title: Final Defendant in eBay Cyberstalking Case Sentenced

body_text: BOSTON – The former Senior Manager of Special Operations for eBay’s Global Security Team was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a cyberstalking campaign targeting a Massachusetts couple. The defendant and his co-conspirators harassed and intimidated the victims in retaliation for their publication of an industry newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company. Brian Gilbert, 56, of San Jose, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to time served, one year of supervised release with the special condition that he have no contact with either of the victims in the case and a $20,000 fine. In October 2020 , Gilbert pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses. Gilbert is one of seven now-former eBay employees and contractors on the company’s security team who were charged and ultimately convicted for their roles in the cyberstalking campaign: Jim Baugh , eBay’s former Senior Director of Safety and Security, was sentenced to 57 months in prison in September 2022; David Harville , former Director of Global Resiliency, was sentenced to 24 months in prison in September 2022; Stephanie Popp , former Senior Manager of Global Intelligence, was sentenced to 12 months in prison in October 2022; Philip Cooke , a former Senior Manager of Security Operations, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 12 months of home confinement in July 2021; Stephanie Stockwell , a former Manager of Global Intelligence, was sentenced to one year in home confinement in October 2022; and Veronica Zea , a contract intelligence analyst, was sentenced to one year in home confinement in November 2022. “Today’s sentencing brings an end to our prosecution of eBay’s horrific conduct. The company’s culture resulted in seven eBay employees and contractors inflicting an unspeakable campaign of harassment and intimidation against the victims in this case, all to silence their reporting and protect the eBay brand,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We left no stone unturned to hold accountable every individual who engaged in criminal conduct, including the ringleader, who was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. We also charged eBay criminally and required it to pay $3 million—the maximum fine allowed by law. The charges against eBay will only be dismissed if eBay commits no crimes over the next three years and satisfies both my office and an independent monitor that compliance with the law is paramount, starting with the C-Suite all the way down to the newest hire. This series of prosecutions should ensure that every eBay employee understands that the idea of terrorizing innocent people and obstructing investigations will never again be tolerated.” “No sentence can ever make up for the devastating and irreversible impact Brian Gilbert’s actions had on the victims in this case. As a former law enforcement officer, Mr. Gilbert should have stepped in and stopped this unprecedented, relentless, and over-the-top harassment campaign that he and others at eBay orchestrated to try and protect their company’s reputation,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division. “Anyone who thinks they can terrorize innocent people, obstruct investigations, and get away with it can expect to be brought to justice to face similar consequences.” In August 2019, the defendants executed a three-part harassment campaign against the Natick, Mass. couple. Among other things, several of the defendants ordered anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home, including a preserved fetal pig, a bloody pig Halloween mask and a book on surviving the loss of a spouse. As part of the second phase of the campaign, some of the defendants sent private Twitter messages and public tweets criticizing the newsletter’s content and threatening to visit the victims in Natick. Gilbert, Cooke, Baugh and Popp planned for these messages to become increasingly disturbing, culminating with “doxing” the victims (i.e., publishing their home address). The same group intended then to have Gilbert, a former Santa Clara police captain, approach the victims with an offer to help stop the harassment that the defendants were secretly causing, in an effort to promote good will towards eBay. The third phase of the campaign involved surveilling the victims in their home and community. The victims spotted the surveillance, however, and notified the Natick Police, who began to investigate. Aware that the police were investigating, the defendants sought to interfere with the investigation. For example, several of the defendants discussed the possibility of presenting Natick Police with a false investigative lead to keep the police from discovering video evidence that could link some of the deliveries to eBay employees. As the police and eBay’s lawyers continued to investigate, the defendants deleted digital evidence that showed their involvement, further obstructing what had by then become a federal investigation. In January 2024 , eBay was charged criminally with two counts of stalking through interstate travel, two counts of stalking through electronic communications services, one count of witness tampering and one count of obstruction of justice. eBay entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and admitted to a detailed recitation of all the relevant facts about its conduct and agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $3 million, which is the statutory maximum fine for these six felony offenses. As part of this resolution, eBay was required to retain an independent corporate compliance monitor for a period of three years and to make extensive enhancements to its compliance program. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Jodi Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable investigative assistance was provided by the Natick Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Vallejo Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal Agents with a Firearm and Vehicle

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sean Thomas Delapp, 37, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to assaulting federal officers with a deadly weapon, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Delapp assaulted two FBI special agents by pursuing them with his car, pulling up alongside them, and aiming a firearm at them through the window, making a recoil motion with the firearm. A subsequent search warrant at his residence resulted in the discovery of a Glock 29 firearm, ammunition, and various firearm parts. Delapp is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he was previously convicted of a felony evasion offense. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case. Delapp is scheduled to be sentenced on October 31, 2024. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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: Moses Lake Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Arson Over a Drug Debt

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that David Alexander Maybee, age 25, of Moses Lake, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Malicious Destruction of Property by Fire. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of 60 months imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on January 21, 2022, Maybee and 3 others drove to the Motel 6 in Moses Lake. The driver of the vehicle parked nearby. Maybee and another man got out of the vehicle and walked to an Audi parked in the motel parking lot. Using a water bottle filled with gasoline they had obtained from a gas station earlier that night, the man poured gasoline over the Audi while Maybee acted as a lookout. The man lit the gasoline on fire and the pair ran back to their vehicle and left the scene. Moses Lake Fire Department and Moses Lake Police Department (MLPD) responded quickly and were able to extinguish the fire. While the vehicle was a total loss, no one was injured. The incident was captured on the Motel 6 surveillance cameras. Follow-up investigation showed that the three individuals, to include Maybee, acted on the behalf of a local drug dealer, and the vehicle was torched over an outstanding drug debt. The three were expecting a cash reward from the drug dealer for their actions. As discussed at the sentencing hearing, just a month after the arson, Maybee and an accomplice robbed a local Carl’s Jr. to get money to pay a drug debt that they owed to their drug dealer. Maybee was sentenced in Grant County Superior Court to 171 months of custody (22-1-0045-13). That same month, February 2022, Maybee and an accomplice kicked in the back door of a home in Moses Lake and stole multiple firearms and ammunition. In imposing sentencing, Judge Rice noted Maybee’s criminal history was “atrocious” and warned that after serving his sentences, if he returns to the community and commits additional crimes, he will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. “This case starkly demonstrates the dangerous nexus between illicit drugs and violence. Mr. Maybee participated in an arson to settle a drug debt that placed our first responders and entire community at risk,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for our strong partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement who protect our neighborhoods and work so effectively with our office to hold accountable individuals who are the largest drivers of violent crime.” “While Mr. Maybee didn’t actually light the fire his part in this crime was still extremely troubling,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Taken as a whole, the dangers posed by his and his accomplice’s actions clearly warrant this sentence.” This case was investigated by the ATF and the Moses Lake Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation Into  Fatal Police Shooting of Clifford Brooks

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer for his role in a January 24, 2024, fatal shooting of 41-year-old Clifford Brooks, of Washington, D.C. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident. This included a review of physical evidence, surveillance video footage, body-worn camera footage, audio and visual recordings from an ambulance, witness accounts, autopsy records, and MPD reports. The evidence shows that early on the morning of January 24, 2024, an on-duty MPD officer encountered Mr. Brooks outside of a 7-Eleven on Benning Road, Northeast. The officer requested that an MPD Crisis Intervention Officer (CIO) be sent to the scene. MPD Officer Claude Jackson, a trained CIO, arrived at around 6:45 a.m., and observed indicators that Mr. Brooks was experiencing a mental health crisis. Officer Jackson stayed on the scene with Mr. Brooks for roughly an hour before Mr. Brooks ran out of the back of the 7-Eleven. Officers found Mr. Brooks hiding in a shed behind a nearby home. Officer Jackson requested assistance and assembled officers to extricate Mr. Brooks. A group of MPD officers removed Mr. Brooks from the shed with minimal force at roughly 8:30 a.m. Mr. Brooks, who remained conscious but largely non-responsive and in an altered mental state, was placed next to a police car. Firefighters with the District’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department arrived in an ambulance to transport Mr. Brooks for medical attention. The ambulance drove towards the District’s Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Northwest. MPD officers, including Officer Jackson, followed behind the ambulance. While the ambulance was driving on North Capitol Street, NW, Mr. Brooks, who was not handcuffed, began attacking the firefighter seated in the back of the ambulance with him. When the ambulance stopped, Mr. Brooks pushed the firefighter out of the ambulance. The trailing MPD officers got out of their cruisers and approached Mr. Brooks. Mr. Brooks tried to grab the first responding officer’s upper body. Officer Jackson then approached Mr. Brooks and deployed his Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray. The spray struck Mr. Brooks but did not debilitate him. Mr. Brooks then fled into oncoming traffic on North Capitol Street. As he fled, Mr. Brooks pulled at the doors of some of the cars that were slowly driving by. Officer Jackson and two other officers pursued him on foot. Mr. Brooks hid under a box truck that was idling in the traffic. The officers surrounded the truck and ordered the driver not to move and to turn the vehicle off. After a few moments, Mr. Brooks picked up a metal object that was on the ground next to the truck. The officers told Mr. Brooks to “drop it.” Mr. Brooks charged at Officer Jackson with the metal object in his right hand. Officer Jackson said that Mr. Brooks had a knife and ordered him to “drop it” two more times. Officer Jackson backtracked with his firearm out. As Mr. Brooks continued to lunge towards Officer Jackson with the metal object in his hand, Officer Jackson fired his service weapon at Mr. Brooks. Officer Jackson shot at Mr. Brooks six times. Mr. Brooks was declared dead on the scene. An autopsy found that Mr. Brooks had been struck by four bullets, including a fatal shot to the chest. After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Jackson is criminally liable for Mr. Brooks’ death. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. MPD’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.


title: Two Paterson Residents Admit Conspiring with Physician to Distribute Opioids

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Two Paterson, New Jersey, residents today admitted conspiring with a doctor to distribute opioids without a legitimate medical reason, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jasmine McGregor, 32, and Jhenelle Lewis, 35, both of Paterson, each pleaded guilty this week before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to one count of knowingly and intentionally conspiring and agreeing with others, including Dr. Lisa Ferraro, of Hillsdale, New Jersey, to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: McGregor and Lewis each participated in a conspiracy with Ferraro to prescribe oxycodone, an opioid pain medication, to individuals who were not actually Ferraro’s patients and whom Ferraro never physically examined or questioned about symptoms to determine whether there was a legitimate medical need for oxycodone. McGregor conspired with Ferraro from July 2022 to Oct. 3, 2023, and Lewis conspired with Ferraro from January 2019 to September 2023. Over the course of the conspiracy with McGregor, Ferraro wrote prescriptions for approximately 630 20mg oxycodone pills and approximately 11,410 30mg oxycodone pills. Over the course of the conspiracy with Lewis, Ferraro wrote prescriptions for approximately 9,450 30mg oxycodone pills. Ferraro has also been charged with the same offense. The charges and allegations with regard to Ferraro are merely accusations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances to which McGregor and Lewis pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for McGregor on Nov. 20, 2024, and Lewis on Dec. 9, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray A. Mateo and Aaron L. Webman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark. mcgregor.information.pdf lewis.information.pdf


title: Office Manager for Suburban Chicago Medical Equipment Boutique Indicted on Federal Health Care Fraud Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — The office manager for a suburban Chicago medical equipment boutique has been indicted on federal health care fraud charges for allegedly billing private insurers for products that were never provided, including breast prostheses, compression garments, and wigs for cancer survivors. JUDY STRZELECKI served as the office manager for A Woman’s Place LLC, a durable medical equipment provider and retail shop in Downers Grove, Ill. A Woman’s Place provided breast prostheses, compression garments, wigs, mastectomy bras, and other items to cancer survivors and women with chronic health conditions. From 2015 to 2020, Strzelecki and others submitted fraudulent claims to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and other health care benefit programs for equipment that was either not provided or was not medically necessary, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Strzelecki and others also fraudulently billed the programs for more expensive products than were provided in order to seek higher reimbursement rates, the indictment states. As a result of the scheme, Strzelecki and others fraudulently obtained at least $1.8 million in payments from health care programs for equipment that was not provided as billed, the indictment states. Strzelecki, 73, of Downers Grove, Ill., is charged with seven counts of health care fraud. Each count is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison, and restitution is mandatory. Arraignment is set for July 23, 2024, at 10:45 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Rubén R. Chapa, Regional Director of the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Strzelecki indictment


title: Purported Psychic Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Outrageous $4 Million Extortion Scheme

body_text: WASHINGTON – Gina Rita Russell, 35, formerly of New York, N.Y., and Los Angeles, California, was sentenced today to 125 months in prison for masterminding an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme, which resulted in a Maryland man embezzling more than $4 million from his Washington, D.C., employer. Russell is the sixth defendant to be sentenced in the case. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. In April 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Russell, her ex-common-law husband Robert Evans, his brothers Tony John Evans and Corry Blue Evans, and the brothers’ parents, Archie Kaslov and Candy Evans, all of New York, on various charges related to the scheme. At one point, one of Russell’s coconspirators threatened to harm the Maryland man’s young children. According to the government’s evidence, Russell met a New York woman in October 2009 in Manhattan and performed a psychic reading on her. Though Russell had no psychic powers, she convinced the New York woman that she did and told the woman that bad things would happen unless the woman raised large sums of money for Russell and her family. The woman started giving Russell money from her lawful jobs, but then Russell convinced her to lie to her father by claiming she needed money for therapy, extensive sleep studies, and university classes. After giving his daughter enormous sums of money, the New York woman’s father eventually stopped providing her with financial assistance. Russell then convinced the woman to earn more money through sex work. The woman advertised sensual massage services online, including Backpage.com. Through one of her ads, she met a Maryland man, who eventually fell in love with and proposed to her, even though he was married and had children. Preying on his affection, Russell and the New York woman conspired with Robert Evans, Tony John Evans, Corry Blue Evans, and Archie Kaslov to extort money and gold bars from the victim. The New York woman told the Maryland man that she owed money to bad people from prior debts and that her life was in danger. As a result, the Maryland man embezzled more than $4 million from his employer between January and March of 2017. As part of the scheme, Russell had Tony John Evans impersonate a mobster during calls with the Maryland man. During one of those calls, Tony John Evans asked if he needed to remind the Maryland man where his children went to school. Russell also dictated threatening texts and provided the New York woman with instructions on what to tell the Maryland man. The Maryland man converted embezzled funds to cash and gold bars which he delivered to New York drop-off locations, including a hotel room, believing the funds were going to mobsters. In reality, all of the funds the man embezzled and delivered to New York went to members of the Russell-Evans-Kaslov family. In July 2019, Russell pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion. She was originally scheduled to be sentenced in May 2024, after her five co-defendants were sentenced. However, prior to her sentencing, the government learned that Russell engaged in similar criminal conduct in Los Angeles, convincing a woman there that she had psychic powers, working with the woman to defraud the woman’s father out of money, and persuading the woman to raise funds through sex work. The government brought Russell’s conduct to the attention of U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who promptly issued a warrant for her arrest. Russell was arrested on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, and has been in custody ever since. In addition to the prison sentence of 10 years and five months, Judge Chutkan ordered Russell to pay $4,217,542.86 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release. Tony John Evans, 35, and Robert Evans, 37, both pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion and were each sentenced to five years in prison. Corry Blue Evans, 31, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and was sentenced to 41-months in prison. Archie Kaslov, 57, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 30-months in prison. Candy Evans, 55, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness by corrupt persuasion or misleading conduct and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Kent, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas, Rick Blaylock, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvind Lal and Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Oliver McDaniel and Melissa Goforth Koenig, who assisted with restraining funds. 18cr0103


title: Addiction Treatment Chain Owner & Company Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – The owner of a Rhode Island-based chain of addiction treatment centers and his company, who together defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurers out of millions of dollars and shortchanged patients suffering from substance abuse disorder in Rhode Island and Massachusetts out of much-needed counseling and treatment, today pleaded guilty in federal in Providence to health care fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Michael Brier, 61, of Newton, MA, and Recovery Connections Centers of America, Inc. (RCCA) admitted to a federal judge that they failed to provide patients with required counseling sessions and treatment, while simultaneously billing Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care payors for 45-minute counseling sessions on a routine basis even though the sessions were often only 5-10 minutes or less. Briar and RCCA also admitted that they caused a fraudulent application to be submitted to Medicare which, among other things, misrepresented and concealed the role that Brier was playing in the business and failed to disclose Brier’s 2013 criminal conviction for federal tax crimes, which was relevant to Medicare’s consideration of the application; Brier was sentenced to 27 months incarceration by a federal judge as a result of that 2013 conviction. Court documents illustrate that, if plea agreements filed in this matter are accepted by the Court, Brier will be sentenced in this case to between six and ten years of incarceration, followed by three years of federal supervised release. Additionally, Brier will be ordered to make restitution of more than $3.4 million and will forfeit assets realized as a result of his criminal conduct, including approximately one million dollars contained in various bank and investment accounts, his interest in a beachfront condominium in Caracol Beach, Panama, a 2020 Mercedes Benz, and a 2019 Lexus RX350. The corporate entity, RCCA, which is now in receivership, faces maximum penalties of $500,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater, and up to five years probation. Briar and RCCA are scheduled to be sentenced on November 6, 2024. The defendants’ sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and Kevin Love Hubbard, with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the IRS, Customs and Border Protection, and the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General for their assistance in the investigation. ###


title: Justice Department Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Illinois Landlord for Sexually Harassing Tenants

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Michael J. DeWitte, of Washington, Illinois, for sexually harassing female tenants and housing applicants in violation of the Fair Housing Act. DeWitte has managed residential rental properties in Peoria, Illinois, and other central Illinois counties since at least 2002. “Landlords cannot use their position of power to sexually harass someone who simply wants a place to live,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Fair Housing Act protects tenants’ right to housing free of any kind of sexual advance or harassment. We encourage survivors to speak out so that we can vindicate their fair housing rights.” “No one should ever be asked to trade their body for a home,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois. “I urge any other tenants alleging discrimination by DeWitte to contact my office. When landlords abuse their power and attempt to take advantage of the vulnerable in violation of civil rights laws, my office and the Justice Department stand ready to hold them accountable.” The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, alleges that, since at least 2002, DeWitte subjected female tenants and applicants to unwelcome sexual harassment that included: sexual contact and comments about their physical appearances; offers to strip for female tenants; removing his pants while giving a tour to a female housing applicant; exposing his genitals to female tenants; asking female tenants on dates; requesting sex in exchange for reduced rent or other housing benefits; and evicting female tenants when they did not give in to his sexual advances. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. It also prohibits sexual harassment, a form of sex discrimination. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental properties owned or managed by Michael DeWitte, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Justice Department by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois at 309-671-7019 or 833-591-0291, and emailing USAILC.Civil.Rights@usdoj.gov or FairHousing.USAILC@usdoj.gov . The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 44 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $17 million for victims of such harassment. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting people from sexual misconduct.


title: Two Lansing Men Sentenced On Gun Charges After Threatening Episode With An Assault Rifle At A Convenience Store

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that two Lansing-area men, Quentin Earl Booth, 39, and Derrick Smith Jr., 30, were sentenced to prison for possessing an assault rifle and pistol in a convenience store. Booth was sentenced today to 71 months and three years’ supervised release. Smith pleaded guilty in March and was sentenced to 57 months on July 2. “Booth and Smith inflicted sheer terror on people just carrying out their daily lives,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “There is no acceptable level of violence. Those driving violence will face swift justice. My team and I will not rest until every person, in every neighborhood, in every community enjoys the safety they deserve.” Booth and Smith were arrested in September 2023 when law enforcement responded to a 911 call that Smith walked into a Lansing convenience store carrying an assault rifle. He made threats before entering the store. A witness reported hearing one of the defendants say, "Everybody is going to die." Upon arrival, officers saw Booth place the rifle in a nearby SUV. Booth also had a pistol holstered in his pocket. Law enforcement later obtained surveillance footage that showed Smith walk into the store with the loaded rifle. The video showed Smith pointing and aiming the rifle several times, including pointing the rifle at the store clerk while inside of the store and aiming at a passing vehicle in a residential neighborhood once outside of the store. Booth is a three-time convicted felon who previously served significant time in prison in 2018 for attempted armed robbery. In 2022, he was convicted of another felony in a domestic violence incident. Smith previously served significant prison time for conspiracy to commit robbery in Florida. He was also convicted in 2021 for carrying a concealed weapon. “Quentin Booth and Derrick Smith Jr. are career offenders with repeat felony convictions prohibiting them from possessing a firearm,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir . “During this incident, both men exercised extremely poor judgment, especially Smith aiming and pointing an assault rifle inside and outside of a convenience store in Lansing. In the end, poor choices have consequences. If you use an illegal firearm to threaten and intimidate people in our community – pack a bag. You’re going to go to prison. Our community deserves better from its members, and it will be safer with both men off the streets.” These cases were investigated by the Michigan State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob S. Metoxen, Austin J. Hakes, and Constance R. Turnbull handled the prosecutions. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces “Operation Flip the Switch” Aimed at Machinegun Conversion Devices

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

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today, U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson announced “Operation Flip the Switch,” an initiative targeting illegal machinegun conversion devices, colloquially known as “switches.” “The violence that we are seeing in our communities is flagrant and unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona. “Machinegun conversion devices have no place in our community. Though small in size, a switch is deadly, and a lot of innocent people can be injured with one pull of the trigger. People should feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods, and public spaces. That is why we will use every tool in our toolbox to aggressively prosecute those who possess such deadly devices.” “The proliferation of machinegun conversion devices adds another, even more deadly, layer to the firearms violence in our community” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. “These devices, in the wrong hands, can have catastrophic consequences. They easily convert handguns into fully automatic weapons that can fire a remarkable number of shots in a split second. They are an acute danger to our communities, illegal under federal law and a critical priority in our efforts to combat violent crime. Keeping these illegal firearms off the streets of Alabama and the citizens free from the fear of their usage is one of our highest priorities. ATF will continue to aggressively work with our partners to take these devices off the streets.” About an inch long, auto sears, most commonly known as a Glock switch, may be made of metal or plastic and can be printed on commercially available 3D printers. The device fits onto the back of a Glock and allows the user to switch between semi-automatic and fully automatic. When engaged, the switch overrides the trigger mechanism to function as a machine gun. The National Firearms Act classifies the switch itself as a machinegun. At Thursday’s press conference, the U.S. Attorney announced that as part of Operation Flip the Switch, they are partnering with Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama to combat the proliferation of these illegal devices. Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama will offer cash rewards for information resulting in a warrant being issued or an arrest being made of someone who possesses Glock Switches or 3D printers being used to manufacture them. To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama . Tipsters can call 205-254-7777. Alternatively, Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama encourages you to go to their website to submit a tip or click to download their P3 app. Tips can be submitted 24 hours a day, and all tipsters are anonymous. Operation Flip the Switch falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods , a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Travis D. Napoleon, 30 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to two counts of providing false information during the purchase of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Napoleon was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, between April 2021, and March 2023, Napoleon knowingly made false and fictitious statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer in connection with the acquisition of several firearms. Napoleon then transferred at least four of these firearms to individuals, who by law, were prohibited from possessing firearms. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith. 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.


body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Michael J. DeWitte, of Washington, Illinois, for sexually harassing female tenants and housing applicants in violation of the Fair Housing Act. DeWitte has managed residential rental properties in Peoria, Illinois, and other central Illinois counties since at least 2002. “Landlords cannot use their position of power to sexually harass someone who simply wants a place to live,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Fair Housing Act protects tenants’ right to housing free of any kind of sexual advance or harassment. We encourage survivors to speak out so that we can vindicate their fair housing rights.” “No one should ever be asked to trade their body for a home,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois. “I urge any other tenants alleging discrimination by DeWitte to contact my office. When landlords abuse their power and attempt to take advantage of the vulnerable in violation of civil rights laws, my office and the Justice Department stand ready to hold them accountable.” The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, alleges that, since at least 2002, DeWitte subjected female tenants and applicants to unwelcome sexual harassment that included: sexual contact and comments about their physical appearances; offers to strip for female tenants; removing his pants while giving a tour to a female housing applicant; exposing his genitals to female tenants; asking female tenants on dates; requesting sex in exchange for reduced rent or other housing benefits; and evicting female tenants when they did not give in to his sexual advances. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. It also prohibits sexual harassment, a form of sex discrimination. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental properties owned or managed by Michael DeWitte, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Justice Department by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Illinois at 309-671-7019 or 833-591-0291, and emailing USAILC.Civil.Rights@usdoj.gov or FairHousing.USAILC@usdoj.gov . The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 44 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $17 million for victims of such harassment. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting people from sexual misconduct. Members of the public are reminded that a complaint is merely an allegation; any claims within it must be proven in court.


title: Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 78 Months

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Gustavo Adolfo Calderon Martinez, 28, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distribution of heroin, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Calderon Martinez was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Calderon Martinez was distributing heroin, cocaine, and other drugs supplied directly from Mexico. On several occasions in April and May 2022, he sold cocaine and heroin to law enforcement, offering kilogram quantities for sale. He obtained drug loads from Mexico, and utilized another individual’s Fort Wayne residence as a stash house to store and package drugs for sale. A search resulted in the seizure of about 60 pounds of marijuana, over 670 grams of heroin, and almost 3.75 kilograms of cocaine at the stash house, and about three ounces of cocaine and $10,000 cash at his residence. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FBI’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller. This case was 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.


title: Arkansas Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Traveling to Phoenix to Meet Minor for Sex

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Andrew Lee Butler, 49, of Arkansas, was sentenced last week to 14 years in prison after a jury found him guilty on March 15, 2024, on two charges: Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Interstate Travel to Meet a Minor for Sex. Butler was arrested on December 8, 2022, at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after he communicated with an undercover FBI special agent’s account on a social media platform that he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl. During the 38 days of daily chats between Butler and the FBI special agent who posed as the girl, Butler quickly raised the idea of having sex with the girl and planned travel to Phoenix to be with her for a weekend in December 2022. Butler believed the girl’s grandmother would be her caretaker for the weekend and that her mother was out of town. He encouraged the girl to talk with a friend of his who he claimed had been sexually active with older men and who had avoided detection. Butler reserved a hotel room, a car, and planned to pick the girl up after school. Butler encouraged her to talk to her mother about getting the HPV vaccination prior to his arrival as she needed parental approval to get it since she was under age 16. Butler’s phone revealed that he had done an internet search for statutory rape laws in Arizona. When Butler was arrested at the airport, he was found in possession of eight sex devices, an emergency contraceptive pill, condoms, and shower gel and a sponge in the girl’s favorite color. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle Helart and Jennifer Corbet, District of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01695-PHX-SPL RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-095_Butler # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Brandon Man Charged With COVID-19 Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Rosson Hamilton (40, Brandon) on an indictment charging him with two counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Hamilton faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. According to court records, between February 2021 and January 2022, Hamilton devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting a false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application. PPP loans were one of the sources of economic relief provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Hamilton made false representations in his PPP application to secure the loan. The loan proceeds were later electronically transferred into his bank account. 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. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Willie Charles Sanders, also known as “Disco,” 51, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Sanders admitted that he sold approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on August 23, 2022. The transaction was among 16 transactions during which Sanders sold a total of approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine, 23 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” to the confidential informant between August 2, 2022, and November 18, 2022. All of the transactions occurred at Sanders’ residence on the West Side of Charleston. Sanders sold the controlled substances in exchange for cash and items purported to be stolen such as catalytic converters, tools and clothing including clothing for his youngest child. Sanders has a long criminal history that includes more than 30 prior convictions since 1991 in West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Connecticut for various offenses including aggravated assault and battery, carrying a concealed weapon, distribution of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, driving under the influence, identity fraud, and larceny. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit (SEU). Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-164. ###


title: Convicted Felon Receives 210-Year Federal Sentence for String of Armed Business Robberies

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has been sentenced to 210 years in federal prison after being convicted of eight business robberies and one attempted business robbery that occurred in the summer of 2022. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. According to the information presented in court, on March 7, 2022, Marchello Moore , 43 , escaped from a halfway house and set off on a series of armed robberies of local businesses. After a six-day federal jury trial in February 2024, Moore was convicted of eight counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, and eight counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Moore had previously pled guilty to escaping from federal custody from the halfway house where he had been serving a prior federal sentence for business and bank robberies committed in 2014. On July 17, 2024, United States District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Moore to 210 years of imprisonment, which included a mandatory minimum of 200 years because of the nature of the convictions and Moore’s criminal history. There is no parole in the federal system. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Safe Streets Task Force, a collective comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Rogers and Eileen Kuo, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated this case. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Eighteen MS-13 Members and Associates Sentenced for 10 Murders, Seven Attempted Murders, Kidnapping, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms Offenses

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The last defendant of 18 La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members charged in connection with a multi-year investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement was sentenced today. The investigation involved charges of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, obstruction of justice, and destruction of evidence. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members and associates of MS-13’s Thompson Place Locos Salvatrucha clique, which has operated in Nashville, Tennessee, since at least 2014. MS-13, an international street gang composed largely of individuals of Salvadoran or Central American descent, seeks to protect its power, territory, reputation, and profits through murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, robbery, kidnappings, extortion, and other criminal activities. In addition, cooperation with law enforcement is strictly prohibited under MS-13’s rules. Members are required to confront, fight, and/or kill rival gang members and to retaliate quickly and viciously against anyone who disrespects or threatens the gang’s authority, power, reputation, or control of a neighborhood. Prospective members committed murders to gain entrance into MS-13 or to earn respect among the members. In addition to drug distribution and firearms offenses, the defendants were also convicted of conspiring with each other and committing acts of violence, including the following: On April 6, 2016, MS-13 members and associates, including Jose Pineda-Caceres, murdered Victim 1 because they believed he was a rival gang member. They lured Victim 1 to a secluded field in a rural area of Davidson County, Tennessee, under the guise of going to smoke marijuana. When they arrived at the field, the gang members confronted Victim 1 about their belief that he was in a rival gang before shooting him multiple times, killing him. On July 31, 2016, MS-13 members and associates, including Pineda-Caceres, went to a South Nashville nightclub, where Pineda-Caceres saw Victim 2, who he believed was a rival gang member. Victim 2 and his younger sister, Victim 3, were at the nightclub with friends, celebrating Victim 3’s 18th birthday. When Victim 2 left the nightclub with his friends and Victim 3, Pineda-Caceres and another MS-13 associate chased Victim 2’s car on Interstate 24 and shot into it. A bullet stuck Victim 3 and killed her. Pineda-Caceres fled the United States after this murder but was arrested when he returned to the United States in November 2017. On Nov. 13, 2016, MS-13 members and associates, including Jorge Flores, were at a South Nashville nightclub when they saw Victim 4, who they believed was a rival gang member. The MS-13 members and associates, including Flores, followed Victim 4 from the nightclub to his apartment in Antioch, Tennessee. An MS-13 member shot Victim 4 and then fled. Victim 4 died from his injuries. On or about Jan. 18, 2017, MS-13 members and associates, including Jorge Flores, saw Victim 5, who they believed was responsible for a recent murder of an MS-13 member, at a Wal-Mart in Antioch. The MS-13 members chased Victim 5 as he rode in a car with his girlfriend and her young children. The MS-13 members eventually cornered the car and shot into it, striking Victim 5 multiple times. In February 2017, MS-13 members and associates, including Carlos Ochoa and Jorge Flores, conspired to murder rival drug dealers, Victims 6 and 7. The MS-13 members also conspired to murder another MS-13 member because he associated with Victims 6 and 7. On Feb.18, 2017, MS-13 members and associates chased the three victims in a car for miles and attempted to kill them by shooting at them. The gang members chased their victims to a South Nashville nightclub, shot at them, and continuously shot into the nightclub, which was filled with patrons. The following weekend, on Feb. 25, 2017, MS-13 members and associates chased the victims again and shot Victim 6 in the neck and torso, causing Victim 6 to suffer life-threatening injuries. Metropolitan Nashville Police Department officers promptly provided medical care to Victim 6, helping to save his life. On April 2, 2017, MS-13 members and associates were inside a South Nashville nightclub when they saw Victims 8 and 9. The gang members informed another MS-13 member and MS-13 associate, who were not in the nightclub, of the victims’ presence inside the nightclub and the gang members’ belief that the victims were rival gang members. The MS-13 member and associate outside of the nightclub retrieved an AK-47 rifle and shot Victims 8 and 9 multiple times when they left the club, killing them both. On May 21, 2017, MS-13 members, including Flores and Kevin Tidwell, were parked in the parking lot of a South Nashville nightclub when they saw Victim 10, who they believed to be a rival gang member, pull into the parking lot. The gang members drove next to Victim 10’s car and shot him numerous times in his head and torso as he sat in his car, killing him. On May 27, 2017, MS-13 members were at a convenience store in South Nashville, where Tidwell got into a verbal altercation with Victim 11 and felt disrespected. Tidwell got into a truck driven by Flores and waited behind the store until Victim 11 and Victim 12 drove away from the store. The MS-13 members chased the car while shooting at it with an AK-47 rifle and a 9mm pistol. Victim 11 was struck by the gunfire and died from his injuries. The MS-13 members later burned the truck in an abandoned field. On June 17, 2017, several MS-13 members were at a nightclub and confronted Victim 13 for falsely claiming to be an MS-13 member. The gang members summoned additional members to the club for assistance. When the additional members arrived, a fight ensued between the MS-13 members and Victim 13 and his friends. Gerson Serrano-Ramirez ultimately retrieved an AK-47 rifle from a car and fired a round of ammunition into the air. The MS-13 members then forced Victim 13 into a car and took him to a secluded location, where they beat him. On July 25, 2017, at Serrano-Ramirez’s home, Serrano-Ramirez physically assaulted Victim 14 for saying that MS-13 members and their drug activities were causing problems in a local nightclub. Serrano-Ramirez accused Victim 14 of cooperating with law enforcement, then pointed a rifle at him, choked him with the strap of the rifle, sprayed bleach in his eyes, suffocated him by placing a plastic bag over his head, and broke one of his fingers with a pair of pliers. On Sept. 24, 2017, MS-13 members, including Luis Colindres, saw Victim 15, who they believed to be a rival gang member, in a South Nashville nightclub. MS-13 members watched him leave the nightclub with two other individuals, then drove to his apartment complex to await his return. When Victim 15 arrived, the gang members blocked the car with their car, got out, and shot Victim 15 in the head and torso multiple times, killing him. The members also shot one of the car’s passengers, Victim 16, in the head and torso multiple times to prevent him from cooperating with law enforcement. Later that evening, on Sept. 24, 2017, MS-13 members and associates, including Flores and Colindres, lured Victim 17 to a secluded location to murder him for failing to repay a drug debt. When Victim 17 arrived, they ordered him into the trunk of a car and shot him multiple times. They then drove Victim 17’s body to Cheatham County, Tennessee, where they burned him inside of the car’s trunk to destroy evidence of the murder. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, the MS-13 members committed several armed carjackings of citizens near the Nashville, Tennessee, area. The defendants were sentenced as follows: Jorge Flores, 31, life plus 65 years in prison; Kevin Tidwell, 30, life plus 30 years in prison; Luis Colindres, 27, 55 years in prison; Jose Pineda-Caceres, 25, 52 years and three months in prison; Gerson Serrano-Ramirez, 36, 34 years in prison; Carlos Ochoa-Martinez, 34, 30 years in prison; Francisco Avila, 26, 30 years in prison; Franklin Hernandez, 24, 28 years and 11 months in prison; Jason Sandoval, 38, 20 years in prison; Oscar Delgado-Flores, 30, 19 years and eight months in prison; Angel Daniel-Garcia, 38, 13 years and nine months in prison; Bryan Paredes, 27, 10 years in prison; Jose Calderon, 24, 10 years in prison; Hector Venturas, 28, 12 years and seven months in prison; Juan Melendez, 25, eight years in prison; Franklin Pineda-Caceres, 23, seven years and six months in prison; Sergio Alvarado-Ochoa, 30, two years and six months in prison; and Anabely Caceres, 44, time-served sentence of one year and one month. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee; Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville; Acting Special Agent in Charge Erek Davodowich of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Louisville Field Division; U.S. Marshal Denny King for the Middle District of Tennessee; Chief John Drake of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The ATF, HSI, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, La Vergne Police Department, and Kentucky State Police investigated the case. Deputy Chief Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ahmed Safeeullah and Brooke Farzad for the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted this case. This prosecution 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Indian National Indicted For Attempting To Entice A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Kirtan Patel (24, India) with attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Patel faces a mandatory minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Patel was arrested on the indictment on July 18, 2024. He is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case. According to the indictment, between May 22-24, 2024, Patel knowingly attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual whom he believed had not yet attained 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity. 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 was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Iran Sanctions

body_text: Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh and Rahman Natooshas, 70, of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of trade sanctions. According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015, Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical industries. Hunt engaged in a series of deceptive practices to avoid detection by U.S. authorities, including using third-party transshipment companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and routing payments through UAE banks, as well as lying to shipping companies about the value of his exports to prevent the filing of electronic export information to U.S. authorities. Hunt lied to suppliers and shippers by claiming the items he purchased on behalf of the Iranian co-conspirators were destined for end users in Turkey and UAE, while knowing the exports were ultimately destined for Iran. Hunt lied also to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers regarding the nature and existence of his business when questioned upon his return from a March 2020 trip to Iran. Hunt pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI National Security Branch made the announcement. The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security is investigating the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan “Jack” Harrington, Jonathan Cross and Henry Cornelius for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Emma Ellenrieder and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon for Pointing Gun at Stepfather

body_text: WASHINGTON –Nashawn Marshall, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of assault with a dangerous weapon and other charges, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The verdict was returned today, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Errol Arthur scheduled sentencing for September 30, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, on February 1, 2024, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Marshall was at his parents’ apartment when he got into an argument with his mother and stepfather. During that argument, Marshall pointed a loaded handgun at his stepfather while threatening to kill him. His parents fled the apartment and his stepfather flagged down a police officer. Marshall was stopped and arrested in a nearby apartment building. A handgun matching the description given by his parents was recovered from a crawl space above where Marshall was stopped. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Hyde and Sarah Roessler from the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit.


title: U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and HUD Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis Host Safe Housing Summit

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis hosted a summit today focused on promoting the health, safety, and civil rights of tenants living in HUD-assisted housing. The program focused on combatting sexual misconduct and eliminating environmental hazards in HUD-assisted housing. The summit, which took place at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark, was part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s and Inspector General’s complementary initiatives to promote safe housing strategies related to environmental justice, and how to recognize and report sexual harassment and misconduct in housing. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home, free from exposure to environmental hazards, and without being subjected to sexual harassment and assault by those with control over their housing. We convened this summit today to raise awareness that all New Jerseyans have protections under federal law and that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with our partners at HUD OIG, will continue to work every day to eradicate sexual harassment and environmental injustices in housing throughout the state.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Through summits like the one we cohosted today with U.S. Attorney Sellinger, HUD OIG remains focused on raising awareness that HUD tenants and applicants seeking housing have a right to housing that is environmentally safe and and free from sexual misconduct,” Inspector General Oliver Davis said. “We remain committed to working closely with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively investigate violations of federal law in these areas and pursue bad actors who victimize vulnerable people receiving HUD assistance.” Attendees included representatives from organizations who routinely work with vulnerable populations most likely to be impacted by environmental injustices, such as lead-based paint in their homes, or subjected to sexual harassment in housing by their landlords, property managers, or others with control over housing. The organizations represented included legal services offices, fair housing organizations, civil rights groups, shelters, and social service organizations. If you or someone you know has information about environmental hazards and unsafe conditions in HUD-assisted housing or has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation – even if the events occurred years ago – report it to the HUD Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or visit the website at www.hudoig.gov/hotline . You may also file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint . Individuals who believe they have been victims of environmental injustices, sexual harassment in housing, or discrimination may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 1-855-281-3339 or visit the website at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement . 24-275 ###


title: Marion County Man Indicted For Attempting To Entice A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Joseph Raymond Morin (51, Ocala) with attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Morin faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Morin was arrested on July 15, 2024. He is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case. According to the indictment, between May 3, 2024, and June 26, 2024, Morin knowingly attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual whom he believed had not yet attained 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity. 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 was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Eastern Idaho Attorney Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: POCATELLO – Robin Dwain Dunn, 69, of Rigby, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Court records indicate that from June 2022 to February 2023, Dunn—an attorney practicing in Eastern Idaho who previously served as the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney—agreed with clients and others to distribute controlled substances. During the conspiracy, Dunn and a client made two trips to the Salt Lake City area to pick up methamphetamine and fentanyl. Dunn and the client then brought the drugs back to Idaho for distribution to others. Court records further indicated that in November 2022, Dunn caused fentanyl to be distributed into a correctional facility (the Bonneville County Jail) to an inmate client. Dunn agreed that he abused a position of trust by using his position as an attorney to further his drug trafficking activities. The charge in this case is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release. After Dunn entered his guilty plea, the court remanded him into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Idaho Falls Police Department, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francis Zebari and Christopher Atwood are 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. ###


title: Dubuque Man Who Distributed Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison. Michael Henry Vandermillen, Jr., age 30, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 6, 2024, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location. At the guilty plea, Vandermillen admitted that on April 25, 2023, in Dubuque, Iowa, he transferred methamphetamine to another person within 1,000 feet of two parks. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that one month later, he distributed heroin and fentanyl to a confidential informant. When law enforcement officers came to search his residence in May 2023, they discovered him in the bathroom, where he was attempting to hide heroin, Xanax, and Ativan by consuming the substances. Two days later, his blood tested positive for fentanyl, cocaine, amphetamine, benzodiazepine, and THC. Vandermillen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Vandermillen was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Vandermillen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort with the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque Drug Task Force. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-1023. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Green Bay Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Dealing Fentanyl Resulting in Death of 17-year old

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 18, 2024, Senior U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Roosevelt T. Taylor (age: 36) to 20 years in prison after he pled guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Death, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841. According to court records, for at least several weeks in 2023, Taylor repeatedly distributed counterfeit Percocet® “M30” pills containing fentanyl in the Green Bay area. Taylor described himself as a “middler” who connected customers to a larger drug distributor. In that role, Taylor became responsible for putting hundreds of fake Percocet® pills into circulation, not knowing who would ultimately ingest the potentially lethal dose of fentanyl found in about 70% of such pills. During one fentanyl-trafficking offense, Taylor supplied “M30” pills to a 17-year-old female who used them and died of fentanyl toxicity. At the time, Taylor had a lengthy criminal history, including prior jail and prison sentences, and was on supervision in three separate felony cases for robbery, burglary, and delivery of heroin. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach emphasized that trafficking fentanyl is distributing “poison.” The judge considered nationwide data that 7 in 10 counterfeit pills tested at DEA Crime Labs contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, that fentanyl is the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds, and that synthetic opiates like fentanyl cause over 73,000 deaths annually in the U.S.—equal to 200 deaths per day. According to the DEA, illicit fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl—the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil—is considered a potentially deadly dose. The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, using chemicals largely sourced from China, are primarily responsible for most of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in communities across the United States. This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Funnell. ### For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh and Rahman Natooshas, 70, of Owens Cross Roads, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of trade sanctions. According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools, LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving, and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015, Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. Hunt engaged in a series of deceptive practices to avoid detection by U.S. authorities, including using third-party transshipment companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and routing payments through UAE banks, as well as lying to shipping companies about the value of his exports to prevent the filing of Electronic Export Information to U.S. authorities. Hunt lied to suppliers and shippers by claiming the items he purchased on behalf of the Iranian co-conspirators were destined for end-users in Turkey and UAE, while knowing the exports were ultimately destined for Iran. Hunt lied also to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers regarding the nature and existence of his business when questioned upon his return from a March 2020 trip to Iran. Hunt pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security is investigating the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan “Jack” Harrington, Jonathan Cross, and Henry Cornelius and Trial Attorneys Emma Ellenrieder and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Neshoba County Man Pleads Guilty  to Shooting a Tribal Member on the Choctaw Indian Reservation

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Neshoba County man pled guilty to assault with intent to do bodily harm and use of a firearm during a crime of violence on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. According to court documents, in September 2022, Jessie James Clay, Jr., 42, shot a tribal member at a residence in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Clay was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023. Clay is scheduled to be sentenced on October 18, 2024, and faces not less than ten years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.


title: Guatemalan Man Indicted for Traveling to New Jersey to Kidnap Minor

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Guatemalan man was indicted by a federal grand jury for traveling to Cape May County, New Jersey, to kidnap a minor, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Sergio Gomez, aka “Abner Abigail Chub-Choc,” 22, of Guatemala, made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Skahill in Camden federal court and was detained. Gomez was indicted on July 17, 2024, on one count each of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity, and kidnapping. According to the indictment: Gomez used the internet and cellphone to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. On July 30, 2023, Gomez arrived in Cape May County, New Jersey, and took the minor to Georgia with the intent to engage in sexual activity with the minor. The FBI recovered the minor in Georgia on Aug. 3, 2023. The count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; the count of transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and the count of kidnapping carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. All of the counts also carry a maximum fine of $250,000 per count. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, in Newark. He also thanked the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Middle Township Police Department, FBI Atlanta office, and the Cherokee County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office.. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn R. Waegener of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. gomez_indictment.pdf


title: Co-Conspirator in Magic Valley Drug Ring Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BOISE – Brandon Aaron Dana, 36, a co-conspirator in a large drug trafficking conspiracy, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for distributing over 7,000 fentanyl pills in the Magic Valley, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. According to court records, in the summer of 2023, law enforcement officers identified Dana while investigating a drug trafficking organization led by a man named Austin Lee. In approximately April 2023, Lee moved to Arizona, but continued to direct his drug trafficking enterprise in Idaho through various co-conspirators, including Dana. On June 20, 2023, Lee communicated with Dana and arranged to have him distribute approximately 7,000 fentanyl pills to an individual who, unbeknownst to Lee or Dana at the time, was an undercover officer investigating their conspiracy. The transaction happened as planned, and Dana drove to a gas station parking lot located in Jerome, Idaho, where he met with the undercover officer. During the drug transaction, Dana handed the undercover officer a red plastic oil container that contained the fentanyl pills. Dana had cut the bottom portion of the container along the seam to create a small opening where he inserted the drugs. The drug transaction was audio and video recorded by police. The below photographs show how Dana concealed the pills. Dana is the fifth defendant sentenced as a member of this drug trafficking conspiracy. On February 20, 2024, U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced co-conspirator Tina Morris to 97 months in federal prison. She also sentenced co-conspirator Jamie Coltrin to 48 months in prison. The following day, she sentenced co-conspirators Jenika Johnson to 48 months in prison and Daniel Coltrin to 25 months in prison. All four sentences were to be followed by three years of supervised release. These sentencings were previously announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, on February 26, 2024. See Press Release . Dana has a prior criminal history that includes at least 14 criminal offenses, including four prior felony offenses involving delivery of a controlled substance, two burglaries, and an escape by a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced Dana to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $900 fine. Following his imprisonment, he was ordered to complete five years of supervised release. “This case reflects the success we are having in dismantling significant drug trafficking networks in the Magic Valley,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Along with our dedicated law enforcement partners, we will remain focused on this work. Drug traffickers should recognize that serious consequences await them if they bring poisonous drugs like fentanyl into Idaho.” “DEA and our partners will work tirelessly to stop drug traffickers from flooding our communities with drugs and violence,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The sentences in this case highlight the serious threat fentanyl and methamphetamine traffickers pose as well as our commitment to stop them.” “Law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions are joining forces to combat the proliferation of illicit drugs within our communities,” said Idaho State Police Lieutenant Colonel Sheldon Kelley. “Through unwavering collaboration, we will work tirelessly to dismantle the networks responsible for distributing drugs throughout Idaho. By disrupting these operations, we not only uphold the law but also prioritize the safety and well-being of our citizens, ensuring our streets remain free from the harmful influence of drugs.” U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force, the Twin Falls Special Investigations Unit, the Jerome County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Pocatello Police Department, for their work on these cases. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Booker and Frank Zebari. 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. ###


title: Rochester man going to prison on gun charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Edward A. Pearce, 30, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who handled the case, stated that on August 12, 2023, Pearce was arrested by the United States Marshal’s Service Fugitive Task Force following a traffic stop in the area of 1071 Dewey Avenue in Rochester. Law enforcement located a loaded 40 caliber pistol in his waistband. In June 2018, Pearce was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in Ulster County Court, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. The sentencing is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Marshal’s Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division. # # # #


title: Southern Arizona Man Indicted for Second Degree Murder

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury indicted Santiago Luis Valencia, Jr., 34, of Tucson, on one count of Second Degree Murder. Valencia is an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. It is alleged that on June 15, 2024, the victim and Valencia engaged in a verbal altercation that later turned physical. According to witnesses, Valencia was the initial aggressor and assaulted the victim by striking the back of the victim’s head against a windowsill on the exterior of the residence where the incident occurred. The victim died the following day as a result of the injuries sustained during the fight. Second Degree Murder carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and five years of supervised release. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathaniel J. Walters and Caroline Allen, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-04265-TUC-JGZ RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-096_Valencia # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Lame Deer felon sentenced to 21 years in prison for assaults on women and illegal possession of firearm

body_text: BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man who admitted to assaulting women on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations and to illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun in two separate cases was sentenced on Wednesday to 21 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Theo Summers Buffalo Bulltail, 41, pleaded guilty in February to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with a weapon and assault resulting in substantial injury in one case. Buffalo Bulltail also pleaded guilty in August 2023 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm in a separate case. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. “Buffalo Bulltail terrorized women on both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations through brutal assaults and torture. The injuries and trauma Buffalo Bulltail inflicted will likely follow the victims for the rest of their lives, but I hope that they can begin some measure of healing knowing that Buffalo Bulltail will be incarcerated for a long time. Additionally, Buffalo Bulltail, a felon with multiple convictions, was a danger to the public by illegally possessing guns. With today’s sentence, women and communities will be safe from Buffalo Bulltail,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. The government alleged in court documents that in the assaults case, Buffalo Bulltail assaulted four women by abusing and torturing them in separate incidents on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations. In an assault in April 2022 involving a victim identified as Jane Doe 1, Buffalo Bulltail struck Doe 1 with various objects including an axe and his hands, breaking her nose and foot, and tortured her for days in a residence in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Doe 1 eventually escaped and flagged down a truck driver. In another assault in July 2022 involving a victim identified as Jane Doe 3, Buffalo Bulltail struck her in the arm with a large knife, causing swelling and bleeding, near Pryor, on the Crow Indian Reservation. Additionally, in March 2022, Buffalo Bulltail punched another victim, identified as Jane Doe 2, in the face twice, breaking her nose, for not giving him keys to a vehicle. Buffalo Bulltail previously drove Jane Doe 2 to a remote area on the Crow Reservation, strangled and threatened to kill her, and in another instance, threatened her with a gun. Finally, in July 2022, Buffalo Bulltail drove another victim, identified as Jane Doe 4, to Lodge Grass, on the Crow Reservation, and said he was going to rape her. He forced her to remove her clothes, pushed her out of the vehicle then yanked her back in by the hair. Doe 4 got dressed and got away when the vehicle got stuck in the mud. Buffalo Bulltail found her the next day and took her to a residence where he repeatedly assaulted her. Doe 4 escaped by running from the residence. In the firearms case, law enforcement pulled over a vehicle Buffalo Bulltail was driving near Billings on Jan. 18, 2022. Buffalo Bulltail fled from the car but was caught and arrested. Officers found Buffalo Bulltail in possession of a sawed-off shotgun, .40-caliber ammunition, drug baggies and methamphetamine. Buffalo Bulltail had five previous felony convictions at the time and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Highway Patrol and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office conducted the firearms investigation. The FBI conducted the assaults investigation. 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. XXX