title: Santa Fe Springs Man Sentenced to Prison for Submitting Fake Online Tips Claiming Others Planned Attacks on Military Facilities

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Santa Fe Springs man has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for reporting eight online tips to the United States Department of Defense (DOD) falsely claiming that certain women were about to perpetrate mass-casualty attacks at U.S. military facilities in Los Angeles and Orange counties, the Justice Department announced today. Daniel Sandoval, 29, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson. Sandoval pleaded guilty on February 12 to one count of false information and hoaxes. According to his plea agreement, on March 21, 2021, Sandoval knowingly provided an online tip to the DOD reporting system that falsely stated that a woman – identified in court documents as “S.C.” – was planning to detonate bombs in a “mass attack” at a U.S. Navy weapons facility located in Seal Beach. According to Sandoval’s tip, the attack would involve “blowing up military vehicles stationed there and civilian personnel vehicles.” During the following two days, Sandoval made seven more online tips to the DOD, falsely identifying additional women who purportedly posed threats. For example, on March 22, 2021, Sandoval provided an online tip to the DOD that falsely stated a woman – identified in court documents as “S.H.” – and others planned to detonate bombs at a U.S. military hospital located in Bell Gardens. On March 23, 2021, Sandoval provided a false online tip to the Defense Department that falsely stated a woman – identified in court documents as “L.E.” – and others were planning to bomb and conduct a mass shooting at a U.S. Army Reserve Center in South El Monte. Sandoval admitted in his plea agreement that his conduct substantially disrupted public and government functions and services, including the evacuation of personnel from a Navy building due to the false tip. “[Sandoval’s] unlawful conduct harmed not only the military bases he targeted and the personnel living or working on those bases, but also harmed the innocent women who he claimed were perpetrating these dangerous threats,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. The FBI’s Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander H. Tran of the General Crimes Section and James A. Santiago of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, prosecuted this case.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — William Lesley, 34, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to four years and nine months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, law enforcement officers conducted a parole search in Galt at the residence of Lesley’s co-defendant, Dexter Weeks, 35, a known felon on parole. While clearing the residence, officers encountered Lesley as he was coming out of a bedroom. In the bedroom where Lesley had exited, officers found a loaded Ruger pistol in a backpack on the floor near the bed. Lesley is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple state felony convictions. After pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, Weeks was sentenced on Aug. 27, 2024, to seven years in prison. This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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: Confluence Corp. Settles Allegations of False Claims for Payment of Work Performed by Unqualified Welders

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Confluence Corp. d/b/a Regal Service Company (“Regal”), a Hawaii corporation and Department of the Navy contractor, has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false claims for payment for work performed by unqualified welders on the USS Chung Hoon, USS John Paul Jones, and USS William P. Lawrence at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility between January 2020 and October 2021. The United States alleged that after an initial review of Regal’s contract work, the Navy determined Regal had used welders lacking required certifications to perform the identified tasks. During a full-scale review of Regal’s work, the Navy confirmed the welders were unqualified and also determined that the welds were deficient. The United States further alleged that Regal provided the Navy falsified documents to make it appear as though its welders had obtained the required certifications when in fact they had not. The $300,000 payment from Regal includes $150,000 in restitution to cover costs incurred by the Navy to address the faulty welds. “When anyone – an individual or corporation – does business with the United States of America, the falsification of documents and other false representations will not be tolerated,” said Clare E. Connors, the United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii. “The failure to perform the terms of a government contract risks harming our servicemembers, and our office will continue to hold companies accountable for such misconduct.” “Submitting false claims for work performed by unqualified welders harms operational readiness and endangers warfighter safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS appreciates our investigative partners for their continued efforts to help protect the Department of the Navy from threats posed by such fraud.” “Department of Defense (DoD) contractors bear a solemn trust to earnestly fulfill their contractual terms. Our military readiness, as well as the health and safety of our brave men and women in uniform, depend upon it,” said Stanley A. Newell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DoD, Office of Inspector General’s, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Transnational Operations Field Office. “The dedicated professionals of DCIS and our partner agencies will work tirelessly to hold those who violate the public trust accountable.” The False Claims Act allows for treble damages, and civil penalties of up to $27,894 per violation. DCIS’s Transnational Operations Field Office and NCIS’s Economic Crimes Field Office West investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sydney Spector handled the matter. The claims against Regal resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Former Owner of a Bend-Based Microbrewery Equipment Company Sentenced to Federal Prison for Mail and Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: EUGENE, Ore.— The former owner of a Bend, Oregon-based microbrewery equipment company was sentenced to federal prison today for defrauding nearly two dozen customers out of more than $880,000. Matthew Mulder, 52, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $887,116 in restitution to his victims. Mulder used his company, We Can Brewing Systems, LLC, which he co-founded in 2014, to solicit payments for custom-built microbrewery systems, keg washers, and other industrial brewing products. Beginning in at least January 2017 and continuing through June 2018, Mulder solicited and accepted orders for equipment he knew his company was not capable of fulfilling. When customers asked for updates on their orders, Mulder falsely stated that they were on schedule or nearing completion. At the same time, Mulder would entice customers to make additional payments by sending emails and text messages that included photos of nearly-completed orders prepared for other customers. He would then send the customers fake invoices for shipping costs, which they would pay. Many customers received nothing from Mulder following those final shipping payments. During the fraud, Mulder solicited and accepted new customer contracts requiring large down payments that he would in-turn use for personal expenses, to pay off loans, and to pay suppliers. In total, Mulder knowingly and intentionally defrauded 23 customers out of more than $880,000. On February 19, 2020, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a seven-count indictment charging Mulder with wire and mail fraud. He pleaded guilty to all counts on April 3, 2024. This case was investigated by the FBI and Bend Police Department. It was prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.


title: Passaic County Man Admits to Failure to Pay Payroll Taxes

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a $3.5 million payroll tax evasion scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Walter Hass, 62, of Hewitt, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of failure to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Hass was the owner and operator a shipping/logistics company located in Oakland, New Jersey. Since 2014, he has operated the company under three different names. He failed to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over payroll taxes to the IRS on behalf of each of these companies from 2014 to 2022. In total, he failed to pay over to the IRS at least $3.5 million in payroll taxes. Instead of paying over payroll taxes to the IRS, Hass used company money to fund his personal lifestyle, including the purchase of luxury vehicles, including Aston Martins and McClarens, high-end watches and jewelry, designer clothing items and accessories, tickets to sporting events, home renovations, vacations, water sports vehicles, and extravagant meals. The charge to which Hass has pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for April, 22, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Calle and Edeli Rivera of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark. hass.information.pdf


title: Florida Man and Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Sell Counterfeit Drugs on Dark Web

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Hialeah, Fla., man, Omar Thomas Wala, 35, and a North Miami, Fla., woman, Vienna Cavanaugh, 33, were sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, to 90 months and 26 months in prison, respectively, for conspiring with others to produce and sell counterfeit drugs. According to their plea agreements, Wala and Cavanaugh worked with their co-conspirators, Michael Basalyga, Reina Chirinos de Urena, and Philbert Campbell, to make and sell counterfeit alprazolam, commonly known by the brand name Xanax. As part of the conspiracy, Wala, Cavanaugh, and their co-defendants made pills that looked similar to real tablets and were stamped with numbers used by legitimate manufacturers, but they were made from other substances, including clonazolam and etizolam, designed to replicate the effects of alprazolam. The conspiracy involved selling directly to known customers and by also selling the counterfeit drugs under pseudonyms on darknet marketplaces. People purchased the drugs with cryptocurrency across the United States, including in Kentucky. The Court held Wala responsible for distribution of more than 16.1 million counterfeit alprazolam pills from 2017 to 2022 and has ordered Wala to forfeit more than $6.9 million. “Counterfeit medicine can be harmful and is a serious problem,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “When purchasing these drugs, consumers may be getting too much, too little, or even the wrong drug, having no way to know it. We have a closed drug distribution system to ensure that our drug supply is safe to use and is not a marketplace for criminals. These defendants were prolific sellers of counterfeit drugs and posed a real threat to their customers. Through the dedicated work of our law enforcement partners, they now face the consequences of their illegal and dangerous profiteering.” Wala’s and Cavanaugh’s co-defendants are currently scheduled to be sentenced as follows: Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15, 2024; Basalyga is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2025; and Chirinos de Urena is scheduled to be sentenced March 25, 2025. Under federal law, Wala and Cavanaugh must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Upon their release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. United States Attorney Shier and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the DEA, with assistance from the FBI, IRS, and United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosenberg is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. This case 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. – END –


title: Caregiver sentenced to federal prison for stealing from elderly Hardin County woman

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Huffman woman has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Marcia Nickette Remedies, 71, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to eight months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale on November 5, 2024. Remedies was also ordered to pay $24,887.75 in restitution. According to information presented in court, in May 2023, the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office contacted the FBI to request assistance in an investigation concerning Marcia Remedies, who operated as a caretaker to a 91-year-old, bed-ridden individual. The victim reported that Remedies had unlawfully withdrew money from her account utilizing her debit card. The victim was on hospice for health-related issues and reported she hired Remedies to assist her in her home with daily affairs and personal needs. She found Remedies through an add on Facebook and hired her around October 2022. Remedies was authorized to use the victim’s debit card for one-time purchases, such as personal need items and groceries. Beginning in November 2022 through April 2023, numerous unauthorized automated teller withdrawals were made at various locations in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. It was determined that Remedies made automated teller withdrawals at Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel in Vinton, Louisiana and numerous other unauthorized withdrawals at local stores that were not for the benefit of the victim. Surveillance video captured Remedies on video conducting numerous unauthorized transactions. Remedies made $24,887.75 in unauthorized withdrawals from the victim’s account. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. This case was investigated by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin. ###


title: Mobile Man Sentenced To 46 Months For Illegally Possessing A Firearm

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Roosevelt White, a Mobile man, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge William H. Steele. According to court documents, in August 2023, members of the Mobile Police Department responded a gas station on Springhill Avenue where they observed White engaged in several hand-to-hand transactions. White was detained for investigation and officers located a firearm on his person. White is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possession a firearm. At sentencing, Judge Steele imposed a 46-month sentence of incarceration and a 3-year term of supervised release upon White’s discharge from prison. The Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Shakopee Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Shakopee man has been sentenced to 160 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession and distribution of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to the evidence presented at trial, law enforcement executed a series of controlled buys of methamphetamine from Saul Rodriguez Pineda, 40, on three separate occasions between September and October 2022. On October 12, 2022, law enforcement searched the residence where Rodriguez Pineda was staying in Shakopee, Minnesota, and found 31 pounds of methamphetamine in Rodriguez Pineda’s yard as well as a liquid methamphetamine conversion lab. Law enforcement also found numerous items related to drug trafficking inside the residence. Following a three-day trial in March 2024, Pineda was convicted on three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On October 30, 2024, Pineda was sentenced by Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, and the Shakopee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and Allen A. Slaughter presented the matter at trial.


title: Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Brooklyn Center man has been sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to the evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of September 28, 2019, Dante Jospeh Tyus, 30, a member of the Minneapolis Bloods street gang, was stopped by the Minnesota State Patrol for driving erratically. Tyus, who showed obvious signs of intoxication, was arrested for driving under the influence. Tyus’s vehicle was towed and impounded. After being booked at the Hennepin County Jail, Tyus made a series of recorded calls expressing concern to his girlfriend and enlisting her assistance in recovering a firearm that was hidden inside his vehicle. Law enforcement obtained a warrant to search the vehicle and recovered a 9mm semiautomatic handgun hidden inside a door panel. Because Tyus has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. On April 19, 2024, following a four-day trial, Tyus was found guilty on one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced last week in U.S. District Court by Judge Susan Richard Nelson. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Baumel and Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.


title: Grand Jury Indicts Norfolk Man for Multiple Child Pornography Charges

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that the Grand Jury in the District of Nebraska has returned an eight-count Indictment against Noah Hale, age 20, of Norfolk, Nebraska. The Indictment charges Hale with the sexual exploitation of six minors between September 2022 and February 2024. Counts 1 through 4 of the Indictment charge Hale with production of child pornography—each count involving a separate minor victim. Each of these offenses are punishable by a mandatory minimum term of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release to follow his term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years and up to a lifetime of supervision, and several possible special assessments payable to the court and to special victim funds. Counts 5 and 6 of the Indictment charge Hale with attempted production of child pornography—each count involving separate minor victims. Both counts are punishable by the same possible punishment as Counts 1-4. Count 7 of the Indictment charges Hale with receipt of child pornography. This offense is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release to follow his term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years and up to a lifetime of supervision, and several possible special assessments payable to the court and to special victim funds. Count 8 of the Indictment charges Hale with possession of child pornography. This offense is punishable by a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release to follow his term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years and up to a lifetime of supervision, and several possible special assessments payable to the court and to special victim funds. Hale appeared for his arraignment and detention hearing on November 1, 2024, before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Jacqueline M. DeLuca. He was ordered detained pending trial at the conclusion of the hearing. A preliminary examination will not be held as the Grand Jury has found probable cause in returning the Indictment. A finding of probable cause is not a finding of guilt and Hale is presumed innocent of these charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. U.S. Attorney Lehr commended the FBI for the intensity with which they investigated this case. Due to their efforts a number of victims were identified and charges were able to be filed. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Two Men Face Federal Charges in Grandparent Scams that Targeted Elderly Victims Across Multiple States

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – Two men have been arrested and charged for their alleged roles as couriers in grandparent scams that targeted seniors in multiple states including Rhode Island and Massachusetts, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Roberto Munoz, 29, of Hialeah, FL, and Jason Rhodes, 34, of Flushing, New York, are charged by federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. They appeared before a federal Magistrate Judge on Friday and were released on unsecured bond and GPS electronic monitoring. Grandparent scams often involve an elderly victim receiving a telephone call and being told that a family member, often a grandchild, needs bail because they have been arrested for committing a crime or causing a motor vehicle accident . Scammers identify themselves as a family member, an attorney, or a member of law enforcement, and direct victims to obtain cash and give it to a courier who will either arrive to pick up the money, or meet them at a specified drop-off location. Couriers frequently operate in a particular geographical area, where they await instructions and victim information from other individuals participating in the scheme. It is alleged that in early March 2024, Munoz and Rhodes, operating as couriers, traveled to various locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and collected approximately $230,000 in payments from unsuspecting victims in more than a dozen communities. Munoz and Rhodes were arrested by Warwick Police on March 8, 2024, as detectives were investigating the third complaint they had received in a single week from area residents, alleging that they had been contacted by, or had fallen victim to, scammers. It is alleged that, after one set of grandparent victims had already turned over $18,000 to a courier to cover what they were told was bail for their grandson, the grandparents were contacted again, were told that their grandchild was now being sued for $100,000, and that a $40,000 payment was immediately required. At this point, recognizing that the demands were part of a scam, the grandparents contacted the Warwick Police Department, which set up surveillance inside and outside the grandparents’ home while waiting for the courier to return. Rhodes was arrested at the house when he allegedly arrived to collect the money; Munoz was arrested while sitting in a car near the home, allegedly waiting the return of Rhodes. A court-authorized search of the vehicle and a nearby hotel room registered to Rhodes resulted in the seizure of more than $60,000 in cash and other items. A subsequent investigation by Warwick Police and Homeland Security Investigations determined that the defendants had allegedly been provided the names and addresses of grandparent scam victims in Coventry, Newport, Cranston, Hopkinton, West Greenwich, East Greenwich, and Smithfield, RI; in Stanhope, IA; and in Braintree, Hanover, Plymouth, Scituate, Cohasset, Stoughton, and Lakeville, MA. A device allegedly seized from Rhodes at the time of his arrest contained chat messages sent to him by Munoz that appear to contain names and addresses of target victims and their grandchildren in Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, Kansas, Maryland, Tennessee, Iowa, North Carolina, and New Jersey. This investigation remains ongoing, but, based upon local police reports it is believed that numerous families in Rhode Island and Massachusetts been victimized. A federal criminal is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Newport, Cranston, Hopkinton, West Greenwich, Smithfield, and Coventry, RI Police Departments; Rhode Island State Police; the Braintree, Hanover, Plymouth, Scituate, Stoughton, Lakeville, and Northbridge, MA Police Departments; and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, IA. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available by calling the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.[ET]. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, http://www.elderjustice.gov . ###


title: Leader of Area Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 260 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Charges

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Corey Terrell Gardner, age 33, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 260 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Court further sentenced Gardner to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the proceeds from his drug trafficking crimes, as well as firearms and ammunition seized by law enforcement, be forfeited. As part of the sentence, the Court found that Gardner operated a stash house and was an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor. This case was the result of an extensive federal, state, and local investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) aimed at a drug trafficking network based and operating in East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding areas. According to admissions made as part of his guilty pleas, from March through September 2019, Gardner operated a drug distribution organization in the Baton Rouge area where he and others distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. When law enforcement raided his home and other locations associated with him, over 27 ounces of methamphetamine, 2.7 ounces of heroin and 1.6 ounces of fentanyl was seized, as well as four firearms and 130 rounds of ammunition from Gardner that he illegally possessed to protect himself, his drugs, and his cash proceeds from drug sales. Gardner was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition. In January 2018, prior to possessing the four firearms and ammunition, he was convicted in the U.S. Middle District Court of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to over twelve months in prison. This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Baton Rouge City Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton, III and Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as Deputy Chief of the Organized and Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Narcotics and Loaded Glock .40 Used in Shooting Get Wilmington Career Offender 16 Years in Federal Prison

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

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – Desmond Antonio Hines, also known as “Head,” has been sentenced to 196 months after the 35-year-old was found guilty by a federal jury for illegal possession of a firearm, which ballistics showed was used in a shooting two months earlier. Hines was sentenced for gun and drug charges and considered a career offender based on prior convictions for drug trafficking and assault, including a prior federal drug conviction. “Neighbors called 911 when they saw Hines ditch his loaded Glock .40 in a patch of the azaleas as he tried to dodge police. Ballistics traced the gun to a recent shootout that left a popular area rapper dead,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “A celebration of life for the rapper was shot up weeks later, leaving two men, a teen, and a 6-year-old boy shot. Hines was just a small part the escalating patterns of crime and violence claiming far too many lives. But neighbors have had enough. And when neighbors start talking, the shooting starts stopping.” According to court records and evidence presented in court, on November 7, 2020, Wilmington Police stopped Hines for traffic violations. Upon approaching the car, the officer noticed an odor of marijuana and asked Hines to step out of the vehicle to conduct a search. A blunt and marijuana were found in the car and, during the search of Hines, the officer felt what he believed to be a metal object between the defendant’s legs. While the officer attempted to secure Hines in handcuffs, he tried to flee but was tackled by the officer. A subsequent search of Hines conducted at the police station uncovered a bag containing ten oxycodone pills and about 17 grams of crack cocaine. On March 31, 2022, detectives attempted to arrest Hines on federal charges related to the November 7 incident. Officers surveilled him driving a new Chrysler minivan. During surveillance, officers lost sight of Hines after he made a series of evasive maneuvers. After officers located Hines and placed him into custody, 911 dispatch reported a call from area residents who saw a man matching Hines’ description and driving a minivan stop the vehicle, walk to a patch of azalea bushes, and toss something into the bushes before driving off. Upon pulling back the bushes, witnesses saw a firearm. When police responded to the scene, which was approximately half a mile from where Hines was arrested, they recovered a semi-automatic Glock 27 Gen 4 .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine containing 20 live rounds of ammunition. Ten of those rounds were a distinctive, red-tipped round known as Hornady Critical Defense. When executing a search warrant at the defendant’s residence, detectives found a box of the same ammunition, with ten rounds missing. Later, testing of the firearm confirmed that Hines’ DNA was present. Ballistics traced the gun to the scene of a shootout two months earlier that left a man dead. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and U.S. Attorney Michael Easley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel prosecuted the case. The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP), a collaborative effort of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies working with the community to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, interagency coordination, and intelligence-led policing. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.7:22-cr-36-M.


title: Owner And Senior Executive Of New York Contracting Company Plead Guilty To Paying Kickbacks To Obtain Construction Contracts From A Fortune 500 Company

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TROY CARUSO, the owner and chief executive officer of a commercial construction and contracting company headquartered in New York, New York (the “Contracting Company”), and JOHN NOLAN, a senior executive at the Contracting Company, pled guilty Friday, November 1, 2024, to conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud in connection with their scheme to pay kickbacks to a senior project manager at a Fortune 500 real estate services firm in order to obtain contracting work. CARUSO and NOLAN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who is scheduled to sentence CARUSO on February 12, 2025, and NOLAN on February 13, 2025. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Corruption has no place in our business landscape. Troy Caruso and John Nolan sought to exploit the system for their own benefit, but today’s outcome shows that integrity will prevail. This Office is dedicated to ensuring that the integrity of our contracting processes is upheld, and we will relentlessly pursue those who engage in such dishonest schemes.” According to the documents filed in this case, including the Indictment and the plea agreements of CARUSO and NOLAN, and statements made in Court: From at least in or about February 2021, up to and including in or about September 2023, CARUSO and NOLAN agreed to pay, and did pay, kickbacks to an employee of a global and publicly traded commercial real estate services company (the “Real Estate Firm”) in exchange for assistance and preferential treatment so that the Contracting Company would be awarded projects managed by the Real Estate Firm (the “Kickback Scheme”). In or about March 2021, CARUSO and NOLAN were introduced by an individual (“CC-1”) to a senior project manager at the Real Estate Firm (“CC-2”). CC-2 managed the process by which contracting companies bid for, and were awarded, contracts to work on construction projects for various of the Real Estate Firm’s clients. Beginning in or about March 2021, because of the Kickback Scheme, CC-2 took a series of actions CC-2 otherwise would not have taken to ensure that the Contracting Company was awarded a pre-construction contract and a construction contract relating to a certain project (“Project-1”), which was managed by the Real Estate Firm on behalf of its client, a health services business that provides hospital, medical, and other health services to patients. For example, CC-2 ensured that the Contracting Company was on the Real Estate Firm’s “bid list” so that it could submit bids relating to Project-1 that it otherwise could not have submitted. CC-2 also provided non-public information to CARUSO and NOLAN about the bidding process, and recommended the Contracting Company for both the pre-construction contract and the construction contract relating to Project-1. As a result of the Kickback Scheme and CC-2’s actions, the Contracting Company was awarded the pre-construction and construction contracts for Project-1, the latter of which was valued at approximately $3.55 million (to be paid to the Contracting Company). In exchange for CC-2’s assistance and preferential treatment, CARUSO and NOLAN agreed to pay kickbacks to CC-2 in the amount of approximately one percent of the construction value of any project managed by the Real Estate Firm that resulted in a contract award to the Contracting Company. Accordingly, CARUSO and NOLAN agreed to pay CC-2 approximately $35,500 for Project-1, and ultimately paid CC-2 approximately $33,000 in kickbacks for CC-2’s assistance on Project-1. Most of these payments were made in cash at locations around New York City. CARUSO and NOLAN also paid CC-1 approximately $15,000 for CC-1’s assistance in the Kickback Scheme, which included connecting CC-2 with CARUSO and NOLAN. CARUSO and NOLAN attempted to obtain additional contracts from the Real Estate Firm, with CC-2’s assistance as part of the Kickback Scheme. Between in or about 2022 and in or about 2023, in exchange for CARUSO and NOLAN’s promise of payment for any contract awarded to the Contracting Company, CC-2 provided CARUSO and NOLAN with assistance relating to two additional construction projects managed by the Real Estate Firm that did not result in contract awards to the Contracting Company. * * * CARUSO, 57, of Smithtown, New York, and Ludlow, Vermont, and NOLAN, 43, of Brooklyn, New York, each pled guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the defendants’ sentences will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents and the Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Williams also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Kim is in charge of the prosecution.


title: North Texas Medical Center Pays $14.2 Million to Resolve Potential False Claims Act Liability for Self-Reported Violations of Medicare Regs, Stark Law

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A local medical center has paid $14.2 million to settle potential violations of Medicare regulations and the physician self-referral law (commonly known as the Stark Law) related to four outpatient surgery centers located in Dallas County, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. The United States contends that these potential violations resulted in liability under the False Claims Act. Horizon Medical Center of Denton, which is owned by Corinth Investor Holdings, L.L.C. and operates a long-term acute care hospital with multiple Dallas County outpatient surgery centers, voluntarily self-disclosed its conduct to the Department of Justice. Specifically, Horizon self-disclosed that when submitting claims for payment to Medicare, it failed to include a “PN” modifier and location to identify services that were provided at its non-excepted off-campus outpatient facilities in Dallas, Richardson, and Coppell. As part of its disclosure, Horizon provided an analysis from an independent third-party expert regarding the financial impact of omitting the “PN” modifier. It also disclosed the existence of Hospital Department Management Agreements at each facility by which Horizon contracted with certain third-party management companies that were affiliated with physicians performing surgery at the outpatient facilities, as well as Operating Lease Agreements by which Horizon contracted for the lease of certain equipment from companies directly or indirectly owned by a physician performing procedures at the surgery centers. These agreements created financial relationships between Horizon and the physician-owners. “This office will continue to make sure that companies follow the rules of the road when submitting claims to federal healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “And while we will never condone unlawful conduct, we will continue to credit companies that voluntarily self-disclose misconduct prior to the government initiating an investigation.” The Horizon settlement is the latest in a string of three civil settlements announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas over the last year in which the settling party received credit for making a self-disclosure under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Disclosure, Cooperation, and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters . In another case , Oliver Street Dermatology Management (d/b/a U.S. Dermatology Partners) paid the United States $8.9 million after self-disclosing that credible evidence suggested that former senior managers had offered to increase the purchase price of 11 dermatology practices acquired by the company in return for an agreement by the practices’ providers to refer services to Oliver Street affiliated entities, in possible violation of the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute. And in a third case , Consolidated Nuclear Security, L.L.C., which operates the Pantex Nuclear Weapons Plant in Amarillo, paid $18.4 million after self-disclosing that certain production technicians at the plant fraudulently recorded on their timesheets hours they did not work. In all three cases noted above, the self-reported conduct was unknown to the United States at the time of the self-disclosure and was specific as to the nature of the potentially problematic transactions, the personnel involved, and the potential financial impact on the government. All three settlements credited the companies for their self-disclosure and collaboration with government investigators. The claims resolved by the settlement agreements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. These civil settlements come as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced its implementation of the recent USAO-wide voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) policy , which aims to provide transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate, and timely and appropriately remediate. The goal of the policy is to standardize how voluntary self-disclosures are defined and credited by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide. It is also intended to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in investigations. The Horizon resolution is the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Coffin and Brian Stoltz.


title: Brooklyn, New York Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Narcotics Distribution Case

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on November 4, 2024, Quentin Dingle, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Dingle previously pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute. According to court records, law enforcement in Burlington learned that Dingle was selling cocaine base in the early spring of 2023. Law enforcement conducted five separate controlled purchases from Dingle over the next several months. Then, on September 26, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on two storage units which Dingle controlled. In the storage units, law enforcement found 35.4 grams of fentanyl, 7.7 grams of cocaine base, 3.5 grams of fentanyl laced with xylazine, 2.58 grams of p-fluorofentanyl, other evidence of narcotics distribution, and a Beretta .380 caliber handgun. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and Joshua L. Banker. Dingle was represented by William A. Vasiliou, Esq.


title: Three Correctional Officers Admit to Violating Civil Rights

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three former correctional officers from United States Penitentiary Hazleton have admitted to their roles in the violation of civil rights involving the assault of a prisoner, announced United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. Robert David Sims, 42, of Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to court documents and statements made in court, during a strip search of an inmate, Sims repeatedly struck him in the face, head, arms, and torso, causing significant injuries. Joshua David Sines, 39, of Friendsville, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiring to commit an alteration and falsification of records. Sines falsified reports on the incident to protect himself and Sims from disciplinary action or prosecution. Josiah Dandue Redd, 36, of Morgantown, West Virginia, pled guilty to making a false statement to a federal agent and accessory after the fact to an assault by striking, beating, or wounding. According to statements made in court, Redd also falsified reports and statements to agents about the incident to protect Sims and Sines. “The defendants abused their powers as correctional officers and now they will be held to account,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute officers who misuse their authority and violate the rights of people in their custody.” Sims, Sines, and Redd have agreed to resign their positions with the Bureau of Prisons and to not seek or obtain employment in the future with the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, or any private prison or community corrections center that contracts to house federal prisoners. “We expect Correctional Officers to conduct themselves with integrity and to foster safe and humane conditions of confinement for inmates. Instead, Sims violently assaulted an inmate and Sines and Redd conspired to cover it up in an attempt to avoid punishment,” said Timothy C. Edmiston, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region. “These acts will not be tolerated. Perpetrators of assault and those who make false statements to cover it up will be brought to justice.” Sims faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Sines is facing up to five years. Redd faces up to five years for the false statement charge and up to six months for the accessory charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking information from persons who may have witnessed or were victims of physical assault while incarcerated at FCC Hazelton. Any witness or victim to any such crimes or crimes or attempts to conceal such crimes are asked to directly contact federal prosecutors in the Northern District of West Virginia by calling 1-855-WVA-FEDS or by sending an email to wvafeds@usdoj.gov . The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Leader Of International Stock Manipulation Ring Pleads Guilty

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RONALD BAUER pled guilty to conspiring to commit securities fraud in connection with his role in a long-running “pump-and-dump” stock manipulation scheme. BAUER pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2025. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Ronald Bauer orchestrated a sprawling ‘pump-and-dump’ scheme involving the shares of numerous U.S.-based issuers that preyed on ordinary, retail investors. While Bauer and his co-conspirators lived outside of the United States, they took advantage of the U.S. markets to perpetrate their fraud and reaped millions upon millions in profits at the expense of the victims. Today’s guilty plea should send a clear message that this Office is committed to holding market manipulators accountable no matter how hard they try to conceal their crimes.” According to allegations in the Indictment, public filings, and statements made in court: BAUER, a/k/a “Patek,” a citizen of Canada and the United Kingdom who resided in the United Kingdom, orchestrated numerous “pump-and-dump” schemes, controlling various aspects of the plans. The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) had previously filed securities fraud claims against BAUER in 2005 for engaging in an alleged market manipulation scheme that was alleged to have issued false and misleading press releases while secretly dumping tens of millions of shares into the inflated market that BAUER and his associates had created. In 2006, without admitting or denying the allegations, BAUER consented to the entry of a judgment against him providing for injunctive relief, barring BAUER from serving as an officer or director of a public company or participating in an offering of penny stock for a period of five years, and payment of disgorgement of $840,000. As he admitted in connection with his guilty plea, BAUER and his co-conspirators participated in a conspiracy to commit securities fraud with respect to seven issuers: Cantabio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CTBO) (previously Lion Consulting Group (LIOC)); Virtus Oil and Gas Corp. (VOIL) (previously Curry Gold Corp. (CURGD)); Steampunk Wizards (SPWZ) (previously Freedom Petroleum (FPET)); Black Stallion Oil and Gas Inc. (BLKG) (previously Secure IT Corp.); PetroTerra Corp. (previously Loran Connection Corp (LRNC)); Black River Petroleum (BRPC) (previously American Copper Corp. (AMCU)); and Cyberfort Software Inc. (CYBF) (previously Patriot Berry Farms (PBFI)) (collectively, the “Issuers”). To perpetrate the “pump-and-dump” scheme, BAUER and his co-conspirators obtained ownership and control of all or the vast majority of the unrestricted ( i.e. , free trading) stock of the Issuers. BAUER and his co-conspirators sought to conceal their beneficial ownership of these controlling interests in the shares of the Issuers by causing their shares to be distributed to and divided amongst nominee entities that had been established by a Swiss corporation called Blacklight, S.A. These entities were nominally owned by unrelated third parties but were, in fact, controlled by BAUER or his co-conspirators. Thereafter, BAUER and his co-conspirators retained trading authority over the blocks of shares of the Issuers held by the Blacklight nominee entities and BAUER regularly provided trading instructions with respect to these shares to executives or employees at Blacklight. In addition, BAUER and his co-conspirators effectively controlled or otherwise maintained significant influence over the management of the Issuers during the “pump-and-dump” scheme. At times, BAUER and his co-conspirators caused nominees to engage in “match trades”— i.e. , place both buy and sell orders in the same stock on the same day—for no legitimate economic purpose. Furthermore, BAUER and his co-conspirators financed and coordinated promotional campaigns touting the Issuers to stoke trading interest in the Issuers’ stock, though without publicly disclosing their relationship to the promotional campaigns, their controlling interest, or their intent to sell a significant percentage of their holdings into the buying interest that they intended the promotional campaigns would generate. BAUER and his co-conspirators took steps to conceal the fact that the nominee entities they controlled were the true funding source for the promotional campaigns. During or shortly after the promotional campaigns, BAUER and his co-conspirators caused the Blacklight nominee entities to engage in trading activity in the Issuers’ stock, including selling a large percentage of their holdings of the Issuers’ stock, then caused the Blacklight nominee entities they controlled to remit to them the proceeds of the stock sales. * * * BAUER, 49, of London, United Kingdom, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. As part of his guilty plea, a money judgment in the amount of $4,377,228.74 was entered against BAUER. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He further thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, as well as authorities in the United Kingdom, in particular the Crown Prosecution Service’s National Extradition Unit. Finally, Mr. Williams also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which separately initiated civil proceedings against BAUER. The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Richman, Matthew R. Shahabian, Noah Solowiejczyk, and Vladislav Vainberg are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Sinaloa Cartel Associates Sentenced To Federal Prison For Trafficking Cocaine

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Anthony Carroll (50, Tampa) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The court also ordered Carroll to forfeit $10,340, a facilitating property of the offenses. Carroll was found guilty by a federal jury on April 9, 2024. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Carroll and his co-defendant, Pablo Villalobos (62, Sinaloa, Mexico) agreed with an individual located in Mexico and associated with the Sinaloa Cartel to purchase 30 kilograms of cocaine in Tampa. An undercover agent in contact with the Mexican cartel member was solicited by that individual to transport the 30 kilograms of cocaine from El Paso, Texas to Tampa. The agent met with an unnamed individual in El Paso to take possession of the cocaine and the courier was later surveilled leaving the United States and entering Mexico at Chihuahua, Mexico. Once in Tampa, the undercover agent contacted the Mexican cartel member who told the agent that two people would be arriving to the meeting location in a white vehicle. Carroll and Villalobos arrived shortly afterwards in Carroll’s white car. The pair met with two undercover agents, paid them the transportation fee, and took possession of the 30 kilograms of cocaine. A short while later, troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle, a narcotics dog was deployed, and troopers discovered the cocaine in the trunk of the vehicle. The pair were then arrested. Villalobos pleaded guilty on April 3, 2024. On July 10, 2024, he was sentenced to four years and nine months’ imprisonment. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tampa District Office and El Paso Field Division and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Georgia Man Indicted For Traveling To Meet A Minor For Sex

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Troy Lyn Everett (62, Smyrna, Georgia) on an indictment charging him with attempted production of child sex abuse material and attempted online enticement of a minor. If convicted of both offenses, Everett faces a minimum sentence of 25 years, up to life, in federal prison. According to court records, from August 22 to October 25, 2024, an undercover detective from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office posed as a 14-year-old girl on an online messaging application. During the first few minutes, Everett asked about the child’s age, and when he found out she was 14, he asked multiple times for sexually explicit photos of the child. In addition to asking for the photos, he set up a time and place for them to meet for sex. Everett then purchased a bus ticket and traveled from Atlanta to Jacksonville under the belief that he would be meeting the child once in Jacksonville. Upon arrival at the bus station, Everett was arrested by law enforcement. He is currently being held without bail awaiting trial. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Lexington Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Bryan Darnel Ragsdale, 37, was sentenced to 170 months in prison on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to his plea agreement, between August 6, 2023, and August 30, 2023, Ragsdale agreed with at least one other person, his co-defendant Myrtle Craig, to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Beginning on August 6, 2023, law enforcement arranged for a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine and fentanyl from Ragsdale, on four different occasions. During the conspiracy, Ragsdale admitted to distributing 49.72 grams of actual methamphetamine, 157.395 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, and 41.88 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. Separate from this conspiracy, Ragsdale also admitted to distributing 78 grams of methamphetamine and 54.6 grams of fentanyl. Craig was previously sentenced to 74 months for her role in the conspiracy. Under federal law, Ragsdale must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by DEA, FBI, and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Baker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Jacksonville Medical Records Technician Sentenced To 35 Years For Sexually Exploiting Numerous Children Online

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Arin Caleb Ellis (27, Jacksonville) to 35 years in federal prison for producing and distributing videos depicting children being sexually abused. Ellis was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Ellis was arrested on August 29, 2022, and has been in federal custody since that date. On February 28, 2024, Ellis pleaded guilty to persuading and coercing a child to engage in producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct and to distributing a video depicting a child being sexually abused. According to court documents, from January 2018 through August 29, 2022, Ellis was an active member of several online groups on social media applications (apps) dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children and the sharing of child sexual abuse materials. Ellis and other members of these groups conspired and worked together to locate and sexually exploit minors across a variety of online social media platforms. During online text conversations, Ellis and other members discussed and strategized on how to pressure and coerce targeted children into producing sexually explicit photos and videos and engaging in sexually explicit conduct live on social media apps. Ellis and the other members also exchanged information about the identity of children who had an online presence, such as the minors’ names, ages, locations, and online user identifiers. Ellis told other group members that he preferred targeting female children who were 8 to 11 years old. Posing as minor children, Ellis and the other members persuaded and coerced the targeted children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to live-stream the conduct that Ellis and his co-conspirators would covertly record. When Ellis and the other members obtained the sexually explicit recordings, they shared these materials through online group chats and other cloud-based file storage apps and websites. Ellis developed and used certain recording tools to capture live-streaming content over the internet that depicted the targeted children engaging in sexual acts. These tools allowed Ellis to simultaneously record multiple streaming video feeds from different children, and he shared these tools with other members for their use. Ellis used a variety of social media apps to communicate with the targeted minors across the United States and portrayed himself as a 10 or 11-year-old female child named “nova” from Florida. Ellis initially sent the targeted child sexually explicit photos and videos depicting an actual minor female that he was pretending to be and asked the child to be his “girlfriend.” After gaining some measure of trust, he then asked the child to send him sexually explicit photos and videos and recorded the child as she live-streamed sexually explicit conduct at his direction. Ellis also threatened some of the targeted children who refused to provide him with sexually explicit materials. Ellis and the other group members also collaborated to hack into baby monitors, “nanny” cameras, and other internet-enabled cameras within private residences. The co-conspirators periodically provided Ellis with internal protocol addresses, which he developed his own computer code to remotely hack into these devices, allowing him to capture streaming video from compromised baby monitors. During this investigation, the FBI executed multiple search warrants and seized the contents of the accounts used by Ellis and other group members. That content, combined with the evidence recovered from Ellis’ electronic devices, revealed that Ellis potentially targeted thousands of minor children for online sexual exploitation. On August 29, 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Ellis’ residence and seized his computers and electronic devices, several of which were encrypted. Forensic examination of one of Ellis’ cellphones revealed that he used a particular online app to send two videos of child sexual abuse to a co-conspirator just hours before FBI agents arrived at his residence. In total, the FBI recovered at least 1,700 photos and 700 videos depicting children engaging in sexually explicit conduct that Ellis maintained on his electronic devices and in his online social media accounts. Many of these materials depict young children, some as young as 6 years old. Roger B. Handberg, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director B. Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kristin Rehler of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, made this announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit in Linthicum, Maryland, and the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys Kaylynn Foulon and McKenzie Hightower of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Texas Felon Sentenced for Possessing Firearms

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who was stopped for speeding and found in possession of several firearms was sentenced November 1, 2024, to more than three years in federal prison. Douglas Lynn Greer, age 41, from Fort Worth, Texas, received the prison term after a March 26, 2024, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the guilty plea, Greer admitted he possessed four firearms in his car when he was stopped for speeding in Clayton, County, Iowa. Greer had previously been convicted of the felony offenses of making terroristic threats and offering a forged check. Greer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Greer was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Greer is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, the Clayton County Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-01002. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mason City Woman Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison for Being a Drug User in Possession of Firearms

body_text: A drug user who possessed firearms was sentenced November 1, 2024, to 37 months in federal prison. Brittany Graham, age 37, of Mason City, Iowa, received the sentence after a June 3, 2024, guilty plea to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. At the plea hearing, Graham admitted that, in August 2022, she possessed four handguns while she was an unlawful user of marijuana. The evidence at sentencing showed that Graham had possessed seven handguns since 2018. Other prohibited persons later possessed some of these guns, including a .357 magnum revolver that was seized from a felon in Chicago less than seven months after Graham purchased it. Graham was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Graham was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mason City Police Department, the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 23-3014. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Passport Card Fraud, Bank Fraud, Identity Theft

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on November 1, 2024, defendant Scott Jamie Ashness, 44, most recently of Stuart, Florida, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Ashness previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft. According to court records, in September and October of 2023, Ashness entered fifteen different bank branches in Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire and pretended to be a total of eight different individuals in order to withdraw U.S. currency from those individuals’ accounts. On twelve of those fifteen occasions, Ashness was successful and walked out of the banks with the cash that he requested. In total, Ashness stole $80,150 from other individuals’ bank accounts, and he attempted to steal another $22,800. In some instances, Ashness presented to bank employees falsified U.S. passport cards or state driver’s licenses containing others’ biographical information and Ashness’s photograph. U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest stated: “Fraud and identity theft are among the most serious crimes. They have the potential to cause significant financial harm to individual victims and also undermine the integrity and trust that institutions and individuals rely on every day in the United States. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to raise awareness about crimes like those committed by the defendant and will work with our federal partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute these types of offenses.” U.S. Attorney Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Diplomatic Security Service’s St. Albans Resident Office. He also thanked the Derry, New Hampshire Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the South Burlington Police Department, the Essex Police Department, the Winooski Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Newport Police Department, and the Barre Police Department for their assistance in the investigation. Special Agent in Charge Matthew O’Brien of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Boston Field Office said, “The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate allegations related to passports in identity theft crimes. And DSS’s global network of special agents working together to interdict passport crimes is vital to bringing those who commit these crimes to justice.” The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Ashness was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth and Christopher Dall, Esq.


title: Romance Scammer Who Took U.S. Citizens Hostage in the Dominican Republic Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

body_text: WASHINGTON - Deivy Jose Rodriguez Delgado, 30, a Venezuelan national, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 25 years in federal prison for the 2022 armed hostage takings of three U.S. citizens in the Dominican Republic, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the Miami Field Office. On December 11, 2023, after a nearly two week trial, a jury convicted Delgado of one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and three counts of hostage taking. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Delgado to serve five years of supervised release. Following his release from prison, Delgado will be subject to deportation proceedings. According to the government’s evidence, Delgado, also known as “Sebastian,” kidnapped three men in separate instances between July 5 and July 30, 2022. In each of the three hostage-takings, Delgado lured his victim online with the promise of a friendly “date” and picked the victim up in his car. After driving a short distance, Delgado suddenly stopped to let an accomplice into the backseat, at which point Delgado and his accomplice held the victim at knifepoint, physically restrained the victim, and demanded ransom for his release. Delgado ordered that the ransoms be paid to online banking accounts, including the same CashApp account. Each of the three victims was forced at knifepoint to call his friends and family and ask for money to secure his release. The victims were held in captivity by Delgado and his accomplice(s) for up to an hour and were only released after Delgado believed a ransom payment had been made by the victims’ friends and family. In all three hostage takings, the victims were also robbed of their personal belongings before being released on the streets of the Dominican Republic. Following multiple victim reports, Dominican authorities began an investigation in August 2022. Local law enforcement in the Dominican Republic traced a vehicle used in one of the hostage takings to Delgado and arrested him on Sept. 14, 2022. During a search of the vehicle, Dominican authorities found two serrated knifes like those used in the hostage takings. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Dominican Republic’s Division Especial de Investigacion de Crimen Organizado Internacional (DECROI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Korba and Jolie Zimmerman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with assistance from paralegal Michael Watts. ## Deivy Jose Rodriguez Delgado, 30, a Venezuelan national, used this image of himself to meet his victims on a social media dating application. During a search of the vehicle linked to Delgado, Dominican authorities found two serrated knifes like those used in the hostage takings. An image Delgado used on his social media app to lure victims. ## 22cr0304


title: Verona Resident Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud to Embezzle Funds from Employer

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Verona, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of bank fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Christy Myers, 64, pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to one count before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Myers was an employee of an entity involved in installing and monitoring security systems that was purchased by another entity involved in the same business. Myers became an employee of the successor entity, where she had access to accounting records and the authority to issue checks. Through a variety of means and over the course of several years, Myers used that authority to embezzle funds from the successor entity. Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for March 11, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Myers.


title: McKeesport Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 31, 2024, to 33 months in prison for violating federal firearm laws and conditions of his federal supervised release, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Jared Abraham Ogrosky, 26, also ordering Ogrosky to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Ogrosky previously pleaded guilty in this case to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon on March 12, 2024. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Additionally, Ogrosky admitted to violating several conditions of his supervised release following his earlier convictions for trafficking in heroin and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Allegheny County District Attorney Narcotics Enforcement Team; and U.S. Marshals Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ogrosky.


title: West Mifflin Man Pleads Guilty to Escape Charge

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on October 30, 2024, to a charge of escape, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Jamiel Green, 27, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Green was serving the final portion of his sentence for violating federal firearm laws at a residential reentry center designed to transition inmates back into society when he was given permission to leave the facility temporarily and was due to return on November 2, 2023. Green did not return as directed and absconded until, several months later, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Green.


title: Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Controlled Substances in Prison

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on October 30, 2024, to charges of possession of contraband in prison, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Lafon Ellis, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Ellis, while a federal inmate housed at the Allegheny County Jail, possessed various controlled substances on May 3, 2023, and again on December 10, 2023. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for February 20, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Allegheny County Police, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ellis.


title: Two National MS-13 Gang Leaders and Other MS-13 Members and Associates Indicted for Murders in Queens and Long Island

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A 49-count superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn that includes new charges relating to murders allegedly ordered and committed by national leaders, members and associates of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13. To date, multiple MS-13 members and associates have been charged in the case for numerous crimes including the murders of Andy Peralta in 2018, Victor Alvarenga in 2018, Abel Mosso in 2019 and Eric Monge in 2020. The superseding indictment filed today includes new charges against the following MS-13 members and associates: Edenilson Velasquez Larin, also known as “Agresor,” “Saturno,” “Tiny,” “Erick” and “Paco,” allegedly a national leader of MS-13 and the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (Fulton) clique, who is charged with the 2016 murder of Kenney Reyes and for ordering the murders of Monge in 2020 and Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano in 2022. Hugo Diaz Amaya, also known as “21” and “Splinter,” allegedly another national leader of MS-13 and the Park View Locos Salvatruchas clique, who is charged with racketeering conspiracy and the murder of Gutierrez Medrano in 2022. Numerous other members of the Fulton clique, all of whom were previously charged in the case, have also now been charged with the murders of Reyes, Monge and Gutierrez Medrano. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, Thomas G. Donlon, Interim Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Patrick Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the arrests and charges. “My Office and our law enforcement partners have worked tirelessly to hold MS-13 accountable for the unspeakable harm it has done to its victims and our communities. As these charges make clear, our pursuit of those responsible will not be deterred by the passage of time or by the leaders of MS-13’s futile attempts to hide in the shadows,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This indictment strikes yet another blow at MS-13’s leadership and demonstrates our work to dismantle MS-13 from top to bottom.” Mr. Peace also thanked the FBI Baltimore Field Office’s Cross Border Task Force, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their valuable coordination with the investigation. “Edenilson Velasquez Larin and Hugo Diaz Amaya, national MS-13 leaders, allegedly assumed the role of executioner by ordering and participating with the other charged defendants in a series of brutal murders to achieve status and revenge. These alleged conspiracies highlight the fearmongering and callousness in which MS-13 leaders and members operate. May today’s charges reflect the FBI’s commitment to continue its close collaboration with our law enforcement partners to rigorously dismantle the MS-13 hierarchy and disrupt all gang violence terrorizing our communities,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “The defendants’ ruthless violence, in furtherance of the MS-13 gang, has no place in society and our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker. “Everyday, HSI New York and our law enforcement partners are utilizing every tool at our disposal to dismantle transnational gangs that jeopardize the safety of New Yorkers, as demonstrated with today’s announcement. No stone will be left unturned in our pursuit of justice on behalf of the victims slain by MS-13 gang members.” “These new charges highlight the NYPD’s relentless pursuit of individuals terrorizing our communities,” stated NYPD Interim Commissioner Donlon. “We and our law enforcement partners must continue to find and dismantle the gangs that fuel crime on our streets, and we must hold their members accountable for their senseless acts of violence. I express my gratitude to all of our federal, state, and local partners for their steadfast dedication to our shared public safety goal.” “We want to thank our partners in federal law enforcement, particularly the United States Attorney’s Office, for this collaborative effort to bring these violent and destructive criminals to justice,” stated Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “From our patrol officers on the street to the dedicated investigators in our Detective Division, the Nassau County Police Department is committed to fighting gang violence and rooting out those who bring destruction to our communities.” The U.S. Program As alleged in court filings, MS-13 is an extraordinarily violent street gang operating through “cliques” or chapters in Queens, Long Island and communities across the United States, as well as El Salvador, Honduras and other countries in the Americas and Europe. The gang primarily makes money through drug trafficking and extortion, and is known for its gruesome murders of perceived gang rivals and gang members and associates who have violated the gang’s rules. MS-13 has been responsible for dozens of murders in the Eastern District of New York alone. Since approximately 2021, virtually all MS-13 cliques in the United States have been united under a single hierarchy known as the “U.S. Program.” The U.S. Program is led by a group of senior gang leaders, most of whom are incarcerated, known as “La Mesa” or “The Table.” La Mesa, among other roles, allegedly authorizes and directs murders throughout the country, including in New York. Prior to their arrests, Velasquez Larin and Diaz Amaya were allegedly two of the few members of La Mesa outside of prison — Velasquez Larin was living in Colorado and Diaz Amaya was living in Kansas — and were among the top leaders responsible for the gang’s operations on the East Coast. Murder of Kenny Reyes The superseding indictment adds charges for the 2016 murder in Uniondale, New York, of 18-year-old Kenny Reyes, who had recently come to the United States from Honduras. As alleged in court filings, Fulton clique member Jose Espinoza Sanchez befriended Reyes and learned that he had been associated with the 18th Street gang, rivals of MS-13. Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez plotted with other members of MS-13 in Nassau County to murder Reyes to increase their positions in the gang. On May 23, 2016, Velasquez Larin, Espinoza Sanchez and two others lured Reyes to a wooded area to smoke marijuana, where they killed him with machetes and buried his body. For years after the murder, Velasquez Larin bragged about their roles in the killing to other MS-13 members. Murder of Eric Monge The superseding indictment charges Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez for their roles in ordering the murder of Eric Monge, and Jose Guevara Aguilar, Jose Arevalo Iraheta and Erick Zavala Hernandez for their participation in the murder. As alleged, in the early morning hours of September 6, 2020, Guevara Aguilar and fellow Fulton clique member Oscar Hernandez Baires shot and killed Monge while he was seated in the front passenger seat of his parked car near his home in Queens. Monge’s wife had just returned to the car after bringing their young children inside their residence when Hernandez Baires and Guevara Aguilar began shooting. After the shooting, Guevara Aguilar and Hernandez Baires ran back to a car where Arevalo Iraheta and Zavala Hernandez were waiting to help them escape. As they fled to the car, Guevara Aguilar dropped his hat, which was later found to have his DNA on it. Murder of Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano The superseding indictment also adds charges relating to the 2022 murder in Nassau County of 20-year-old Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano, a member of the Sailors clique of MS-13. As alleged, Velasquez Larin and Diaz Amaya ordered the murder of Gutierrez Medrano, and Diaz Amaya coordinated luring Gutierrez Medrano to meet other MS-13 members under the false pretense that he would be receiving a promotion within MS-13. In Nassau County, on February 13, 2022, Gutierrez Medrano allegedly met with those other members of MS-13, including defendants Arevalo Iraheta, Carlos Alvarado, Erick Galdamez Leon and Jose Mejia Hernandez, who allegedly killed him with machetes and knives, dismembered his body and buried him in a wooded area. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case was investigated as part of the ongoing efforts by the OCDETF, a partnership that brings together the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. Today’s charges are the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2009, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the district and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel, Michael W. Gibaldi, Anna L. Karamigios and Sophia M. Suarez are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Eleanor Jaffe-Pachuilo. New Defendant: HUGO DIAZ AMAYA (also known as “21” and “Splinter”) Age: 36 Kansas City, Kansas Defendants Previously Indicted : RAMIRO GUTIERREZ (also known as “Cara de Malo”) Age: 31 Flushing, New York VICTOR LOPEZ (also known as “Curioso”) Age: 26 Flushing, New York TITO MARTINEZ-ALVARENGA (also known as “Imprudente”) Age: 24 Flushing, New York ISMAEL SANTOS-NOVOA (also known as “Profe” and “Travieso”) Age: 36 Flushing, New York EDENILSON VELASQUEZ LARIN (also known as “Agresor,” “Saturno,” “Tiny,” “Erick” and “Paco”) Age: 35 Thornton, Colorado CHRISTIAN ALAS LEON (also known as “Pata de Chucho”) Age: 26 Westbury, New York CARLOS ALVARADO (also known as “Brayle” and “Danny”) Age: 21 Westbury, New York JOSE AREVALO IRAHETA (also known as “Splinter,” “Inesperado” and “Daniel”) Age: 27 Queens, New York JOSE ESPINOZA SANCHEZ (also known as “Cable,” “Bleca,” “Clave,” “Fantasma” and “Victor”) Age: 25 Carrboro, North Carolina ERICK GALDAMEZ LEON (also known as “Truco,” “Burro,” and “Chicle”) Age: 24 Westbury, New York JOSE GUEVARA AGUILAR (also known as “Tranquilo,” “Malhechor,” and “Angel” Age: 25 Queens, New York KEILA HERNANDEZ MAY Age: 37 Carrboro, North Carolina YONATHAN HERNANDEZ Age: 25 Hempstead, New York JOSE MEJIA HERNANDEZ (also known as “Mismo” and “Timbre”) Age: 22 Westbury, New York JOSE PEREZ OVANDO (also known as “Domino” and “Incompleto”) Age: 24 Westbury, New York ERICK ZAVALA HERNANDEZ (also known as “Berry,” “Berro,” and “Alex”) Age: 26 Queens, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-228 (S-3) (LDH)