title: Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Found Guilty Of Drug And Gun Charges

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that a federal jury has convicted Jonathan Craig Otuel, 36, of Stallings, N.C., of conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Otuel previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, on November 19, 2019, officers with the Pineville Police Department responded to a call for service at a hotel room, where they located Otuel and three other individuals. Officers also located methamphetamine. Trial evidence established that a search warrant for the hotel room was issued. During the search, law enforcement recovered multiple bags of methamphetamine, and a firearm. Law enforcement also recovered from the hotel parking lot an additional firearm, which the defendant had thrown over the balcony. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Otuel was responsible for trafficking significant amounts of methamphetamine in Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties. Otuel remains in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set. The charges of conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime each carry a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. The charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. 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 . In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pineville Police Department and the Gaston County Police Department for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Regina Pack and Timothy Sielaff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.


title: Guatemalan National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Re-Entering the United States

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Rubio Ruben Sales aka Ruben Mendez-Sales, a Guatemalan national, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation or removal. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents became aware of Sales as a result of his March 1, 2018, arrest for five counts of sexual battery on a victim 12-17 years of age. ICE agents placed a detainer on Sales. After Sales was sentenced to 35.5 years in state prison for the sexual battery offenses, he was brought to federal court to face charges for illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported in October 2012. In addition to the sexual battery convictions, Sales has prior convictions for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and felony death by vehicle. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Field Office Director Liana J. Castano of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth A. Marra. ICE ERO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani prosecuted it. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-80204. ###


title: Federal Jury Convicts Man Of Armed Robbery In Pensacola Shooting Case

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – After a three-day trial, a federal jury in Pensacola, found Quinton L. Pete, 34, of Ocala, Florida, guilty of Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The guilty verdict was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. On March 9, 2022, a few minutes before 4:00 a.m., two employees at Coyote’s Sports Bar, which is next to Cordova Mall in Pensacola, were shot at point blank range by Pete during an attempted robbery of the business. The victims were not able to identify the shooter at the time because of their wounds, but they provided a general description to law enforcement. Law enforcement obtained surveillance videos from surrounding businesses and identified a white Jeep Grand Cherokee in the area at the time of the crime. Pete was apprehended the next day in Dallas, Texas driving a matching white Jeep Grand Cherokee that was registered to him. Pete was in possession of the firearm that was used in the commission of the robbery, as later identified by ballistics comparison. Pete’s phone location also placed him in the area at the time he committed the crime. Pete has prior felony convictions for Burglary of a Dwelling with a Firearm, Grand Theft, and Shooting at within or into a Dwelling, and was released from prison only seven months prior to these offenses. Sentencing in the case is set for October 26, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T.K. Wetherell. Pete faces a maximum of 30 years imprisonment. This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pensacola Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, Grand Prairie Police Department in Dallas, Texas, the United States Marshals, and the Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Justice Officials Participate in 2023 National Night Out

body_text: Yesterday, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta joined police departments and local communities across the country yesterday for the 40th annual National Night Out. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, better places to live. It began in 1984, when the Justice Department awarded a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant to establish National Night Out with the goal of helping foster relationships between communities and law enforcement. Over the past 40 years, National Night Out has partnered with over 17,000 communities and has positively impacted the lives of over 38 million Americans. Most neighborhoods participate in the annual celebration on the first Tuesday of August. “Everyone in our country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “National Night Out is an important opportunity to reaffirm the importance of the close partnership between law enforcement and the communities we serve.” Attorney General Garland participated in National Night Out events in the Philadelphia area – a current BJA Public Safety Partnership (PSP) site. Since its selection in 2021, Philadelphia has worked with local law enforcement agencies, including the Philadelphia Police Department, to reduce violent crime around the city. The Attorney General attended National Night Out events hosted by the Philadelphia Police Department’s 22nd District and Bensalem Township, where he spoke with community residents and law enforcement officials about the importance of community partnership and celebrated the city’s crime reduction efforts. Attorney General Garland was also joined by U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Deputy Attorney General Monaco was in Nashville to highlight how the Justice Department is combatting violent crime through strong partnerships with both law enforcement and community leaders. She attended National Night Out events with U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee and Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Chief John Drake in the Edgehill and East Park neighborhoods. While in Nashville, the Deputy AG attended roll-call at the MNPD precinct that responded to the March 2023 shooting at the Covenant School, to thank the officers for their commitment to public safety. The Deputy AG also visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, where she met with state, local, and federal law enforcement leaders and thanked the men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their hard work. Associate Attorney General Gupta was joined by Director Hugh T. Clements of the Department’s Office for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia at Washington, D.C.’s National Night Out kickoff event at the Rosedale Recreation Center in Northeast D.C. Alongside Pamela A. Smith, the newly appointed Acting Chief of Police for the Metropolitan Police Department, and other local leaders, Associate Attorney General Gupta delivered opening remarks and met with local law enforcement and community members. Washington, D.C. is a current PSP member and has partnered with the Metropolitan Police Department to reduce crime through interagency coordination and community policing techniques. ATF Director Steven Dettelbach attended National Night Out events in Pleasanton, California, during his visit to the ATF San Francisco Field Division. He joined Pleasanton Police Department Chief David Swing in celebrating the events. Many U.S. Attorneys’ Offices also participated in National Night Out festivities around the country to celebrate crime reduction efforts and partnership between local law enforcement and the communities they serve.


title: Tulsa Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Murder

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. - A homeless man from Tulsa was sentenced Tuesday, Aug. 1 to 18 years in federal prison for second degree murder in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Terry Danell Limose, 38, to 18 years in the United States Bureau of Prisons for second degree murder in Indian Country, followed by 5 years of supervised release. “The victim in this case was stalked, brutally assaulted and strangled to death,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Crimes occurring within the homeless community often have additional investigative challenges. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their diligent work on this case.” According to court documents, on Nov. 13, 2021, Limose, stalked and chased the victim, a Muscogee Nation citizen, who was also homeless. While following the victim, Limose threw rocks and chunks of pavement striking the victim. Later Limose started a physical altercation, forced the victim to the ground, and then beat and strangled him to death. Limose has been and will remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly prosecuted the case.


title: Missouri Man Sentenced for Setting Fire to Islamic Center

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

body_text: A Missouri man was sentenced today for the arson of the Cape Girardeau Islamic Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Nicholas John Proffitt, 44, was sentenced to 191 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $551,217.91 in restitution. He previously pleaded guilty on Dec. 12, 2022, to using fire to damage religious property and to using fire in the commission of a federal felony. According to court documents and statements made during the plea and sentencing hearings, Proffitt intentionally set fire to the Cape Girardeau Islamic Center on April 24, 2020, which was the first morning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, because of the building’s religious character. The fire resulted in significant damage to the Islamic Center. “This defendant has now been held accountable for setting fire to an Islamic center that served as a meeting place for Muslim community members in Cape Girardeau, Missouri,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Attacks on mosques in our country are attacks on people of faith that undermine the fundamental right to practice one’s religion free from fear or violence. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce federal laws that protect all houses of worship, regardless of denomination.” “This is the third time Nicholas Proffitt has attacked Islamic institutions, in Missouri and elsewhere,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “He has now been sentenced to a significant prison term that will protect the community from further persecution for a long time.” “The right to pray as you wish is at the core of our nation’s ideals,” said ATF Director Steven Dettelbach. “When someone attacks a house of worship, they attack that American right, and they need to be help accountable. I commend the work of the ATF and all our federal partners in bringing this defendant to Justice.” “Nicholas Proffitt destroyed a religious building, but he couldn’t take away the constitutional right to religious freedom,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Field Office. “The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the U.S. Constitution.” The FBI St. Louis Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Perryville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. For more information and resources on the department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes .


title: Klamath Falls Man Indicted for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Seattle Woman, Additional Victims Sought

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment today charging a Klamath Falls, Oregon, man with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a Seattle woman and forcing her into a makeshift cell he constructed in his garage. Negasi Zuberi, 29, also known as Sakima, Justin Hyche, and Justin Kouassi, has been charged with interstate kidnapping and transporting an individual across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to court documents, on July 15, 2023, Zuberi was in Seattle when he is alleged to have posed as a police officer, pointed a taser at an adult woman, placed her in handcuffs, and forced her into the backseat of his vehicle. Zuberi then transported the woman approximately 450 miles back to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping along the way to sexually assault her and cover her face with a sweatshirt. When Zuberi arrived at his residence, he moved the woman from his vehicle into a makeshift cell he had constructed in his garage. The woman repeatedly banged on the cell door until it broke open and she escaped. She retrieved a handgun from Zuberi’s vehicle, fled his garage, and flagged down a passing motorist who called 911. The next day, on July 16, 2023, two Nevada State Patrol officers located Zuberi in a retail parking lot in Reno, Nevada. After a short standoff, Zuberi surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody. On July 26, 2023, Zuberi made his first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the District of Nevada. He was ordered detained pending his transfer to the District of Oregon. Interstate kidnapping is punishable by up to life in federal prison and transporting an individual across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the FBI Portland Field Office, Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon State Police with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada; Klamath County District Attorney’s Office; Reno, Nevada Police Department; Washoe County, Nevada District Attorney’s Office; and Nevada State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Brassell is prosecuting the case for the District of Oregon. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Zuberi has lived in ten different states over the last ten years including California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada, and federal law enforcement has reason to believe he may have victimized additional women. If you or someone you know have information about possible crimes committed by Zuberi, please visit fbi.gov/sakimavictims or call 1-800-Call-FBI.


title: Prince George’s County Felon Convicted After Two-Day Federal Trial for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – After a two-day trial, a federal jury convicted Antjoun Riddick, age 45, of Accokeek, Maryland, late on August 1, 2023, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and U.S. Marshal Robert Anthony Dixon for the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. According to the evidence presented at trial, on January 21, 2022, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Deputies were conducting surveillance on Riddick’s residence in Accokeek, Maryland to serve an outstanding arrest warrant for him issued by the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. When they saw Riddick exit the residence and walk toward his vehicle, they activated the emergency equipment on their vehicles and approached Riddick, telling him to step away from the car and show his hands. As detailed in trial testimony, Deputies saw Riddick quickly raise his left hand, but his right hand hesitated near his waist area before he was handcuffed. After his arrest, Riddick admitted that he had a gun in his waistband and Deputies recovered a 9mm pistol loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber. Riddick knew he had been previously convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. As detailed in court documents, at the time of his arrest Riddick was on supervised probation for a 2015 conviction in the Prince George’s County Circuit Court for second degree murder. Riddick faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for November 3, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. 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. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the USMS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Rosenthal, who are prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Barron also thanked Paralegal Specialists Andrew Branigan, Derek Harwerth and Mark Phares for their assistance. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Resident of Tacoma hotel indicted for drug and gun crimes

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 43-year-old Tacoma man, who was taken into custody in February 2023, was indicted today by a grand jury for three federal felonies: Unlawful Possession of Firearms; Possession of Controlled Substances with Intent to Distribute; and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Cesar Leonel Contreras-Arias will be arraigned on the indictment next week. “This defendant was being sought on a Washington Department of Corrections warrant for escape, when he was found to have multi-pound quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Equally concerning was his possession of firearms – many of them reported stolen from across the Puget Sound region. Prosecuting armed drug traffickers remains a top priority for federal law enforcement.” According to records filed in the case, Contreras-Arias was arrested February 2, 2023, outside Tacoma’s Clarion Inn on Tacoma Mall Blvd.. Contreras-Arias had been living at the hotel for about a year, and law enforcement had received information that he was dealing drugs from that location. When approached by law enforcement, Contreras-Arias tried to flee, smashing his truck into a police vehicle that had parked behind him. When law enforcement searched Contreras-Arias, they found two cell phones, $7,000 in cash and keys to three rooms at the Clarion Inn. Inside Contreras-Arias’ truck, officers found a .22 caliber Ruger handgun which had been reported stolen in Grays Harbor County. Law enforcement searched the three rooms at the hotel and found 90 pounds of methamphetamine and five pounds of fentanyl powder. They also found eleven passports – some of them reported stolen. There were four firearms in one of the hotel rooms: a 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun that had been reported stolen in Tukwila; a tactical shotgun; a 9mm semi-automatic Glock; and a Springfield Hellcat 9mm handgun. Law enforcement also searched a storage unit that Contreras-Arias and his companion had rented. Inside was another stolen handgun – a Colt Model Anaconda 44 magnum revolver. The Colt had been reported as lost and suspected stolen in Kitsap County. Two firearm magazines were in the storage unit, an extended 9mm magazine, and a polymer rifle magazine containing 30 rounds of 7.62x39 ammunition. Contreras-Arias is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2016 conviction in Benton County for violating a protection order. Illegal possession of firearms is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Due to the drug quantities involved, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory five years in prison to run consecutive to any sentence imposed on the other counts of conviction. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case was investigated by the South Sound Gang Task Force, composed of agents and officers from the FBI, Washington Department of Corrections, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tacoma Police Department, among others. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) assisted with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marci Ellsworth. contreras-arias_indictment.pdf


title: Carlsbad Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child Porn

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Rachel Michelle Crutcher was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Crutcher, 38, of Carlsbad, pled guilty on Feb. 21 to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. According to court documents, on Nov. 8, 2022, a Task Force Officer (TFO) working for the Child Exploitation and Human trafficking Task Force was monitoring a fetish website that is known to be used to meet, discuss and trade child sexual abuse material (CSAM) when they were contacted by a private user. The user offered and provided the TFO with several images of a minor performing sexually explicit conduct. On Nov. 9, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the user of the account as Rachel Crutcher and obtained a search warrant for Crutcher’s residence in Carlsbad. During the execution of the search warrant, agents spoke to Crutcher and her husband, Joseph Crutcher, 59, of Carlsbad. Joseph admitted he was the one who had taken the pictures and claimed Rachel was unaware of his conduct. Rachel initially denied knowledge or involvement, but during a later interview she admitted she had been involved. Through diligent investigation, agents determined that both Rachel and Joseph had sexually abused the minor child with the intent of producing CSAM and that Joseph was the individual who sent the images to the TFO. Upon her release from prison, Rachel will be required to register as a sex offender and will be on supervised release for life. On Feb. 27, 2023, Joseph Crutcher pled guilty to one count each production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Joseph remains in custody pending sentencing, which is currently not scheduled. At sentencing, Joseph faces 70 years in prison and must register as a sex offender. Roswell Resident Agency and Albuquerque Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Matilda M. Villalobos are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. # # # 23-166


title: Robbery Crew Charged With Perpetrating $1.1 Million Jewelry Heist

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – The Office of the United States Attorney has charged five defendants—Sunia Mafileo Faavesi, Ryan Kentrell Montgomery, Paul Christopher Tonga, John Ioane Tupou, and Kyle Vehikite—with conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce for their roles in the March 17, 2023, robbery of Heller Jewelers in San Ramon, Calif., announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. All the defendants except Tupou made their initial federal court appearance on July 27 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse to face the charges. Tupou remains at large. According to a federal criminal complaint, filed July 21, 2023, and unsealed at the initial appearance, Faavesi, 30, Montgomery, 35, Tonga, 33, Tupou, 30, and Vehikite, 34, planned and executed the armed heist, which involved at least eleven individuals, some armed, taking approximately $1.1 million in stolen watches and jewelry from the family-owned San Ramon jewelry store. The complaint alleges that while some of the participants were inside the store or immediately outside it during the armed robbery, others acted as lookouts and get-away drivers of at least four waiting vehicles. The robbery took place at a bustling mall in San Ramon in the middle of the afternoon and resulted in multiple bystanders, including children, fleeing the masked and armed robbers. The complaint affidavit provides details regarding how the defendants originally cased the location a week prior to the robbery and then returned on March 17, 2023, with co-conspirators to execute the robbery. The complaint alleges investigators were able to identify one of the defendants by evaluating GPS information emitted from a stolen Rolex watch. Law enforcement investigators thereafter conducted a covert investigation that ultimately enabled them to identify each of the five defendants and to piece together the movements of the defendants on the day of the robbery. Faavesi, Montgomery, Tonga, and Vehikite all were arrested on July 26, 2023. The government has filed a motion asking that they be detained pretrial. Defendants’ next scheduled appearances are on August 1, 2023, and August 4, 2023, for their respective detention hearings. A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000. As part of any sentence, the court also may order defendants to pay restitution, if appropriate, and to serve an additional period of supervised release to begin after a prison term. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alethea M. Sargent is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the San Ramon Police Department and the ATF, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the IRS, and Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.


title: Johnstown Resident Indicted on Child Sexual Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA. A resident of Johnstown, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for federal child pornography charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The three-count Superseding Indictment named Mikhail Martin, 25, of Johnstown, PA, as the sole defendant. According to the Superseding Indictment, Martin is alleged to have produced and attempted to produce material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor on or about February 20, 2023, and April 22, 2023. Martin is also alleged to have possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor on or about May 13, 2023. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 70 years, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Northern Regional Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case. This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Jury Recommends Sentence of Death for Pennsylvania Man Convicted for Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting

component: Civil Rights - Criminal Section

body_text: PITTSBURGH – After two months of trial, a federal jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, unanimously recommended today that a Pennsylvania man be sentenced to death for killing 11 congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, critically wounding two others, and injuring five responding police officers in October 2018. On June 16, after three weeks of hearing evidence, the jury found Bowers guilty on 63 counts, including hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death, that were potentially punishable by a death sentence. After hearing additional evidence, the jury found on July 13 that Robert Bowers, 50, was eligible to receive a death sentence. During the Sentence Selection phase of the trial, which lasted from July 17 through July 31, 2023, the jury then heard testimony on aggravating and mitigating factors before arriving at its unanimous recommendation of a death sentence. “The horrific attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue on October 27, 2018, stole the lives of 11 innocent victims, shattered their families, gutted their congregation and the Pittsburgh community, and struck fear in the lives of Jewish people across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Hate crimes like this one inflict irreparable pain on individual victims and their loved ones and lead entire communities to question their very belonging. All Americans deserve to live free from the fear of hate-fueled violence and the Justice Department will hold accountable those who perpetrate such acts.” “The evidence in this trial proved that the defendant acted because of white supremacist, anti-Semitic and bigoted views that unfortunately are not original or unique to him,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Our Constitution protects a person’s right to hold repugnant beliefs. But our Constitution also protects every person’s right to practice his or her faith. When people who espouse white supremacist, anti-Semitic, and bigoted views pick up weapons and use them to kill or try to kill people because of their faith, our Office and our partners in law enforcement will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Each and every time.” “The men and women of the FBI hold the Tree of Life Synagogue victims and the Pittsburgh community in our hearts as we continue to protect communities of faith from violent acts of hate,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The damage caused by antisemitism cannot be understated, just as the tragic loss of the eleven victims cannot be measured. Healing will be a life-long journey for the survivors, families, and communities affected by this vile attack, and the FBI will be there to support them throughout that journey.” “The massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue imposed grievous and far-reaching harms and is a reminder about the ongoing threat that we face as a result of antisemitic violence and hatred in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The victims of these senseless murders were community and religious leaders and loving family members and friends. A jury of his peers held the defendant accountable for his hateful actions and provided justice for those killed and injured. The verdict, though, cannot bring back the 11 people killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Nor can it heal the physical and psychological wounds of the survivors or dispel the hurt and fear of community members. We hope that this civil rights prosecution brings a measure of closure and highlights the determination of the Justice Department to protect people from antisemitic violence and other hate crimes in our country.” “I hope today’s decision brings some comfort to those impacted by this terrible crime and to our community,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “As we all work to heal together, I want to remind the community that none of us can do this alone. I want to commend the work by my FBI personnel, the Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and our partner agencies who put in countless hours at the scene that day and every day since preparing for this trial. I want to assure everyone that the FBI will keep doing everything we can for the people who need it most in every community across the country.” The evidence showed that, on Oct. 27, 2018, Bowers drove to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light Jewish congregations gathered to engage in religious worship. Bowers entered the building armed with multiple firearms, including three Glock .357 handguns and a Colt AR-15 rifle. While inside the Tree of Life Synagogue, Bowers opened fire, killing and injuring members of the three congregations, as well as injuring multiple responding police officers as they attempted to rescue surviving victims. The victims include 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue who were killed: Joyce Fienberg, 75; Richard Gottfried, 65; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Cecil Rosenthal, 59; David Rosenthal, 54; Bernice Simon, 84; Sylvan Simon, 86; Daniel Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 87; and Irving Younger, 69. In addition, the defendant critically injured two congregants. Another 12 congregants escaped physical injury. Additionally, the victims include five responding police officers who were injured while attempting to rescue surviving victims and apprehend the defendant. The evidence showed that the defendant meticulously planned his attack based on his violently antisemitic beliefs, reflected in dozens of online posts admitted into evidence. The court will impose the sentence on Aug. 3. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Allegheny County Police conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case, with assistance from many other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy Rivetti, Soo C. Song, and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division; and Barry K. Disney of the Capital Case Unit of the United States Department of Justice. Special Litigation Counsel Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division and Trial Attorney Sonia Jimenez of the Criminal Division also made significant contributions to the prosecution of this case.


title: St. Lawrence County Man Sentenced for Failing to Update Sex Offender Registration

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - John Arthur Nolan, III, age 48, of Norfolk, New York, was sentenced today to serve 15 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for failing to update his sex offender registration. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and David L. McNulty, United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York. As part of his previously entered plea, Nolan admitted that he was previously convicted of Unlawful Sexual Activity with Certain Minors in Florida, which required him to register as a sex offender for 25 years. Nolan further admitted that he moved from Pennsylvania to New York in July of 2022 and failed to notify either Pennsylvania or New York of his change in residence from that time until his arrest in October of 2022. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service Sex Offender Investigation Branch and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ .


title: D.C. Man Charged in a Six Count Federal Indictment for String of Armed Robberies

body_text: WASHINGTON – Mark Thomas Moore, 32, of the District of Columbia, is charged by indictment in a series of armed robberies he is alleged to have committed in the Fall of 2022. The indictment, filed yesterday in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Damon Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to the government’s evidence, Moore robbed three commercial establishments and a U.S. Post Office, all in Southeast Washington, D.C., at gunpoint, between October 21, 2022, and November 22, 2022. In addition, Moore held a store employee at gunpoint during one of the commercial robberies and robbed her of her cell phone. Moore was arrested on November 28, 2022, following the robbery of a commercial establishment in Arlington, Virginia, and has been in custody ever since. Moore fled the scene of the November 28 robbery on a distinct bicycle that was identical in appearance to the bicycle he used to flee the D.C. postal robbery. After this link was established, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service was able to determine that Moore left a fingerprint inside the cash register drawer during the postal robbery. In addition, a large BB gun and clothing recovered from Moore at the time of his arrest—and additional, unique clothing recovered during the search of a residence associated with Moore—further connects Moore to the string of armed robberies. The indictment charges Moore with three counts of interference with commerce by robbery (also known as “Hobbs Act” robbery), which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of armed postal robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Under the D.C. Code, Moore is charged with one count of robbery while armed, and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, each of which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington County Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Property Manager for Senior Residential Buildings Pleads Guilty to Financial Exploitation of Two Elderly District Residents

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Nicole Freeman Smith, 51, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to one felony count and one misdemeanor count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult or elderly person (FEVA) for stealing more than $133,000 from two elderly District residents suffering from cognitive impairment. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice, of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. According to court documents, Smith, who worked as a property manager at several residential buildings for seniors in Washington, D.C., targeted vulnerable building residents to steal thousands of dollars from their accounts and other sources of income after befriending them and gaining their trust. After unduly influencing one victim to provide Smith with access to her financial account information, Smith stole over $94,000 from the victim’s accounts, and attempted to steal $25,000 more. Smith used the stolen funds to pay for personal expenses, including paying off credit card and utility bills, back taxes, and multiple auto loans. Smith further stole more than $38,000 from a second victim, depositing two of the victim’s personal injury settlement checks in Smith’s bank account and keeping the money for herself. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted Smith’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for September 29, 2023. As part of her plea, Smith agreed to pay restitution to the victims and will be prohibited from working or volunteering with elderly or vulnerable adults. This prosecution is part of the Office’s wider efforts to combat crimes against seniors and vulnerable adults. In 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia simultaneously launched initiatives to address the abuse and exploitation of older adults. The Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Initiative at the U.S. Attorney’s Office expanded its response to criminal and civil violations targeting older adults. The initiative has enabled the U.S. Attorney’s Office to develop and coordinate further its prosecution of these cases and enhance its overall support of older or vulnerable victims. The team consists of experienced prosecutors and victim advocates from across the Office, to include the Superior Court, Criminal, and Civil Divisions, as well as the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. This prosecution is indicative of the continued collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Attorney General to prosecute cases of this kind. In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, D.C. Attorney General Schwalb, and Special Agent in Charge Rice commended the work of those who investigated the case from HUD-OIG. They also cited the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Bleiberg, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nina Torabzadeh, on detail from the Office of the Attorney General to prosecute financial crimes cases involving elderly victims, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Derriel L. Jones, 39 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Jones was sentenced to 120 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to documents in this case, from July through October 2021, Jones conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. These charges stemmed in part from a traffic stop in October 2021, during which officers seized cocaine, fentanyl, and cash. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, with the task force members being the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Also assisting in this investigation were the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Geller and Brent Ecenbarger. 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: Security Subcontractor Sentenced to Prison for Threatening to Bomb Local Democratic Campaign Office

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A former security subcontractor working at the Athens-Clarke County Democratic Party coordinated campaign office was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison for sending a threatening message to bomb their local headquarters the day before the U.S. Senators from Georgia were in town for campaign events. Jessica Diane Higginbotham aka Jessica Harriod aka Jessica Jones, 35, of Elberton, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III on July 31. Higginbotham pleaded guilty to one count of communicating a bomb threat on May 16. There is no parole in federal prison. “Threats of violence intended to disturb the peace and disrupt the democratic process are taken seriously in the Middle District of Georgia and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I commend the many local and federal law enforcement agents whose collaboration in this case ensured a safe outcome for our community.” “The FBI and our partners take each threat seriously and will always fully investigate and analyze each threat to determine its credibility,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “Higginbotham’s threat, although a hoax, diverted precious law enforcement resources and wasted taxpayer dollars, and for that she will be held accountable by spending time behind bars.” “The ACCPD takes threats of violence seriously. Once we learned of these threats our officers and detectives worked alongside state and federal partners to identify and arrest the offender,” said Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters. “I appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work, and we will continue to work together to keep our community safe.” According to court documents, on Dec. 3, 2022, at 6:01 p.m., an employee of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) in Athens received a text message: “Hello, I am writing this message to you to let you know that I am coming by either tonight or in the morning to set a bomb up. So I can blow all the Democrats up. I have other people going to other offices also. If I can’t stop you by breaking in and destroying the property then I will blow every one up. So be ready to be blown up. This is going to either happen tonight or in the morning. Hope you like being on the wrong team.” The FBI began investigating the threat immediately, and officers with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) responded to the area of the threat. The U.S. Senate runoff election was scheduled to take place on Dec. 6, and elected officials were in Athens participating in campaign events, including both U.S. Senators from Georgia on Dec. 4. Using a series of emergency disclosure requests (EDRs), FBI agents discovered the cell phone belonged to the defendant, who was also working as a contract security officer for a firm employed by the local Democratic coordinated campaign. The U.S. Capitol Police were also investigating the bomb threat, and independently determined that the bomb threat was sent from Higginbotham’s cell phone. On Dec. 4, FBI task force officers located Higginbotham at a coffee shop in Athens with the cell phone in her hands. When she saw the agents approach her, she vomited. At first, she denied sending the bomb threat. A federal search warrant was executed on her cell phone, which linked the email account used in the bomb threat to her. While investigating the bomb threat, agents learned that there had been a break-in at the local Democratic campaign building in Athens on Nov. 27, and a laptop belonging to the campaign was stolen. At the time of the burglary, investigators noted that it appeared to be staged as tables were turned over, but the building was locked with no evidence of a forced entry. Investigators later recovered the stolen laptop with Higginbotham’s personal items. Higginbotham now admits that she used a cell phone to willfully threaten to kill or injure people and unlawfully destroy a building with an explosive. The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Criminal Chief Will R. Keyes prosecuted the case.


title: Northern District of Indiana US Attorney’s Office to Participate in Community Events During National Night Out

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana will join community organizers, neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events on August 1, 2023. During this year’s National Night Out, United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson has directed staff to attend community events throughout the Northern District, which includes areas within Northwest Indiana, South Bend and Fort Wayne. Staff will be meeting law enforcement and first responders during this yearly event. United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson said, “National Night Out activities are important steps in building bridges between law enforcement and the communities they serve. I encourage all District residents to participate in National Night Out activities in order to create law enforcement and community partnerships, which will, in turn, build safer neighborhoods and stronger communities.” National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country. National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the United States Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization. Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe. For more information, visit https://natw.org/ . # # #


title: The U.S. Attorney's Office To Participate In Community Events During National Night Out

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King along with federal prosecutors and office personnel with the Western District of North Carolina will join community organizers, National Night Out neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events on Tuesday, August 1, 2023. National Night Out (NNO) is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country. During this year’s National Night Out, U.S. Attorney King and members of her Office will attend community events organized by the Hidden Valley and the Historic Camp Greene neighborhoods, and the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition. “The first and most important job of law enforcement is to protect the rights and safety of our communities and address crime problems. To do that, we must understand the unique challenges communities face, and that begins with community engagement. Participation in events like National Night Out provides an opportunity to increase public trust, strengthen ties between law enforcement and the communities we serve, and demonstrates our commitment to sustaining strong and safe neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney King. National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization. Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe. For more information, visit https://natw.org/ .


title: Venezuelan National Sentenced To More Than 17 Years In Prison For Trafficking $21 Million Of Cocaine On The High Seas

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Hector Caballero (70, Venezuela) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine on the high seas. A federal jury had found Caballero guilty on May 11, 2023. According to testimony presented at trial, Caballero was the captain of a maritime drug trafficking venture that attempted to smuggle 708 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Central America for eventual importation into the United States. On November 6, 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) interdicted Caballero’s vessel in the Caribbean Sea about 100 nautical miles north of La Guajira, Colombia. Before being interdicted, the vessel’s crew tried to outrun law enforcement on the high seas, but a USCG helicopter disabled Caballero’s vessel by firing rounds into the vessel’s two outboard engines. The USCG boarding team found Caballero and three others onboard. A search of the vessel revealed 708 kilograms of cocaine, valued at about $21 million, hidden under the fuel barrels and tarp. A photo of the cocaine is below: Caballero had previously been convicted in Spain for trafficking nearly 2,000 kilograms of cocaine via fishing vessel in April of 2017. This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force comprised of agents and analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo and Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Krebs.


title: Tampa Man Pleads Guilty To Armed Fentanyl Trafficking Charges

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Randell Love (48, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Love faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the fentanyl charge, and minimum mandatory term of 5 years, up to life, imprisonment consecutive to any other term of imprisonment for the firearm offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, on October 5, 2021, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a car driven by Love, a 14-time convicted felon, as it bore the license plate of a different vehicle and because Love’s driver license was suspended. After stopping the vehicle, Love hid a loaded 9mm handgun with his male passenger, and approximately 26 grams of fentanyl with his female passenger. Deputies subsequently recovered the drugs and the firearm and located a drug ledger in Love’s possession. Further investigation revealed that Love had received approximately five ounces of fentanyl at a time from his suppliers and sold the drugs to approximately 25 customers per day. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray. 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: Manatee County Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Unlawfully Possessing Loaded Firearm As A Convicted Felon

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Shaborn Washington (29, Palmetto) to eight years and four months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The court also ordered Washington to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. Washington had been found guilty following a bench trial on February 23, 2023. According to court records, shortly after 2:00 A.M. on January 16, 2021, a deputy from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a car near the Miromar Outlets in Estero. When the car stopped, the deputy approached and observed Washington, who was the backseat passenger, trying to shove something underneath his seat. During a later search of the vehicle, deputies found a black bag underneath the backseat concealing a loaded handgun. Subsequent DNA analysis revealed that Washington’s DNA profile matched DNA extracted from the firearm. As a convicted felon who had only recently been released from prison for selling cocaine, Washington is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth. 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: Live Oak Man Sentenced To Two Years In Federal Prison For Conspiring To Possess And Transfer Unregistered Firearm Silencers

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Gregory Austin Eward (25, Live Oak) to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess and transfer unregistered firearm silencers. Eward had pleaded guilty on February 27, 2023. According to the plea agreement, Eward and his father and co-defendant, Dustin Eward, operated Eward Research Inc., a company that marketed and sold firearm silencers (also known as suppressors) over the internet. In lightly coded language, their website, ewardresearch.com, advertised the sale of combinations of parts designed and intended for use in assembling firearm silencers – never using the term “silencer,” but referring to individual components as “toobz,” threaded “end caps,” “spacers,” and “spools.” Sales could be completed with either cash or cryptocurrency. The website included photographs of the items for sale, which were identifiable as components of firearms silencers. In January and again in February 2022, an undercover ATF Special Agent ordered three silencers from the Ewards, paying for them with cryptocurrency. Surveillance video from a post office showed Gregory Eward mailing one of the parcels containing silencers that the agent eventually received. The devices were examined by an ATF Firearms Enforcement Officer and firearms expert who concluded that the devices were consistent in design and construction with firearms silencers and he recognized the devices to be firearms silencers. These silencers were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal law. At the time of his arrest, on May 9, 2022, Gregory Eward had a Glock-type handgun on the back seat of the car. The pistol had no serial number and was loaded. Agents also located three rifle bump-stocks in the car’s open trunk. These devices also had no serial numbers. On May 10, 2022, FBI and ATF Special Agents executed a search warrant at the Ewards’s home. They located approximately 105 firearms, over 12,000 rounds of ammunition, and 35 assembled firearms silencers. There was also a sufficient quantity of parts (including metallic tubes, baffles, and threaded endcaps), which were designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating more than 300 additional firearm silencers. Gregory Eward’s co-defendant, Dustin Eward, is scheduled for trial in October 2023. He has been charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute unregistered silencers, possession of unregistered silencers, transfer of unregistered silencers, and threatening to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, the Live Oak Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike, Michael J. Coolican, and Cherie Krigsman. 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: Northeast Philadelphia Pharmacies and Their Owners Agree to Pay Over $3.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Future Pharmacy, Inc. (“Future”) and JJ Pharmacy, Inc. (“JJ”), and their respective owners, Arthur Kilimnik, Alexander Ferman, Mikhail Ferman, Leonard Kilimnik, and Aleksey (Alex) Orlov, have agreed to pay over $3,500,000 to the federal government to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare for prescription medications that were not actually dispensed. During the period January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016, these medications included but were not limited to Lidocaine, Lidoderm, Advair Diskus, Nexium, Creon, and Abilify. Future Pharmacy and JJ Pharmacy have also agreed to a five-year federal healthcare exclusion, which will prohibit them from receiving payments from any federally funded health care insurer such as Medicare during the that time. The pharmacies have also surrendered their DEA Certificates of Registration and ceased operations. As a majority owner of Future Pharmacy and minority owner of JJ Pharmacy, and a pharmacist, the government also contends that Arthur Kilimnik violated the Controlled Substances Act by: (a) failing to maintain complete and accurate records; (b) failing to separate Future Pharmacy’s Schedule II biennial inventory from its Schedule III-V biennial inventory; (c) failing to take appropriate inventory within a two-year period following Future Pharmacy’s last inventory; (d) receiving Schedule II supply from another company, Future Medical, and filling prescriptions generated by Future Medical without proper documentation; and (e) improperly allowing another individual to use Kilimnik’s Controlled Substance Ordering System username and password to order Schedule II controlled substances. “Pharmacies and pharmacists have a responsibility to serve as gatekeepers of a closed system of prescription drug distribution. That responsibility was allegedly abused for profit here,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Pharmacies are integral partners in patient care, and they are expected to act with integrity,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “We take allegations of pharmacy fraud seriously, and today’s settlement reflects our commitment to working with our partners to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in an appropriate manner – on needed medications, not wasted on fraud and abuse.” “Pharmacies are entrusted with the proper dispensing and safeguarding of controlled substances in their possession,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “The Controlled Substances Act mandates that pharmacists maintain accurate records and inventories to account for these drugs.” The settled civil claims are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the Drug Enforcement Agency. It was handled by Civil Chief Gregory B. David, Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah W. Frey, and Auditor George Niedzwicki.


title: Former Principal of New Mission School Charged with Misusing Nearly $40,000 in School Funds

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The former Head of School for New Mission School in Hyde Park, an autonomous pilot school within the Boston Public Schools system, has been charged with one count of wire fraud for allegedly engaging in a scheme to defraud Boston Public Schools of approximately $38,806 by misusing school funds for her own personal use. Naia Wilson, 60, of Mattapan, was charged by an Information with one count of wire fraud. Wilson, who has agreed to plead guilty and pay restitution, will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, Wilson was employed as Head of School for New Mission School from 2006 until about June of 2019. Pilot schools like New Mission are granted maximum autonomy over their budget and spending. New Mission School receives a lump sum per pupil budget from Boston Public Schools and school administrators decide how to spend that money based on the needs of the school. Pilot school budgets are managed by an external fiscal agent that contracts with Boston Public Schools. The school funds managed by the external fiscal agent were held in a bank account. In order to spend school funds managed by the external fiscal agent, Wilson, in her role as headmaster of New Mission School, would be required to make a formal check request to the external fiscal agent for a check to be issued from the bank account holding the school’s funds. Beginning in or about September of 2016 and continuing until at least May of 2019, Wilson allegedly requested checks from the external fiscal agent school account to be issued in the name of other individuals, fraudulently endorsed those checks to herself and then deposited them into her own bank account without the nominee ever knowing or authorizing her to do so. Additionally, Wilson allegedly requested checks from the external fiscal agent that were used to pay for two all-inclusive personal vacations to Barbados for Wilson and her friends in 2016 and 2018. For both the 2016 and 2018 Barbados trips, Wilson requested that the external fiscal agent issue checks payable to other people who went on the trips and then converted that money to pay for the all-inclusive hotel and airfare. Wilson also fraudulently endorsed the checks used to pay for the 2018 trip. “Protecting children is one of the very top priorities of this Office and threats come in all forms. Here, Ms. Wilson is accused of diverting school funds for her personal benefit. We will not allow this type of gross abuse of authority and responsibility fly under the radar. Individuals who take advantage of public trust to line their pockets will be investigated and held accountable,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Instead of working honestly on behalf of her students, Naia Wilson is accused of abusing her authority and using the school’s budget as her own personal slush fund to embezzle tens of thousands of dollars to fund two all-inclusive vacations to Barbados for herself and her friends,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s charges should serve as a reminder to municipal workers everywhere that there are serious consequences for such shameful conduct, and it is the taxpayers they serve and answer to at the end of the day.” The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI Acting SAC DiMenna and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Boston Public Schools were cooperative in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Clinical Laboratory and Its Owner Agree to Pay an Additional $5.7 Million to Resolve Outstanding Judgement for Billing Medicare for Inflated Mileage-Based Lab Technician Travel Allowance Fees

component: Civil Division

body_text: BestCare Laboratory Services LLC (BestCare), a now defunct Texas-based company that operated as a clinical laboratory, and its owner and founder, Karim A. Maghareh, have agreed to pay an additional $5.7 million to settle an outstanding False Claims Act judgment against them. The judgment was entered in 2018 after a court found that BestCare knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare, as directed by Maghareh, by billing for travel allowance reimbursements that did not reflect the mileage that lab technicians had actually traveled when they collected specimens from nursing home residents in Texas. The settlement announced today is designed to resolve BestCare and Maghareh’s outstanding obligation under the 2018 judgment. The settlement provides for payments totaling $5.7 million and the possibility of additional annual payments for five years based on Maghareh’s future income. These payments are in addition to $789,652 that the United States has already collected since 2018. The settlement amount is based on the Justice Department's ability-to-pay policy. The original lawsuit was filed in 2008 by Richard Drummond under the qui tam , or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The qui tam provisions allow private parties, called “relators,” to sue on behalf of the United States individuals or companies they believe have knowingly submitted false claims for government funds. Relators are entitled to receive 15 to 25 percent of any recovery if the United States intervenes in the suit, as it did here in 2011. As part of this settlement, the relator will receive $1,311,000. “Health care providers that submit inflated reimbursement claims to Medicare waste funds intended to ensure access to vital medical services,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates the department’s resolve to ensure that those who defraud the taxpayers are held accountable.” “When the greedy manipulate the Medicare system, it affects us all, especially the elderly,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “It’s a waste of resources meant to help those in need. This fraudulent scheme adversely impacted our healthcare system because of the inflated costs associated with transporting lab samples. This settlement brings to bear some economic justice, by requiring those that orchestrated the fraudulent scheme to pay for their actions.” This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort among the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Affirmative Civil Enforcement Section; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The settlement was handled by Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Andrew A. Steinberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Karpati for the Southern District of Texas. This case is captioned United States ex rel. Drummond v. BestCare Laboratory Services LLC and Karim A. Maghareh , Case No. 4:08cv2441 (S.D. Tex.). Settlement


title: Clinical laboratory and owner agree to pay to resolve outstanding judgment for inflated mileage-based lab tech travel allowance fees

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – BestCare Laboratory Services LLC, a now defunct Texas-based company that operated as a clinical laboratory, and its owner and founder, Karim A. Maghareh, have agreed to pay an additional $5.7 million to settle an outstanding False Claims Act judgment against them. The judgment was entered in 2018 after a court found BestCare knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare, as Maghareh directed, by billing for travel allowance reimbursements that did not reflect the mileage lab technicians had actually traveled when they collected specimens from nursing home residents in Texas. The settlement announced today is designed to resolve BestCare and Maghareh’s outstanding obligation under the 2018 judgment. The settlement provides for payments totaling $5.7 million and the possibility of additional annual payments for five years based on Maghareh’s future income. These payments are in addition to $789,652 that the United States has already collected since 2018. The settlement amount is based on the Department of Justice’s ability-to-pay policy. Richard Drummond originally filed the lawsuit in 2008 under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The qui tam provisions allow private parties, called relators, to sue on behalf of the United States individuals or companies they believe have knowingly submitted false claims for government funds. Relators are entitled to receive 15 to 25 percent of any recovery if the United States intervenes in the suit, as it did here in 2011. As part of this settlement, the relator will receive $1,311,000. “Health care providers that submit inflated reimbursement claims to Medicare waste funds intended to ensure access to vital medical services,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates the Department’s resolve to ensure that those who defraud the taxpayers are held accountable.” “When the greedy manipulate the Medicare system, it affects us all, especially the elderly,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). “It’s a waste of resources meant to help those in need. This fraudulent scheme adversely impacted our healthcare system because of the inflated costs associated with transporting lab samples. This settlement brings to bear some economic justice, by requiring those that orchestrated the fraudulent scheme to pay for their actions.” This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort among the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; SDTX - Affirmative Civil Enforcement Section; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Karpati and Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Andrew A. Steinberg handled the matter.


title: Vero Beach Man Charged and Detained Pending Trial for Distributing a Fatal Dose of Fentanyl

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Yesterday, Keyon Lewis, 26, of Vero Beach, Florida, was ordered detained pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard, after a federal grand jury in Fort Pierce, Fla., returned an indictment on July 13 charging Lewis with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. 841(a). According to court documents, on November 5, 2021, Lewis allegedly distributed fentanyl to a man in the parking lot of an Applebee’s Restaurant, in Vero Beach. The man was later found dead on the kitchen floor of his residence by his wife. The United States alleges in the indictment that the fentanyl, Lewis distributed to the man, killed him. After law enforcement arrived and confirmed the man was dead, they used his cellphone to order more fentanyl from Lewis. It is alleged that on November 7, 2021, Lewis, unaware that he was communicating directly with law enforcement, arrived at the decedent’s residence, allegedly bringing additional fentanyl to distribute. Indian River County Sheriff’s Office immediately arrested Lewis. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2020, more than 6,150 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO), made the announcement. DEA Miami and IRCSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter is prosecuting it. An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-14030. ###


title: Catoosa Man Gets 25 years for Shaking 3-Month-Old Son

body_text: TULSA Okla. – A Catoosa man, responsible for physically abusing his 3-month-old son was sentenced today in Federal Court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jacob Thomas Shell, 29, to 300 months in federal prison, for child abuse in Indian Country, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Judge Frizzell further ordered Shell to pay more than $6,000 in restitution. “Jacob Shell forever changed the daily life and future of his three-month old baby,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Child abuse is never acceptable, and with the support of our local law enforcement partners will be aggressively prosecuted. This case should serve as a reminder that parents who feel overwhelmed should seek help.” According to court documents, On February 12, 2020, Shell, became frustrated after being awakened by the crying of his 3-month-old son. He violently and forcibly shook and threw the child until he stopped crying and was limp. The victim, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, sustained lifelong injuries and is now physically, developmentally, and cognitively delayed. The child suffered severe visual impairment, forcing him to attend the school for the blind. The child also sustained severe nerve damage, which impacted the child’s physical mobility and use of his right arm. The victim is still undergoing treatment and was in the hospital for a neurosurgical procedure the day Shell was sentenced. The adoptive parents victim impact statement stated, “Already, by the age of three, our son has spent more time fighting for his life than most people ever will.” They also noted his twin brother is taking on the role of an older brother. Instead of having a same age playmate, he helps and cares for his twin. The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office and FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler prosecuted the case.


title: Fugitive charged in scheme that misdirected millions in charitable donations intended for Christian outreach in China

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: DUBLIN, GA: A former Dublin, Ga., resident is being sought internationally on multiple federal charges alleging he orchestrated a scheme that misdirected more than $30 million donated for Christian ministry in China. Jason Gerald Shenk , 45, is charged in a newly unsealed federal indictment with four counts of Wire Fraud; three counts of International Concealment Money Laundering; 13 counts of Concealment Money Laundering; 21 counts of Money Laundering Involving Transactions Greater than $10,000; and one count of Failure to File Report of Foreign Bank Account, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the charges would subject Shenk to statutory penalties of up to 20 years in prison, forfeiture of any property involved in or traceable to the offenses, substantial financial penalties, and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. Warrants have been issued for Shenk’s arrest. He is considered innocent unless and until found guilty in court. “When people of faith donate money for evangelistic purposes, they reasonably expect those who solicit their donations to act as faithful stewards of those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This case alleges an egregious breach of that trust at the expense of multiple charities and individual donors.” As spelled out in the indictment, Shenk is alleged to have planned and executed a scheme in which he obtained more than $30 million from faith-based charities and individual donors, primarily from religious communities in Ohio and North Carolina, based on his promises that he would use the funds for producing and distributing Bibles and Christian literature in the People’s Republic of China. Instead, the indictment alleges Shenk converted a significant amount of the funds to his own use, including: Payments of approximately $1 million to an online sports gambling website; Purchases of equity shares of approximately $850,000 in a privately held nuclear energy company; Approximately $4 million in purchases of at least 16 life insurance policies in various people’s names; Purchases of diamonds, gold, and precious metals in amounts totaling approximately $1 million; Purchases of domestic and foreign stocks totaling more than $188,000; Payments of approximately $7 million to the company running Shenk’s family farm; Purchases on at least 10 personal credit cards totaling more than $820,000; and, Purchases of $320,000 in real estate in the “Galt’s Gulch” development in Santiago, Chile. The indictment alleges Shenk obtained approximately $22 million from one charitable organization and its donors, and approximately $10 million from another charity and its donors, along with other donations from individuals. The funds were directed to a variety of shell corporations as a result of Shenk’s claims to those religious communities that he was a missionary dedicated to various Christian mission projects around the world and would use the funding to produce and distribute Bibles and Christian literature in China. Companies that served as conduits for these donations included Morning Star Ministries, with a bank account in Dublin, Ga.; Connect Connect Asia BV, with multiple bank accounts in Singapore; CLF Asia Limited, owner of a bank account in Hong Kong; Autumnvale Group Limited, owner of multiple bank accounts in Singapore; BCB International LLC, an entity registered in Georgia with bank accounts in the United States; Heartland Plantations LLC, an entity registered in Georgia with bank accounts in the United States; Global Paradigm LTD, an entity associated with bank accounts in the United States; and Shenkland LLC, an entity registered in North Carolina and owner of bank accounts in the United States. The indictment alleges Shenk perpetrated the scheme from as early as April 2010 until July 2019, and that Shenk renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2016 to avoid financial reporting requirements under federal law. If you believe you sent money directly or indirectly to Jason Gerald Shenk or one of the entities listed in the indictment for charitable purposes, please contact federal authorities at 478-752-6810. In addition, if you have information regarding the whereabouts of Jason Gerald Shenk, please contact federal authorities at this same number. The case is being investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and prosecuted for the United States of America by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson. us_dis_gasd_3_22cr19_indictment_as_to_jason_gerald_shenk.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney’s Community Outreach Team Brings Re-Entry Training to Both Youth and Adults in Liberty City

body_text: MIAMI – Within three years of being released from prison, more than 50 percent of those trying to re-integrate into society are incarcerated again. That’s why U.S. Attorney’s Office staff use Re-Entry Simulations to put the shoe on the other foot and show community stakeholders what returning citizens must endure. Training recently was held at Dr. Dorothy Bendross Mindingall Social-Economic Institute, 5120 NW 24 th Ave. in Miami. More than 100 individuals participated in the Re-Entry Simulation to include Broward County State Attorney’s Office, Broward County Public Defender’s Office, Neighbors and Neighbors Association, and Opportunities Industrialization Centers of South Florida. These trainings normally are given only to adults. This time, however, it was a combination of adults and teens. “It’s special for me to be here to welcome you all to this very important training,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We’re here in Liberty City and I am one of you. I grew up and played basketball right around the corner.” Re-Entry Simulations are conducted regularly by the Law Enforcement Coordination/Community Outreach Section (LEC/COS) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These trainings allow participants to experience what it’s like for someone returning from prison and how difficult that transition can be. Services such as quick loan, pawn shop, social services, counseling, banking, drug testing, church, career center, and others lined the walls of the multi-purpose room and participants had to visit them for tasks or assistance. The simulation was broken into four 20-minute segments, which equaled four weeks in the life of a returning citizen. All tasks—like getting a job and finding affordable housing—had to be completed each week or the participant wound up in jail. “It’s a catch-22,” said LEC/COS Chief J.D. Smith. “People returning from prison who are trying to make it in society have so many barriers placed in front of them that it’s no wonder so many struggle. I want to bring this to as many peoples’ attention as I can. They do better, we do better.” Something as simple, or seemingly so, as an ID can be a real ordeal for a returning citizen. Many leave prison with no identification. No ID, no job, no apartment. The struggle just perpetuates, often leading to frustration, and perhaps a why even bother mentality. “When people get out of prison they have to live somewhere and it may be in your community,” said Smith. “You should want them to succeed because when they do better, their families do better, and our communities do better. And that helps everyone.” U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida gives the opening remarks to a group of both teens and adults prior to a Re-Entry Simulation Training. This exercise is designed to show participants what it’s like for former inmates trying to re-enter society. ###