title: Justice Department Secures Agreement to Eliminate Voting Barriers for Native Americans in South Dakota

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department has secured an agreement with Bennett County, South Dakota, and county officials to resolve claims that the county has failed to make its registration and early voting opportunities equally open to Native American voters as required by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Under the terms of the agreement, Bennett County will operate a satellite office in Allen, South Dakota, to provide in-person registration and absentee voting services during regular business hours for the full state-mandated 46-day absentee voting period prior to federal, state and county elections. “It is time to eliminate all barriers standing between Native American voters and the ballot box across our country. An inclusive democracy must provide all of its eligible voters access to the full range of voter registration and early voting opportunities required by law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “With this agreement, we will ensure that Native American voters will have the same access to registration and early voting as do other voters. The Justice Department will continue to challenge discriminatory election-related laws and policies and will vigorously enforce federal law to move us ever closer to a fully enfranchised Native electorate.” “The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, but that right is hollow without access to registration and early voting opportunities,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota. “We are grateful Bennett County has agreed to improve voting access for Native Americans in South Dakota by adding and staffing a satellite office in Allen.” The Justice Department’s investigation found that Native Americans in Bennett County did not have equal access to the in-person registration and absentee voting available under state law. American Indians who live on Tribal lands disproportionally lack the ability to travel long distances to the county seat of Martin, South Dakota, for those in-person voting services. Since 2015, the state has made Help America Vote Act funds available to counties like Bennett to establish a satellite office on Tribal lands. More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931. Individuals can also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota either by emailing usasd.information@usdoj.gov or by calling 605-330-4400.


title: Provider to Pay $600,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Arising from Billing of Electro-Acupuncture Device

component: USAO - Delaware

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jacqueline C. Romero and United States Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss announced that PA Green Wellness (“PA Green”), a business located within King of Prussia and Harrisburg, Pa., and Greenville and Lewes, Del., agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve liability under the False Claims Act for the alleged improper billing of an electro-acupuncture device. From September 2020 through July 2021, PA Green billed Medicare for the application of a percutaneous electrical nerve pulse stimulation device (the “P-Stim Device”) in an office setting. The P-Stim Device is a device for treatment of chronic pain that, pursuant to manufacturer’s instructions, is affixed behind a patient’s ear using an adhesive. Needles are inserted into the patient’s ear and affixed using another adhesive. Once activated, the device then provides intermittent stimulation by electrical pulses. It is a single-use, battery-powered device designed to be worn for several days until its battery runs out, at which time the device is thrown away. Other brand names for this device include Stivax, NeuroStim, ANSiStim, E-Pulse, and NSS-2 Bridge. PA Green applied the P-Stim Device simply using an adhesive and insertion of a limited number of needles. The procedure did not involve any surgery, anesthesia, or take place in an operating room (or even at a facility with such capabilities) but was billed to Medicare as a surgically implanted neurostimulator, contrary to repeated guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”). On June 22, 2021, SafeGuard Services LLC, the Northeastern Unified Program Integrity Contractor of Medicare, provided notice to PA Green Wellness that CMS had suspended $50,845.99 of Medicare payments to PA Green Wellness pursuant to 42 C.F.R. § 405.371(a)(2) based on credible allegations of fraud. As part of the settlement, PA Green has agreed that the United States will retain the suspended payments. “Along with other U.S. Attorneys around the country, CMS, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, we have held distributors and providers accountable for inappropriate acupuncture device billing. It may not be billed as surgically implanted neurostimulators,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “ The decisions made by CMS about what procedures are reimbursable and how they may be billed are designed to ensure that all beneficiaries receive safe and effective treatment at an appropriate cost,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. “Providers who seek to enrich themselves by inaccurate billing increase the costs for everyone. My office will continue to work with our partners at the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to hold those providers accountable.” “Accurately billing for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries is required of all health care providers,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “HHS-OIG, CMS’s Center for Program Integrity, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to evaluate and pursue inaccurate billings of P-Stim and similar devices.” This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. It was handled by District of Delaware Civil Chief Dylan J. Steinberg and Eastern District of Pennsylvania Civil Chief Gregory B. David and Auditors Dawn Wiggins and Andrew Schobert. The settled civil claims are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability.


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jermaine Demaul Cathey, 43, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April, 20, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Cathey on an outstanding warrant from Ohio after conducting a traffic stop of a vehicle Cathey was driving in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle following the arrest and found a loaded SCCY model CPX-1 9mm pistol under the vehicle’s center console. Cathey admitted to possessing the firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Cathey knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery in Franklin County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on August 28, 2006, being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempting to commit a felony in Cabell County Circuit Court on January 17, 2013, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 11, 2017. Cathey is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the result. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-179. ###


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in Alaska

body_text: Note : View the release in Yup'ik here. The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in certain jurisdictions in the State of Alaska for the Aug. 20 primary election. The department will assign federal observers to monitor in Bethel Census Area, Dillingham Census Area, Kusilvak Census Area, Nome Census Area and North Slope Borough, Alaska. The federal observers, permitted by court order, will monitor for compliance with the language requirements of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, including the provision of election assistance in Yup’ik dialects. The Justice Department enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. In addition, the division also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Acts and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.


title: Nigerian Man Arrested in Alleged $10 Million Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Nigerian man was arrested on Aug. 13, 2024 upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on charges that he, and others, conspired to fraudulently obtain at least $10 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits. Yomi Jones Olayeye, a/k/a “Sabbie,” 40, of Lagos, Nigeria, is charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He made an initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York on Aug. 14, 2024 and will appear in federal court in Boston tomorrow. According to the charging document, between March and July 2020, Olayeye and others defrauded three pandemic assistance programs administrated by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and other states’ unemployment insurance agencies: traditional unemployment insurance (UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC). Specifically, Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly used personally identifiable information (PII) they purchased over criminal internet forums to apply for UI, PUA and FPUC – falsely representing themselves to be eligible state residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly used the same fraudulently obtained PII to open U.S. bank and prepaid debit card accounts to receive the assistance payments. It is also alleged that Olayeye and his co-conspirators recruited U.S.-based account holders to receive and transfer the fraud proceeds via cash transfer applications. Olayeye and his co-conspirators then allegedly used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase Bitcoin via online marketplaces. It is further alleged that Olayeye and his co-conspirators concealed the conspiracy’s connection to Nigeria by leasing Internet Protocol addresses assigned to computers located in the United States for use in the fraudulent transactions. In total, Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly applied for at least $10 million in fraudulent UI, PUA and FPUC from Massachusetts, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Montana, Maine, Ohio and Washington and received more than $1.5 million in assistance to which they were not entitled. The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, forfeiture and restitution. The charge of aggravated identity theft calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to be added to any sentence imposed on the wire fraud charge. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Murphy of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form . 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: Jacksonville Repeat-Offender Pleads Guilty To Possessing Machinegun

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Markee Washington (33, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Washington faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. As part of his plea, Washington has agreed to forfeit a Glock pistol, machinegun conversion device, and ammunition involved in the case. According to the plea agreement, on February 11, 2023, at approximately 10:45 p.m., a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) conducted a traffic stop of a car that Washington was driving. The trooper was quickly joined at the scene by two officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO). Based on Washington’s statements that he had been smoking marijuana, as well as the smell of the drug emanating from him and the car, officers searched the car. Inside the gap between the car’s ceiling and roof (which was accessible by removing the overhead sunglasses compartment), an officer located a bundle of cash and a 9mm Glock pistol. The pistol was loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. It also was outfitted with a so-called Glock-switch, that is, a device installed on the pistol that converted it into a fully automatic machinegun. Washington surrendered to the officers a small bag of marijuana that he had hidden down his pants. He also had a stack of cash in his pants’ pocket. In total, $2,447 was in the car and on Washington. An investigator later obtained a search warrant authorizing law enforcement to obtain a DNA sample from Washington. Laboratory testing determined that his DNA was both on the exterior of the Glock pistol and on ammunition loaded inside the pistol’s magazine. At the time, Washington had previously been convicted of various felonies, including multiple drug-trafficking offenses. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited by law from possessing firearms and ammunition. This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Coolican and Kelly S. Milliron. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Members Of Bradenton Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization Plead Guilty

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Bradenton residents Clemente Betancourt (28), Estevan Betancourt (19), Larry Lee Woodard, Jr. (29), Adonis Bonilla (29), Omar Mejia (29), Jesse Leahy (48), and Alexander Perez (30) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not yet been set. According to court documents, between March 2022 and May 2023, the above-named individuals were involved in a conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in Bradenton and throughout Manatee County. In addition to the conspiracy charges, the individuals have also pleaded guilty to substantive charges on specific dates. At the time of the arrests, a search warrant was executed at Clemente and Estevan Betancourt’s house in Bradenton. As a result of that search, three firearms, approximately one pound of methamphetamine, 22 cellphones, cocaine, and marijuana were seized. The United States intends to forfeit any and all property, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses. This case was investigated by a joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which includes Homeland Security Investigations Tampa (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Central Florida Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug trafficking Area (HIDTA) which includes the Bradenton Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the North Port Police Department, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Palmetto Police Department, the Sarasota Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also assisted with the investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman, David Sullivan, and Suzanne Nebesky. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Resolution of OCDETF Case Results in the Sentencing of Ten Defendants to a Total of Over 59 Years in Federal Prison

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

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) case in Shreveport. This case involved the trafficking of cocaine and crack cocaine, money laundering and theft of government funds. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced the following defendants who were convicted as follows: Defendant Name Conviction Charge and Sentence Anthony Deon Pouncy, 45 Houston, TX Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Sentenced to 199 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release Kavin Dewayne Steadman, 42 Bossier City, LA Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Wire Fraud Sentenced to 235 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release Roderick Agnes, 43 Shreveport, LA Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime Sentenced to 112 months, 3 years of supervised release Reginald Cordale Pea, 38 Bossier City, LA Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Sentenced to 63 months, 3 years of supervised release Demetrius Demontrae Richmond, 25 Bossier City, LA Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Sentenced to 51 months, 3 years of supervised release Jamaal Dejuan Hill, 39 Shreveport, LA Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Sentenced to 32 months, 3 years of supervised release Stacey Michell Armstrong, 54 Shreveport, LA Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Sentenced to 18 months, 3 years of supervised release Evin Andrew Page, 27 Plain Dealing, LA Conspiracy to Cocaine Sentenced to 7 months, 2 years of supervised release Brandi Nicole Dorsey, 46 Houston, TX Misprision of a Felony Sentenced to 2 years’ probation Natalie Lane, 43 Katy, TX False Statement to a Court Sentenced to 1 year probation This OCDETF investigation began in 2020 into drug trafficking activities of the above defendants. Law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) learned that all of these defendants were distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in the Shreveport and Bossier City and in other parts of Northwest Louisiana. Specifically, agents learned that between January 2020 and May 2022, Pouncy would arrange for the transportation of cocaine and crack cocaine from Houston, Texas into the Western District of Louisiana. Once the drugs arrived in the district, Pouncy and Steadman would distribute the drugs to their co-defendants to be sold and distributed. The defendants were using residences in Keithville and Shreveport to distribute the cocaine. Evidence established that Pouncy and Steadman trafficked 17 kilograms of cocaine into the Western District of Louisiana, with an estimated street value of $600,000. During their investigation, law enforcement agents received consent to monitor electronic communications on the cellular telephone numbers for Steadman, Pea and Hill and were able to intercept calls between these defendants about drug transactions that were taking place. In 2021, agents learned that Steadman deposited over $40,000 in cash deposits to his bank accounts but according to his income tax returns, he reported no income that year. In addition to his involvement in the drug trafficking conspiracy, Steadman applied for a fraudulent Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) loan. In his PPP loan application, Steadman claimed that he operated a cattle breeding business in Shreveport and that he had three employees with an average monthly payroll of over $17,000. In addition, Steadman submitted false Schedule C documentation stating he had over $499,000 in gross receipts for his cattle business in tax year 2019 and also claimed to have over $200,000 in advertising, trucking, labor and other expenses. Based upon the false representations in the PPP loan application, Steadman received $28,889 in PPP loan benefits on June 2, 2021. Steadman admitted that he made these representations in his application knowing they were false. Demetrius D. Richmond, Stacey M. Armstrong, and Evin A. Page admitted to getting their cocaine supply from Reginald Pea and Jamaal Hill and then sold and distributed cocaine and crack cocaine to others. Roderick Agnes was found with cocaine, digital scales, and currency during the execution of a search warrant. In addition, Agnes had three firearms: a loaded Taurus PT1911 .45 caliber, a loaded Century Arms Canik TP9 9mm, and a Maverick Arms Model 88 12 gauge shotgun in his possession. Brandi Nicole Dorsey pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information charging her with misprision of a felony concerning her knowledge of the distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine and her concealment of same. Natalie Lane pleaded guilty to making false statements at a detention hearing conducted in United States District Court on December 22, 2022, wherein she testified on behalf of Anthony Pouncy. Lane admitted to knowingly making false statements during her testimony before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hornsby and inducing him to release Pouncy pending trial. “This was an investigation that addresses some of the priorities of the Department of Justice, which include high level drug trafficking, money laundering, PPP loan fraud, and illegal firearm possession,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown “The OCDETF program’s goal is to attack interstate drug trafficking activity and violent crime using multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies. The culmination of this investigation proves that the federal government’s reach is far and wide and if drug dealers utilize major metropolitan areas in other states to move drugs into the Western District of Louisiana, you will be indicted, prosecuted and sentenced to lengthy sentences of imprisonment.” The case was investigated by DEA, FBI, ATF, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy. The investigation and conviction of these defendants is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. # # #


title: Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 75 Months in Federal Prison for Interference with Commerce by Robbery

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Tyler Dunn, age 23, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 75 months in federal prison following his conviction for interference with commerce by robbery. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court further sentenced Dunn to serve three years of supervised release. According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on or about November 17, 2019, four masked and armed men, one of which was Dunn, entered the Dollar General store on 4755 Prescott Drive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The four robbers all brandished handguns. In the store, one robber walked up to a Dollar General cashier and pointed his handgun at the cashier. That robber then jumped over the register and, unlawfully and against their will, took money from the safe while directly in the presence of a Dollar General employee. During the robbery, Dunn forced an employee to move from the back of the store to the front of store while pointing a handgun at her. The robbers obtained approximately $7,000 from Dollar General. On or about November 21, 2019, four robbers, which included Dunn, approached two employees of the Dollar General store located at 6365 Scenic Hwy as they stood outside the front door getting ready to lock the security gate. All robbers were wearing masks and armed with guns. The robbers, brandishing their guns, forced the two employees to open the door and enter the store. One robber ordered an employee to the back of the store while pointing a handgun at him and had the employee turn off an alarm. While in the presence of the robbers, an employee, against her will, removed approximately $1,200 from a safe and provided it to the robbers. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy S. Johnson.


title: Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced To Twenty Years Imprisonment For The Armed Robberies Of Two Phone Stores In Maryland

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – On Monday, August 19, United States District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Donte Antwaun Herring, of Washington, D.C. to 20 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, as a result of his convictions for the armed robberies of two phone stores in December 2020. On March 1, 2024, a federal jury convicted Herring of the robberies after less than an hour of deliberation. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department. According to the evidence presented at his five-day 2024 trial, on December 17 and 23, 2020, Herring and his co-conspirators robbed phone stores in Halethorpe and Owings Mills, Maryland, respectively. In each robbery, Herring and his co-conspirators used firearms. Specifically, according to trial testimony, on December 17, 2020, at shortly after 7:15 p.m., Herring and a co-conspirator entered a phone store in the 3900 block of Washington Boulevard, in Halethorpe, Maryland. After initially posing as customers browsing for cell phones, the co-conspirator and Herring announced a robbery and brandished firearms—pointing them in the direction of the victim employee. Trial evidence proved that Herring ordered the victim employee to take him and the co-conspirator to the store’s safe, then ordered the victim to open the safe. Herring and the co-conspirator then removed various electronic devices from the safe, including multiple boxes of Apple cellular telephones, watches and iPads, along with cash from the store’s register. They then fled in a maroon minivan. Witnesses testified that in the robbery on December 23, 2020, co-defendant Rico Dashiell entered a telephone store in the 10000 block of Reisterstown Road in Owings Mills, Maryland and acted like a customer. Herring and another co-conspirator then entered the store brandishing firearms and Dashiell pointed a gun at a victim employee. Witnesses testified that Herring and the co-conspirator pointed their guns at a victim customer and other employees and ordered them to get down on the floor. The victim customer was also ordered to empty his pockets and Herring and the co-conspirator took the victim’s wallet (containing his driver’s license and credit cards), along with his car keys and an Apple iPhone 8S plus, valued at approximately $350. Herring and the co-conspirator went to the back room and Dashiell escorted a victim employee to the back room at gunpoint and ordered the victim to open the store safe. Once the victim complied, Herring and the co-conspirator removed nearly all of the electronic devices from the safe—including Apple and Samsung Galaxy devices (76 devices total)—and placed them in large garbage bags they had brought with them. When Herring and the co-conspirator finished emptying the safe, they ordered the three victims from the main floor of the store to the room in the back of the store where the safe was kept. According to trial testimony, as Herring and the co-conspirator left the room, the co-conspirator pepper sprayed the victims’ faces. In the meantime, Dashiell directed a victim employee to open the store’s cash register and stole $322. Herring and his co-conspirators then fled in a vehicle that had been stolen earlier in the day and that had tags stolen from another vehicle. According to trial evidence, law enforcement was able to track the vehicle to a home in Catonsville, Maryland, where aviation units were able to film Herring, Dashiell and the co-conspirator unloading the stolen merchandise from the car and taking it into the residence. As detailed in trial testimony, law enforcement officers arrived at the residence and attempted for hours to make contact with the suspects and other occupants of the residence. After two young children who lived at the residence (who had no relation to the robbers) came out of the house, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the residence and arrested the robbers, who had been hiding in the attic. During a search incident to arrest, law enforcement seized, among other things, $622.16 from the co-conspirator ($322 of which was proceeds from the robbery), along with a round of ammunition. According to trial evidence, during their search of the residence, law enforcement also recovered, among other things, the clothing, gloves, and headwear worn by the robbers during the robberies; the 76 stolen devices; the canister of pepper spray used to spray the victims; the stolen wallet belonging to one of the victims; and, the three firearms used by Herring, Dashiell and the co-conspirator, as well as a Polymer 80 Gray Grip with a black slide 9mm semi-automatic pistol, with no serial number, commonly known as a “ghost gun,” which was also loaded. Electronic evidence presented at trial included multiple text messages in which Herring discussed his planning of the December 23, 2020 robbery. It likewise included photographs from a co-conspirator’s iCloud account that showed Herring holding large amounts of cash within hours of the robbery on December 17, 2020. Co-defendant Rico Dashiell, age 25, of Fort Washington, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the robbery and was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Co-Defendant Jones’s trial is set to commence on September 23, 2024. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Michael F. Aubin, who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Chinese National Sentenced To 17 Months For Money Laundering

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Cunwen Zhu (45, China) to 17 months in federal prison for money laundering. Zhu entered a guilty plea on April 8, 2024. According to court documents, Zhu received a $470,000 wire transfer which came from a victim of a financial investment scam. The victim was one of many that believed that their money was funding an online brokerage account, when in reality the funds were going to bad actors that were using it for their personal gain. Zhu took the money, converted it to cryptocurrency, and sent it to his associate in China. Zhu was paid a percentage of the money that he transferred to the Chinese national. As part of Zhu’s sentence, he was ordered to pay $470,000 to the victim. The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service North Florida Cyber Fraud Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.


title: Chicago Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Fort Myers Murder-For-Hire

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Latrel Jackson aka “Kobe” (27, Chicago, IL) to life in federal prison for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire. Jackson’s co-defendant, Marvin Harris, Jr. aka “Mesh” (25, Fort Myers), was sentenced to 45 years in prison earlier this year. According to court documents, Harris, Jr. hired Jackson and an unindicted co-conspirator, D.S. (deceased), to travel from Chicago to Fort Myers to commit murder in exchange for $10,000 in November 2019. Harris, Jr.’s motive was to retaliate against individuals who he believed had previously robbed a Fort Myers residence from which he and others associated with him sold drugs. The individuals Harris, Jr. suspected of committing the robbery and shooting belonged to a Fort Myers gang known to law enforcement as “Bucktown.” With the agreement to retaliate against Bucktown in place, Jackson and D.S. flew to Fort Myers from Chicago on October 28, 2019. Upon arrival, Harris, Jr. picked Jackson and D.S. up from the Southwest Florida International Airport and provided them with partial payment for the planned murder, as well as firearms to accomplish their task. Initially, Jackson and D.S. stayed at Harris, Jr.’s “trap house” (a residence used primarily to distribute drugs from) in Fort Myers, but later moved to a local motel on Palm Beach Boulevard. During that time, Jackson, D.S., and others attempted to find members of Bucktown to murder in the retaliatory scheme. On November 2, 2019, Harris, Jr. obtained a vehicle for Jackson and D.S. to use during the commission of a murder. Jackson and D.S. proceeded to a known Bucktown hangout in Fort Myers and observed the victim, K.U., standing in front of the residence near the curb. Jackson and D.S. quickly circled the block and returned and, at close range, opened fire on K.U., killing him in front of the home via a gunshot wound to the head. After the shooting, Harris, Jr. paid Jackson and D.S. the remaining sum of money owed for completing the murder-for-hire scheme. Jackson and D.S. were also left in possession of the firearms used to commit the murder. Jackson and D.S. then returned to the Chicago via commercial bus on November 3, 2019. During a search of Jackson’s Chicago-area home on November 21, 2019, law enforcement recovered two firearms from an attic space in Jackson’s room. Testing and examination of the firearms by an examiner with the ATF confirmed that both matched shell casings recovered from the murder scene and the murder vehicle, and that one of the firearms had fired the bullet which had been recovered from K.U.’s head during his autopsy. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Myers Police Department, with assistance from the Joliet (Illinois) Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Fort Liberty Soldier Charged with Unlawful Firearms Trafficking and Lying About His Involvement in Insurrectionist Groups

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on Aug. 14, charging Kai Liam Nix, also known as Kai Brazelton, 20, with unlawful firearms trafficking, including the sale of two stolen firearms. Nix was also charged with making a false statement to the government. Nix is an active-duty U.S. Army soldier, stationed at Fort Liberty in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was arrested on Aug. 15 and made his initial appearance in court today. According to the court documents, Nix made a false statement on his Security Clearance Application Standard Form (SF) 86 when he claimed he had never been a member of a group dedicated to the use of violence or force to overthrow the U.S. Government. Nix was also charged with one count of dealing in firearms without a license and two counts of selling a stolen firearm. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch and Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement. The FBI, ATF and U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Department are investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Woman Who Used the Dark Web to Commit a Murder-for-Hire to Kill an Ex-Boyfriend’s New Girlfriend is Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A Utah woman who attempted to commit murder-for-hire by using the dark web was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment today after she engaged in a murder for hire scheme. “I am very troubled by this case,” said Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Sam, who went on to express his deep appreciation to law enforcement for their hard work in this case. “As a result of all that work, a life was saved,” said Judge Sam. Krista Renae Stone, 23, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced Monday morning after she pleaded guilty in May 2024 to the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. In addition to her term of imprisonment, Stone was sentenced to three years’ supervised release. According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea and sentencing hearing, beginning in March 2023 and continuing through September 2023, Stone used the internet, specifically the dark web, with the intent to murder an ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend. In return for the murder, Stone agreed to pay money. Stone further admitted she engaged with a website offering “hitman for hire” type services and “ordered” the killing of the victim for $5,000 using Bitcoin to complete the order. Stone included a detailed description of the victim, including a photograph, the victim’s location, and how she wanted the murder committed. The website, which is not run by law enforcement, is under investigation. “Ms. Stone’s murder-for-hire plot was a brazen attempt against another person’s life that caused extreme emotional harm. Without law enforcement discovering the website Ms. Stone was using and the extensive investigation by law enforcement, the outcome would be far more devastating,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “We are grateful to the agents who worked on this case and hope today’s sentence brings a sense of closure to the victim and her family.” "Murder-for-hire turns the sanctity of life into a transaction, making our communities vulnerable to further acts of violence,” said Christopher Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations. “HSI luckily prevented this plot being carried out, and our agents are committed to preventing crimes that would commodify human life.” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Carol A. Dain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Florida Sex Offender Indicted For Distribution Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Nicholes Scott Newman (42, Hilliard) on an indictment charging him with distribution of child sexual abuse materials. If convicted, Newman faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. According to court records, in June 2024, an undercover detective from a Texas law enforcement agency visited an online messaging application and posed as a 28-year female with an 8-year-old daughter. Newman introduced himself to the undercover by saying, “42 year old male, looking to breed.” Newman engaged in sexually explicit conversations regarding children and sent the undercover detective multiple videos of child exploitation material. Newman is a convicted sex offender out of Pinellas County, where he was sentenced to more than six years in Florida State Prison after he was convicted on 20 counts of possession of child pornography. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Cleveland Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Solomon Eli Watters, 28, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy in Ohio County. Watters pled guilty in January 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In February 2022, Watters was stopped by the Wheeling Police Department. A search of the Audi A7 that he was driving resulted in the seizure of $3,556 in cash and a Walther .380 caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. Officers then executed a search warrant at Watters’ Wheeling residence and discovered two more pistols, ammunition, digital scales, and cocaine base. Additional search warrants were obtained for two Washington, Pennsylvania, storage units. Those searches yielded 1.26 kilograms of fentanyl and an additional $208,860 in cash. “The profits from fentanyl trafficking are spectacular and that’s why people like Mr. Watters engage in it,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “We will continue to pursue long prison sentences in these cases and the forfeiture of the cash they generate.” In addition to the firearms and ammunition, $212,416 in United States currency and the Audi A7 will be forfeited. Watters has a criminal history that includes drug possession, firearms violations, and aggravated assault. Watters will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The Wheeling Police Department; the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.


title: Camp Verde Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Resulting in Death

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Robert Don Schield, 40, of Camp Verde, was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 120 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Schield pleaded guilty to the Distribution of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death on May 17, 2024. In February 2022, Schield sold the victim six fentanyl pills and 10 grams of methamphetamine. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office responded to the victim’s home the next morning, after her friend discovered her unresponsive and not breathing. The medical examiner found the victim’s cause of death to be from methamphetamine and fentanyl intoxication. Schield was arrested in March 2022, after selling an ounce of methamphetamine and 10 fentanyl pills to another customer for $300. “We cannot let those who introduce poison into Arizona’s communities walk about with impunity,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “One pill can kill, and therefore one small drug transaction can lead to long time in prison. Many thanks to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office and the Flagstaff agents of the DEA for their compassion and diligence in this investigation.” “This defendant's actions caused a tragic death,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Cheri Oz. “DEA will not stop working with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and hold those responsible who distribute deadly and dangerous drugs.” “We’d like thank the DEA and the other organizations that worked so thoroughly with us on this case,” said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes. “We would also like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for making sure that deaths that result from these insidious narcotics will not go unpunished.” The Arizona Department of Health Services reports that so far in 2024, there have been 665 confirmed opioid deaths (https://www.azdhs.gov/opioid/dashboards/index.php#overdose-deaths) and 4,781 emergency and inpatient visits involving suspected opioid overdose in Arizona (https://www.azdhs.gov/opioid/dashboards/index.php#emergency-inpatient-visits). The Drug Enforcement Administration- Flagstaff POD, and Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-8037-PCT-DWL RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-113_Schield # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office recovers approximately $700,000 for victims of Kalispell fraudster

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — The U.S. Attorney’s Office recently recovered approximately $700,000 for victims of a Kalispell man who defrauded investors in a multi-million-dollar scheme involving oil and gas leases and artwork, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. The defendant, John Kevin Moore, also known and Kevin Moore, of Kalispell, was convicted in August 2018 by a federal jury of 21 counts of wire fraud, money laundering and false statement crimes and sentenced in 2019 to more than 10 years in prison, ordered to pay more than $2.2 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $1.9 million. “In addition to obtaining a federal prison sentence, the collection of restitution for victims of fraud is essential in the pursuit of justice, although it is often difficult to obtain restitution because the fraudster usually spends all the money. Here, however, through the extraordinary dedication and hard work of our financial litigation team, we were able to track down and recover a significant amount of money for victims of Moore’s fraud and prevent Moore from benefiting from the sale of a ranch in which he had invested,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. In seeking to collect restitution, the U.S. Attorney’s financial litigation division asserted its restitution lien against Moore’s interest in a ranch in Valley County held by Moore’s now-dissolved business, Milk River Hunting Preserve, LLC. Through a civil settlement reached in U.S. District Court in July, the government secured approximately $700,000 in restitution for the victims in Moore’s criminal case from the proceeds of the sale of the ranch. At Moore’s criminal trial, the government presented evidence that Moore set up two companies, Big Sky Mineral Resources LLC and Glacier Gala, and used them to solicit money from investors by purporting to buy oil and gas leases and to buy and sell lucrative artwork. Instead, prosecutors alleged, Moore used investors’ money to pay off earlier investors and to pay for personal expenses, including payments on multi-million-dollar properties. Moore received more than $2 million from victims based on false claims he made regarding the mining of oil and gas and minerals and the sale of art. XXX


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Conviction of Bloomfield Man  for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Bloomfield man pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to a July 4th domestic abuse incident. According to publicly available court documents, on July 4, 2024, Deshaun Begay, 20, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, repeatedly assaulted Jane Doe by biting, punching and kicking her, and using dog leash, a dumbbell and a chain with a lock on it. As a result of the assault, the victim suffered serious bodily injuries, including scalp lacerations and fractures to her nasal bone and eye socket. The Court ordered that Begay remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Begay faces up to 10 years in prison followed by to three years of supervised release. 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 Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department, the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement # # #


title: Suburban Chicago Businessman Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Underreporting $1.47 Million in Taxes

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — The owner of three Chicago-area childcare and transportation businesses has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for underreporting more than $1.47 million in income on his tax returns. JEREMIAH JOHNSON owned New Beginnings Academy, New Beginnings Child Development, and Epic Transportation. During the calendar years 2015 to 2020, Johnson obtained more than $1.47 million of income from the operation of those businesses but failed to report the money on his individual tax returns. Johnson filed individual tax returns for those years but reported lesser W2 wages and some rental income. The failure to disclose the additional income he received from his businesses resulted in the preparation and filing of materially false individual income tax returns. During the same time period, Johnson also failed to file corporate tax returns or pay any of the required employer and employee withholdings for federal income tax, Social Security tax, and Medicare. Johnson, 46, of Frankfort, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of filing a false tax return. In addition to the year-and-a-day prison term, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly on Wednesday fined Johnson $10,000 and ordered him to pay $123,391 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Totten and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. King, Jr.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Conviction in Unemployment Fraud Case

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty in federal court to mail and wire fraud charges stemming from a scheme exploiting CARES Act provisions. According to publicly available court documents, between April 2020 and October 2020, Pholopater Faltas , 26, submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance applications to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions in the names of at least eight individuals. To that end, Faltas solicited personally identifying information from these individuals, falsely promising to access benefits on their behalf. The fraudulent applications contained materially false statements to ensure approval and allowed Faltas to control the disbursed funds. As a result of this scheme, the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions disbursed at least $66,867 in unemployment benefits, which Faltas controlled through debit cards and bank accounts. Faltas misled the purported applicants about their eligibility and retained the majority of the funds for himself. In his plea agreement, Faltas acknowledged that the offenses were related to the federal CARES Act, enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and involved the use of interstate mailings and wire communications. The Court ordered that Faltas remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Faltas faces up to 30 years in prison followed by to five years of supervised release and a fine not to exceed $1 million. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The United States Secret Service - Albuquerque Resident Office and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case with assistance from the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case. View the Plea Agreement # # #


title: Florence Doctor Pleads Guilty to Distributing Oxycodone in “Sex for Scripts” Scheme

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: FLORENCE, S.C. —David Carlos Rodriguez, Jr., 50, of Florence, has pleaded guilty to distributing Oxycodone outside the scope of medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Evidence obtained during the investigation revealed that Rodriguez, who was a doctor practicing in Lake City, prescribed Oxycodone to a patient 15 times between May 2018 and January 2019. The individual had been a patient of Rodriguez in 2013-2014 but had not been his patient between 2014 and 2018. When the patient first returned to see Rodriguez in 2018, purportedly for treatment of pain, Rodriguez did not ask the patient about her current medical history, did not ask her for a pain rating, and did not ask her what controlled substances she might be taking despite clear indicators she was using illicit drugs. The patient requested an Oxycodone prescription at the first appointment, and Rodriguez provided the first of the 15 prescriptions, starting at a very high dosage. Rodriguez also touched the patient at the first appointment in manner not consistent with any medical examination. Over the following months, Rodriguez provided the patient his Snapchat, and began sending her nude pictures. The patient believed this to be a “sex for scripts” trade, where if she engaged in sexual behavior, Rodriguez would write her prescriptions for Oxycodone. During the summer of 2018, the patient sought substance abuse treatment from another provider and was given a prescription for Suboxone. A patient should not be taking both Suboxone and Oxycodone. After the patient was prescribed Suboxone, Rodriguez wrote the patient another prescription for Oxycodone. When the patient tried to have this Oxycodone prescription filled, the pharmacist noted the conflict between Suboxone and Oxycodone, and contacted Rodriguez’s office to notify him he could not prescribe Oxycodone because the patient was prescribed Suboxone. Rodriguez responded by sending the patient’s prescription for Oxycodone to another pharmacy the following day. Rodriguez would prescribe Oxycodone for the patient 10 more times, despite being on notice she was prescribed Suboxone. During the fall of 2018, the patient twice filmed her appointments with Rodriguez. Those videos show Rodriguez entering the exam room, and begin hugging, kissing, and fondling the patient, not in a manner related to any medical exam. On one occasion, the patient performed a sexual act on Rodriguez. Shortly after the sexual activity concluded, Rodriguez wrote the patient a prescription for Oxycodone. During the time the patient saw Rodriguez, he never asked her for a pain rating, never drug tested her, never sent her for imaging, never sent her to a pain specialist, never discussed alternative pain treatment, and never attempted to wean her off Oxycodone despite the medicine not effectively controlling her pain. Rodriguez also kept only basic records for the patient without details about why she was being seen and what treatment she was receiving. Rodriguez only added the necessary details about the patient’s treatment to her records months after he saw her after repeated legal requests for the records. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III, accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Rodriguez after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. As part of his guilty plea, Rodriguez surrendered both his state and federal prescribing privileges. This case was investigated by the South Carolina Department of Public Health and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Flynn and Lauren Hummel are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Reports of Shots Fired Lead to Guilty Plea from Portland Man for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, on November 23, 2023, the Portland Police Department received reports of shots fired near the intersection of Commercial Street and Cross Street. The caller described the suspect pulling a firearm from his waistband and firing two shots into the air and provided a description of the vehicle. The description was later confirmed by video from a security camera located on a nearby building. Responding officers recovered two spent 9mm shell casings from the scene, and the vehicle was intercepted by South Portland police as it crossed the bridge into South Portland. After a brief attempt to flee, Mohamud Abdullahi, 31, was arrested. The firearm used in the shooting was recovered the next day from the front lawn of a residence near where the vehicle had been stopped. Abdullahi’s previous convictions in Cumberland County Superior Court, including for assault and aggravated criminal trespass in 2017 and unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs in 2011, preclude him from possessing firearms. He faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, Portland Police Department, and South Portland Police Department investigated the case. ###


title: Former Congressman George Santos Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, former Congressman George Anthony Devolder Santos pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert. When sentenced, Santos faces a minimum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 22 years’ imprisonment. As part of the plea Santos will pay restitution of $373,749.97 and forfeiture of $205,002.97. Santos was initially charged in May 2023 , and a superseding indictment charging Santos with additional crimes was returned in October 2023 . Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney, and Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced the guilty plea. “Today, for what may seem like the first time since he started his campaign for Congress, Mr. Santos told the truth about his criminal schemes. He admitted to lying, stealing and conning people,” stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “By pleading guilty, Mr. Santos has acknowledged that he repeatedly defrauded federal and state government institutions as well as his own family, supporters and constituents. His flagrant and disgraceful conduct has been exposed and will be punished. Mr. Santos’s conviction demonstrates this Office’s enduring commitment to rooting out corruption and grift by public officials.” Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the New York State Department of Labor, for their work on the case. “As part of his campaign for election to the U.S. House of Representatives, George Santos committed fraud and identity theft, and lied to the American people about his personal finances and campaign supporters,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In doing so, Santos violated laws designed to ensure that the public has accurate information about the personal finances of individuals who seek to represent them in Congress and how their political campaigns are funded. The transparency and accuracy that these laws require are essential to the integrity of the election process, and today’s conviction is proof that the Criminal Division is committed to enforcing them.” “Today, George Santos admitted that he did in fact lie, cheat, and steal his way to elected office. When public officials place their self-interests above those they swore an oath to serve, it undermines confidence in our system of government and damages the very foundation of our democracy. The FBI is committed to investigating and eradicating public corruption—no matter the form it takes,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis. “George Santos lied to his constituents, cheated his supporters and quite simply made a mockery of his position in public office. Today’s guilty plea is a step towards getting justice for those he has wronged. CI New York worked closely with the Eastern District of New York, the FBI and Nassau County DA’s office to ensure that Santos faces the consequences for his years of fraud and deceit, because corruption is not to be tolerated,” stated IRS CI Special Agent in Charge Fattorusso. “George Santos built a career on deception and funded his lifestyle using the identities of people he misled, including Nassau County residents who believed they were contributing to Santos’ campaign and participating in the electoral process. The defendant rode a wave of his lies all the way to Congress and endlessly abused the trust of his constituents,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly. “We will continue to work together with our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to root out corruption on Long Island and hold public officials to the highest standards of integrity.” The counts to which Santos pled guilty relate to the following criminal scheme, as set forth in the superseding indictment: The Party Program Scheme During the 2022 election cycle, Santos was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in New York’s Third Congressional District. Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty on October 5, 2023 to related conduct, was the treasurer for his principal congressional campaign committee, Devolder-Santos for Congress. During this election cycle, Santos and Marks devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to obtain money for the campaign by submitting materially false reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on behalf of the campaign, in which they inflated the campaign’s fundraising numbers for the purpose of misleading the FEC, a national party committee, and the public. Specifically, the purpose of the scheme was to ensure that Santos and his campaign qualified for a program administered by the national party committee, pursuant to which the national party committee would provide financial and logistical support to Santos’s campaign. To qualify for the program, Santos had to demonstrate, among other things, that his congressional campaign had raised at least $250,000 from third-party contributors in a single quarter. To create the public appearance that his campaign had met that financial benchmark and was otherwise financially viable, Santos and Marks agreed to falsely report to the FEC that at least 11 of their family members had made significant financial contributions to the campaign. In fact, Santos and Marks both knew that these individuals had neither made the reported contributions nor given authorization for their personal information to be included in such false public reports. In addition, Santos and Marks knew that the national party committee relied on FEC fundraising data to evaluate candidates’ qualification for the program, and agreed to falsely report to the FEC that Santos had loaned the campaign significant sums of money, when, in fact, Santos had not made the reported loans and, at the time the loans were reported, did not have the funds necessary to make such loans. These falsely reported loans included a $500,000 loan, when in fact Santos had less than $8,000 in his personal and business bank accounts. Through the execution of this scheme, Santos and Marks ensured that Santos met the necessary financial benchmarks to qualify for the program administered by the national party committee. As a result of qualifying for the program, the congressional campaign received significant financial support. As part of his plea agreement, Santos stipulated that he had engaged in the following additional criminal conduct, as set forth in the superseding indictment and other court filings, and agreed that this criminal conduct will be considered by the Court at the time of sentencing: The Credit Card Fraud Scheme Between approximately July 2020 and October 2022, Santos devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to steal the personal identity and financial information of contributors to his campaign. He then charged contributors’ credit cards repeatedly, without their authorization. Because of these unauthorized transactions, funds were transferred to Santos’s campaign, to the campaigns of other candidates for elected office, and to his own bank account. To conceal the true source of these funds and to circumvent campaign contribution limits, Santos falsely represented that some of the campaign contributions were made by other persons, such as his relatives or associates, rather than the true cardholders, in filings with the FEC. Santos did not have authorization to use their names in this way. Fraudulent Political Contribution Solicitation Scheme Beginning in September 2022, during his successful campaign for Congress, Santos operated a limited liability company (Company #1) through which he defrauded prospective political supporters. Santos enlisted a Queens-based political consultant (Person #1) to communicate with prospective donors on Santos’s behalf. Santos directed Person #1 to falsely tell donors that, among other things, their money would be used to help elect Santos to the House, including by purchasing television advertisements. In reliance on these false statements, two donors (Contributor #1 and Contributor #2) each transferred $25,000 to Company #1’s bank account, which Santos controlled. Shortly after the funds were received into Company #1’s bank account, the money was transferred into Santos’s personal bank accounts—in one instance laundered through two of Santos’s personal accounts. Santos then used much of that money for personal expenses. Among other things, Santos used the funds to make personal purchases, including of designer clothing, to withdraw cash, to discharge personal debts, and to transfer money to his associates. Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme Beginning in approximately February 2020, Santos was employed as a Regional Director of a Florida-based investment firm (Investment Firm #1). By late March 2020, in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, new legislation was signed into law that provided additional federal funding to assist out-of-work Americans during the pandemic. In mid-June 2020, although he was employed and not eligible for unemployment benefits, Santos applied for government assistance through the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL), claiming falsely to have been unemployed since March 2020. From that point until April 2021—during which time Santos was working and receiving a salary on a near-continuous basis, and throughout his first unsuccessful run for Congress—he falsely affirmed each week that he was eligible for unemployment benefits when he was not. As a result, Santos fraudulently received more than $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits. False Statements to the House of Representatives Santos, like all candidates for the House, had a legal duty to file with the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives a Financial Disclosure Statement (House Disclosures) before each election. In his House Disclosures, Santos was personally required to give a full and complete accounting of his assets, income, and liabilities, among other things. He certified that his House Disclosures were true, complete, and correct. In September 2022, in connection with his second campaign for election to the House, Santos filed a House Disclosure in which he vastly overstated his income and assets. In this House Disclosure, he falsely certified that during the reporting period: He had earned $750,000 in salary from the Devolder Organization LLC, a Florida‑based entity of which Santos was the sole beneficial owner; He had received between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000 in dividends from the Devolder Organization LLC; He had a checking account with deposits of between $100,001 and $250,000; and He had a savings account with deposits of between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000. These assertions were false: Santos had not received from the Devolder Organization LLC the reported amounts of salary or dividends and did not maintain checking or savings accounts with deposits in the reported amounts. Further, Santos failed to disclose that, in 2021, he received approximately $28,000 in income from Investment Firm #1 and more than $20,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the NYS DOL. * * * * * In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) . As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section and Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division, along with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division (PIN). Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Harris, Anthony Bagnuola, and Laura Zuckerwise, along with Trial Attorneys Jacob Steiner and John Taddei, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Dinora Orozco. Senior Litigation Counsel Victor R. Salgado and former Trial Attorney Jolee Porter of PIN also provided substantial contributions to the prosecution. The Defendant : GEORGE ANTHONY DEVOLDER SANTOS Age: 36 Queens, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-197 (S-2) (JS)


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Eric Malik Smith, also known as “Star,” 25, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to one year and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting false statements related to the purchase of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 1, 2022, Smith traveled with Timothy Lanier Allen III to a Barboursville, West Virginia, business where Smith instructed Allen to purchase a Glock 27 .40-caliber pistol on Smith’s behalf. Smith admitted that Allen falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that he was the purchaser of the firearm when he knew Smith was the actual buyer of the firearm. Smith then took possession of the firearm following the purchase and eventually took it back with him to Maryland. Additional documents and statements made in court showed that Allen purchased at least 4 additional firearms on behalf of Smith. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Owen Reynolds prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-156. ###


title: Mexican Man Sentenced For Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that IGNACIO SORIANO-RUIZ (“ SORIANO”) , age 29, a Mexican national, was sentenced on August 15, 2024 after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). According to court documents, SORIANO was encountered during a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in St. Tammany Parish on April 24, 2024 after being previously deported on January 14, 2018. SORIANO was sentenced by United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to time served, equaling nearly four months of imprisonment. Database checks indicated that SORIANO re-entered the United States without permission, inspection, or parole by an immigration officer and without the express consent of the United States Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for readmission to the United States and was encountered in the Eastern District of Louisiana by law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: California Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A California man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court records, in March 2022, Lonnel Diggs (aka “Cash,” “Cashiioso Runzitup”), 40, of Van Nuys, Calif. and a co-conspirator proposed to a couple who purchased crack cocaine from Diggs that they purchase firearms in exchange for cash and crack cocaine. The couple agreed to make straw purchases and began traveling to gun shows and gun stores in Maine on the men’s behalf. At one of the gun shows, Diggs took photos of firearms and texted the images to the couple, who then made the purchases and provided him with the firearms. Diggs was convicted in California for robbery in 2003 and for assault with a dangerous weapon on a peace officer in 2010 and is therefore precluded from possessing any firearms. He faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department. STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her. Project Safe Neighborhoods : 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn . ###


title: Federal Jury Finds Twin Cities Felon Guilty of Illegal Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: DULUTH, Minn. – A federal jury found a Twin Cities man guilty of possessing a firearm as an armed career criminal, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to the evidence presented at trial, on July 7, 2023, Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence in Onamia in response to a 911-call concerning a suspected drug overdose. Officers encountered Jeremy Jantile Burton, 36, lying unconscious on the floor of a bedroom in the residence, and began resuscitation efforts. After administering two doses of Narcan, the officers moved Burton from the floor of the bedroom to a nearby mattress and noticed a magazine of a handgun protruding from his shorts pocket. In order to secure the scene for EMS personnel, the officers recovered the handgun from Burton’s pocket, and also observed several items of drug paraphernalia in the bedroom. Burton was transported to the Onamia Hospital by ambulance and the officers obtained a search warrant. A subsequent search of the residence revealed several controlled substances including cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, scales commonly used to weigh controlled substances, several items of drug paraphernalia, and 36 rounds of 9 mm ammunition. Because Burton has multiple prior felony convictions in Hennepin, Ramsey, and Mille Lacs counties, as well as in the state of Georgia, including aggravated robbery, drug, and firearm possession, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. Following a three-day trial before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Duluth, a jury found Burton guilty on Friday of possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Dunne and Michael P. McBride represented the United States at trial.


title: Former Congressman George Santos Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Identity Theft

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Former U.S. Representative George Anthony Devolder Santos pleaded guilty today to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. In pleading guilty, Santos, 36, of Queens, New York, admitted he filed fraudulent FEC reports, embezzled funds from campaign donors, charged credit cards without authorization, stole identities, obtained unemployment benefits through fraud, and lied in reports to the House of Representatives. “As part of his campaign for election to the U.S. House of Representatives, George Santos committed fraud and identity theft, and lied to the American people about his personal finances and campaign supporters,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In doing so, Santos violated laws designed to ensure that the public has accurate information about the personal finances of individuals who seek to represent them in Congress and how their political campaigns are funded. The transparency and accuracy that these laws require are essential to the integrity of the election process, and today’s conviction is proof that the Criminal Division is committed to enforcing them.” “Today, for what may seem like the first time since he started his campaign for Congress, Mr. Santos told the truth about his criminal schemes. He admitted to lying, stealing and conning people,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “By pleading guilty, Mr. Santos has acknowledged that he repeatedly defrauded federal and state government institutions as well as his own family, supporters and constituents. His flagrant and disgraceful conduct has been exposed and will be punished. Mr. Santos’s conviction demonstrates this Office’s enduring commitment to rooting out corruption and grift by public officials.” “Today, George Santos admitted that he did in fact lie, cheat, and steal his way to elected office,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis of the FBI's New York Field Office. “When public officials place their self-interests above those they swore an oath to serve, it undermines confidence in our system of government and damages the very foundation of our democracy. The FBI is committed to investigating and eradicating public corruption—no matter the form it takes.” “George Santos lied to his constituents, cheated his supporters and quite simply made a mockery of his position in public office,” said Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso of IRS-Criminal Investigations New York. “Today’s guilty plea is a step towards getting justice for those he has wronged. IRS-CI New York worked closely with the Eastern District of New York, the FBI and Nassau County DA’s office to ensure that Santos faces the consequences for his years of fraud and deceit, because corruption is not to be tolerated.” The Party Program Scheme During the 2022 election cycle, Santos was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York’s Third Congressional District. Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty in October 2023 to related conduct, was the treasurer for his campaign committee, Devolder-Santos for Congress. During the election cycle, Santos and Marks devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to obtain money for the campaign by submitting materially false reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on behalf of the campaign, in which they inflated the campaign’s fundraising numbers for the purpose of misleading the FEC, a national party committee, and the public. Specifically, the purpose of the scheme was to ensure that Santos and his campaign qualified for a program administered by the national party committee, pursuant to which the national party committee would provide financial and logistical support to Santos’s campaign. To qualify for the program, Santos had to demonstrate that his congressional campaign had raised at least $250,000 from third-party contributors in a single quarter. To create the public appearance that his campaign had met that financial benchmark and was otherwise financially viable, Santos and Marks agreed to falsely report to the FEC that at least 10 family members of Santos and Marks had made significant financial contributions to the campaign. In fact, Santos and Marks both knew that these individuals had neither made the reported contributions nor given authorization for their personal information to be included in such false public reports. In addition, understanding that the national party committee relied on FEC fundraising data to evaluate candidates’ qualification for the program, Santos and Marks agreed to falsely report to the FEC that Santos had loaned the campaign significant sums of money, when, in fact, Santos had not made the reported loans and, at the time the loans were reported, did not have the funds necessary to make such loans. These false reported loans included a $500,000 loan, when in fact Santos had less than $8,000 in his personal and business bank accounts. Through the execution of this scheme, Santos and Marks ensured that Santos met the necessary financial benchmarks to qualify for the program administered by the national party committee. As a result of qualifying for the program, the congressional campaign received significant financial support. As part of his plea agreement, Santos stipulated that he had engaged in the below additional criminal conduct, as set forth in the second superseding indictment and other court filings, and agreed that this criminal conduct will be considered by the Court at the time of sentencing. The Credit Card Fraud Scheme Between approximately July 2020 and October 2022, Santos devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to steal the personal identity and financial information of contributors to his campaign. He then charged contributors’ credit cards repeatedly, without their authorization. Because of these unauthorized transactions, funds were transferred to Santos’s campaign, to the campaigns of other candidates for elected office, and to his own bank account. To conceal the true source of these funds and to circumvent campaign contribution limits, Santos falsely represented in filings with the FEC that some of the campaign contributions were made by other persons, such as his relatives or associates, rather than the true cardholders. Santos did not have authorization to use their names in this way. Fraudulent Political Contribution Solicitation Scheme Beginning in September 2022, during his successful campaign for Congress, Santos operated a limited liability company (Company #1) through which he defrauded prospective political supporters. Santos enlisted a Queens-based political consultant (Person #1) to communicate with prospective donors on Santos’s behalf. Santos directed Person #1 to falsely tell donors that, among other things, their money would be used to help elect Santos to the House, including by purchasing television advertisements. In reliance on these false statements, two supporters (Contributor #1 and Contributor #2) each transferred $25,000 to Company #1’s bank account, which Santos controlled. Shortly after the funds were received into Company #1’s bank account, the money was transferred into Santos’s personal bank accounts—in one instance laundered through two of Santos’s personal accounts. Santos then used much of that money for personal expenses. Among other things, Santos used the funds to make personal purchases (including of designer clothing), to withdraw cash, to discharge personal debts, and to transfer money to his associates. Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme Beginning in approximately February 2020, Santos was employed as a Regional Director of a Florida-based investment firm (Investment Firm #1). By late-March 2020, in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, new legislation was signed into law that provided additional federal funding to assist out-of-work Americans during the pandemic. In mid-June 2020, although he was employed and was not eligible for unemployment benefits, Santos applied for government assistance through the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL), falsely claiming to have been unemployed since March 2020. From that point until April 2021—during which time Santos was working and receiving a salary on a near-continuous basis, and throughout his first unsuccessful run for Congress—he falsely affirmed each week that he was eligible for unemployment benefits when he was not. As a result, Santos fraudulently received more than $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits. False Statements to the House of Representatives Santos, like all candidates for the House, had a legal duty to file with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives a Financial Disclosure Statement (House Disclosures) before each election. In his House Disclosures, Santos was personally required to give a full and complete accounting of his assets, income, and liabilities, among other things. He certified that his House Disclosures were true, complete, and correct. In September 2022, in connection with his second campaign for election to the House, Santos filed a House Disclosure, in which he vastly overstated his income and assets. In this House Disclosure, he falsely certified that during the reporting period: He had earned $750,000 in salary from the Devolder Organization LLC, a Florida‑based entity of which Santos was the sole beneficial owner; He had received between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000 in dividends from the Devolder Organization LLC; He had a checking account with deposits of between $100,001 and $250,000; and He had a savings account with deposits of between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000. These assertions were false. Santos had not received from the Devolder Organization LLC the reported amounts of salary or dividends and did not maintain checking or savings accounts with deposits in the reported amounts. Further, Santos failed to disclose that, in 2021, he received approximately $28,000 in income from Investment Firm #1 and more than $20,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor. Santos is scheduled to be sentenced on February 7, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of 22 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As part of the guilty plea, Santos will pay restitution of $373, 749.97 and forfeiture of $205, 002.97. Trial Attorneys Jacob Steiner and John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Harris, Anthony Bagnuola, and Laura Zuckerwise for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case. Former Trial Attorney Jolee Porter and Litigation Counsel Victor R. Salgado provided substantial contributions to the prosecution.


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Clyde Anderson Jr., 44, of Charleston, was sentenced today to six years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 12, 2022, law enforcement officers encountered Anderson while responding to a domestic disturbance complaint at a Renaissance Circle apartment in Charleston. Anderson admitted that he consented to a search of a small bag he was carrying. Officers found a cylinder in the bag containing approximately 9 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and 13 grams of methamphetamine. Anderson admitted that he intended to distribute the controlled substances. Anderson further admitted that he also possessed a loaded Taurus model PT738 .380-caliber pistol that he handed over to the officers. Anderson has a long criminal history with multiple prior convictions including possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 21, 2013. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-120. ###