title: Former Hospital Administrator Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison in Identity Theft Scheme that Spanned Three Decades

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: An Iowa hospital administrator who lived under a false identity for more than 30 years and caused the false imprisonment, involuntary hospitalization, and forced medication of his victim was sentenced today to 12 years in federal prison. Matthew David Keirans, age 59, from Hartland, Wisconsin, received the prison term after an April 1, 2024, guilty plea to one count of false statement to a national credit union administration insured institution and one count of aggravated identity theft. Evidence presented at hearings in the case established that Keirans and his identity theft victim worked together at a hotdog cart in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the late 1980s. Keirans assumed the victim’s identity and, for the next three decades, used that identity in every aspect of his life. Keirans obtained several false documents in the victim’s name, including a Kentucky birth certificate. In 2013, Keirans obtained employment as a high-level administrator in an Iowa City hospital. Keirans provided the hospital with false identification documents during the hiring process, including a fictitious I-9 form, social security number, date of birth, and other identification documents in his victim’s name. After getting hired, Keirans worked for the hospital remotely from his residence in Wisconsin. Keirans’ access to, and roles in, the system architecture of the hospital’s computer infrastructure were “the highest it could be,” and Keirans “was the key administrator of critical systems.” Between March 2014 and May 2022, Keirans repeatedly obtained vehicle and personal loans from two credit unions in the Northern District of Iowa using the victim’s name, social security number, and date of birth. Keirans obtained nine loans with a total value of over $250,000 from the credit unions. Keirans also obtained various lines of credit from other lenders in the victim’s name and with his personal identifiers. Keirans also maintained deposits at a national bank in the victim’s name. In August 2019, the victim, who was homeless at the time, entered the branch of the national bank in Los Angeles, California, and told a branch manager that he had recently discovered that someone was using his credit and had accumulated large amounts of debt. The victim stated that he did not want to pay the debt and wished to close his accounts at the bank. The victim presented the bank with his true social security card, as well as an authentic State of California identification card. Due to the large amount of currency in the accounts, the branch manager asked the victim a series of security questions, which the victim was unable to answer. The national bank then called the Los Angeles Police Department (“LAPD”). LAPD officers spoke with Keirans on the telephone, who stated he lived in Wisconsin and did not give anyone in California permission to access his bank accounts. After faxing the LAPD a series of phony identification documents, the LAPD arrested Keirans’ victim on two felony charges. After Keirans requested his victim’s prosecution, the victim was charged in Keirans’ name and held without bail at the Los Angeles County Jail. In the ensuing months, Keirans contacted the LAPD and Los Angeles District Attorney (LADA) numerous times requesting updates on the victim’s prosecution. Meanwhile, Keirans’ victim continued to assert throughout the California criminal proceedings that he was not Keirans. A California state court judge ultimately found Keirans’ victim was not mentally competent to stand trial and ordered Keirans’ victim to a California mental hospital. The California state court also ordered Keirans’ victim to receive psychotropic medication. In March 2021, Keirans’ victim pled “no contest” to the two felony charges in exchange for a “time-served” sentence, a $400 fine, and immediate release from custody. In total, Keirans’ victim spent 428 days in county jail and 147 days in the mental hospital as a result of Keirans’ false reports to the LAPD and LADA. The state court also ordered Keirans’ victim to “use only their true name, Matthew Keirans” in the future. After his release from jail and hospital, Keirans’ victim made numerous attempts to regain his identity. For his part, Keirans continued to make false reports and statements to law enforcement officials in Wisconsin and California. The State of California billed the victim over $118,000 for the costs of his “care” in the mental hospital between October 20, 2021, and March 15, 2021. In January 2023, after learning where Keirans was employed, the victim contacted the Iowa City hospital’s security department about Keirans. The hospital referred Keirans’ complaint to a local law enforcement agency, which assigned an experienced detective, Ian Mallory, to investigate the victim’s complaint. The detective conducted an investigation and, over the course of the ensuing months, unraveled Keirans’ identity theft scheme. Among other things, the detective obtained DNA evidence that conclusively proved that Keirans was not the son of an elderly man in Kentucky, as Keirans had claimed, but that Keirans’ victim was the man’s son. During an interview with the detective in July 2023, Keirans initially insisted that the victim was “crazy” and “needed help and should be locked up.” After the detective presented Keirans with the results of the DNA testing, however, Keirans confessed to the three-decade identity theft scheme. Keirans also admitted to providing fraudulent documents to authorities in Los Angeles from his residence in Wisconsin to aid in the arrest, prosecution, and incarceration of the victim. A California court ultimately exonerated the victim after Keirans pled guilty in federal court. Keirans was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Keirans was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment and fined $10,000. He was ordered to make $6,191 in restitution the victim and ordered to repay $10,000 in court-appointed attorney fees. Keirans must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Williams said Keirans’ crime was “egregious,” “callous,” and “Kafkaesque.” Chief Judge Williams stated Keirans “weaponized the criminal justice system to achieve his goals.” Chief Judge Williams praised the “remarkable and exceptional work” of the Iowa detective. “Matthew Keirans spent decades pretending to be someone he was not, all the while knowing that his victim was suffering,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax. “Keirans used his victim’s identity to live his life, obtain loans, and lines of credit. When the victim tried to clear his name of Keirans’ debts, Keirans deliberately and calculatedly lied to police officers and prosecutors in California in order to keep his victim locked up, unable to live his life, and to keep his own secret safe. Today, Keirans has been held responsible for his actions and will spend years in prison.” “I would like to thank Detective Mallory for his tenacious work on this case,” said University of Iowa Police Chief Lucy Wiederholt. “His persistence in finding the facts highlights our commitment to helping victims of crime.” “The FBI is committed to working with our local law enforcement partners wherever we can to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution,” said Eugene Kowel, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge. “The FBI commends the University of Iowa Police Department’s tenacity in bringing Keirans’ fraudulent crimes to an end, and we remain dedicated to holding individuals like Keirans accountable when they break the laws of our country and impose harm on victims.” Keirans is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the University of Iowa Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-1020. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Springfield, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Drug Trafficking Associated with Street Gang

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Derrick Bailey, 44, was sentenced on January 30, 2025, by Senior U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough to 180 months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for his role in a wide-spread drug conspiracy involving a Springfield street gang, Boss Playas, lasting from approximately May 2020 through November 2020. At the sentencing hearing, Bailey was held accountable for trafficking over 10 kilograms of cocaine as a member of the conspiracy. Also during the hearing, Judge Myerscough noted that the group of conspirators were responsible for distributing large amounts of controlled substances in the Springfield area, which had a negative effect on the community. Co-defendants in the case have received the following sentences of imprisonment: Denziel Witherspoon, 240 months; James Cooper, 180 months; Christopher Wallace 120 months; Isadore Montgomery, 120 months; Rashaud Brown, 84 months; Paul Davis, 40 months; and Taylor Cockrell, 36 months. Additional defendants Dorothy Jackson, Shelton Witherspoon, Lavar Maney, Haley Riley, and Haylee Vaughn have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Bailey was indicted on December 15, 2020, and pleaded guilty on September 18, 2024. He has remained in the custody of the United States Marshal since his arrest on December 1, 2020. The statutory penalties for the most serious charge of conviction include up to life in prison, up to a $20,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; Illinois State Police; and Springfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Bailey was part of an investigation of the Springfield-based Boss Playas street gang and 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: MILHORN PLEADS GUILTY IN DUI DEATH  ON NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Oxford, Mississippi – Connor Milhorn, 20, entered guilty pleas to two counts relating to an alcohol related crash on the Natchez Trace Parkway in May of 2024. Milhorn, who appeared before Judge Sharion Aycock, pled guilty to Aggravated DUI for causing death to another and to Aggravated DUI for causing serious bodily injury to a minor child. His sentencing will be scheduled for a later date. On May 11, 2024, shortly after 4:45 in the morning, law enforcement Rangers were dispatched to a collision involving a Hummer H3 and a Toyota Tundra. Upon arriving on the scene, they found the driver of the Tundra deceased and his minor child severely injured in the backseat. The child was transported by helicopter to Memphis, Tennessee for life saving medical care. The investigation by the Rangers resulted in them learning that Milhorn was operating his Hummer at a high rate of speed and under the influence of alcohol while driving on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Milhorn’s vehicle collided head on with the Tundra resulting in the death and serious injury at issue in the case. This case was investigated by the Natchez Trace Parkway Law Enforcement Rangers. The case was prosecuted by AUSA John Herzog Jr.


title: Murder of Shoe Reseller Results in 32 Year Sentence

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Darius Anderson, 23, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today to 32 years of in prison for first-degree murder while armed and related offenses in the June 2022 killing of 30-year old Israel Mattocks, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Anderson was found guilty by a jury on September 18, 2024, following a one-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The murder occurred in the 3900 block of Minnesota Ave, NE. Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo handed down the sentence. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:00 a.m. on June 15, 2022, the victim, Mr. Mattocks, a shoe reseller, asked the defendant for help purchasing shoes from Shoe City located at the East River Park Shopping Mall. After the defendant failed to purchase the shoes for Mr. Mattocks, the two had a brief conversation and parted ways. A short time later, the two met again in another nearby local shoe store, DownTown Locker Room. Mr. Mattocks and the defendant had a brief argument. Afterwards, Mr. Mattocks left the store with another individual to return to Shoe City to buy the shoes the defendant failed to purchase. In the meantime, defendant Anderson walked home, dropped off his purchase from the DownTown Locker Room, and returned to the Shoe City. When the victim and the other individual walked out of the Shoe City, Anderson, was waiting, standing to the right entrance of the store, and fired numerous shots at Mr. Mattocks. Mr. Mattocks was shot at least six times – sustaining injuries to his left and right arms, his right chest, and his neck. He was pronounced dead a short time later. In announcing this verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ariel Dean and Stephanie Dinan.


title: Dominican National with Pending Federal Indictment Charged with Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national, residing in Lawrence with pending federal fentanyl trafficking and firearm charges, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully reentering the United States. After the defendant was arrested and charged in 2023 with alleged federal drug and firearm offenses, he was released on conditions and later deported. Santo Alberto Baez Baez, 36, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Baez Baez was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2023 with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (fentanyl). He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023 with one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In 2022, law enforcement began investigations into multiple drug trafficking organizations (“DTOs”) that distributed large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine in the Lawrence area. According to court documents, on June 21, 2023, search warrants were executed at 13 locations in Massachusetts, including three locations in Lawrence, allegedly used by the DTOs. It is alleged that, during a search of one of the Lawrence-based residences, Baez Baez was found in the bedroom where a Rossi model M971 .357 caliber revolver loaded with .38 special ammunition and a silencer, a box of .38 special ammunition, a container of controlled substances – some of which were packaged in clear plastic bags for sale – and a brick that weighed approximately 200 grams – later analyzed and determined to contain fentanyl – was recovered. According to the criminal complaint, fraudulent identification documents, including social security cards and Baez Baez’s Dominican passport, where also discovered. At the time of his arrest, it was determined that Baez Baez had an outstanding state warrant for distribution of fentanyl, and it was determined that he was not legally present in the United States. Following a detention hearing on federal charges, Baez Baez was released by the Court on conditions on July 11, 2023. According to court documents, he was later brought into the custody of immigration authorities and placed into removal proceedings and, on Aug 28, 2023, he was ordered removed from the United States to the Dominican Republic. Baez Baez was removed on Sept. 19, 2023, at which time his fingerprint, photograph and signature were obtained. It is alleged that on an unknown date and location, Baez Baez reentered the United States without being inspected. Authorities learned that Baez Baez was living in Lawrence, Mass. According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 18, 2024, an individual was stopped for a traffic violation in Andover, Mass. The operator produced a New York driver’s license identifying himself as Jose Villar Baez. It was determined that there was a warrant for “Villar Baez” in Concord District Court for leaving the scene of an accident, causing property damage and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. The operator of the vehicle was arrested and later fingerprinted. Fingerprint analysis allegedly determined that “Villar Baez,” the operator of the vehicle, was in fact Baez Baez. According to the criminal complaint, Baez Baez was released by a state clerk magistrate on personal recognizance. On Jan. 27, 2025, a federal arrest was issued for Baez Baez for violating his pre-trial release. On Jan. 31, 2025 Baez Baez was arrested in Lawrence at a location that had been previously searched in June 2023 at the time Baez Baez originally was arrested. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, no less than four years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense provides for a sentence of no less than five years in prison to run consecutively with any sentence imposed on the drug offense. Baez Baez will also be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police and made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts and the Natick Police Department. U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno and Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Utqiagvik man sentenced to 15 years for producing child pornography

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: FAIRBANKS, Alaska – An Utqiagvik man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and will serve 10 years on supervised release for producing child pornography. According to court documents, a detective with a local law enforcement agency, acting in an undercover capacity and posing online as a 13-year-old girl, operated an account with a social media application known to law enforcement to be utilized by individuals seeking sexual encounters with minors. On Nov 6, 2023, the undercover detective received a message from Billy Ray Okpeaha Jr., 25. Between Nov. 6, 2023, and Jan. 18, 2024, Okpeaha and the undercover detective engaged in online exchanges that included Okpeaha’s requests that the undercover detective send him explicit content, the defendant sending a photo of his genitals to the undercover detective, and discussions about meeting each other in person and sexual interactions if an in-person meet occurred. Okpeaha sent the address of the hotel he was staying at and requested the undercover detective meet him at his hotel room. Okpeaha made plans to meet the undercover detective for a sexual encounter on Jan. 22, 2024. He was arrested that day at an apartment in Utqiagvik. Investigators seized and searched his electronic devices, which contained child sexual abuse materials, including visuals of a known minor victim. The known minor victim was interviewed and confirmed sending images of child sexual abuse material at Okpeaha’s request. Okpeaha was initially released on pre-trial supervision following his arrest but fled his transitional living facility. He was re-arrested in Coldfoot, Alaska, allegedly attempting to evade supervision and capture. On Sept. 4, 2024, Okpeaha pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography. “Crimes against children are among the most heinous offenses, inflicting lasting harm on vulnerable victims. Mr. Okpeaha deliberately targeted innocent children in a rural village for his own sexual gratification, exposing a clear and present danger to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Our office will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to identify, apprehend and vigorously prosecute anyone who attempts to exploit or target the children of Alaska.” “The defendant used the Internet to commit child exploitation crimes in Alaska and was found to be in possession of CSAM on his devices,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This investigation and sentencing demonstrate the severity of the defendant’s crimes, and our commitment to prevent further victimization and ensure online predators are brought to justice.” The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the North Slope Borough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Jury Convicts Baltimore Man of First-Degree Felony Murder While Armed and Related Charges for Killing Unarmed Man in Southeast, D.C.

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ethan Cunningham, 22, of Baltimore, MD was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of two counts of felony murder while armed, and related charges stemming from a May 2022 shooting of James Lee Curtis, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The jury also found Cunningham guilty of one count of first-degree burglary while armed, one count of attempted robbery while armed, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, five counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman scheduled sentencing for March 28, 2025. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 9:30 p.m. on May 10, 2022, the victim, James Lee Curtis, was coming home from getting dinner and picking up his roommate. As he was entering his building, the defendant, Ethan Cunningham, and an associate followed Curtis into his apartment building. The defendant brandished a 9mm firearm with an extended magazine and repeatedly assaulted Curtis, demanding he open his apartment door where a child and woman were inside. When Curtis refused to open the door, the defendant continued assaulting him throughout basement area of the apartment building until Curtis’s roommate tried to intervene. The defendant then began shooting, striking Curtis once, and striking his roommate’s backpack. The defendant then stood over the roommate who had fallen to the ground and threatened to shoot him before fleeing the building. Curtis died from his injuries shortly thereafter. The defendant was arrested on May 30, 2022 and has remained detained since that date. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Natalie Hynum.


title: Riverside County Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison for  Producing Sexually Explicit Images of Children He Met Online

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 188 months in federal prison for catfishing a preteen girl he met on an online gaming platform and persuading her to send him sexually explicit photos of herself and, later, of her five-year-old relative. John Matthew Piecuch, 64, of Hemet, was sentenced by United States District Judge John W. Holcomb, who scheduled a May 1, 2025, restitution hearing in this matter. Piecuch pleaded guilty in July 2024 to one count of production of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since August 2021. “Online games and platforms can allow child predators to hide behind fake identities and lure children into sharing private information,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally. “It is critical that we hold these predators accountable and convey a message of zero tolerance for those who prey on our youth. I also urge parents everywhere to monitor their children’s online activity to ensure their health and safety.” Piecuch met on Roblox, an online gaming platform, an individual identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 1,” a 12-year-old-girl. Piecuch told the victim he was a 13-year-old boy. In January 2021, Piecuch and Minor Victim 1 texted each other, during which time he persuaded her to send him sexually explicit images of herself. Piecuch also persuaded Minor Victim 1 to take and send him sexually explicit photographs of Minor Victim 2, a five-year-old girl, her relative. Minor Victim 1’s mother saw some of the text messages between her daughter and Piecuch on the girl’s mobile device, which prompted her to contact law enforcement, according to court documents. Once he completes his prison sentence, Piecuch will remain on supervised release for the rest of his life. The FBI investigated this matter in conjunction with the Carroll County (Maryland) Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case


title: Two Cousins Sentenced: One for the Murder of his Best Friend and both for Conspiracy to Influence a Witness

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Eugene Burns, 32, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to a total of 37 years in prison, including 31 years for the murder of Onyekachi Emmanuel Osuchukwu III in November 2015. Burns was sentenced to an additional six years for conspiring to influence a witness in the murder case. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo sentenced co-defendant Tyre Allen, 24, also of Washington, D.C., to three years in prison. On October 24, 2024, Burns was convicted by a Superior Court jury of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license. At the time he committed the murder, he was on release in a case pending before the D.C. Superior Court. On October 28, 2024, the jury convicted Burns and Allen of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice (corrupt persuasion of a witness), and obstruction of justice (due administration of justice). According to the government’s evidence, on November 14, 2015, defendant Burns lured his best friend, Onyekachi Emmanuel Osuchukwu III, to Burns’s mother’s apartment in the 2900 block of 2 nd Street Southeast, Washington, D.C. Burns shot the victim four times, killing him. Burns was previously convicted by a jury, in 2017, of murdering the victim, but the conviction was overturned on appeal in 2020. Following the reversal, Burns and co‑defendant Tyre Allen, Burns’s cousin, conspired to and did obstruct justice by corruptly influencing a witness in the murder case to sign a false affidavit in October 2020 recanting the witness’s prior grand jury and trial testimony incriminating Burns in the murder. In announcing the sentence U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated this case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Washington Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Willoughby and Kevin Flynn for their work on the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles R. Jones and Sharon Donovan, who prosecuted and tried this case.


title: San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Civil Rights Violation and Obstruction of Justice

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – A two-count indictment was unsealed in federal court today charging San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremiah Manuyag Flores with violating the civil rights of a man in pretrial custody at the San Diego Central Courthouse by using excessive force that caused serious injuries and then writing a false report to cover up his illegal actions. Flores is charged with depriving the individual – identified in the indictment as 57-year-old J.P. – of his right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and of falsifying a record in a federal investigation. The indictment alleges that Flores was assigned to the Court Services Bureau at the San Diego Central Courthouse on August 29, 2024, and was escorting J.P. to a holding cell following a court hearing. At the time, J.P.’s legs were chained and his hands were cross-chained to his waist. At one point, Flores grabbed the back of J.P.’s shirt with both hands and pushed him faster down the hallway leading to the holding cell. When Flores and J.P. arrived at the open door to the holding cell, Flores forcefully shoved J.P. into the cell from behind with both hands, causing J.P. to smash into the bench and walls and collapse to the ground, the indictment said. Flores stated, “What? Nothing happened,” and failed to immediately report the incident to his supervisor and prepare an official report, both of which are violations of the San Diego Sheriff’s Office’s Use of Force Policy. According to the indictment, another deputy found J.P. over two hours later lying in the same position in his holding cell with a head wound and a pool of blood on the floor. As a result of Flores’ actions, J.P. suffered a spinal injury for which he underwent surgery and remained hospitalized for months. The indictment said that more than an hour after J.P. was discovered in his holding cell, Flores falsely claimed in an incident report that “no force was used” in placing J.P. into the cell, though he knew that he had, indeed, used force against the detainee. “The vast majority of law enforcement personnel are dedicated public servants committed to following the rule of law and protecting our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “But when a choice is made to cross the line and violate someone’s civil rights, this office will stand on behalf of the victim, and all those who wear the badge with honor, to uphold the public’s trust.” “Law enforcement officers work tirelessly every day to protect the public, always striving to be professional, honest, and ethical,” said San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The alleged action of the defendant not only violates the oath he swore as a law enforcement officer to protect and serve, but also erodes citizen confidence and trust in our profession.” Flores made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David D. Leshner. He entered pleas of not guilty to both charges and was released on a $25,000 personal appearance bond with special conditions that he surrender his passport and his personally owned firearms. The next scheduled court appearance is a motion hearing and trial setting before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez on March 10, 2025, at 2 p.m. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Askins. DEFENDANTS Case Number 25cr0254-LL Jeremiah Manuyag Flores Age: 44 La Jolla, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242 Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine Falsification of Records in a Federal Investigation – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1519 Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation San Diego County Sheriff’s Office (Homicide Unit) *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Former U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Pleads Guilty in Relation to Fentanyl Poisoning Death of Another Marine

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty today to a felony drug offense for his actions surrounding a 2020 fentanyl transaction that resulted in the death of a U.S. Marine. Anthony Ruben Whisenant, 24, pleaded guilty in United States District Court to the use of a communication facility – a cellphone – in committing a felony drug offense. United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee is scheduled to sentence Whisenant on May 7, at which time he will face a maximum sentence of four years in federal prison. “Fentanyl continues to claim the lives of too many in our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Our office remains committed to holding accountable those responsible for circulating fentanyl and other dangerous substances in our district and threatening the health and safety of our residents.” According to court documents, in May 2020, Whisenant was an active-duty lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps stationed aboard Camp Pendleton in Oceanside when he ordered pills marketed as oxycodone – but which actually contained fentanyl – for a fellow U.S. Marine, identified in court papers as “L.M.” Whisenant contacted the drug dealer, Gustavo Jaciel Solis, 28, based on an advertisement Solis shared via his Snapchat account, according to court documents. L.M. drove Whisenant and another U.S. Marine, Ryan Douglas White, 27, from Camp Pendleton to collect the drugs from Solis later that same day. The three Marines then drove to a party in Compton where L.M. ingested some of the pills purchased from Solis and died shortly after. At the direction of Whisenant, White flushed the remaining pills down a toilet before first responders arrived. Solis was charged in 2020, along with Whisenant and two other civilian co-conspirators, with being part of a drug ring that distributed narcotics to civilians and members of the Marine Corps, and White was charged as an accessory after the fact. Solis was arrested in July 2020, at which time investigators seized narcotics and several firearms – including a 9mm “ghost gun” – from his residence. Solis pleaded guilty in April 2022 to two federal drug trafficking offenses: participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and distributing fentanyl resulting in death. His sentencing is pending, and he faces a maximum sentence of life. White pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of misprision of a felony for his knowledge of the fatal drug transaction and his attempts to hinder law enforcement’s investigation. His sentencing is scheduled for June 6, at which time he will face a maximum sentence of 3 years. A superseding indictment filed in September 2020 named two other defendants: Jordan Nicholas McCormick, 29, of Palmdale, and Jessica Sarah Perez, 25, of Pacoima. McCormick allegedly supplied provided LSD, ecstasy, cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to co-conspirators. McCormick has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial on April 22. Perez distributed narcotics including fentanyl and cocaine to the conspiracy’s civilian customers. She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and was sentenced in September 2022 to pay a $100 fine and placed on probation for two years. This matter was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Castañeda of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.


title: San Joaquin County Woman Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearms Trafficking

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alejandra Susana Castillo, 34, of Tracy, pleaded guilty today to illegal firearms trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, between Aug. 22, 2023, and Aug. 27, 2024, Castillo and a co‑conspirator trafficked firearms by purchasing them in Nevada and selling them on the black market in California. On July 27, 2024, Castillo’s co-conspirator led a law enforcement officer on a high-speed evasion in excess of 100 miles per hour. The officer ultimately ended the pursuit for public safety concerns. Two days later, another officer observed the car parked at a gas station. The officer detained Castillo, who was then using the car. During a search of the vehicle, the officer discovered a semi-automatic rifle in the trunk, along with three extended magazines. In total, ATF agents traced more than 30 firearms to this conspiracy. At least three of these firearms have been recovered in connection with suspected firearm-related crimes. One such firearm, for example, was recovered in the possession of a felon in Vallejo on July 25, 2024, only three days after Castillo purchased the firearm in Nevada on July 22, 2024. This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Highway Patrol, the Pleasonton Police Department, the Reno Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case. Castillo is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. Castillo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The Sacramento Region/San Francisco Bay Area Cross-Jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force is one of five cross-jurisdictional strike forces launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in July 2021 to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Each strike force is led by designated United States Attorneys, who collaborate with ATF and with state and local law enforcement partners within their own jurisdiction as well as law enforcement partners in areas where illegally trafficked guns originate. The strike forces use the latest data, evidence, and intelligence from crime scenes to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes, and are an important part of the Department’s Comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Mexican National Charged With Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jose Angeles-Juarez (39, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a deported alien. If convicted, Angeles-Juarez faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. According to the indictment, Angeles-Juarez was previously deported from the United States on November 5, 2017. Following his previous removal, he did not receive the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. On January 27, 2025, Angeles-Juarez was found to be voluntarily in the United States in Clay County. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.


title: Convicted of a Drive-By Shooting and Fentanyl Trafficking, Member of ‘21st and Vietnam’ Crew Sentenced to 161 Months

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: WASHINGTON –Briyon Shuford, 30, of Washington D.C., was sentenced on January 31, 2025 to 161 months in prison for his participation in a daylight drive-by shooting – while he served as a DC Violence Interrupter -- that seriously injured four people. Shuford also was sentenced for his participation in a violent, armed group of drug dealers known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew. The crew distributed significant quantities of crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, PCP, and n-n-dimethylpentylone (“boot”) in the area of 21 st Street and Maryland Ave. NE. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Troy Springer of the National Capital Region of the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Shuford, aka “Breezy,” pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and aggravated assault while armed. In addition to the 161-month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Shuford to serve five years of supervised release. According to court documents, the 21 st and Vietnam crew used an apartment building on the 1900 block of I Street, NE, as a base of operations. The crew ran an open-air drug market around the building and sold narcotics outside on apartment grounds as well as on the first-floor hallway of the building. The sales of crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, PCP, and n-n-dimethylpentylone (“boot”) occurred on a near daily basis between at least June 2023 through May 2024 when the crew members were arrested. On the morning of April 19, 2024, Shuford arrived at the apartment building to meet co-defendant Trevon Palmer. The pair departed in Shuford’s own vehicle and then exchanged it for a stolen Infiniti sedan. Shuford drove the stolen Infiniti to the 1200 block of Mt. Olivet Road NE, Washington, D.C. The men – both armed with firearms –hunted for members of a rival crew. After finding what they believed to be appropriate targets, both Shuford and Palmer opened fire from the vehicle, shooting indiscriminately into the parking lot of the Circle 7 Food and Grocery Mart without regard for innocent bystanders or passing cars. Shuford almost lost control of the vehicle as he opened fire. Shuford and Palmer’s shots injured four individuals. Shuford was an equal participant in the 21 st and Vietnam crew’s drug activities. He drove co-defendant Damien Jenkins to make a sizable drug sale during which Jenkins sold more than 80 grams of fentanyl. During that sale, Shuford remained nearby in his car, conducting another narcotics sale. On May 15, 2024, law enforcement arrested Shuford and searched his residence. Law enforcement officers recovered distribution quantities of suspected marijuana, packaging supplies, a Glock 30 firearm, and $12,637 in cash. This case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division Office, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel. Briyon Shuford uploaded photos to the internet in 2023 of himself carrying firearms. 24cr226


title: Atlanta Man Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud Conspiracy, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – An Atlanta, Georgia man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for bank fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court documents, Jamontez Jaquavious Cofield, 24, was arrested by an Alabama State Trooper in April 2024 following a traffic stop on Interstate 65 in north Baldwin County. During the traffic stop, Cofield admitted that he had marijuana and a loaded 5.7x28mm caliber pistol in the car, which the Trooper seized. Cofield also admitted that he was not supposed to possess a firearm because he had prior felony convictions. In 2018, Cofield was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony assault in LaGrange, Georgia. Those convictions made Cofield’s possession of the pistol illegal under federal law. The Trooper searched Cofield’s vehicle, locating 38 stolen business checks with a total face value of $43,482, which had been made payable to various businesses in the Atlanta area. The checks bore the names and personal identifying information of various identity-theft victims who did not authorize Cofield to possess the checks, which had been stolen from the mail. Cofield admitted that he had been provided the stolen checks by a coconspirator he met on social media and communicated with via Snapchat. Cofield was transporting the stolen checks to sell to an individual at a meeting location in downtown Mobile. Agents searched Cofield’s cell phone and found numerous messages, photos, and videos regarding Cofield’s involvement in counterfeit check fraud, as well as his possession of bulk cash, narcotics, and guns. In addition to the 57-month prison term, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Cofield to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Cofield to pay $100 in special assessments. The court also forfeited Cofield’s gun and related ammunition to the United States. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Talladega Organization Charged with Narcotics Trafficking

body_text: TALLADEGA, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted seven men for distribution of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine across the Northern District of Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge John M. Clayton. Separate but related indictments filed in U.S. District Court charge the seven members of the drug trafficking organization. Four Talladega men were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine: Flemmings Chatman, 41; LaDaraious Q. Brown, 32; Tramarcus Fomby, 29; and Robert Houston, Jr., 55. Three other men were charged with distribution of methamphetamine: Kenneth Honneycutt, 30, of Birmingham; Elijah Brown, 35, of Tuscaloosa, and Brian J. Whatley, 45, of Talladega. These indictments and investigation are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Established in 1982, OCDETF is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational organized crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation by using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to enforcement. OCDETF leverages the resources and expertise of its partners in concentrated, coordinated, long-term enterprise investigations of transnational organized crime, money laundering, and major drug trafficking networks. The DEA and the Talladega County Drug Task Force led the investigation along with the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit, Talladega Sheriff’s Office, Talladega Police Department, West Alabama Narcotics Task Force, Pell City Police Department, Jasper Police Department, Oxford Police Department, Alabama State Probation Office, and the Alabama National Guard Counter Drug Task Force. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Assistant United States Attorney Alan S. Kirk is prosecuting the case


title: Lincoln Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that William Arthur Parrott, age 54, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was convicted on January 30, 2025, by a federal jury in Lincoln of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture after a three-day trial in Lincoln presided over by the United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis. Evidence presented to the jury included testimony from three persons involved in drug distribution with Parrott between March of 2020 and November of 2022. In addition, the Government presented text messages sent between Parrott and one of the witnesses concerning drug transactions, drugs found during the search of a witness’s hotel room, information from searches involving co-conspirators, a tracker placed on a co-conspirator’s vehicle, and surveillance done by narcotics investigators. Parrot is scheduled to be sentenced April 24, 2025. Parrott faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.00. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.


title: First Two Defendants in Omaha Methamphetamine Conspiracy Sentenced

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Jody D. Webb, age 45, of Lincoln, Nebraska and Jason Unruh, age 51, of Omaha, Nebraska were sentenced on January 31, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Webb to 75 months’ and Unruh to 188 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After their release from prison, Webb will begin a 2-year term of supervised release, and Unruh a 5-year term of supervised release. On August 3, 2023, FBI surveillance observed Unruh meet with codefendant Jonathan Ovalle-Solis. During the observed meet, Unruh entered Ovalle’s vehicle and exited with a package of what appeared to be a white substance in a clear bag. This deal was recorded. A subsequent TextNow search warrant on the phone number belonging to codefendant Ovalle-Solis and his known Mexican meth source of supply, confirmed that Unruh was coordinating with the Mexican source to buy a pound of meth. Messages showed Unruh would pick up pound quantities of meth on multiple occasions in August and September of 2023. The messages from the Mexican source to Unruh would typically give an address and vehicle description of who Unruh was to meet for meth deliveries. On October 17, 2023, law enforcement officers were investigating this same drug trafficking organization when they observed Webb meet with a suspected drug courier. After the meet officers conducted a traffic stop on Webb who had approximately 2 pounds of meth in her vehicle. Messages obtained from a phone search warrant confirmed that Webb had arranged the 2-pound deal with the same Mexican source of supply. Jonathan Ovalle Solis pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2025. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Statement of United States Attorney Muldrow on the Departure of Alexis Torres from the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, I wish to extend our gratitude to Alexis Torres, in his role as Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, for his unwavering support of the mission of our office and his commitment to the people of Puerto Rico. We wish you all the best and Godspeed. ###


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced To 18 Months In Prison For Causing The Death Of A Seven-Year-Old Boy And A 48-Year-Old Woman In Hudson River Boat Capsizing

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RICHARD CRUZ, who caused the deaths of a seven-year-old boy and a 48-year-old woman after his motor vessel Stimulus Money capsized in the Hudson River in July 2022, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla to 18 months in prison. In October 2024, CRUZ pled guilty to misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “Today, Richard Cruz has been held accountable for his misconduct and negligent actions that caused the tragic deaths of a young boy and a woman when Cruz’s vessel capsized in the Hudson River. This prosecution should send a message to all captains and operators of commercial vessels that there will be consequences when they fail to follow the federal regulations and safety protocols that exist to keep passengers safe.” According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Information, and statements made in court: On July 12, 2022, at approximately 2:40 p.m., the motor vessel Stimulus Money capsized in the Hudson River resulting in the death of two passengers — a seven-year-old boy (“Victim-1”) and a 48-year-old woman (“Victim-2”). At the time of the capsizing, CRUZ was the owner and captain of the vessel. CRUZ had purchased the vessel approximately three months before the capsizing. CRUZ conducted boat “tours” for paying customers onboard the vessel on multiple occasions in the months leading up to the capsizing, despite not having the required United States Coast Guard (“USCG”) credentials and certifications to do so. CRUZ’s negligent actions and omissions caused the capsizing and the deaths of Victim-1 and Victim-2. At the time of the capsizing, among other things: CRUZ operated Stimulus Money with 13 people on board, exceeding the vessel’s maximum allowable capacity; CRUZ operated Stimulus Money at a high rate of speed even though an advisory had been issued to alert small watercraft of hazardous conditions, including high winds and heavy seas; CRUZ had not obtained a required USCG certification to operate the vessel with paying customers on board; and CRUZ operated Stimulus Money without a valid USCG Certificate of Inspection, which is required for a vessel to operate with paying customers on board. All 13 people on board Stimulus Money were thrown overboard when it capsized in the Hudson River. Shortly after the capsizing, boats from the New York City Police Department’s (“NYPD”) Harbor Unit and the New York City Fire Department’s (“FDNY”) Dive Rescue Team, and ferries operating nearby, arrived at the scene of the capsizing to render emergency assistance. All but two passengers were recovered conscious and in varying medical conditions. They were subsequently transferred to hospitals in Manhattan and survived the capsizing. Approximately 25 minutes after the capsizing, members of the FDNY Dive Rescue Team recovered Victim-1 and Victim-2 from the Hudson River. They were trapped underneath the capsized vessel and found unconscious. Emergency medical personnel subsequently pronounced Victim-1 and Victim-2 deceased. The cause of death was drowning. Please report any illegal passenger charters to the USCG at https://www.p3tips.com/878. * * * In addition to the sentence, CRUZ, 33, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, has been ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution for the funeral expenses of the victims. Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the USCG Investigative Service and the Special Agents and NYPD Detectives assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Coyle is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Winter Garden Man Who Backed Vehicle Into Business And Stole Six Firearms Sentenced To Four Years

body_text: Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Edward Camacho (20, Winter Garden) to four years and three months in federal prison for theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee. Camacho pleaded guilty on September 17, 2024. According to the plea agreement, on August 18, 2023, Camacho backed a vehicle into the front of a federal firearms licensee business around midnight. After smashing the front door and wall of the business, Camacho entered the business and broke a glass case where multiple firearms were housed. Camacho stole six firearms and then fled in his vehicle. Camacho was apprehended less than two hours later after a foot pursuit with law enforcement. During the foot chase, Camacho was seen tossing three firearms onto the ground, two of which were confirmed to be stolen from the federal firearms licensee business. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Winter Park Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Alexa McNeff. This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Inmate

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Miguel Hidalgo (34, Florida) has pleaded guilty to deprivation of an inmate’s civil rights under the color of law. Hidalgo faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. According to the plea agreement, on August 22, 2022, Hidalgo was employed with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons as a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Complex Coleman. While on duty at the prison, Hidalgo entered the cell of two inmates who were both handcuffed behind their backs. While in the cell, Hidalgo pushed one of the inmates to the floor, then struck that inmate multiple times in the face and chest area. When Hidalgo was exiting the cell, the inmate spat on Hidalgo. Hidalgo requested the cell door be reopened. He then reentered the cell and again began striking and kicking the inmate. The inmate suffered injuries from the assault, including multiple rib fractures and contusions on his face. By striking the inmate, Hidalgo willfully deprived the inmate of the right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by a person acting under color of law—a right secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States. This case was investigated by the Department of Justice - Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.


title: Multiple Nashville Felons Charged with Federal Weapons, Drug Offenses

body_text: NASHVILLE – Three Nashville men, all of whom have previous convictions for either violent crimes or drug felonies, were recently charged with federal firearms offenses, two of the men were additionally charged with drug offenses, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert E. McGuire. Carlos J. Rodriguez, 27, was charged on January 24 with being a felon in possession of a firearm; George Charles Carter, III, 48, was charged on January 24 with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; and Keontis Jenkins, 28, was charged on January 27 with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, “We are ramping up our efforts to protect our community from those who would illegally possess guns and those who would sell drugs,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “These three arrests in the span of just a few days should put violent criminals on notice that if you break the law, we will hold you accountable in federal court—especially if you possess dangerous drugs like fentanyl and dangerous items like Glock switches. If we find evidence to support a federal charge, we are not going to wait. We are going to act.” Rodriguez According to court documents, on September 25, 2024, law enforcement conducted a surveillance operation in the area of a bar on Charlotte Pike in Nashville. While conducting surveillance, agents saw Rodriguez exit the bar and conduct what appeared to be hand-to-hand narcotics transactions in the parking lot. After agents stopped Rodriguez, he told them that he was on probation out of Rutherford County for selling narcotics. A search of Rodriguez’s car yielded over $500, 9mm cartridge cases, three cell phones, and handwritten ledgers and notes that appeared to document narcotics sales. Rodriguez was arrested on a state offense and was released. On January 17, 2025, ATF Agents were notified that Rodriguez was arrested for driving with an expired license. Agents asked Rodriguez about his arrest on September 25, 2024, and Rodriguez acknowledged that he possessed the ammunition was recovered from his car and that he knew he was a convicted felon who could not possess ammunition. At the time Rodriguez possessed the ammunition, he was a prohibited person, having previously been convicted in Rutherford County of a felony drug offense. Carter On January 19, 2025, at approximately 3:20 a.m., Metro Nashville Police officers began investigating an armed robbery attempt that resulted in a shooting. When officers arrived on scene, they found a victim with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper left arm and a single gunshot wound to his upper right arm. The shooting was captured on Metropolitan House and Development Agency cameras near the J.C. Napier Housing Development. On the video, officers observed a person, later determined to be Carter, making movements consistent with pointing a weapon. Officers also recovered multiple shell casings from the area where Carter could be seen standing on the video. The next day, MNPD detectives observed a silver Dodge Avenger which matched the description of a suspect vehicle involved in the shooting the night before. The driver appeared to be conducting hand-to-hand narcotics transactions out the driver’s window. When officers attempted to stop the car, the Avenger’s driver, later identified as Carter, fled from officers, almost striking another vehicle. Carter drove at high rates of speed, drove into oncoming traffic, ran red lights, and almost caused multiple accidents. After he was arrested, Carter admitted throwing a bag of narcotics out of the car next to Margaret Allen Middle School on Spence Lane. Detectives later retrieved a bag which contained approximately 18.5 grams of cocaine, 5.2 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and multiple baggies. Carter eventually came to a stop in the area of Thompson Lane in Nashville and was taken into custody. Carter admitted that he fled from officers, that he had thrown a bag out the window which contained the drugs that were later recovered by detectives, and that he had a bag of crack cocaine, also known as cocaine base, inside his pants. Detectives recovered this bag during the interview. The bag weighed approximately 40.6 grams. A check through law enforcement databases revealed that Carter has multiple felony convictions in Tennessee including Aggravated Assault and Simple Possession with Priors in Davidson County. Jenkins On January 14, 2025, Metropolitan Nashville Police Detectives arrested Jenkins on outstanding warrants for attempted homicide. A search of Jenkins’ person led to the discovery of an oxycodone pill and a search of the vehicle Jenkins was driving resulted in the recovery of a Glock pistol from the rear passenger’s side floorboard, with an affixed machine gun conversion device (MCD). Later that day, MNPD detectives executed a search warrant on Jenkins’ residence, which resulted in the discovery of two additional firearms, a Glock model 17 9mm pistol and a Glock model 19 9mm pistol, along with three bags of M30 pills (approximately two hundred pressed suspected fentanyl pills), Xanax bars, hydrocodone, marijuana, baggies, scales, U.S. currency, and a money counter. MNPD detectives interviewed Jenkins who admitted selling marijuana, fentanyl, and Xanax. Jenkins also admitted that he carries a firearm to protect himself during narcotics sales and that he had shot one of his customers in a drug deal gone wrong. Jenkins has multiple prior felony convictions in Tennessee, including Reckless Endangerment with a Deadly Weapon and Contraband in a Penal Facility in Madison County. Jenkins admitted he knew he was a felon and was prohibited from possessing firearms. These cases are being investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the cases. A complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures 19-Year Sentence in Drug Trafficking Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Colorado man was sentenced to 228 months in prison for drug trafficking after being caught during a traffic stop on Interstate 25 within the Kewa Pueblo reservation. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on June 14, 2023, a BIA K9 Officer observed Juan Hugo Lugo , 29, speeding and following too closely to other vehicles on Interstate 25 near mile marker 250. During the subsequent traffic stop, the officer observed two large black and yellow storage bins partially covered with T-shirts in the rear cargo area, and another bin on the rear passenger seat containing multiple large plastic-wrapped bundles suspected to be methamphetamine. The officer also observed a white powdery substance inside Lugo 's nostrils. When questioned in the police vehicle, Lugo admitted to possessing personal use cocaine and having just taken a "bump." A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed multiple plastic-wrapped bundles containing a crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine and five brick-shaped packages suspected to contain cocaine. Additionally, a loaded 9mm Glock 19 firearm was found in the passenger compartment. The total seizure was 96.1kilograms of methamphetamine and 4.9 kilograms of cocaine. Upon his release from prison, Lugo will be subject to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with the assistance of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Raquel Ruiz Velez is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Charge Farmington Woman with Assault and Child Abuse

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington woman faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and child abuse stemming from an incident on the Navajo Nation. According to court records, on or about September 2, 2024, Tenille Quintawna Peshlakai , 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly assaulted the victim with a motor vehicle, intending to cause bodily harm, while simultaneously endangering a minor who was improperly restrained in the front passenger seat. Peshlakai will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for January 31, 2025. If convicted, Peshlakai faces up to 10 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment (Peshlakai).pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Honduran Nationals Indicted For Transporting Minors Across State Lines For Sexual Activity

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of indictments charging Fredi Agustin-Vasquez y Guardado (22, Honduras) and Marlon Ronaldo Canas Trochez (26, Honduras) with transporting minor victims across state lines with the intention that the minor victims engage in sexual activity prohibited by the laws of the state of Florida. If convicted, Agustin-Vasquez and Trochez each face a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. According to the Agustin-Vasquez indictment, Agustin-Vasquez transported a minor victim in April or May 2024 with the intent that the minor victim engage in conduct constituting lewd and lascivious battery under Florida law. As alleged in the Trochez indictment, Trochez committed the same offense on September 4, 2024. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Augusta (South Carolina) Department of Public Safety. The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly S. Milliron.


title: Hartford Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun Possession

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that OSIRIS MUHAMMAD, 24, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, shortly after midnight on January 26, 2024, Muhammad fired several shots at an intended victim in the area of Belden Street and Albany Avenue in Hartford. On January 28, 2024, Hartford Police spotted Muhammad at a liquor store on Albany Avenue. After a brief pursuit, he was taken into custody. Officers found him in possession of a Ruger P89 pistol. Subsequent analysis by the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) connected the firearm to shell casings collected at the scene of the shooting the day before. In 2020, Muhammad was convicted in state court of robbery in the first degree. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Muhammad has been detained since his arrest. On June 28, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. This investigation was conducted by the Hartford Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Daniel Gordon . 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Covington Man Guilty of Being a Felon in Possession of Firearms, Silencers, and Machineguns

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOE LYNN BEATTIE (“BEATTIE”) , age 52, of Covington, Louisiana, pled guilty on January 27, 2025, to a three (3) count indictment. Count One charged him with being a Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Count Two charged him with possession of silencers that were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5841. Finally, Count Three charged him with possession of machineguns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 922(o). According to court records, federal agents learned BEATTIE had received unlawfully imported firearm parts from China. Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and officers from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, then executed a search warrant at his residence. The search yielded five (5) firearms, ammunition, sixteen (16) silencers, and five (5) machinegun conversion devices, that turn firearms into fully automatic weapons. If convicted, BEATTIE faces a maximum penalty of fifteen (15) years imprisonment for Count One, and up to ten (10) years of imprisonment for both Counts Two and Three. He also faces up to three (3) years of supervised release following imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all counts. As to for Counts One and Three, he faces a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a $10,000 fine for Count Two. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Justice Department Sues to Block Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Proposed $14 Billion Acquisition of Rival Wireless Networking Technology Provider Juniper Networks

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Note: View the complaint here . The Justice Department today sued to block Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.’s (HPE) proposed $14 billion acquisition of rival wireless local area network (WLAN) technology provider Juniper Networks Inc. (Juniper). HPE and Juniper are the second- and third- largest providers, respectively, of enterprise-grade WLAN solutions in the United States. The complaint, filed in the Northern District of California, alleges that the proposed transaction would eliminate fierce head-to-head competition between the companies, raise prices, reduce innovation, and diminish choice for scores of American businesses and institutions, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act. “HPE and Juniper are successful companies. But rather than continue to compete as rivals in the WLAN marketplace, they seek to consolidate — increasing concentration in an already concentrated market,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. “The threat this merger poses is not theoretical. Vital industries in our country — including American hospitals and small businesses — rely on wireless networks to complete their missions. This proposed merger would significantly reduce competition and weaken innovation, resulting in large segments of the American economy paying more for less from wireless technology providers.” WLAN technology — which includes hardware, software, and advanced artificial intelligence — is critical for the modern workplace. Millions of Americans today create and share company resources and access the internet from wireless-enabled devices. Retail employees wirelessly process payments and log inventory. Doctors access medical records on phones and tablets and track life-saving patient care on the go. University students take notes on their laptops and access course materials from their dorm rooms. Wireless networking is the primary means by which many employees connect to their employer’s computer network and the internet. As alleged in the complaint, Juniper has been a disruptive force that has grown rapidly from a minor player to among the three largest enterprise-grade WLAN suppliers in the U.S. Juniper has also introduced innovative tools that have materially decreased the cost of operating a wireless network for many customers. This competitive pressure has forced HPE to discount its offerings and invest in its own innovation. HPE recognized and tracked Juniper’s growing significance and engaged in a campaign, including mandatory training for its engineers and salespeople, to “beat” Juniper when competing for contracts. Indeed, just a month before the proposed acquisition was announced, front-line HPE salespeople were concerned that “[t]he Juniper threat [was] dire” because in dozens of opportunities Juniper was “trying to unseat” HPE. Senior HPE executives shared this view; one former HPE executive reminded his team that “there are no rules in a street fight” with Juniper and encouraged them to “kill” Juniper when going head-to-head for sales opportunities. Now, HPE seeks to acquire its smaller, innovative rival. The proposed transaction between HPE and Juniper, if allowed to proceed, would further consolidate an already highly concentrated market — and leave U. S. enterprises facing two companies commanding over 70% of the market: the post-merger HPE and market leader Cisco Systems Inc. This substantial lessening competition in a critically important technology market poses the precise threat that the Clayton Act was enacted to prevent. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company is headquartered in Spring, Texas. Its WLAN-focused business unit is located in Santa Clara, California. Juniper Networks Inc. is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.


title: Cracked and Nulled Marketplaces Disrupted in International Cyber Operation

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Justice Department today announced its participation in a multinational operation involving actions in the United States, Romania, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Greece to disrupt and take down the infrastructure of the online cybercrime marketplaces known as Cracked and Nulled. The operation was announced in conjunction with Operation Talent, a multinational law enforcement operation supported by Europol to investigate Cracked and Nulled. Operation Talent Seizure Banner Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas, Assistant Director Brian A. Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Matthew Miraglia of the FBI Buffalo Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI San Antonio Field Office made the announcement. Cracked According to seizure warrants unsealed today, the Cracked marketplace has been selling stolen login credentials, hacking tools, and servers for hosting malware and stolen data — as well as other tools for carrying out cybercrime and fraud — since March 2018. Cracked had over four million users, listed over 28 million posts advertising cybercrime tools and stolen information, generated approximately $4 million in revenue, and impacted at least 17 million victims from the United States. One product advertised on Cracked offered access to “billions of leaked websites” allowing users to search for stolen login credentials. This product was recently allegedly used to sextort and harass a woman in the Western District of New York. Specifically, a cybercriminal entered the victim’s username into the tool and obtained the victim’s credentials for an online account. Using the victim’s credentials, the subject then cyberstalked the victim and sent sexually demeaning and threatening messages to the victim. The seizure of these marketplaces is intended to disrupt this type of cybercrime and the proliferation of these tools in the cybercrime community. The FBI, working in coordination with foreign law enforcement partners, identified a series of servers that hosted the Cracked marketplace infrastructure and eight domain names used to operate Cracked. They also identified servers and domain names for Cracked’s payment processor, Sellix, and the server and domain name for a related bulletproof hosting service. All of these servers and domain names have been seized pursuant to domestic and international legal process. Anyone visiting any of these seized domains will now see a seizure banner that notifies them that the domain has been seized by law enforcement authorities. The FBI Buffalo Field Office is investigating the case. Senior Counsel Thomas Dougherty of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Kruly for the Western District of New York are prosecuting the case. Nulled The Justice Department announced the seizure of the Nulled website domain and unsealed charges against one of Nulled’s administrators, Lucas Sohn, 29, an Argentinian national residing in Spain. According to the unsealed complaint affidavit, the Nulled marketplace has been selling stolen login credentials, stolen identification documents, hacking tools, as well as other tools for carrying out cybercrime and fraud, since 2016. Nulled had over five million users, listed over 43 million posts advertising cybercrime tools and stolen information, and generated approximately $1 million in yearly revenue. One product advertised on Nulled purported to contain the names and social security numbers of 500,000 American citizens. The FBI, working in coordination with foreign law enforcement partners, identified the servers that hosted the Nulled marketplace infrastructure, and the domain used to operate Nulled. The servers and domain have been seized pursuant to domestic and international legal process. Anyone visiting the Nulled domain will now see a seizure banner that notifies them that the domain has been seized by law enforcement authorities. According to the complaint, Sohn was an active administrator of Nulled and performed escrow functions on the website. Nulled’s customers would use Sohn’s services to complete transactions involving stolen credentials and other information. For his actions, Sohn has been charged with conspiracy to traffic in passwords and similar information through which computers may be accessed without authorization; conspiracy to solicit another person for the purpose of offering an access device or selling information regarding an access device; and conspiracy to possess, transfer, or use a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit or to aid and abet or in connection with any unlawful activity that is a violation of federal law. If convicted, Sohn faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to traffic in passwords, 10 years in prison for access device fraud, and 15 years in prison for identity fraud. The FBI Austin Cyber Task Force is investigating the case. The Task Force participants include the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, among other agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Karthik Srinivasan and Christopher Mangels for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Tindall for the Western District of Texas handling the forfeiture component. The Justice Department worked in close cooperation with investigators and prosecutors from several jurisdictions on the takedown of both the Cracked and Nulled marketplaces, including the Australian Federal Police, Europol, France’s Anti-Cybercrime Office (Office Anti-cybercriminalité) and Cyber Division of the Paris Prosecution Office, Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) and Prosecutor General’s Office Frankfurt am Main – Cyber Crime Center (Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Frankfurt am Main – ZIT), the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) and Guardia Civil, the Hellenic Police (Ελληνική Αστυνομία), Italy’s Polizia di Stato and the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police (Inspectoratul General al Poliției Romane). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Previously convicted sex offender arrested for illegally reentering United States

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A previously convicted sex offender was arrested and charged federally with illegally reentering the United States. Carlos Gonzales Hernandez, 55, of El Salvador, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Columbus today. According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, in August 2017, Gonzales Hernandez was convicted in Franklin County for three felony counts of gross sexual imposition and sentenced to six years in prison. In September 2022, Gonzales Hernandez was physically removed based on a final immigration order. On Jan. 2, Madison County sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop on Gonzales Hernandez for traffic violations and he was subsequently arrested and placed in the Tri-County Regional Jail in Mechanicsburg. Gonzales Hernandez was then taken into federal custody and charged with illegally reentering the United States, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. If his prior conviction is determined to be an aggravated felony, the penalty could increase to up to 20 years in prison. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director, ERO Detroit Field Office; announced the charge. Assistant United States Attorney Sheila G. Lafferty is representing the United States in this case. A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Federal Courts Authorize IRS “John Doe” Summonses to Trident Trust Entities

component: Tax Division

body_text: The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia entered an order earlier this week authorizing the IRS to serve John Doe summonses on TT (USA) Holdings Inc.; Trident Corporate Services Inc. and Trident Fund Services Inc., entities that are members of a multinational group of affiliated companies generally operating under the trade name “Trident Trust” and collectively referred to as the “Trident Trust Group.” Separately, on Dec. 18, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota entered an order, unsealed on Jan. 21, authorizing service of a similar John Doe summons on Trident Trust Company (South Dakota) Inc. The United States also previously obtained approval in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for the IRS to serve John Doe summonses on a different affiliate entity of the Trident Trust Group, as well as to third party financial service companies, banks and courier services that may have information about Trident Trust Group’s U.S. taxpayer clients. The United States is not alleging that any of the entities engaged in wrongdoing. Rather, the IRS uses John Doe summonses to obtain information about possible violations of internal revenue laws by individuals whose identities are unknown. These summonses seek information about U.S. individuals who may have used the Trident Trust Group’s services to underreport their worldwide income and conceal their ownership of certain foreign assets that U.S. individuals are required to report to the U.S. government. “The Justice Department and the IRS are dedicated to unearthing tax evasion that uses foreign bank accounts and offshore shell corporations,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “We will use the many tools available to us, including John Doe summonses like the ones authorized by the courts here, to ensure that taxpayers are fully meeting their responsibilities.” Federal law requires certain individual taxpayers, including all U.S. citizens and residents with gross annual income above the reporting threshold, to pay taxes on all income earned worldwide. They must also disclose certain foreign financial accounts, assets and controlled foreign corporations. Failure to report these offshore arrangements can result in serious civil and criminal consequences. The government’s petitions allege that Trident Trust Group is an offshore service provider operating in nearly 30 countries worldwide, and it has provided corporate, trust and fund administration services for over 40 years. The petitions further allege that Trident Trust Group offers services that enable offshore account and entity concealment, like mail forwarding and retention, and ready-to-use “shelf” companies. For example, the petitions allege that Trident Trust Group personnel have listed themselves as the founders, directors and officers of thousands of Panamanian companies to help their U.S. clients potentially conceal their interests in and income from those foreign entities. A declaration from an IRS revenue agent that accompanied the petitions alleges that at least nine U.S. taxpayers used Trident Trust Group’s services to avoid compliance with U.S. tax laws. The declaration further alleges that the IRS learned of this noncompliance through the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, a program that allowed U.S. taxpayers to voluntarily disclose foreign accounts or entities used to evade tax in exchange for settling their civil liabilities on fixed terms. These orders authorize the IRS to issue summonses to TT (USA) Holdings Inc.; Trident Corporate Services Inc.; Trident Fund Services Inc. and Trident Trust Company (South Dakota) Inc seeking information about U.S. taxpayer clients who may have used the services of the entities and the broader Trident Trust Group to establish, maintain, operate or control any foreign financial account or other foreign asset; any foreign corporation, company, trust, foundation or other legal entity or any foreign or domestic financial account or other asset in the name of such foreign entity from 2014 through 2023. By obtaining these records, the IRS expects to be able to identify clients of the Trident Trust Group to investigate whether they potentially used the group’s services to avoid or evade federal taxes. Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website . Tax Division Attorneys Christina T. Lanier and Brij B. Patnaik are handling the case in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota; and they, along with Elisabeth K. Kryska of the Tax Division, are handling the case in the Northern District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Sun for the Southern District of New York is handling the case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Trident Trust Order (NDGA).pdf Trident Trust petition (NDGA).pdf Trident Trust order (DSD).pdf Trident Trust Petition (DSD).pdf Trident Trust Declaration (DSD)_0.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing in Shiprock Fatal Stabbing

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison today for the fatal stabbing of John Doe at a gas station in Shiprock, New Mexico in 2021. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on October 24, 2021, following a night of drinking and socializing with friends, Marc Gene Clark , 47, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, confronted John Doe in the parking lot of a gas station. During the confrontation and without provocation, Clark stabbed Doe with a knife, resulting in significant blood loss and ultimately leading to Doe's death later that day. Surveillance video footage captured the stabbing. Clark was subsequently arrested at a nearby laundromat by officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department, and the knife used in the stabbing was found in his possession. Upon his release from prison, Clark will be subject to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McGinley and Paul J. Mysliwiec prosecuted the case. # # #


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced For Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JOY JOSEPH BANERJEE (“BANERJEE”) , age 57, of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 28, 2025, for possession of prepubescent child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(b), to sixty (60) months imprisonment. According to court documents, the case against BANERJEE began with an online child sexual abuse material investigation by the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office. Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), utilizing its special agents, then assumed the investigation and executed a federal search warrant at BANERJEE’s New Orleans home in April of 2023. HSI’s investigation determined BANERJEE knowingly possessed images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent minors. United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced BANERJEE to sixty (60) months imprisonment, a term of eight (8) years of supervised release, and payment of a $5,100.00 special assessment fee. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.