title: Rockland County Man Charged With Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted In Six Overdoses, Including Multiple Deaths

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and Tom Walsh, the Rockland County District Attorney, announced today an Indictment charging JUSTIN TURNICK with distributing fentanyl that resulted in death or serious bodily injury to five victims between February 2020 and April 2022 in Rockland County, New York. TURNICK was arrested on these charges this morning and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik this afternoon. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Fentanyl is one of the foremost crises the United States faces today, as the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49. The fentanyl epidemic is lethally perpetuated by, among others, dealers like Justin Turnick who allegedly knowingly sell a drug that can be fatal to their customers. As alleged, Justin Turnick was well aware of the dangers of the poison he peddled as he had witnessed three of his victims overdose before his own eyes, but he continued to distribute the drug anyway. Turnick’s arrest re-emphasizes our efforts to prosecute and dismantle the entirety of the fentanyl supply chain and to take this poison off the streets of our communities.” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said: “The DEA renamed overdoses to poisonings for one simple reason – drug traffickers are intentionally lacing all drugs with fentanyl, making today’s street drugs more lethal than ever. Fentanyl is responsible for killing more and more Americans at unprecedented rates. These six poisonings, including two deaths, allegedly linked to Turnick, underscore the devastation fentanyl traffickers have brought into our homes and exemplify law enforcement’s pursuit to bring those responsible to justice. I applaud the tireless work by our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the DEA Westchester Resident Office Task Force.” Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh said: “Today's indictment is an example of local and federal agencies working together to stem the tide of fatal fentanyl overdose deaths. My office, working with the New York Field Office of the DEA, is investigating and arresting the fentanyl dealers who are devasting our community. Fentanyl is killing people from all walks of life, every demographic and every ethnicity. In 2021, Rockland County reported 70 overdose deaths. That number is completely unacceptable. I commend the hard work of the Rockland County District Attorney's Drug Task Force, the DEA, and the prosecutors of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.” According to the allegations in the Indictment: [1] At all times relevant to the Indictment, TURNICK engaged in the regular distribution of narcotics to members of his community in Rockland County, New York, including his friends, partners, and acquaintances. In particular, TURNICK knowingly distributed, among other narcotics, fentanyl — a deadly and highly potent opioid — in various forms, including fentanyl that had been packaged into pills, pure fentanyl, and fentanyl-laced powder. TURNICK repeatedly distributed fentanyl despite knowing how dangerous the drug is. Between approximately February 2020 and April 2022, TURNICK’s fentanyl distribution was responsible for at least six overdoses, four of which TURNICK personally observed. The victims were between the ages of 19 and 24 at the time of their overdoses. Two victims died as a result of consuming fentanyl provided by TURNICK. * * * JUSTIN TURNICK, 25, of Congers, New York, is charged with two counts of narcotics distribution resulting in the deaths of Victim-1 and Victim-2, and four counts of narcotics distribution resulting in serious bodily injury to Victim-3, Victim-4 (who overdosed twice), and Victim-5. Each of these counts carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the DEA’s Westchester Resident Office, the Clarkstown Police Department, and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office. He also thanked the Ramapo Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, the Yonkers Police Department, the Putnam County Sherriff’s Department, the Rockland County Sherriff’s Office, and the Orangetown Police Department for their support and assistance in this matter. Mr. Williams noted that the investigation is ongoing. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison and Kathryn Wheelock are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. U.S. v. Turnick Indictment


title: Middle District Of Florida Project Safe Neighborhoods Strategy Nets More Than 100 Federal Defendants And 147 Illegal Firearms In Third Quarter

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today the results of the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During the third quarter, ending on June 30, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has prosecuted 107 defendants for federal firearms and violent crime offenses, removing 147 firearms from our streets in the process. The prosecutions include defendants who have been indicted, pleaded guilty, convicted at trial, or who have been sentenced. ( See chart for case details. ) The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also engaged in community outreach efforts aimed at violent crime prevention throughout the year. Those efforts in the third quarter involved approximately 200 individuals. These community outreach efforts included presentations to elementary, middle and high school students, meetings with community leaders, and re-entry programs. Middle District of Florida re-entry presentations included federal prosecutors visiting state prisons to speak with inmates nearing their release dates. “Our office is committed to reducing violent crime throughout the Middle District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners and community stakeholders as part of our joint effort to make our communities safer.” PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based re-entry programs to reduce recidivism. Q3 PSN case highlights: United States v. Alex Winters (Ft. Myers) According to court documents, on May 7, 2020, deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office stopped a car for a traffic violation. After a deputy noted the smell of marijuana, the car was searched. Alex Winters was in the vehicle and beneath his seat, deputies located a loaded 9mm pistol and a fanny pack with distribution amounts of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and eutylone. Also, inside the fanny pack, deputies found a digital scale, baggies, a drug ledger, and 9mm ammunition. Winters was convicted at trial and later sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. United States v. Kristopher Ervin and Matthew Hoover (Jacksonville) On April 21, 2023, a federal jury found Kristopher Ervin and Matthew Hoover guilty of conspiring to transfer unregistered machinegun conversion devices that they referred to as “Auto Key Cards,” and multiple counts of transferring unregistered machinegun conversion devices. Ervin was also convicted of possessing unregistered machinegun conversion devices and structuring cash transactions to avoid currency transaction reporting requirements. According to court records, in January 2021, Ervin’s bank contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to report that employees believed that Ervin was trafficking in machinegun conversion devices. Subsequent investigation revealed that Ervin was running an online business selling machinegun conversion devices, known as lightning links, etched into metal cards, which he referred to as Auto Key Cards. A lightning link can be dropped into an otherwise legal AR-15 type firearm and convert it into a fully automatic machinegun. Hoover operated a YouTube channel on which he advertised Auto Key Cards. Hoover’s videos advertising the Auto Key Card led to a substantial increase in Ervin’s sales. Ervin sold more than 2,000 Auto Key Cards in only a few months. Ervin compensated Hoover for his advertisements by sending cash through the mail. Sentencing hearings for Ervin and Hoover are scheduled for September 2023. United States v. Christopher Munroe (Ocala) On June 15, 2023, Christopher Richard Munroe was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court records, on November 14, 2022, law enforcement responded to a call from the owner of a moving company who had discovered his employee, Munroe, had stolen three firearms while packing a residence for customers. Munroe fled when confronted about the missing firearms and was soon located hiding in the landscaping of a nearby business. Munroe had hidden the stolen firearms, seven ammunition magazines, and ammunition in that same location. Munroe had previously been convicted of second-degree murder in New York and was released on parole in 2018. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearm and ammunition under federal law. United States v. Joel Fonseca Flores (Orlando) On May 2, 2023, Joel David Fonseca Flores was charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl causing death, possession of fentanyl and cocaine with the intent to distribute it, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court records, in April 2022, Flores conspired to distribute fentanyl that resulted in the death of an individual. Flores is further charged with possessing drugs and a firearm on October 3, 2022, following a traffic stop in Orlando. Officers from the Orlando Police Department recovered a loaded firearm and several bags of drugs from inside the vehicle, including cocaine and fentanyl. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. Robles Park RICO (Tampa) In June 2023, Keaujay Hornsby was sentenced to 16 years and 6 months in federal prison and Kareem Spann was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for criminal conduct committed by, and on behalf of, the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) group known as the “Robles Park Enterprise.” These crimes included a series of shootings, attempted murder, drug trafficking, fraud, and identity theft. According to court documents,in the early morning of July 19, 2020, Hornsby and other members of the Enterprise congregated outside the Truth Lounge club in Tampa. The streets and sidewalks were flooded with people, including rival gang members in the parking lot outside the club. Spann drove through the crowd, while Hornsby engaged in a verbal altercation with rival gang members. Hornsby then pulled out a firearm and fired into the crowd. The shooting resulted in the injury of at least eight people, including children. Law enforcement later recovered dozens of ammunition casings. Six days later, and in retaliation for the Truth Lounge shooting, three rival gang members ambushed and opened fire on Hornsby and Spann as they exited the International Plaza in Tampa. In total, seven vehicles were struck by gunfire, including two occupied by innocent bystanders. Law enforcement later determined that at least 25 bullets had been fired from three different firearms. On July 27, 2020, while driving in Tampa, Hornsby and Spann followed a rival gang member and later opened fire on a residential street, unleashing dozens of shots at his target. In addition to acts of violence, the Robles Park Enterprise also trafficked in cocaine, marijuana, and firearms. Members of the Robles Park Enterprise also used the personal identifying information (PII) of other persons to submit false applications to claim unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled. In total, the defendants submitted over 200 fraudulent claims, in 20 different states, with an intended loss of approximately $2.8 million dollars. On June 10, 2022, a third member of this conspiracy, Tywon Spann was sentenced to 6 years and months’ imprisonment. These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0 . Charged Cases Defendant(s) (Age) Charges Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment Firearms Seized Fort Myers Division Chester Lewis Risco, III (19) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 1 Nicholas Munson Troemner (40) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 1 Christopher Jorge Ponce (36) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 1 These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan and Simon Eth. Jacksonville Division Kristofferson Farmer, Jr. (22) Possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking offenses. Minimum mandatory prison term: 5 years, up to life imprisonment 3 Houston James Fender (31) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Maximum prison term: 15 years 21 Edgar Guintivano (51) Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Minimum mandatory prison term: 5 years, up to 40 years Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Minimum mandatory prison term: 5 years 2 Edwin Sherwood Gustafson, IV (30) Possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Maximum prison term: 20 years per count Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 2 Jaylin Orange (19) Possession of a machinegun. Maximum prison term: 10 years 1 Donald Plemmons (44) False statements to a federal firearms dealer. Maximum prison term: 5 years 0 Dwayne Eric Thompson (39) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 1 Jamie Thompson (49) False statements to a federal firearms dealer. Maximum prison term: 5 years 0 Peter Alexander Lawrence (31) False statements to a federal firearms dealer Maximum prison term: 5 years 0 Elliott Alex Sims (55) Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 10 years Distribution of cocaine (6 counts). Maximum prison term: 20 years per count 1 These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs John Cannizzaro, Brenna Falzetta, David Mesrobian, Aakash Singh, Frank Talbot, and Kevin Frein. Ocala Division Alexander Timothy Rosa (31) Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 10 years Possession of a stolen firearm. Maximum prison term: 10 years Stealing a firearm from a federal firearms licensee. Maximum prison term: 10 years 1 Eddie Lee Parks, II (24) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 1 Craig Antwon O’Neal (53) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Minimum mandatory prison term: 15 years, up to life imprisonment 1 Brian David Casey (35) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 2 These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs William Hamilton, Hannah Nowalk, and Belkis H. Crockett. Orlando Division Jacoby Jules Colon (20) Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier. Maximum prison term: 5 years Robbery of a postal carrier. Maximum prison term: 25 years Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Minimum mandatory prison term: 7 years, up to life imprisonment 4 Christian Ponce (31), Rodney Hernandez (27) Possession of a firearm by convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 3 Alfred Lamar Shavers (49) Possession of firearm by convicted felon (Armed Career Criminal). Minimum mandatory prison term: 15 years, up to life imprisonment. 9 Christian Arroyo-Rivera (30) Possession of firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 10 years Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Minimum mandatory prison term: 5 years, up to 40 years 1 Joel David Fonseca Flores (41) Distribution of fentanyl causing death. Minimum mandatory prison term: 20 years, up to life imprisonment Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Maximum prison term: 20 years Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Minimum mandatory prison term: 5 years consecutive, up to life imprisonment 3 Zachary Ramyard (22) Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier, robbery of postal carrier. Maximum prison term: 35 years 0 Camilo Ignacio Vivas Sanchez (20) Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier, robbery of postal carrier. Maximum prison term: 35 years 0 Robert Pringle (34) Possession of firearm as a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 10 years 2 Nelson Henderson (21) Hobbs Act robbery (3 counts). Maximum prison term: 20 years per count Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (3 counts). Minimum mandatory prison term: 7 years, up to life imprisonment per count 0 Brandon Eugene Brooke (29) False statements in application for purchase of firearm. Maximum prison term: 5 years 7 These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael Felicetta, Lauren Stoia, John Gardella, Shannon Laurie, Kara Wick, Megan Testerman, and Terry Livanos. Tampa Division Jason Washington (42) Distribution of controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. Maximum prison term: 20 years per count Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 1 Milton Anthony Bradshaw (43) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Minimum mandatory prison term:15 years, up to life imprisonment 0 John Knight (45) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 0 Antonio McCray (22) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 0 John Alexis (30) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 0 These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Samantha Newman, Michael Kenneth, and Diego F. Novaes Adjudicated Cases Defendant(s) (Age) Charges Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment Firearms Seized Fort Myers Division Javonte Keyon Whitfield (25) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 10 years 1 Samuel Robert Bruner (47) Possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Minimum mandatory prison term: 15 years, up to life imprisonment 2 Travis Lavon Anderson (36) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 10 years 3 Michael Karp (50) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Minimum mandatory prison term: 5 years, up to life imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Simon R. Eth, Patrick L. Darcey, and Mark R. Morgan. Jacksonville Division Cody Mack McCormick (35) Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 0 Thelonious Wayne Kirby (51) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 10 years 1 Kristopher Justinboyer Ervin (43) Matthew Raymond Hoover (39) Conspiracy to transfer unregistered machinegun conversion devices. Maximum prison term (Ervin): 110 years Maximum prison term (Hoover): 45 years 0 Dylan Milton Jarvis (31) Unlawful possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm (sawed-off shotgun). Maximum prison term:10 years 1 Dr. Rakesh Verma (46) Making false statement to federal firearms dealer. Maximum prison term: 5 years 0 Paul Steven Hulbert (27) Unlawful possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm (sawed-off shotgun). Maximum prison term: 10 years 7 Byron Jones, Jr. (34) Making false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of two firearms. Maximum prison term: 5 years 0 These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael J. Coolican, Frank Talbot, Laura Cofer Taylor, David B. Mesrobian, and Kevin C. Frein. Ocala Division Wayne Allen Phillips, Jr. (45) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Minimum mandatory prison term: 15 years, up to life imprisonment 1 David Robinson, Jr. (24) Possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm. Maximum prison term: 10 years 1 Luis Alicea (29) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Minimum mandatory prison term: 15 years, up to life imprisonment 1 Brandon Jamal Alex Grant (22) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 1 These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs William S. Hamilton and Sarah Janette Swartzberg. Orlando Division Bernard Rogers (35) Hobbs Act robbery (2 counts). Maximum prison term: 20 years per count Bank robbery. Maximum prison term: 20 years Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (2 counts). Minimum mandatory prison term: 7 years, up to life imprisonment per count 1 Michael Jerome Virgil (28) Bank robbery. Maximum prison term: 20 years Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Minimum mandatory prison term: 7 years, up to life imprisonment 1 Rany Jonathan Parrales (35) Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the purchase of a firearm. Maximum prison term:10 years 7 Robert J. Potocnack (48) Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Minimum mandatory prison term: 10 years, up to life imprisonment. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Minimum mandatory prison term: 5 years consecutive, up to life imprisonment. 2 Alvarez Caprio Cosby (25) Desmond Nyshon Smith (18) Possession of firearm as a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 3 Leo Lamar Massey, III (47) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon. Maximum prison term:10 years 1 DaMarris Saint-Juste (20) Marcus Ellington (21) Hobbs Act robbery (2 counts). Maximum prison term: 20 years Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (2 counts). Minimum mandatory prison term: 7 years, up to life imprisonment 0 These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Dana Hill, Megan Testerman, Terry Livanos, and Ranganath Manthripragada. Tampa Division James John Hall (34) Unlawfully making a firearm (destructive device). Maximum prison term: 10 years 1 Toney Dewayne Salter (31) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Minimum mandatory prison term: 15 years, up to life imprisonment 1 John Charles Anderson (39) Bank robbery. Maximum prison term: 25 years 1 Armani Dilworth (28) Possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute. Maximum prison term: 20 years Possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Minimum mandatory prison term: 5 years, up to life imprisonment 0 Lemar Cowart (27) Possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute. Maximum prison term: 20 years Eugene Washington, Jr. (36) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Maximum prison term: 40 years 0 Kranston Algeno Rolle (33) Firearms trafficking . Maximum prison term: 15 years 2 Terrance Thompson (42) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Maximum prison term: 15 years 1 These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Samantha Newman, Daniel J. Marcet, Risha Asokan, David Sullivan, Samantha Beckman, and David W.A. Chee. Sentenced Cases Defendant(s) (Age) Charges Sentence Imposed Firearms Seized Fort Myers Division Terry Kristopher Flournoy (23) Possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 2 years, 6 months 1 Clayton Mack Rhodes (45) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 7 years, 6 months 1 Jontavius Jarquel Griffin (34) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 5 years,10 months 1 Doumy Joseph (27) Possession with the intent to distribute controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 6 years, 9 months 2 Alphonso Lataurean James (29) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 7 years, 8 months 1 Alex Winters (44) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sentence imposed: 40 years 1 These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan, Simon R. Eth, and Trent Reichling. Jacksonville Division Terry Lenard Shipman (48) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 5 years,5 months 1 Cory Lee Kelly (35) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 4 years, 9 months 2 Leonard M. Green (51) Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 15 years 1 Ronald Bernard Thomas, Jr. Selling methamphetamine while armed with two pistols. Sentence imposed: 20 years 2 Sabastian Amrine (20) Brandon Bayne (25) Five armed robberies of convenience stores. Sentence imposed (Amrine): 16 years, 8 months Sentence imposed (Bayne): 10 years 1 Johnny Deangelo White (46) Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and the use of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Sentence imposed: 8 years, 4 months 1 These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs John Cannizzaro, Michael Coolican, Kirwinn Mike, and Laura Cofer Taylor. Ocala Division Timothy Eric Evans (41) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 15 years 1 Nishera Remon Johnson (42) Conspiracy to distribute narcotics and possession of a firearm as an Armed Career Criminal. Sentence imposed: 16 years, 8 months 1 Christopher Richard Munroe (55) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 4 years, 9 months 1 Justin Heath Griffin (34) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 15 months 1 These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Hanna Nowalk, William S. Hamilton, and Belkis H. Crockett. Orlando Division Wendell Harp (24) Carlos Tawan Reed, Jr. (23) Deontrae Walden (23) Bank burglary and bank theft in connection with the destruction of an ATM. Sentence imposed (Harp): 2 years, 6 months Sentence imposed (Reed): 4 years, 3 months Awaiting sentence (Walden) 0 Nacoe Ray Brown (54) Bank robbery and violating the terms of his supervised release. Sentence imposed: 10 years 1 Ramondo Zavious Williams (42) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Sentence imposed: 6 years 1 Darrius Jaques Garrett (33) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 7 years, 6 months 1 Curtis Tyrone Johnson (35) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute various controlled substances. Sentence imposed: 15 years 1 Jesus Rojas (21) Tarick Charles (22) Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier (Rojas and Charles); armed postal robbery (Rojas) and theft of arrow key and receipt of stolen property (Charles) Sentence imposed (Rojas): 7 years, 3 months Pending sentencing (Charles) 0 Elsie Marie Crespo (27) Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (3 counts); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sentence imposed: 15 years 1 These PSN cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs Michael Felicetta, Sarah Megan Testerman and Shannon Laurie, Courtney D. Richardson-Jones, Beatriz Gonzalez, and Kara Wick. Tampa Division Enrique Marquez (26) Hobbs Act robberies, conspiracy to commit those robberies, and brandishing a firearm during the commission of the robberies. Sentence imposed: 17 years, 11 months 1 Jesus Rivas (29) Unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 8 years, 4 months 0 Niko Wimbley (30) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 5 years 1 Christian Joel Andujar Rivera (25) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 4 years, 4 months 1 Patraic Setzer (29) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 3 years, 5 months 1 Christopher Alvarez (19) Dyonnie Alvarez (22) Hobbs Act robberies, conspiracy to commit those robberies, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence during the commission of the robberies Sentence imposed (C. Alvarez): 15 years Sentence imposed (D. Alvarez): 15 years 1 Jamaal Black (21) Armed robberies and discharging a firearm during one of the robberies. Sentence imposed: 15 years 1 Micheal Hankerson (31) Possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed 6 years 1 Raequan M. Nelson (24) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 5 years 0 Corey Small (44) Interfering with commerce by robbery, using and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, conspiring to distribute cocaine, possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, and possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, causing death by murder. Sentence imposed: 25 years 0 Dempsey Gilmore (32) Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 30 years 1 Jamel Middleton (27) Possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentence imposed: 15 years and 8 months 5 Deshawn Martin (26) Hobbs Act robbery. Sentence imposed: 20 years 0 These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Samantha Newman, Charlie Connally, David W. A. Chee, Shauna Hale, Michael Sinacore, Michael Kenneth, Charlie Connally, and Samantha Beckman


title: Federal Jury Convicts Santa Clara Man on Child Pornography Charges

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Francisco B. Burrola, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, announced today that a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Michael Rivera after less than 2 hours of deliberation. The jury convicted Rivera, 31, of Santa Clara, New Mexico, on one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and two counts of production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. United States District Judge Margaret I. Strickland presided. A federal grand jury indicted Rivera on Sept. 21, 2022. According to the evidence at trial and other publicly available court records, in 2020, Rivera befriended a minor identified as Jane Doe. Doe and Rivera became close. One day in March of 2021, when Doe was 12 years old, Rivera stopped at a convenience store and bought alcohol for both of them. He then drove to a secluded area of town and parked the car. Rivera then initiated sexual intercourse with Doe in the car. Afterward, Rivera told Doe that she could not tell anyone because he could get in trouble. Following the incident, Rivera maintained contact with Doe by phone. Later that same year, Rivera began requesting that Doe send him naked photos and videos of herself via text message. Rivera received a number of items of child sexual abuse material from Doe. “HSI is committed to combatting the global fight against child exploitation. HSI El Paso’s efforts are focused on protecting our children and holding the offenders of such heinous acts accountable,” said Francisco B. Burrola, special agent in charge of HSI El Paso. “Innocent children are irreparably harmed in the production of child pornography, and individuals who distribute such revolting material continue to victimize them. HSI works to identify, rescue, and provide services to children who have been subjected to sexual abuse and online exploitation and ultimately ensure those responsible are placed behind bars where they should remain.” “Rivera exploited the vulnerability of a child less than half his age,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “Alongside our local partners, the United States will vigorously protect our community from such predators.” Rivera faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for one count of coercion and enticement and a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison for each count of production of child pornography. Upon his release from prison, Rivera would be subject to registration as a sex offender. Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with the assistance of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Eliot Neal are prosecuting the case. # # # 23-146


title: Harrisburg Woman Sentenced To Six Months For Failing To Collect And Pay Employment Taxes

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dary T. Son, age 37, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to six months in prison for failing to collect and pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from June 2015 through August 2019, Son, the owner of Pennsylvania-based temporary staffing company DS Agency, failed to collect and pay on behalf of her employees approximately $591,822.99 in taxes owed to the IRS. She also failed to pay to the IRS an equivalent amount that she owed as their employer. Dary Son is the younger sister of Vanny Son. Vanny Son was previously prosecuted by this Office for conspiracy to defraud the United States through the evasion of employment taxes for his temporary employment agencies for tax years 2007 through 2012. Before Vanny Son reported to prison in 2015, his wife took over the operation of his employment agency, Son Associates. They later divorced in 2017. Beginning in 2015, Son Associates began, on paper, subcontracting its labor leasing business to other companies controlled by family members of Vanny Son and his then wife, including DS Agency, LLC, of which Dary Son was the sole member and responsible person for purposes of the IRS. From 2015 to 2019, DS Agency received and cashed checks from Son Associates for providing workers in the total amount of over $7.7 million. Rather than depositing these payments in a bank account, Dary Son cashed these checks at a check cashing business in Harrisburg, PA from 2015 to mid-2017. Starting in 2018, Vanny Son’s now ex-wife and Dary Son regularly made trips to a check cashing business in Philadelphia, PA, where Dary Son cashed about $3 million in checks in less than a year. The workers employed by Dary Son and her family member’s companies worked regularly at several food manufacturing facilities in and around the Middle District of Pennsylvania. A number of them were transported to their work sites by Dary Son, and they were generally paid in cash by Vanny Son’s ex-wife. The ex-wife passed away in 2021 when the investigation remained ongoing and before any charges were filed in this case. Dary Son never withheld any federal, Social Security, Medicare, or state taxes from her employees’ income. She likewise did not pay her employer portion of these taxes. As a result, she was responsible for $1,183,646.25 in unpaid federal taxes. Son was ordered to pay this amount in restitution to the IRS. The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Luzerne County Publishing Company Owner Pleads Guilty To Failing To Pay Federal Payroll Taxes

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tracey Biscontini, age 57, owner of Northeast Editing, Inc. a publishing company located in Jenkins Township, PA, pleaded guilty on July 10, 2023, before United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to failing to pay federal payroll taxes. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the criminal information to which Biscontini pleaded guilty alleges that from 2014 through 2019, Biscontini was required to withhold federal payroll taxes from employees’ pay and to pay over these monies to the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.). Biscontini acknowledged that she consistently failed to do this for the years indicated. Biscontini admitted that the monetary loss attributable to her conduct was between $250,000.00 and $550,000.00, and she agreed to make restitution to the IRS in the amount of $448,617.38. These charges stem from an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


title: Wapato Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison  for Manslaughter and Aggravated Assault Wapato Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison  for Manslaughter and Aggravated Assault

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Brandon Kelly Root, age 47, of Toppenish, Washington was sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of Involuntary Manslaughter and two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 96 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. According to Court documents, on June 11, 2017, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Root was driving on the Yakama Nation in the Eastern District of Washington. At the time, he was under the influence of alcohol and crossed the center line of the roadway. Root’s vehicle struck another car head on. Four individuals were in the other vehicle. Two were killed and the others, one of whom was a minor child, suffered serious bodily injury. When officers arrived at the scene of the collision, they found Root wedged in the driver’s seat of his car. Officers noted that Root had bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech, and an odor of intoxicants coming from his person. Root was the only occupant of his vehicle, and an 18-pack of beer was located on the front passenger floorboard. A blood draw, which was conducted at the hospital about four hours after the collision, showed Root’s blood alcohol level as .10 at that time, which is over the legal limit. In an interview with law enforcement, Root admitted to drinking that day at a softball tournament and a bar. Root also claimed that he did not recall the details of the crash. “As a result of Mr. Root’s dangerous actions, two individuals were killed and countless others will never be the same,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Our hearts go out to the victims and their loved ones. No sentence will heal the pain caused by Mr. Root’s reckless act of driving while intoxicated. Our communities deserve better, and that is why my office will continue to hold those who engage in criminally reckless actions accountable.” “This tragedy would have never happened had Mr. Root acted responsibly,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Instead, his decision to drive while intoxicated caused two people to lose their lives, others to suffer serious injuries, and families and loved ones to face agonizing loss from a preventable collision. We know this sentence will keep our communities safer and dissuade future drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Yakama Nation Police Department and the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Michael Murphy, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. 1:22-CR-02063-MKD


title: Kansas Man Charged with National Firearms Act Violations

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with one count of making a firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act. According to court documents, Trenton Espinoza, 19, of Wichita is accused of modifying an Anderson Manufacturing rifle to an overall length of less than 26 inches and to a barrel length of less than 16 inches. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case OTHER INDICTMENTS Adonis Wade Freeman, 36, and Kristie Griffin, 58, both of Kechi were indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of using or maintaining a drug premises. Freeman was also indicted on two counts possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and 10 counts of money laundering. IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deb Barnett is prosecuting the case. 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: Former Yonkers Teacher Charged In Connection With Sexual Exploitation Of Minor Student

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a two-count Indictment charging SANDY CARAZAS-PINEZ with enticing a minor victim to engage in illegal sexual activity and production of child pornography. As alleged in the Indictment, CARAZAS-PINEZ, a former high school teacher in Yonkers, New York, enticed one of her students, who was only 16 years old at the time, to engage in sexual activity with CARAZAS-PINEZ and further induced the same student to participate in live-streamed sexually explicit conduct while on video calls with CARAZAS-PINEZ. CARAZAS-PINEZ was arrested this morning and will be presented in Manhattan federal court later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Sandy Carazas-Pinez exploited the trust placed in her as a teacher to sexually abuse a teenage student in her care. Today’s indictment makes clear that my Office will continue to tirelessly pursue sexual predators of all forms – especially those who are entrusted to care for children – and hold them accountable to the fullest extent under the law.” FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis said: “As alleged, Ms. Carazas-Pinez, a former high school teacher, enticed one of her students to engage in sexual activity and live-stream sexually explicit conduct. Teachers are entrusted to protect children under their supervision, not bring them harm. As today’s action demonstrates, the FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to bring justice to those who prey upon our youth.” According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] CARAZAS-PINEZ was a high school teacher at a school for kindergarten through 12th grade students located in Yonkers, New York (“School-1”). From in or about November 2022 through in or about February 2023, CARAZAS-PINEZ abused her position as a teacher at School-1 by inducing and attempting to induce a student (“Minor Victim-1”) at School-1 into a sexual relationship with CARAZAS-PINEZ. Minor Victm-1 was 16 years old at the time of the abuse. CARAZAS-PINEZ singled out Minor Victim-1 for personal attention at School-1. In addition, CARAZAS-PINEZ induced Minor Victim-1 to engage in sexual activity with her by leading Minor Victim-1 to believe that they were in a romantic relationship. CARAZAS-PINEZ used her personal cellphone to call, text, and video call Minor Victim-1 to arrange sexual encounters and to repeatedly induce Minor Victim-1 to engage in live-streamed sexually explicit conduct while on video calls with CARAZAS-PINEZ. In text messages with Minor Victim-1, CARAZAS-PINEZ referred to her sexual encounters with Minor Victim-1 and the live depictions of sexually explicit conduct she induced Minor Victim-1 to create as “gifts.” CARAZAS-PINEZ also used her personal cellphone to send Minor Victim-1 sexually suggestive photographs of herself along with sexually explicit text messages. After sending the photographs and messages, CARAZAS-PINEZ instructed Minor Victim-1 to delete them and inquired repeatedly as to whether Minor Victim-1 had done so. To facilitate their sexual encounters outside the premises of School-1, CARAZAS-PINEZ directed Minor Vicitim-1 in text messages to obtain day passes from School-1 to be permitted to leave campus. CARAZAS-PINEZ then met Minor Victim-1 at a location near School-1’s campus and drove Minor Victim-1 to another location. On multiple occasions, while parked in CARAZAS-PINEZ’s car at various locations, including in or around the Bronx, Yonkers, and Staten Island, New York, CARAZAS-PINEZ engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts, and attempted to do so, with Minor Victim-1. * * * CARAZAS-PINEZ, 34, of Bethel, Connecticut, is charged with one count of enticing a minor victim to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI and the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) for their outstanding work on this matter, particularly the FBI-NYPD New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for their significant assistance and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, and the Yonkers Police Department for their assistance. He added that the investigation is ongoing. Any individuals who believe they have information that may be relevant to this investigation should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov . The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi S. Steiner is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. U.S. v. Carazas-Pinez Indictment


title: Middlesex County Man Admits Communicating Threats to Attack Synagogue

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man today admitted transmitting via the internet a manifesto containing threats to attack a synagogue and Jewish people, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Omar Alkattoul, 19, of Sayreville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce on or about Nov. 1, 2022. “This defendant admitted using social media to send a manifesto containing a threat to attack a synagogue based on his hatred of Jews. This prompted a state-wide alert and put the community on edge, ” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Alkattoul will now face sentencing for his crime, and we intend to seek a sentence that will hold him accountable. No one should be targeted for violence or with acts of hate because of how they worship. Protecting our communities of faith and places of worship is at the heart of this office’s mission.” “The laws of our nation allow for everyone to express themselves,” FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “However, when that expression turns into a specific threat toward others, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies must take action. We allege Alkattoul posted and planned to carry out his online manifesto targeting synagogues in our communities, and specifically stated it was an intended attack on Jews. I want to commend the incredibly quick response by the Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force and our partners. Crime driven by hate has no place in our society.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Nov. 1, 2022, Alkattoul used a social media application to send an individual a link to a document entitled “When Swords Collide” and admitted to this individual that he wrote the document. He admitted targeting a synagogue. He stated in the document: “It’s in the context of an attack on Jews.” According to a second individual, Alkattoul also sent the document to at least five other people using another social media application. The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce to which Alkattoul pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 14, 2023. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked agents of the FBI Field Office in Tampa, Florida, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge David Walker; the FBI Field Office in New York, under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge James Smith; and the FBI Washington Field Office, under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge Steven D’Antuono; as well as the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, under the direction of Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin; the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone; and officers of the Sayreville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Daniel Plumacker. The government is represented by Christopher Amore, Co-Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s General Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division. alkattoul.information.pdf


title: Sun Prairie Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Transfer

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Daniel Baccas, 22, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 30 months in federal prison for transferring a firearm to a prohibited person. Baccas pled guilty to the charge on April 7, 2023. During an auto theft investigation in November and December 2021, law enforcement officers observed videos posted to social media depicting Baccas with suspected marijuana and firearms. One of the videos showed Baccas and another person taking turns holding a rifle. At the time the video was taken, both Baccas and the other person were prohibited from receiving firearms because both were facing felony criminal charges in Dane County Circuit Court. At his guilty plea hearing, Baccas admitted that he gave the person in the video the rifle and that he knew that person was under indictment at the time. A subsequent search of Baccas’s residence yielded a Glock handgun with an “auto-sear” attachment, a 50-round drum magazine, and 690 grams of marijuana packaged for resale. An “auto-sear” is an illegal, after-market attachment that converts a semi-automatic Glock handgun into a machine gun. With the attachment, the firearm is capable of firing 50 rounds in four seconds with a single pull of the trigger. The charge against Baccas was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sun Prairie Police Department, and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin prosecuted this 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.


title: Man Who Possessed Stolen Gun and Participated in Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THEODORE ROOSEVELT OWENS, 22, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses related to his possession of a stolen firearm and his role in a catalytic converter theft ring. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 21, 2021, Vernon Police arrested Owens in a hotel parking lot on outstanding warrants. An investigation revealed that, shortly before his arrest, Owens possessed a loaded Zigana, Model PX-9 G2, 9mm pistol, which he had cause to believe was stolen, and approximately five grams of crack cocaine. The firearm was part of a shipment of 50 Zigana PX-9G2 pistols that was stolen from an R&L Carriers warehouse in South Windsor in August 2021. The investigation further revealed that Owens had conspired with others in the theft and sale of catalytic converters. Between September 24 and October 17, 2021, Owens sold a co-conspirator $26,320 worth of catalytic converters, including converters that Owens knew were stolen. Owens’ co-conspirator transported the converters to other businesses, including businesses in New York and New Jersey, for further resale and profit. Owens has been detained since his arrest. On February 9, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. The firearm theft investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the South Windsor Police Department and East Hartford Police Department. The catalytic converter investigation is being led by the ATF, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.


title: Attorney And Former Bank Director Convicted At Trial Of Bank Fraud

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that yesterday a federal jury found MENDEL ZILBERBERG guilty of five counts — conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to make false statements to a bank, making false statements to a bank, and misapplication of bank funds — in connection with a scheme to obtain a fraudulent loan from Park Avenue Bank. The defendant was found guilty following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels. Sentencing is scheduled for November 29, 2023, before Judge Daniels. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Mendel Zilberberg, while working as a practicing lawyer and serving as a director of Park Avenue Bank, ignored his duties and took advantage of the bank, viewing it as the object of his fraud scheme. Far from helping the bank through a tenuous moment in its existence, Zilberberg was focused on squeezing money out of it for himself, on the basis of lies. The bank collapsed just months after Zilberberg defrauded it.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the evidence offered at trial, and matters included in public filings: In or about 2009, ZILBERBERG conspired with Aron Fried and others to obtain a fraudulent loan from Park Avenue Bank (the “Bank”). Knowing that the conspirators would not be able to obtain the loan directly, the conspirators recruited a straw borrower (the “Straw Borrower”) to make the loan application. The Straw Borrower applied for a $1.4 million loan from the Bank on the basis of numerous lies directed by ZILBERBERG and his coconspirators. ZILBERBERG used his privileged position at the bank to ensure that the loan was processed promptly. Based on the false representations made to the Bank and ZILBERBERG’s involvement in the loan approval process, the Bank issued a $1.4 million loan to the Straw Borrower, which was quickly disbursed to the defendants through multiple bank accounts and transfers. In total, ZILBERBERG received more than approximately $500,000 of the loan proceeds. The remainder of the loan was split between Fried and another conspirator. The Straw Borrower received nothing from the loan. The loan ultimately defaulted, resulting in a loss of over $1 million. On November 15, 2022, Fried pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On April 10, 2023, Judge Daniels sentenced Fried to one year and one day in prison. * * * ZILBERBERG, 65 of Monsey, New York, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; conspiracy to make false statements to a bank, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; making false statement to a bank, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; and misapplying bank funds, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The maximum sentence ZILBERBERG faces on all of these charges is 125 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the Inspector General. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dina McLeod, Daniel G. Nessim, and Kimberly Ravener, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Joseph Carbone, are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Officer at South Florida Immigrant Detention Facility Charged with COVID-19 Relief Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Miami federal grand jury has charged Anthony Faustin , 28 , of Homestead, Florida, with conspiracy, wire and bank fraud, and access device and aggravated identity theft crimes, in connection with a scheme to obtain fraudulent loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). According to the allegations in the indictment, Faustin submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of six individuals in 2021. In the loan paperwork, Faustin made the applicants appear eligible for pandemic relief by misrepresenting them as sole proprietors or lying about their prior years’ income (or both). Lenders disbursed over $100,000 to bank accounts controlled by the individuals, who would then withdraw the money and gave Faustin his cut. At the time of the alleged crimes, Faustin was a contractor with Immigration and Customs Enforcement working as a detention officer at Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami. Faustin made his initial appearance yesterday in federal magistrate court in Miami. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison on the conspiracy and fraud counts and two years on the aggravated identity theft counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Valenzuela for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility (ICE OPR), and SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, announced the charges. ICE OPR and SBA OIG investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein is prosecuting the case. An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . 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-20275. ###


title: Diversicare and Two Occupational Therapy Assistants to Pay Over $1.3 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Diversicare Healthcare Services, LLC, with related subsidiary Diversicare entities (Diversicare), along with Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants Kellie S. Lemons and Charles M. James, have agreed to pay the United States $1,377,696.00 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting claims to Medicare for occupational therapy services that they did not provide, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. The FCA is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any persons or entities who submit false claims for payment to the federal government or its contractors. It imposes damages three times the loss caused by the false claims and a civil penalty between $13,508.00 to $27,018.00 per false claim. The FCA is the primary authority used by the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office to redress fraud, waste, and abuse within federal programs, including Medicare. Diversicare is a group of private companies providing long-term care and rehabilitation services in approximately 43 locations across five states — Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and Kansas. Prior to March 1, 2023, Diversicare operated the Canterbury Health Care Facility in Phenix City, Alabama. The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit that a former Diversicare employee brought under the qui tam , or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA. The complaint alleged that Lemons and James falsified occupational therapy records when they clocked into work at Diversicare’s Canterbury facility, left the premises, and “moonlighted” for other home health care companies in the area, meanwhile billing for services at Diversicare that they did not perform. The complaint also alleged that Diversicare permitted and even condoned these practices and knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare for reimbursement for these services. The United States has intervened in the lawsuit for purposes of settlement. The settlement resolves the allegations that from March 1, 2018, through September 25, 2020, Diversicare, Lemons, and James submitted, or caused to be submitted, false claims to Medicare Part A for occupational therapy services that were not rendered to patients at Canterbury Health Care Facility. The FCA permits private citizens to initiate a suit on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The whistleblower who brought the lawsuit will receive in excess of $200,000.00 of the settlement as his share of the government’s recovery in the matter. The case was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama in cooperation with the Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys MaryLou E. Bowdre and Samantha R. Miller represented the United States in the matter, assisted by Investigative Analyst Rita E. Richard, Paralegal Specialist Stacey H. VanAlst, and Investigator (Contractor) Gregory T. Holston. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Father And Son Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Multimillion-Dollar Cryptocurrency-Related Crimes

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today the arrest of EUGENE WILLIAM AUSTIN, JR., a/k/a “Hugh Austin,” for charges in connection with a scheme to steal money from investors and other victims by offering a variety of fraudulent cryptocurrency-related investment services, including sales of multimillion-dollar batches of cryptocurrency, marketing and advertising services, and short-term investments and loans. EUGENE AUSTIN was arrested on July 5, 2023, and was presented that same day before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis. Mr. Williams also announced the guilty plea of EUGENE AUSTIN’s son, BRANDON P. AUSTIN, who pled guilty on April 13, 2023, before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel to participating in a money laundering conspiracy with his father, EUGENE AUSTIN, relating to his involvement in conducting financial transactions with the intent to conceal proceeds of fraud. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This is the third case we are announcing this week to shed light on fraud in the cryptocurrency and digital asset ecosystem. As alleged, the father-son duo of Hugh and Brandon Austin engaged in a cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering scheme that victimized both sophisticated and novice cryptocurrency investors alike out of millions of dollars. They used the money from victims to fund a lavish lifestyle of travel, luxury hotels, and fancy restaurants. Thanks to the tenacity of HSI and the career prosecutors of this Office, Hugh Austin is now facing serious criminal charges for his alleged crimes, and Brandon Austin has already pled guilty.” HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “The charging of Hugh and Brandon Austin reflects our ongoing commitment to thwarting individuals involved in all types of financial crimes, especially those that affect the digital environment and subsequently impact the security of our economy. As alleged, these sophisticated scammers exploited the novelty of digital currency to defraud unsuspecting investors out of millions of dollars, while utilizing it as a cover to engage in illicit activity. HSI commends the prosecutorial team at the Southern District of New York’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit for their unwavering support.” According to the allegations in the Complaint, which was unsealed today in Manhattan federal court, as well as publicly filed court documents and statements made at public court proceedings: [1] EUGENE WILLIAM AUSTIN, JR. participated in a scheme with his son BRANDON P. AUSTIN and others to steal money from investors and other victims by fraudulently offering to, among other things: (i) serve as a broker for sales of large quantities of cryptocurrency at below-market exchange rates; (ii) provide short-term investments in cryptocurrency for purportedly high returns; and (iii) provide marketing and advertising services to small businesses, while knowing that, in fact, EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN would not provide the promised cryptocurrency, returns, or services. EUGENE AUSTIN also frequently sought personal loans from friends and acquaintances in connection with his purported cryptocurrency and investment businesses, falsely promising to pay lenders back with interest. In each instance, investors and lenders lost their money, and EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN frequently spent investors’ funds on personal expenses, including airline travel, luxury hotels, restaurants, and shopping, as well as nominal payments to victims to prolong the scheme. In total, EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN have caused more than $10 million in losses to over 20 victims. Below are several examples of victims defrauded by AUSTIN and BRANDON: In or about February 2018, EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN fraudulently induced a Japanese cryptocurrency company to conduct an interstate cryptocurrency transaction for approximately $600,000 worth of cryptocurrency, for the purported purchase of fundraising and marketing services, which were never provided to the victim. In or about August 2018, EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN fraudulently induced a partner at a California-based investment firm to send an interstate wire transfer of approximately $5 million to a Manhattan-based attorney, for the purported purchase of cryptocurrency, which was never provided to the victim. In or about September 2018, EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN fraudulently induced a cryptocurrency start-up company to send an interstate wire transfer of approximately $100,000 for a purported cryptocurrency investment opportunity with high returns; instead of using the funds as promised, EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN spent the money on gas, restaurants, hotels, flights, and cash withdrawals. In or about January 2019, EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN fraudulently induced the founder and chairman of a New Jersey- and Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency investment firm to send an interstate wire transfer of approximately $4 million to a Georgia-based attorney for the purported purchase of cryptocurrency, which was never provided to the victim. In or about June 2020, EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN embezzled approximately $776,000 that had been sent via an interstate wire transfer to the trust account of a New York-based real estate attorney for the purported purchase of cryptocurrency. In or about October 2021, EUGENE AUSTIN and BRANDON AUSTIN embezzled approximately $574,000 that had been sent via an interstate wire transfer to the bank account of a Manhattan-based investment firm for the purported purchase of cryptocurrency. In connection with BRANDON AUSTIN’s guilty plea, he forfeited his rights and interest in a 2022 E-Pace P250 Jaguar, depicted below: * * * EUGENE WILLIAM AUSTIN, JR., 60, of Port Jefferson, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. BRANDON P. AUSTIN, 27, of Coram, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. In connection with the guilty plea, BRANDON AUSTIN also agreed to forfeit $3,406,450 and to make restitution to victims in the amount of $3,406,450. BRANDON AUSTIN is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2023, at 12:00 p.m., by Judge Castel. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of each defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of HSI. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew K. Chan, Sarah Lai, and Olga I. Zverovich are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant, EUGENE WILLIAM AUSTIN, JR., a/k/a “Hugh Austin,” is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation. U.S. v. Eugene Austin Complaint U.S. v. Brandon Austin Information


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Brings “United Against Hate” Initiative to Detroit

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan partnered with the Urban League of Detroit and Southeast Michigan to host “United Against Hate,” the first of a series of community forums designed to educate the public about civil rights enforcement tools available to address hate crimes, bias incidents, and discrimination. The event, held today at the Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, featured presentations from Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Office’s Civil Rights Unit and an FBI Special Agent who investigates civil rights crimes. “Combatting hate crimes and bias incidents is one of the top priorities of the Department of Justice and one of my top priorities as United States Attorney,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “We are excited to bring this new training to the Eastern District of Michigan and thankful to the Urban League and Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church for facilitating our first United Against Hate event.” The United Against Hate Community Outreach Program aims to improve hate crime reporting by teaching community members how to identify, report, and help prevent hate crimes. The program also aims to build trust between law enforcement and diverse communities in the region. United Against Hate shares resources to combat hate and encourages discussion between representatives from law enforcement, community organizations, and members of the public. United Against Hate emphasizes that while some hate-fueled incidents—standing alone—may not be a crime, people should still report those incidents to local law enforcement and the FBI. Through using hypothetical scenarios and video clips depicting real-life hate crime cases and stories, the presenters emphasized the importance of reporting unlawful acts of hate. They also highlighted differences between hate crimes versus bias incidents and provided options for responding to bias incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime. Presenters also distinguished unlawful conduct from protected First Amendment activity, including identifying protected speech versus speech that advocates violence or constitutes criminal threats. As part of its United Against Hate Community Outreach Program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will engage with communities across the Eastern District of Michigan by hosting additional events in the coming months to deepen connections with those communities, further hate crimes prevention efforts, and encourage more people to report hate crimes, bias incidents, and discrimination.


title: Maine Man Going To Prison For Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ray C. Mack, Jr., 30, of Augusta, Maine, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that Mack was part of a drug trafficking organization that distributed quantities of fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, and cocaine in Rochester, NY, and Augusta, Maine. Members of the conspiracy operated a drug house at a Woodward Street residence in Rochester and a Waldo Street residence in Augusta, where they sold the illegal narcotics to customers. On May 26, 2021, a search warrant was executed at the Waldo Street residence, during investigators recovered seven grams of fentanyl and a loaded 9mm pistol. Mack was arrested at that location at the time of the search. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (GRANET), under the direction of Chief David M. Smith. # # # #


title: New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Manchester, N.H. man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a multi-state methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Anthony Elwell, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Nov. 1, 2023. In May 2021, the defendant was indicted along with three other individuals, Andrew Lunn, Mark Daileanes and William Velez. On four occasions between June and September 2020, Lunn sold pure methamphetamine to a cooperating witness in amounts ranging from 100 to almost 280 grams. Velez supplied Lunn with the methamphetamine for each of those deals. For one of the deals, in July 2020, Elwell provided Daileanes with money to purchase 280 grams of methamphetamine from Lunn. Elwell is the last of the four defendants to plead guilty in this case. Lunn is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2023, Daileanes is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 20, 2023 and Velez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19, 2023. The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Division, made the announcement today. The New Hampshire State Police and the Everett, Nashua (N.H), Merrimack (N.H.), Litchfield (N.H), and Manchester (N.H.) Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Federal Court finds Miami-Based Tax Return Preparer in Contempt and Orders Disgorgement of Ill-gotten Fees as a Sanction

component: Tax Division

body_text: On July 11, 2023, a federal court in the Southern District of Florida found Rose M. Chazulle in contempt of court for violating a permanent injunction prohibiting her from preparing or filing federal tax returns or other tax-related documents and forms for any person or entity. The court ordered that she disgorge to the United States more than $48,000 in ill-gotten fees, which the parties agreed was a reasonable approximation of the fees that she earned for tax returns prepared in violation of the injunction. In 2016, the court permanently enjoined Ms. Chazulle from preparing tax returns for others. Despite the court’s orders prohibiting her from preparing or assisting in the preparation of tax returns for others, Ms. Chazulle stipulated that she continued her return preparation activities preparing returns using the preparer tax identification numbers assigned to her daughter and brother-in-law and using the electronic filing identification numbers associated with their businesses. Ms. Chazulle further stipulated that she received at least $48,100 in fees for preparing returns in violation of the court’s injunction. Based on Ms. Chazulle’s stipulations, the court found her in contempt for violating the permanent injunction and ordered as a civil contempt sanction that she disgorge the fees she earned in violation of the injunction. Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers as return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams . The IRS offers tips on how to accurately file returns and how to choose a tax return preparer , as well as steps taxpayers can take to get a jumpstart on filing . The IRS has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers , whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. In addition, IRS Free File , a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $73,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronical federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found here .


title: Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Disaster Fund Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to using stolen identities to fraudulently obtain over $450,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to launder the funds. Darwyn Joseph, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2023. Joseph was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in December 2020 along with co-conspirator Ramon Joseph Cruz, Jr. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021. Between approximately April and December 2020, Joseph and Cruz were involved in a conspiracy to use stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Specifically, Joseph and Cruz used stolen identity information of U.S. citizens to open fraudulent bank accounts which were then linked to other fraudulent bank accounts set up to receive the SBA funds. Joseph and Cruz also received some of the debit cards associated with fraudulent bank accounts into which SBA funds were deposited, and then laundered those funds by using them to purchase large numbers of iPhones for re-sale. Joseph and Cruz also wired a portion of the funds to the Dominican Republic in furtherance of the scheme. Over $452,000 in SBA funds were fraudulently obtained in connection with this scheme. Approximately $250,000 of this money was used to purchase iPhones in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Cruz pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy on May 18, 2023. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 30, 2023. The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. 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 United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna Nuzum and Adam Deitch of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Indiana Man Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison

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

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Bryshawn Terry, 31 years old, of Fort Wayne, IN, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Terry was sentenced to 66 months in prison to be followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in this case, in December 2022, law enforcement responded to a 911 call about a man with a handgun. When officers arrived, they located Terry who started walking away while tossing a 9mm handgun. In Terry’s vehicle, officers located a rifle with a bump stock and a 50-round drum. Terry had prior felony convictions for dealing cocaine and resisting law enforcement, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearms in this case. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results ###


title: Violent Fayetteville Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 35 years

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 420 months in prison for his role as the leader of a violent fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin trafficking organization. On January 11, 2023, Naji Michael Johnson, age 45, pled guilty to fentanyl conspiracy and fentanyl distribution charges. “Naji Johnson used guns, violence, and intimidation to advance his drug trafficking enterprise in Fayetteville for 15 years, pushing kilogram quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Today, the community saw justice done. Drug traffickers should see this 35 year sentence as a warning. Partnerships between local and federal law enforcement are stronger than ever, and we are determined to keep North Carolina safe. Our friends, neighbors, and families deserve no less.” "The sentencing of Naji Johnson supports the Fayetteville Police Department's commitment and goal of keeping the City of Fayetteville safe and secure,” said Fayetteville Police Chief Kem Braden. “Naji Johnson was a career criminal responsible for numerous violent crimes in our community. The Fayetteville Police Department appreciates the hard work of the Federal, State, and local agencies responsible for removing a violent, career criminal from our community. The sentencing of Naji Johnson sends a clear message to other would-be criminals that violence within our City will not be tolerated." “There is often a direct link between those trafficking drugs into our communities and those committing violent crimes,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Disrupting these dangerous drug trafficking networks has an immediate and significant role in decreasing violent gun crime.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, various law enforcement agencies in the Fayetteville area have received statements from individuals throughout the last decade indicating that Johnson was a kilogram level supplier of cocaine, crack, heroin, and fentanyl in Cumberland County. Information compiled throughout the investigation revealed that between late 2018 and his federal arrest in August 2022, Johnson was responsible for distributing over 19,000 grams of fentanyl, which is enough fentanyl to create over 950,000 doses. The investigation also revealed that Johnson utilized firearms and violence to maintain his position at the top of the Fayetteville drug trafficking hierarchy. Investigators received numerous accounts indicating that Johnson routinely robbed other area drug dealers. Investigators also received statements indicating that Johnson was involved in multiple murders stemming from drug trafficking activity, and that Johnson kidnapped another drug dealer to collect drugs and drug proceeds as ransom. Johnson also possessed a firearm during two separate controlled purchases of fentanyl that were conducted in 2022 as part of the investigation. The investigation into Johnson was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fayetteville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00195-FL-1 . ###


title: Connecticut Sex Offender Indicted In Jacksonville For Committing Multiple Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Andrew Thomas Bull (35, Tolland, Connecticut), formerly known as Andrew Thomas Picard, with the attempted production and distribution of child sex abuse materials. If convicted, Bull faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years, up to 170 years, in federal prison and a lifetime term of supervised release. On July 7, 2023, Bull was arraigned in Jacksonville and ordered detained pending his trial. Bull is a registered sex offender, having been convicted in Connecticut in 2013 of importation and illegal possession of child pornography. On May 25, 2023, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Bull’s home in Connecticut and Bull was arrested and later transported to Jacksonville for prosecution. An indictment is only an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and New Haven, Connecticut. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.