income during the relevant period, used his background and connections to steal millions of dollars from over two dozen victims,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Braeger also added insult to the extensive financial injuries he caused, seeking to intimidate or bully some victims even after his scheme began unraveling. I commend all involved in seeking to hold Mr. Braeger accountable for his actions and for pursuing justice for his victims.” “Mr. Braeger was brought to justice for engaging in a fraudulent scheme that duped investors and caused them losses of over $2.5 million, while he selfishly used the fraudulently obtained money to fund his own personal living expenses,” said Special Agent in Charge Vincent R. Zehme, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General Chicago Region. “The FDIC OIG will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who orchestrate such schemes that harm consumers and undermine the integrity of our Nation’s financial system.” The case was referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. It was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie F. Stewart. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Real Estate Developer Sentenced to Nearly 13 Years in Prison for Embezzling Millions From the Failed Washington Federal Bank in Chicago

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a real estate developer to nearly 13 years in prison for participating in a conspiracy that embezzled millions of dollars from the failed Washington Federal Bank for Savings in Chicago. Washington Federal, which was based in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, was shut down in 2017 after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determined that the bank was insolvent and had at least $66 million in nonperforming loans. For more than a decade, developer MAREK MATCZUK was part of a conspiracy that embezzled millions of dollars in bank funds. The embezzled funds were disguised as purported real estate development loan disbursements to Matczuk and others. The conspirators were not required to repay these purported loans, and they never did. A jury in federal court last year convicted Matczuk, 61, of Park Ridge, Ill., of conspiring to commit embezzlement and falsify bank records, and aiding and abetting embezzlement by bank employees. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Matczuk to 12 years and eleven months in prison and ordered him to pay more than $5.9 million in restitution. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Vincent R. Zehme, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General; Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General in Chicago; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office; Korey Brinkman, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Andrea Peacock, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General; Deborah Witzburg, City of Chicago Inspector General; and Kathryn B. Richards, Chicago Housing Authority Inspector General. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Petersen, Kristin Pinkston, and Jeffrey Snell, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Netols. The federal investigation into the collapse of Washington Federal led to criminal charges against 16 defendants, including the bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and other high-ranking employees, for conspiring to embezzle at least $31 million in bank funds. Matczuk and three others were convicted after jury trials, while ten defendants pleaded guilty and two entered into deferred prosecution agreements. Much of the embezzled money was transferred to Chicago attorney ROBERT M. KOWALSKI and other individuals outside the bank without all of the required documentation and often without any documentation whatsoever. A jury convicted Robert Kowalski on bankruptcy fraud, bank embezzlement, and false statement charges. Judge Kendall in August sentenced Robert Kowalski to 25 years in federal prison. Robert Kowalski’s sister, JAN R. KOWALSKI, also an attorney, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than three years in prison for fraudulently enabling her brother to conceal more than $357,000 from creditors and the trustee in his bankruptcy case. Three former members of Washington Federal’s Board of Directors pleaded guilty to conspiring to falsify bank records to deceive the OCC. WILLIAM M. MAHON was sentenced to 18 months in prison; GEORGE F. KOZDEMBA was sentenced to a year in prison; and JANICE M. WESTON was sentenced to three months in prison. Chicago attorney PATRICK D. THOMPSON was convicted by a jury in 2022 of making false statements to the FDIC regarding the amount of money he received from Washington Federal via a purported loan and other unsecured payments. He was also convicted of filing tax returns in which he falsely deducted interest that he had not actually paid to Washington Federal. Thompson was sentenced to four months in federal prison.


title: Auburn Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE – Joshua J. Hardy, 35 years old, of Auburn, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possessing a machinegun, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Hardy was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on multiple occasions between April 2023 and May 2024, law enforcement found Hardy in possession of machineguns and illegally possessed firearms. Due to a prior felony conviction, Hardy was prohibited from possessing the firearms in this case. This investigation culminated in Hardy’s arrest on April 25, 2024. Law enforcement attempted to pull Hardy over for having an active warrant, and Hardy fled in a motor vehicle. Hardy ultimately crashed the vehicle into a building and was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. Inside the vehicle Hardy was driving, officers located eight machinegun conversion devices. A machinegun conversion device converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm and qualifies as a machinegun under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the help of the Auburn Police Department, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Garrett Police Department, the Hamilton Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Teresa L. Ashcraft. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Bronx Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty To Filing Tens Of Thousands Of False Tax Returns Causing $145 Million In Fraudulent Tax Loss

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of RAFAEL ALVAREZ, a/k/a “the Magician,” to a two-count Superseding Information charging ALVAREZ with one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and steal government funds and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent U.S. individual income tax return. The charges arise from ALVAREZ’s orchestration of a decade-long, $145 million tax fraud scheme to file tens of thousands of federal individual income tax returns that included false information designed to fraudulently reduce the individuals’ tax burden. As part of today’s guilty plea, Alvarez agreed to pay the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) $145 million in restitution and forfeit over $11.84 million in fraudulent proceeds he received from his criminal conduct. ALVAREZ pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Rafael Alvarez became known as ‘the Magician’ by his customers for his supposed ability to make their tax burden disappear. But, as today’s guilty plea shows, there was no magic to what Alvarez was doing – he was committing a serious federal crime by falsifying tens of thousands of tax returns and, in the process, depriving the IRS of $145 million in tax revenue. Today’s guilty plea, in one of the largest ever tax frauds by a return preparer, should serve as an important reminder to tax professionals that this Office will vigorously investigate and prosecute tax offenses.” As alleged in the Indictment and Superseding Information and statements made in public filings and court proceedings: From at least in or about 2010, up to and including in or about 2020, ALVAREZ was the CEO, owner, and manager of ATAX New York, LLC, also doing business as ATAX New York-Marble Hill, ATAX Marble Hill, ATAX Marble Hill NY, and ATAX Corporation (together, “ATAX”). ATAX was a high-volume tax preparation company located in the Bronx, New York, which prepared approximately 90,000 federal income tax returns for its customers during this period. ALVAREZ both prepared tax returns for ATAX customers and recruited, supervised, and directed other ATAX personnel who in turn prepared tax returns for customers. During this period, ALVAREZ oversaw a sweeping fraudulent scheme, whereby he and his employees submitted false information to the IRS in ATAX customers’ tax returns. This false information, which included, among other things, bogus itemized tax deductions, made-up capital losses, phony business expenses, and fraudulent tax credits, served to fraudulently reduce the customers’ tax liability and increase the customers’ tax refunds from the IRS. In total, ALVAREZ oversaw ATAX’s fraudulent submission of tax returns on behalf of customers that deprived the IRS of $145 million in tax revenue. ALVAREZ was so consistent at falsifying ATAX customer tax returns that he became known to ATAX’s customers as “the Magician.” Additionally, ALVAREZ agreed as part of his plea agreement that he was a leader of the scheme and attempted to obstruct or impede the administration of justice with respect to the investigation of the tax fraud scheme when he and an ATAX employee made false statements to an IRS Revenue Agent. ALVAREZ’s operation of ATAX helped the company generate approximately $12 million in fraudulent proceeds over the duration of the fraud. * * * ALVAREZ, 61, of Cortland Manor, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and steal government funds, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent U.S. individual income tax return, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. ALVAREZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Oetken on April 11, 2025. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration in this case. This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David R. Felton is in charge of the prosecution.


title: California Securities Attorney Charged with Tax Crimes

component: Tax Division

body_text: A grand jury in San Diego returned an indictment unsealed yesterday charging a California attorney with tax evasion, filing a false tax return and failing to file tax returns with the IRS. According to the indictment, from 2017 to 2019, Robert Blair Krueger Jr. was an attorney and sole owner of The Krueger Group LLP, a law firm in San Diego specializing in providing legal services for companies seeking to become publicly traded. During that time, he allegedly attempted to thwart the IRS’ ability to assess his income tax liability by, among other things, providing his return preparer with false and inaccurate information and causing inaccurate returns to be filed with the IRS that underreported the income he earned from his law practice. In addition, Krueger allegedly has not filed personal federal income tax returns since 2018. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Erika V. Suhr and Robert A. Kemins of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Jacksonville Woman Sentenced To 8 Years In Federal Prison For Supervising Armed Drug Trafficking Operation And Laundering More Than $1 Million

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger has sentenced Yaquasia Delcarmen (28, Jacksonville) to eight years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also entered an order of forfeiture of $1,760,210, the proceeds of the drug trafficking conspiracy. Delcarmen pleaded guilty on June 27, 2024. According to court documents, between October 2022 and her arrest in April 2024, Delcarmen served as a manager and supervisor of an armed drug trafficking organization (DTO), led by her boyfriend, Nathaniel Hatcher, III. The DTO acquired bulk quantities of marijuana from various grow operations in northern California, where they used one of Hatcher’s residences to weigh and package the marijuana. From there, DTO members, including Delcarmen, smuggled the marijuana in suitcases they flew commercially back to Jacksonville. Once the marijuana arrived back in Jacksonville, Delcarmen and her co-conspirators distributed the marijuana from various short-term rental homes throughout Jacksonville, primarily in the Riverside and San Marco neighborhoods. Delcarmen and other DTO members possessed and carried firearms at these residences to protect their drugs, their drug proceeds, and themselves during drug sales. Delcarmen specifically was responsible for collecting drug proceeds from the DTO’s various dealers and laundering the proceeds back into bank accounts controlled by her and Hatcher. During the conspiracy, Delcarmen and others used sham business accounts that were formed for the purpose of laundering illicit proceeds. Hatcher and Delcarmen spent the drug proceeds on lavish lifestyle items, including luxury vehicles and rental homes, and vacations to Miami, Hawaii, and California. After federal agents arrested Hatcher in February 2024, Delcarmen conducted drug trafficking activities on Hatcher’s behalf while he was incarcerated. At Hatcher’s direction, Delcarmen coordinated additional drug sales and attempted to obstruct the federal investigation. Specifically, at Hatcher’s direction, Delcarmen posted the identity of a witness in the investigation publicly on social media with the intent of intimidating the witness and preventing their testimony. After her arrest, Delcarmen violated her bond conditions more than 1,000 times by maintaining direct and indirect contact with Hatcher, who she had been ordered to have no contact with while on bond. During the drug trafficking conspiracy, Delcarmen was responsible for trafficking between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana. During the money laundering conspiracy, Delcarmen was responsible for laundering at least $1.7 million in drug proceeds. In related court proceedings, Delcarmen’s co-conspirators pled guilty to their roles in the Hatcher DTO. Specifically, Desmond Maxwell pled guilty to straw-purchasing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces up to 25 years in federal prison. Al’Donta Easterling pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces a minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. James Toney pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He faces a minimum of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. Nathaniel Hatcher has been charged by indictment and is scheduled for trial next year. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike.


title: Spokane Valley Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – On December 17, 2024, United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Shannon Ray Ault, age 38, of Spokane Valley, Washington, to 10 years in prison on drug distribution charges. Judge Dimke also imposed 5 years of supervised release. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in February of 2024, investigators with the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted a “controlled buy” of two pounds of methamphetamine from Ault. The controlled buy, which involved the purchase of the illegal drugs, was carefully monitored and controlled by ATF agents. After the controlled buy, Ault was arrested in Spokane. At the time of her arrest, Ault was sitting inside her car with several fentanyl pills in her lap. In connection with her arrest, agents searched Ault’s car. During the search, ATF located $1,627 in cash and an airsoft gun that looked like an AR-style rifle. ATF also recovered drug ledgers, which confirmed that Ault was distributing relatively large quantities of methamphetamine and illicit fentanyl pills. “Ms. Ault was responsible for distributing a significant quantity of deadly drugs into our community, said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Working closely with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement, my office will continue to vigorously disrupt the sources of drugs in our communities to keep neighborhoods safe from illegal narcotics and criminal drug networks.” “ATF will always investigate those causing great harm to our communities,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Ms. Ault is one of those, and this sentence is appropriate for her illegal actions.” This case was investigated by the ATF and the Drug Enforcement Administration. 2:24-cr-00034-MKD.


title: Jacksonville Felon Sentenced To 7 Years In Federal Prison After Setting Off Explosives And Possessing Firearms

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced William Earl Union, Jr. (32, Jacksonville) to seven years in federal prison for possession of firearms by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Union to forfeit a Mossberg shotgun, a Smith and Wesson revolver, and all related ammunition. Union entered a guilty plea on August 22, 2024. According to court documents, on November 25, 2023, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD), and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) responded to a 911 call of shots fired at a residence along Rugby Road in Jacksonville. Upon their arrival, JFRD and EMTs encountered Union, who had sustained what appeared to be penetration wounds near his chest and multiple injuries to his hands, including burns. EMTs transported Union to the hospital for medical treatment. JSO officers observed blood drops on the front porch of the home and a blood trail leading toward the center of the backyard. Officers entered the backyard to conduct a protective sweep of the area and followed the blood trail to what appeared to be a blast site near a stone fire pit. The JSO Hazardous Devices Unit examined the blast site and observed a single drywall screw partially submerged in the dirt. Officers also found two live 12-gauge shotgun shells on the ground. JSO detectives secured a search warrant for the residence for explosives, firearms, and ammunition. Inside the residence, JSO located three firearms, including a Taurus International pistol, a Smith and Wesson revolver, and a Mossberg shotgun. Prior to November 25, 2023, Union had been convicted of several felony offenses, including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, dealing in stolen property, burglary, grand theft auto, and possession of cocaine. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Wilmington Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Kidnapping Resulting in Death

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Kimon Burton-Roberson, age 31 of Wilmington, Delaware, pleaded guilty yesterday to Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping, which resulted in the death of a Wilmington resident. The Honorable Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly accepted the plea. According to court documents, in the early hours of July 21, 2021, Mr. Burton-Roberson and co-conspirators, entered a residence in Wilmington, Delaware where they knew their victim to be staying. Mr. Burton-Roberson and others beat the victim with a blunt object until the victim was bleeding, tying the victim’s hands together with zip ties. Mr. Burton-Roberson and others then forcibly removed the victim from the residence, placed the victim into Mr. Burton-Roberson’s car, and drove the victim across state lines into Pennsylvania. Members of the conspiracy shot the victim in the head, leaving the victim’s body in an industrial park in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Burton-Roberson will be sentenced on April 24, 2025. He faces a sentence of up to life in prison. Chief Judge Connolly will determine his sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “By working together across jurisdictions, federal and local law enforcement identified the perpetrator of this heinous crime and brought him to justice. We are proud of the tireless, cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners.” "The Yeadon Police Department is pleased to have greatly assisted in bringing this fugitive to justice, which brings closure to this sad, epic story that had unfortunately ended up in Yeadon. We are pleased to be able to work together with our federal partners in the FBI, Department of Justice and regional authorities including our Delaware County DA's Office as well as neighboring boroughs, in bringing this matter to a close. This illustrates how cooperation between law enforcement partners can serve to the benefit of all concerned citizens." "Crimes like these, in which actors perpetrate offenses across jurisdictional boundaries, underscore the critical importance of our strong partnerships with our partner law enforcement agencies," said Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos. "It is our hope that the charges in this case, and now this guilty plea, will bring some measure of comfort to the family of the victim in this case." "With this plea, Burton-Roberson is being held accountable for the horrific murder and cruel disregard he showed his victim. This type of violence is intolerable," said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno. "The FBI's Wilmington Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force works every day to make our community safer by removing violent criminals like Burton-Roberson from our streets. We are proud of the partnerships and dedication shown by all agencies to bring justice in this case." This investigation involved close collaboration between the FBI, the Yeadon Borough Police Department, the Wilmington Department of Police and Delaware Probation and Parole. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin P. Pierce, Michelle L. Morgan, and Benjamin L. Wallace are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 22-CR-17-1-CFC.


title: U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announces dismantling of Great Falls fentanyl trafficking ring

body_text: GREAT FALLS — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, for the District of Montana, along with multiple law enforcement partners, today announced the dismantling of a large fentanyl trafficking ring that brought tens of thousands of pills to the community from Washington for distribution and led to convictions of 10 individuals on federal charges. The investigation also led to individuals facing charges in state court. U.S. Attorney Laslovich, along with Great Falls Police Chief Jeff Newton and Cascade County Attorney Joshua Racki, discussed the investigation during a news conference at the Great Falls Civic Center and were joined by representatives of the Russell Country Drug Task Force. The drug task force is composed federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Great Falls Police Department and Cascade County Sheriff’s Office. “Taking down fentanyl trafficking rings to reduce drug-related violence and overdoses and death caused by this extremely dangerous drug is critical to the health and safety of our communities, like Great Falls. These traffickers try to move in and enlist local dealers to profit off persons who are addicted to fentanyl. Dismantling this drug organization was possible only through the unwavering commitment and cooperation of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to bring these defendants to justice. We know the work needs to continue and we will continue to do it,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “Already this year, in 2024, the Russell Country Drug Task Force interdicted a huge shipment of methamphetamine destined for Great Falls, and the amount of cocaine they’ve seized is nearly triple that of 2023,” Great Falls Police Chief Newton said. “The Cascade County Attorney’s Office is dedicated to combatting the influx of illicit drugs by holding accountable those who bring them into our communities,” Cascade County Attorney Racki said. The investigation into fentanyl trafficking in the Great Falls area began in the fall of 2022 and led to a supplier in the Tacoma, Washington, area. The supplier, Joseph Allen Conner, was arrested in June 2023, followed by the arrests of most of the other defendants in a coordinated multi-agency takedown in October 2023 in Great Falls. Several remaining federal defendants were sentenced in October in U.S. District Court in Great Falls. The investigation determined that Conner made multiple trips to Montana, including Great Falls, to sell fentanyl pills and to distribute to other local dealers. Conner possessed "buckets full" of fentanyl pills and was seen with what one individual described as a "volleyball size bag" of pills. Conner was sentenced in May to five years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge. Overall, the investigation led to the seizure of tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and at least seven firearms. In addition to defendant Conner, nine other individuals were charged in federal indictments and convicted. The federal defendants include: Joseph Allen Conner, of Yakima, Washington: conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to five years in prison. Nicholas Cocklin, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to one year in prison. Alanna Corcoran, of Great Falls: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to Glacier drug court. Terry McIntire, of Great Falls: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to two- and one-half years in prison. Michael McIntire, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison. Paul Regimbal, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison. Iesha Berry-Harris, of Tacoma, Washington: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentence to 15 months in prison. David Prien-Pinto, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to five years in prison. Courtney Price, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to three years and two months in prison. Casey Louis Ream, of California: possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the cases. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Russell Country Drug Task Force, Great Falls Police Department and the Cascade County Attorney’s Office investigated the case. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . XXX


title: Damascus Woman Federally Indicted for Filing Fraudulent Small Claims in Circuit Courts Throughout Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Damascus, Oregon woman was arraigned in federal court Monday after she was indicted for filing twenty fraudulent small claims in circuit courts throughout Oregon and receiving at least $190,000 in garnished funds from victims. Sharon Neal has been charged with five counts of mail fraud. According to the indictment, between August 2018 and November 2022, Neal is alleged to have devised and carried out a scheme wherein she filed multiple fraudulent small claims, in circuit courts throughout Oregon, on behalf of fictitious companies in order to obtain monetary judgments against victims. Neal made false allegations against victim companies saying they provided low quality products and services or failed to provide products and services, when in fact, the victim companies did not conduct business with Neal’s sham companies, and many did not offer the products or services alleged in the small claims. As part of the scheme, Neal then filed certificates of service, including copies of signed certified mail return receipts, falsely certifying that she served the claim and summons on the victims by certified mail. Instead, Neal sent empty envelopes to the victim companies so they were unaware of any small claims filed against them. Since victims were unaware of the pending cases, they did not respond to the claims and Neal was able to obtain default judgments and writs of garnishments. Neal would then provide the writ of garnishment to a victim’s bank and receive a check for the judgment amount. Victims would only learn of these small claims after being notified of the garnished funds by their bank. Neal made her initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered released pending a four-day jury trial scheduled to begin on February 18, 2025. If convicted, Neal faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Andrew T. Ho, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Fulton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth Trafficking

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Fulton, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Clayton Key Craddock, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Craddock was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions. On Feb. 29, 2024, Craddock pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. On Aug. 2, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Craddock’s residence after a confidential informant reported observing Craddock conduct methamphetamine transactions. Officers found four vacuum-sealed bags that contained a total of 114 grams of methamphetamine, 24 bags of marijuana with a total weight of 1.4 pounds, and $761 in cash. Craddock was on probation and parole at the time of the offense for distributing a controlled substance and assaulting a law enforcement officer. Craddock has three prior felony convictions for possessing a controlled substance, three prior felony convictions for resisting arrest, and prior felony convictions for assaulting a law enforcement officer, kidnapping, domestic assault, and burglary. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Y. Lynn. It was investigated by the MUSTANG Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Fulton, Mo., Police Department.


title: Augusta Man Pleads Guilty to Livestreaming Child Sexual Abuse Material Following Tip from Omegle to NCMEC

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: An Augusta man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. According to court records, in April 2023, law enforcement officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Augusta Police Department began investigating the possible livestreaming of child sexual abuse material. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) had notified the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (MSP CCU) that it had received a report through its CyberTipline that an Omegle user—later identified as Nathaniel Gagne , 35—had uploaded a video file containing suspected child sexual abuse material. Omegle is an anonymous chat site where users are matched at random within topics and can communicate by text or video. The file reported by Omegle contained four images of a three- to four-year-old child being sexually abused. During the execution of a search warrant at his Augusta home, Gagne admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material and sharing it on Omegle. Investigators seized two cell phones and an SD card during the investigation, recovering hundreds of images and videos. Gagne faces 5–20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, to be followed by five years to life of supervised release on each count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI investigated the case with assistance from MSP CCU and the Augusta Police Department. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: 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 Department’s 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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Utah Man Sentenced to Prison After Fraudulently Collecting Over Half a Million Dollars in Disability Benefits

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Robert Anthony Monsen, 49, of Herriman, Utah, was sentenced today to 18 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay over $561,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Medicare after he fraudulently collected over 13 years’ worth of SSA disability and Medicare benefits. The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart, comes after Monsen pleaded guilty in September 2024 to theft of public money, property, or records. According to court documents and statements made at Monsen’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Monsen collected SSA disability and Medicare benefits for the period of September 2010 to November 2023, claiming severe back injuries that rendered him unable to work. Mr. Monsen continually claimed that he was too disabled to work. However, he worked several jobs – including active work for the bail bonds, security, and restaurant businesses. During this time, Monsen concealed his income and functionality from SSA, in part by routing his paychecks through an LLC in another individual’s name. He also took several vacations in the U.S. and overseas, snorkeling, enjoying the beach, and assisting fighters inside the ring at a mixed martial arts event. According to court documents, until November 2023, Monsen continued to receive Title II Disability benefits at a rate of $1,981.00 per month for himself, in addition to other family benefits. During the 13 years of disability benefits, he did not report any improvements in his condition to SSA, despite continuous reminders that he was obligated to do so if his health improved or if he was able to begin work. In total, Monsen fraudulently obtained over half a million dollars ($561,050.70) in federal funds set aside for some of society’s most vulnerable members. The calculation includes $274,479.10 in Title II disability benefits, $59,492.00 in child auxiliary benefits, and $227,079.60 in Medicare claims. “Mr. Monsen not only fraudulently obtained over half a million dollars from taxpayers, but he took benefits reserved from individuals who cannot work due to a severe medical condition,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “Protecting the community and vulnerable populations is a priority for my office and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice through prosecution.” “This 18-month prison sentence was based on Mr. Monson’s deceitful and criminal scheme to defraud SSA. Social Security disability insurance benefits are vital to individuals and their families who qualify to receive them. My office will continue to protect these essential benefits by pursuing perpetrators,” said Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Acting Inspector General for SSA. “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sachiko J. Jepson for prosecuting this case.” The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit. Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko J. Jepson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Member of Cypress Gangsta Crips Gang Charged With 2015 Murder

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, a two-count indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Jason Soto, also known as “Twin,” a member of the Cypress Gangsta Crips (CGC), a subgroup of the Eight Trey Crips based in the Cypress Hills Houses of East New York, Brooklyn, with the February 2015 murder of Shakim Rivera, the leader of the CGC. The defendant was arrested this morning and will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrest and indictment. “This indictment makes clear that my Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in our pursuit of violent gang members who have committed murders and harmed communities like the Cypress Hills Houses for far too long,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We are reducing gang and gun-related violence and saving lives through a coordinated effort to target the most violent offenders, like this defendant.” “Jason Soto, a Crips gang member, allegedly appointed himself as judge, jury, and executioner to murder his own leader as twisted justice for the death of a fellow member. Soto’s alleged actions contributed to the infestation of gang violence plaguing a Brooklyn housing complex and endangered the lives of thousands of its residents. With the assistance of our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to apprehend any gang member wreaking havoc in our communities,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “The residents of the Cypress Hills Houses, along with all New Yorkers in every neighborhood, deserve to live their lives without fear,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The NYPD and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to systematically dismantling the gangs and crews responsible for crime and violence in New York City. I commend the collaborative efforts of our NYPD investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in identifying and holding accountable those who terrorize our communities.” As detailed in the indictment and other court documents, since at least February of 2015, Soto was a member of the CGC, which operated in the Cypress Hills Houses and elsewhere. CGC members committed acts of violence to promote the gang, enforce the rules of the gang, keep rivals in fear of CGC and earn money for the gang through firearm and narcotics trafficking and robberies. The investigation revealed a deadly gang turf war fought in the Cypress Hill Houses—in the midst of residential buildings, stores and a playground—between gangs that have aligned themselves by where their members live within the housing complex. The Bloods gang associated with the “Frontside” section of Cypress feuded with the CGC members of the “Backside” and “Teamside” sections of Cypress. An internal war broke out in 2015 within the CGC when high-ranking member Demetrius Graham, also known as “Duke,” was murdered on February 19, 2015. Believing that CGC leader Shakim Rivera was responsible for Graham’s murder, members of CGC planned retaliation. On February 19, 2015, Soto traveled from Pennsylvania to Brooklyn to carry out Rivera’s murder. On February 22, 2015, Soto lured Rivera to the vicinity of 9011 Bayview Place in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn. As alleged, Soto and another member of the CGC shot and killed Rivera, the leader of CGC, in retaliation for Graham’s murder. The indictment is the result of a long-term investigation initiated by the FBI, the NYPD and the Office in 2015 in response to gang-related violence in and around the Cypress Hills Houses. The investigation has resulted in charges against over 20 defendants for drug trafficking, illegal weapons possession, robbery and murder. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison, or possibly the death penalty. The charges announced today are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily J. Dean and Andy Palacio are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Theodore Rader. The Defendant : JASON SOTO Age: 36 Queens, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-511 (RER)


title: Two New York Men Sentenced To Lengthy Prison Sentences For Committing Three Gunpoint Robberies And Conspiring To Commit Additional Robberies

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Two Brooklyn, New York, men were sentenced to lengthy prison terms today for their roles in three gunpoint robberies of check cashing locations in different parts of New Jersey in 2021 and 2022, as well as conspiring to commit robberies in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Ramel Harris, a/k/a Ramel Harrison, 43, of Brooklyn, and Neville Brown, 40, of Brooklyn, were both sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to 186 months in prison. Both men previously pleaded guilty before Judge Cecchi to three counts of an Indictment charging them with Hobbs Act conspiracy, Hobbs Act robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely the Hobbs Act robbery. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On several dates between January 2021 and January 2022, two individuals, later identified as Harris and Brown, attempted to rob a check cashing location in Nanuet, New York, and thereafter successfully robbed three check cashing locations in Parsippany, New Jersey, Old Bridge, New Jersey, and Hackettstown, New Jersey while brandishing a firearm and using zip ties to restrain female employees at each location. During those robberies, Harris and Brown stole approximately $563,566.35. During the subsequent investigation, law enforcement learned that the conspirators surveilled check cashing locations in the following locations: Mount Kisco, New York, Allentown, Pennsylvania and West Chester, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement obtained video surveillance footage that ultimately linked Harris and Brown to the robberies. Furthermore, historical cell phone records indicate that Harris’s and Brown’s cellular telephones were in or around the locations of the various robberies around the times that they were committed. In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Harris and Brown to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited members of the FBI’s New Jersey field office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado; members of the FBI’s New York field office, under the leadership of Assistant Director In Charge James E. Dennehy; members of the FBI’s Philadelphia field office, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; members of the Hackettstown Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Aaron Perkins; members of the Old Bridge Police Department, under the leadership of Chief of Police Thomas J. Montagna; members of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department, under the leadership of Police Chief Richard Pantina; members of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, under the leadership of Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll; members of the Clarkstown Police Department, under the leadership of Police Chief Jeffrey Wanamaker; members of the Westchester County (New York) Department of Public Safety; and members of the Borough of West Chester (Pennsylvania) Police Department, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. harrisbrown.indictment.pdf


title: Former Landlords Resolve Allegations That They Violated the Fair Housing Act

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – United States District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe has approved a consent decree resolving allegations that former Manchester landlords Marc Morin and Tracy Stapula Morin violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA), U.S. Attorney Jane Young announces. In a complaint filed on December 4, 2024, the United States alleged that the Morins discriminated against a tenant at a residential rental property in Manchester by refusing to consider the tenant’s reasonable accommodation request. The tenant sought an exception to the property’s no-pets rule to reside with an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), a Yorkshire terrier mix. The tenant, who has diagnosed mental health disorders, had the dog as an ESA. After the tenant requested permission to have the ESA reside with her and shared a letter from her health care provider recommending that she have the ESA to assist with her disability, the Morins refused and instead attempted to evict the tenant three times. The Morins later sold the property. The Consent Decree resolves the claims in the government’s complaint. The Morins have agreed to pay the tenant $8,500, enact reasonable accommodation policies for its residential properties that comply with the FHA should they become landlords again, and complete FHA training. “Emotional support animals are a lifeline to the world for many people with disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The Fair Housing Act outlines a landlord’s responsibilities to make reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities, including support and companionship from animals when necessary. In this case, the tenant provided documentation of her disability and a letter from her therapist recommending emotional support from an animal. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring individuals with disabilities live a life free of discrimination and have the reasonable accommodations afforded to them by the Fair Housing Act.” “Many individuals with disabilities rely on assistance animals to maintain their independence and fully enjoy the place they call home,” said HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Diane M. Shelley. “HUD commends the Department of Justice for this settlement and for holding housing providers accountable for compliance with the reasonable accommodation requirements of the Fair Housing Act.” This lawsuit arose from an administrative complaint filed by the tenant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Upon investigation, HUD determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that the FHA had been violated. One of the parties to the complaint elected, pursuant to the FHA, to have HUD’s determination resolved in federal court, and HUD referred the matter to the Justice Department. The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1- 833-591-0291 or submit a report online , or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777. The case was handled by the Department of Justice’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo. ###


title: Jury Conviction and Prison for Tossing Loaded Firearm in D.C. Backyard

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jamal Walters, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 16 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On October 29, 2024, Walters was found guilty of one count each of unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of ammunition. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Jason Park ordered Walters to serve three years of supervised release. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 9:40 a.m. on February 7, 2022, Walters was in the 2200 block of Savannah Street Southeast. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department attempted to stop Walters who was leaving a grocery store armed with a handgun loaded with 17 rounds. Walters fled on foot through residential backyards in the 3400 block of 23 rd Street Southeast. Walters jumped a backyard fence and tossed the gun. Officers were then able to stop Walters and safely recover the firearm. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katelyn Benton and Nickolas Reck. eys Katelyn Benton and Nickolas Reck.


title: Mexican National Indicted For Illegal Re-Entry of Removed Alien

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JUAN CARLOS MORALES-HINOJO (“MORALES-HINOJO”) , age 39, a native of Mexico, was indicted on December 13, 2024 for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) and (b)(1). According to the indictment, on November 8, 2024, MORALES-HINOJO reentered the United States after being previously deported on August 15, 2019. For this offense, MORALES-HINOJO faces up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Executive Of Airline And Co-Conspirator Sentenced In A Money Laundering Conspiracy

body_text: Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SHUKHRATJON MIRSAIDOV and SHUKHRAT ABDULLAEV were sentenced to one year and a day and 24 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in operating a money laundering scheme from June 2019 to February 2022, using the U.S. bank account of an international airline (“Airline-1”) with a hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, where MIRSAIDOV was the lead U.S.-based executive. U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska imposed MIRSAIDOV’s sentence today and ABDULLAEV’s sentence on September 4, 2024, following the defendants’ guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “For years Shukhratjon Mirsaidov and Shukrat Abdullaev engaged in a scheme to launder healthcare fraud proceeds through the accounts of an international airline in order to conceal the illicit nature of these funds. Laundering schemes that use real businesses to conceal crime proceeds are often particularly difficult for law enforcement to detect. This case demonstrates that this Office will continue to root out money laundering, no matter how sophisticated, wherever it occurs and that those responsible will be held to full account." According to allegations in the Indictment, the criminal Complaint, public filings, and statements made in court: In the course of the money laundering conspiracy, MIRSAIDOV and ABDULLAEV used a U.S. company bank account for Airline-1 (the “Airline-1 Bank Account”) to operate a check-cashing scheme and to launder hundreds of thousands of dollars of healthcare fraud proceeds. As a senior executive, MIRSAIDOV was one of two signatories for the Airline-1 Bank Account. Between approximately June 2019 and August 2021, MIRSAIDOV deposited into the Airline-1’s Bank Account over 100 checks drawn from accounts controlled by seven shell companies that were used to launder the proceeds of healthcare fraud. For example, the shell companies had received insurance payments for medical services purportedly provided by a doctor, but the doctor did not, in fact, provide such services. The shell companies were primarily funded by payments from medical clinics, physicians, and medical diagnostic testing companies and had no relation whatsoever to the airline industry. MIRSAIDOV obtained the checks from the shell companies from ABDULLAEV, who was not an employee of Airline-1 and who obtained the checks from the perpetrators of the healthcare fraud scheme. MIRSAIDOV and ABDULLAEV collected cash generated from Airline-1 ticket sales and fees, and instead of depositing that cash into Airline-1’s bank account, used the cash to illegally cash the shell company checks. ABDULLAEV gave the cash generated from the airline ticket sales and fees to the perpetrators controlling the shell companies. MIRSAIDOV and ABDULLAEV not only used the Airline-1 Bank Account to launder healthcare fraud proceeds from the shell companies, but also used the Airline-1 Bank Account to launder funds represented to be fraud proceeds in a series of sting transactions. Between approximately June 2021 and February 2022, law enforcement, with the assistance of a confidential source (“CS-1”), conducted a series of sting money laundering transactions involving MIRSAIDOV, ABDULLAEV, and the Airline-1 Bank Account. CS-1 asked ABDULLAEV to cash checks and transmit funds abroad and agreed to pay ABDULLAEV a four percent fee to do so. ABDULLAEV told CS-1 a portion of the fee went to MIRSAIDOV. During the transactions, CS-1 represented to ABDULLAEV that the funds were healthcare fraud proceeds. Overall, CS-1 provided ABDULLAEV with 14 checks totaling $210,000 issued from a covert law enforcement account held in the name of a fictitious company. MIRSAIDOV, working with ABDULLAEV, deposited 12 of the checks totaling $190,000 into the Airline-1 Bank Account. CS-1 received cash from ABDULLAEV in exchange for the checks, and in one instance, ABDULLAEV coordinated the delivery of U.S. currency to an individual abroad in exchange for some of the checks. During the course of these sting transactions, in a recorded conversation with CS-1, MIRSAIDOV admitted, in sum and substance, that he received many checks from ABDULLAEV and that MIRSAIDOV gave ABDULLAEV cash in exchange for the checks. CS-1 informed MIRSAIDOV, in sum and substance, that the checks from CS-1 came from a medical company and that the company disguised the check payments in its financial reporting by claiming the check deposits were for business class flight tickets. MIRSAIDOV nevertheless expressed a willingness to work directly with CS-1 to conduct check cashing using the Airline-1 Bank Account. Participants in the underlying healthcare fraud scheme who laundered their crime proceeds with the assistance of MIRSAIDOV and ABDULLAEV using the Airline-1 Bank Account have been charged by this Office in U.S. v. Tariverdi, et al , No. 24 Cr. 599 (JPO). * * * In addition to the prison sentence, MIRSAIDOV, 46, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $674,171. ABDULLAEV, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $704,171. Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cecilia Vogel, Christopher Brumwell, and Vladislav Vainberg are in charge of the prosecution.