title: Cincinnati Man Sentenced for Role in  Conspiracy to Sell Machine Guns

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati man, Isaiah M. Smith, 24, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 72 months in prison, for possession and transfer of a machine gun. In pleading guilty, Smith admitted to collaborating with Demarco Sturgeon and Denico Hudson to possess and transfer numerous machine gun conversion devices. Smith also admitted to manufacturing the plastic conversion devices in Ohio, and to selling many of them to Sturgeon in Kentucky. Sturgeon then sold the bulk of them to Hudson, who would pay for them with money and drugs, and the two of them distributed the devices to members of two violent gangs in Cincinnati. Members of these gangs were connected to drug trafficking and numerous shootings. Smith further admitted to distributing over 25 machine gun conversion devices, from 2022 to 2023. Specifically, on April 4, 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of Smith’s residence and seized a machine gun conversion device, as well as a loaded handgun. Smith confirmed that he had manufactured and distributed over 80 machine gun conversion devices and assisted agents in seizing the printers and computers he used to make them. Sturgeon was previously sentenced to 130 months and five years of supervised release; Hudson was sentenced to 108 months in prison and three years of supervised release. “Machine gun conversion devices are incredibly dangerous, and an acute threat to the safety of our communities,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Worse yet, they are more prevalent than ever. By themselves, these devices are illegal machine guns; and when used, they are capable of rapid and appalling damage. We simply must do everything we can to combat this alarming trend, prioritize the effort to eliminate these devices, and prosecute those who illegally make, possess, and sell them.” “Machine gun conversion devices are a significant threat to our communities. Law enforcement in Kentucky and across the United States are encountering them with alarming frequency,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division. “These conversion devices, which can fire hundreds of rounds of ammunition a minute, are illegal and incredibly dangerous, especially in the hands of gang members and drug dealers. ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize these investigations with our local partners to shutdown supply channels and keep these deadly devices off our streets.” Under federal law, Smith and his co-defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon his release from prison, Smith will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office three years. U.S. Attorney Shier; SAC Morrow; Director Scott Hardcorn, Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force; and Chief Teresa Theetge, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF, Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, and Cincinnati Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: KC Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Purchase of Firearm Found After Mass Shooting at Super Bowl Rally

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A second Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the illegal straw purchase of a firearm recovered at the scene of the mass shooting at Union Station during the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory on Feb. 14, 2024. Chaelyn Hendrick Groves, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in the acquisition of a firearm. Co-defendant Ronnel Dewayne Williams, Jr., 22, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Wednesday, July 31. Both Groves and Williams admitted they participated in the criminal conspiracy from Nov. 25, 2023, to Feb. 21, 2024. Williams made false statements to a licensed firearms dealer on Nov. 25, 2023, claiming he was the actual buyer of a Stag Arms lower receiver, which was intended to deceive the dealer into making the sale to Williams. Firearm receivers, or frames, house the firing mechanism and other internal parts of a firearm. The receiver can be loaded and fired, or built into a complete firearm by adding components. By federal definition, a receiver is a firearm and is the only controlled component of a firearm. Groves and Williams admitted that Williams was not the true buyer of the firearm, but was purchasing the firearm for Groves, who was not of lawful age to purchase the firearm himself. Williams provided the firearm to Groves on the same day of the purchase. Groves then obtained a 300-blackout barrel and affixed it to the Stag Arms lower receiver. Law enforcement officers recovered the firearm on Feb. 14, 2024, in the area of 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo., following the mass shooting incident. Groves and Williams also admitted that, between Feb. 16 and Feb. 21, 2024, they provided materially false statements to federal law enforcement officers regarding the acquisition and disposition of the Stag Arms lower receiver. Under federal statutes, Groves and Williams each is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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.


title: Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – WILLIAM LEONELL LOPEZ (“LOPEZ”) , age 37, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on August 1, 2024, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. He was sentenced to time served. He had been incarcerated since September of 2023. According to court documents, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (“JPSO”) detectives provided biographical information for LOPEZ to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Specifically, JPSO detectives provided the name, date of birth, and a picture of LOPEZ , enabling ICE to verify that he is Honduran, who had been previously removed from the United States to Honduras on June 19, 2009. On September 5, 2023, LOPEZ was arrested in River Ridge, LA. Extensive database checks indicated that LOPEZ 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 Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Two Knoxville Men Convicted of Methamphetamine Conspiracy and Distribution

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 2, 2024, following a five-day jury trial in United States District Court in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville, a jury convicted Cumecus Cates, 48, and Grady Chandler, 43, both of Knoxville, Tennessee, of Conspiracy to Distribute over 50 grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841()(1)(A) and multiple counts of Distribution of over 50 grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. The sentencing date for Cates and Chandler will be set later this year before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court at Knoxville. Cates and Chandler both face sentences of up to life in prison. The evidence presented at trial included FBI recorded drug transactions, witness testimony, and seized narcotics, and showed that Cates and Chandler were distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Knoxville area throughout 2022 and 2023. United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to indictment and subsequent conviction of Cates and Chandler included the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) HIDTA Task Force. The FBI HIDTA Task Force includes the Roane County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. The Drug Enforcement Administration also assisted in this investigation by conducting drug analysis on seized narcotics in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cynthia Davidson and Michael Gilmore represented the United States at trial. This case was part of the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the HIDTA programs. OCDETF is the primary weapon of the United States against the highest-level drug trafficking organizations operating within the United States, importing drugs into the United States, or laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. The HIDTA program enhances and coordinates drug control efforts among local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. The program provides agencies with coordination, equipment, technology, and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States. ###


title: Former Gladwyne Entrepreneur Charged with Bilking Investors Out of Millions of Dollars, Forging Documents, and Obstructing Justice

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that an indictment was unsealed against Josh S. Verne, 47, formerly of Gladwyne, PA, now a resident of Fort Lauderdale, FL, charging him with 28 separate federal crimes, including securities fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, witness retaliation, and witness intimidation. According to the indictment, Verne carried out a series of schemes from at least in or about 2017 to 2020, through which he defrauded dozens of investors, prospective investors, employees, and business partners out of millions of dollars, forged documents, and obstructed justice by threatening, intimidating, and retaliating against others in connection with the federal criminal investigation. The indictment alleges that Verne held himself out as a wealthy and successful businessman, entrepreneur, and investor, and that he carried out his fraudulent activities through a series of limited liability companies, of which he was the chief executive and over which he maintained control. It is alleged that, among other things, Verne falsely represented his prior business successes, falsely represented his personal net worth, falsely represented his own investments, and falsely represented the financial health of his companies and investments, in order to induce others to invest in or provide loans to him or his companies. For instance, according to the indictment, Verne provided an investor with a forged Goldman Sachs statement that showed family investment holdings for Verne of more than $50 million, when, in fact, Verne did not have an investment account at Goldman Sachs in his own name or in his family’s names, much less an account with a market value of more than $50 million. It is further alleged that Verne misused business and investor funds to repay prior debts and to finance an affluent lifestyle he could not afford, such as personal expenses related to renovations to his showcase vacation property on the Jersey shore, travel on private jets, contributions to political candidates, personal charitable contributions, and country club payments. According to the indictment, in order to delay and prevent discovery by law enforcement of his own misconduct, Verne later sent bank and FedEx confirmations purporting to confirm delivery of funds to investors to whom he had promised repayment; the bank and FedEx confirmations were false and fraudulent. The indictment further alleges that Verne stole the identity of a former employee from his company, forging the employee’s signature on a sales agreement to disguise an unauthorized sale of the employee’s shares of stock. According to the indictment, Verne obtained $150,000 from the unauthorized sale and used those funds to make payments to himself and to a prior investor. Finally, the indictment alleges that, after Verne met with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and learned details about the investigation, Verne obstructed justice by contacting the former employee and threatening to divulge false, embarrassing information about him because the employee provided information to law enforcement. Verne was arrested today in Fort Lauderdale. He is expected to appear in federal court in Philadelphia next week for an arraignment. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 532 years in prison (including a mandatory minimum of two years in prison to run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment), three years of supervised release, a $21,250,000 fine, and a $2,800 special assessment. If you, your family member, or anyone that you know believes they may have been a victim of these crimes and would like to report the information, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 215-418-4000 and reference “Josh S. Verne.” The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Shapiro and Jerome M. Maiatico. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office investigated civil securities fraud charges against Verne, which are pending. An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy Commemorates the Two-Year Anniversary of the Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Two years ago today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts formally announced the creation of the Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit (HTCRU). This specialized team – comprised of federal prosecutors, victim witness specialists and support personnel – is dedicated to protecting human rights and holding perpetrators of human trafficking accountable. Since its establishment, HTCRU has become a leader within the Department of Justice in terms of prosecuting individuals who engage in human trafficking. “Today marks the two-year anniversary of the HTCRU, a unit that, I am sorry to say, has been a huge success because it has revealed how serious and widespread a problem human trafficking is in our communities. Commercial sexual exploitation of children and vulnerable adults has no place in the District of Massachusetts. The dedicated team in this unit has worked tirelessly to eradicate these harms and atrocities while also tackling allegations of excessive police force, hate crimes, and labor trafficking," said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office is determined to hold traffickers liable for their deplorable crimes.” Over the last two years, in close collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, our Office has prosecuted over 20 cases with numerous defendants. For example, in U.S. v. Stavros Papantoniadis , the defendant was convicted at trial for forced labor charges. He was found guilty of forcing or attempting to force six victims to work for him while physically and mentally abusing them. The defendant also targeted immigrants who he could exploit due to their vulnerability. Additionally, Jimall Brown, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after being convicted of sex trafficking a minor and two adults, while collecting all of the proceeds for himself and others. This Unit has targeted not just traffickers but also the purchasers of sex who fuel the demand for exploited victims of sex trafficking. Our office has charged sex buyers federally where possible, such as in our recent prosecutions of US v. David Cannon / US v. Misael Medina / US v. Dmitri McKenzie , all for attempting to purchase sex with minors. In cases where there is not federal jurisdiction, we have worked to make state referrals to ensure that these sex buyers are held accountable. The HTCRU coordinates trainings, including survivor-led trainings to identify trends in the community while learning how the office can improve work with victims. Labor trafficking training has been provided to both federal employees and state inspectors to recognize key indicators of exploitation. This team also works with local and state law enforcement agencies, as well as non-government organizations, to hold predators accountable and protect survivors’ rights. If you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please call your local police department or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov .


title: Two Montana men charged with illegally killing a brown bear

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging two men with illegally killing a brown bear on a national wildlife refuge in Alaska, violating the Lacey Act. According to court documents, between May 9 to May 12, 2022, Richard McAtee, 46, and Arlon Franz, 51, both of Montana, conspired together to possess and transport a brown bear that they illegally killed in the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge. McAtee was arrested Wednesday night in Montana. The indictment alleges that one of the men was a nonresident hunting without a contract with a master guide, and that the bear was shot and killed before the legal season to hunt brown bear had opened and the same day the hunter had been airborne, in violation of state and federal laws. It also alleges the defendants salvaged the hide of the illegally taken brown bear in the field and transported it from the Alaska Peninsula to a local hunting lodge, and from there to Port Moller and then to Anchorage. The National Wildlife Refuge System consists of federal land set aside by Congress as, “a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of the present and future generations of Americans.” The defendants are charged with one count conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and two counts of violating the Lacey Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1) and 3373(d)(1)(B). McAtee made his initial court appearance yesterday before the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. If convicted, they each face up to five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Senior Federal Wildlife Officer Joshua Macri of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region, and Alaska Wildlife Trooper Colonel Bryan Barlow made the announcement. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service, are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Klugman and William Taylor are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former Union President Sent to Federal Prison for Embezzlement

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A former union president who misspent over $30,000 in union funds was sentenced on July 25, 2024, to eight months in federal prison. Brock A. Willson, also known as Brock A. Cligrow, age 43, received the prison term after a January 25, 2024, guilty plea to one count of bank fraud. In a plea agreement and at hearings in the case, it was established that, from no later than about March 2020, and continuing through at least October 2021, Willson served in various capacities as a local labor union’s president, business manager/financial secretary, and coordinator of its joint apprenticeship training committee. By virtue of his high-level positions within the union, Willson had access to its bank accounts. From the bank accounts, the labor organization entrusted defendant with making authorized payments for certain authorized expenses, including its training committee. Willson abused his position of trust at the union to cause the local bank to make payments for his own personal expenses, including but not limited to payments on his personal vehicle loan and purchases at department stores. Willson ultimately agreed to repay over $30,000 in misspent union funds. Willson has a criminal history, including a prior felony conviction for serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving. While on pretrial release, federal probation officers found a firearm and ammunition in the residence in which Willson was residing at the time. Willson was jailed for over a month because of that incident in late 2023. Willson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Willson was sentenced to 8 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $30,280.98 in restitution to the labor union and its insurer. Willson must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “While the vast majority of union officials do their work diligently and without incident, unfortunately criminal violations do occur. When they do, it is the union and its members that are the victims. Brock Willson embezzled funds from a local union that should have been used for its members’ benefit,” said Christiane Abendroth, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “OLMS is committed to hold accountable anyone who unlawfully exploits their position for financial gain at the expense of their fellow union members.” United States Attorney Timothy Duax stated, “We appreciate the hard work done by OLMS in helping hold Mr. Willson accountable for his crime. Willson took advantage of the people he was supposed to serve. There is a price to be paid for such conduct, and Mr. Willson will pay that price while in prison.” Willson was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons at a date yet to be set. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Police Department also assisted in the investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-67. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pullman, Washington Father, Who Allegedly Took Child from Washington to Mexico, Indicted on Federal Kidnapping Charges

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Aaron Aung was charged by criminal complaint on one count of International Parental Kidnapping. Aung was arraigned in federal court on August 2, 2024. According to the complaint, on June 3, 2024, Aung was supposed to travel to the Pullman Police Department for a custody exchange of the victim with the victim’s mother. Aung and the victim never arrived for the custody exchange. Instead, agents with the FBI and U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) obtained photos of a vehicle Aung was allegedly driving, which had crossed into Mexico on June 1, 2024, at the Andrade, California, Port of Entry. The complaint further alleges that on July 4, 2024, Aung, the victim, and Aung’s fiancé, Nadia Cole, were contacted by Mexican officials in Mexico. Cole later was deported from Mexico to the United States, while Aung and the victim remained in Mexico at that time. Three days later, on July 7, 2024, Aung and the victim were encountered by Mexican officials near the United States-Mexico border in Nogales, Mexico. Aung and the victim were then deported by Mexican officials to the port of entry near Nogales, Arizona, where they were presented to CBP officials. CBP then took custody of both Aung and the victim. CBP also detained Aung on an outstanding felony warrant issued out of Whitman County, Washington for custodial interference first degree. “Children deserve to live in a world where they are safe, surrounded by adults who love and care for them,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Our office prioritizes offenses against our community’s youngest and most vulnerable victims and will continue to aggressively prosecute those who harm children.” This case is being investigated by the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Perez and Michael J. Ellis. A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Felon Sentenced to 63 Months for Illegally Possessing Ammunition

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Derbie Michel, age 33, formerly of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. In previously pleading guilty, Michel, who has three prior felony convictions, admitted that he possessed five rounds of ammunition on October 15, 2022. According to court documents filed by the Government, Michel threw these rounds of ammunition from a car while fleeing from members of the Troy Police Department on October 15, 2022. He also threw a privately made firearm, or “ghost gun,” from the car during the same pursuit. In imposing the sentence, Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. found that Michel recklessly endangered others by instructing the driver of the car to engage in the car chase and later obstructed justice by making materially false statements about that conduct in connection with his sentencing. Judge Scullin also ordered Michel to serve a 3-year term of supervised release upon Michel’s release from prison. The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and members of state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Troy Police Department, investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Allen J. Vickey prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Sues TikTok and Parent Company ByteDance for Widespread Violations of Children’s Privacy Laws

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against TikTok Inc., ByteDance Ltd., and their affiliates (together, TikTok) for violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations (COPPA) in connection with the popular TikTok app. COPPA prohibits website operators from knowingly collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under the age of 13, unless they provide notice to and obtain consent from those children’s parents. It also requires website operators to delete personal information collected from children at their parents’ request. In 2019, the government sued TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly, for COPPA violations, and since then the defendants have been subject to a court order requiring them to undertake specific measures to comply with COPPA. According to the complaint, from 2019 to the present, TikTok knowingly permitted children to create regular TikTok accounts and to create, view, and share short-form videos and messages with adults and others on the regular TikTok platform. The defendants collected and retained a wide variety of personal information from these children without notifying or obtaining consent from their parents. Even for accounts that were created in “Kids Mode” (a pared-back version of TikTok intended for children under 13), the defendants unlawfully collected and retained children’s email addresses and other types of personal information. Further, when parents discovered their children’s accounts and asked the defendants to delete the accounts and information in them, the defendants frequently failed to honor those requests. The defendants also had deficient and ineffectual internal policies and processes for identifying and deleting TikTok accounts created by children. The defendants engaged in the above-described conduct despite being subject to a court order barring them from violating COPPA and imposing measures designed to ensure their compliance. TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. The defendants’ COPPA violations have resulted in millions of children under 13 using the regular TikTok app, subjecting them to extensive data collection and allowing them to interact with adult users and access adult content. The complaint seeks civil penalties and injunctive relief. “The Department is deeply concerned that TikTok has continued to collect and retain children’s personal information despite a court order barring such conduct,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “With this action, the Department seeks to ensure that TikTok honors its obligation to protect children’s privacy rights and parents’ efforts to protect their children.” “The Justice Department is committed to upholding parents’ ability to protect their children’s privacy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This action is necessary to prevent the defendants, who are repeat offenders and operate on a massive scale, from collecting and using young children’s private information without any parental consent or control.” “TikTok knowingly and repeatedly violated kids’ privacy, threatening the safety of millions of children across the country,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC will continue to use the full scope of its authorities to protect children online — especially as firms deploy increasingly sophisticated digital tools to surveil kids and profit from their data.” The United States is represented in this action by Assistant Directors Rachael L. Doud and Zachary A. Dietert, and Trial Attorneys Ben Cornfeld and Marcus P. Smith, of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Jonathan W. Ware, Iris Micklavzina, Sarah Choi, and Michael Sherling represent the FTC. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . The claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence. Certain allegations in the complaint linked to below are redacted due to defendants’ request that the government file these allegations under seal while the Court considers defendants’ intended motion to seal. The court’s ruling on defendants’ motion will determine whether and to what extent these allegations in the complaint become public. Complaint


title: Attorney Pleads Guilty to Attempted Bombing Near the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C.

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Christopher Rodriguez, 45, of Panama City, Fla., pleaded guilty today to a three-count superseding information charging him in the September 2023 attempted bombing outside the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, D.C., and a November 2022 bombing of a sculpture depicting communist leaders Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong in San Antonio, Tex. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. Rodriguez, a licensed Florida attorney, pleaded guilty today to damaging property occupied by a foreign government, explosive materials—malicious damage to federal property, and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device). According to court documents, on September 23-24, 2023, Rodriguez drove from his home in Panama City, Fla., to Northern Virginia with a rifle and 15 pounds of explosive material. En route, he stopped in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, Va., to buy a black backpack, nitrile gloves, and a burner cell phone. On September 24, he parked his car in Arlington, Va., and used the burner phone to arrange for a taxi to drive him to within a few blocks of the Chinese Embassy. Sometime between midnight and 3:00 a.m. near the back wall of the Embassy in Northwest Washington, Rodriguez placed the black backpack filled with explosives next to a streetlight. Rodriguez then attempted to detonate the explosives by shooting at the backpack with a rifle. Rodriguez missed his target, and the device failed to detonate. Law enforcement officers later recovered the backpack containing explosive material, three shell casings, and bullet fragmentations from the ground along the outer perimeter wall of the Chinese Embassy. Impact marks were found on the Embassy wall near the bullet fragments behind the backpack. Also according to court documents, DNA obtained from the black backpack was found to be consistent with DNA evidence obtained from a previous arrest of Rodriguez in June 2021 in California. During the California incident, Rodriguez possessed three firearms and apparent explosive material consistent with the explosives used during the Chinese Embassy attack. DNA evidence obtained from Rodriguez pursuant to a buccal swab warrant later confirmed this DNA match. Between November 5 and 7, 2022, according to court documents, Rodriguez rented a vehicle in Pensacola, Fla., and drove to San Antonio, Tex. At approximately 2:25 a.m. on November 7, Rodriguez scaled an eight-foot fence to enter a courtyard on the 300 block of West Commerce Street, San Antonio. Inside the courtyard, he placed two canisters of explosive materials at the base of a satirical steel sculpture titled “Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head.” At about 2:30 a.m. on November 7, Rodriguez used a rifle to shoot at the canisters at the base of the statue, causing an explosion that caused significant damage to the Miss Mao sculpture. The ATF arrested Rodriguez on November 4, 2023, in Lafayette, La. He has been held since that date. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Washington Field Division. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Florida, the Western District of Louisiana, and the Western District of Texas; the ATF’s Tampa, New Orleans, and Houston Field Divisions; the FBI’s Washington and San Antonio Field Offices; the San Antonio Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Secret Service, Uniformed Division and Foreign Missions Detective Unit; the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security; and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jolie F. Zimmerman and Stuart D. Allen. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maeghan Mikorski and Kelly Stephenson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McCarthy. 23cr392


title: Sedgwick Man Faces Up to 60 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Sedgwick man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to producing child sexual abuse material. According to court records, in May 2021, Travis Bessey , 29, participated in a Kik chat room dedicated to the distribution of child sexual abuse material. A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent monitoring the chat observed a user, later identified as Bessey, share images of an adult man sexually abusing young children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not identify victims of crime and is limiting identifying information, including gender, age and location, to protect the minor victims’ privacy. The Maine State Police and HSI executed a search warrant at Bessey’s residence. During the investigation, Bessey admitted to sending and receiving child sexual abuse material in the Kik group, and images of Bessey sexually abusing children were recovered from his phone. Bessey faces 15-30 years in prison on each of the two counts, a fine up to $250,000 and mandatory restitution to the victims. Any sentence would be followed by a minimum of five years of supervised release. HSI investigated the case with assistance from the Maine State Police. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal term as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Nicaraguan National Indicted for Making False Statements in a Passport Application

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on August 1, 2024, SILVIO MARTIN MENDOZA SANCHEZ (“MENDOZA SANCHEZ”) , age 44, a citizen of Nicaragua, was indicted on August 1, 2024, for making false statements in an application for a United States passport, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1542. According to court documents, on or about May 25, 2024, MENDOZA SANCHEZ used the identity information of a Puerto Rican citizen to apply for a United States passport. If convicted, ALVARO faces up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Jefferson Parish Man Indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that HENRY MICHAEL ROBIN (“ROBIN”) , age 29, a resident of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, was indicted today for Receipt of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). ROBIN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to three years and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, on July 16, 2024, Homeland Security Special Agents executed a search warrant at ROBIN’S residence and found that ROBIN had electronically received and possessed images of a minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Apache Junction Arizona Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Orlando Man Sentenced To 60 Years In Federal Prison For Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Muhamad Almufada Adi (49, Orlando) to 60 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Adi to forfeit the electronic devices used in the commission of the offense. Adi entered a guilty plea on May 14, 2024. According to court documents, between 2018 and 2022, Adi sexually abused a minor victim and produced child sexual abuse material of the child. Adi then uploaded the child sexual abuse material to online cloud and social media accounts. Adi also sexually abused a second minor victim and forced the second child to look at the child sexual abuse material that had been produced of the first child. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu. “Protecting our children from sexual exploitation is a moral obligation for Homeland Security Investigations and our partners at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office,” said Homeland Security Investigation Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “Our mutual steadfast commitment comes with an unwavering vigilance and compassion for victims.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison for Robbing Four Businesses

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced on July 31, 2024 in federal court in Boston for robbing four businesses, during which he brandished two large knives, while on federal supervised release for robbery charges out of New York. Akeem Lahens, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 77 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Lahens also was ordered to pay $1,998 in restitution to the four businesses he robbed. In April 2024, Lahens plead guilty to four counts of affecting commerce by armed robbery. A series of commercial armed robberies occurred in Boston in late April and early May 2023: the armed robbery of Metro PCS in Roxbury on April 21, 2023; the armed robbery of Boost Mobile in Jamaica Plain on April 26, 2023; the armed robbery of Cricket Wireless in Jamaica Plain on April 27, 2023; and the armed robbery of Dunkin Donuts in Dorchester on May 4, 2023. Law enforcement believed that the robberies were connected and the perpetrator was likely the same person, as the suspect’s appearance in surveillance footage and witnesses descriptions was the same. Additionally, in each of the robberies, the suspect brandished two large knives, made a verbal demand for money, forcibly took money from the store and forced or attempted to force the victims into a rear room or bathroom of the store. On May 5, 2023 Lahens was arrested on state charges related to the armed robberies. During a search of Lahens’ residence in Dorchester on May 6, 2023 two knives and sandals worn by the robber in the April 26, 2023 robbery were recovered. At the time of the armed robberies, Lahens was on federal supervised release for a 2021 conviction in the Southern District of New York of five counts of robbery, for which he was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Michael A. Davis, Vice President Campus Safety and Chief of Police at Northeastern University made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Houston custom home builder charged with misusing construction funds

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A criminal information has been filed against a 39-year-old Houstonian on a charge of wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Brett Michael Detamore is set to make his initial appearance in federal court Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. According to the information, Detamore operated as a custom home builder under Detamore Development LLC. The charges allege he fraudulently obtained at least $1.5 million for his personal use by misusing funds intended for the construction of private residences. Detamore allegedly submitted false and fraudulent invoices to banks holding construction loans for single-family residences he had been contracted to build. The false invoices caused the banks to send funds to bank accounts Detamore controlled, according to the allegations. Detamore then allegedly used the funds for his personal benefit. The charges include a notice of forfeiture for any funds or property obtained as a result of the scheme. If convicted, Detamore faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine as well as full restitution to the victim home owners. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the West University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Lansden and Suzanne Elmilady are prosecuting the case. A criminal information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: California Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 113 Grams of Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Compton, California man pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 113 grams of fentanyl. According to court documents, Jayma Nettles, 46, was identified as being a member of a drug-trafficking organization in California that was sending packages of narcotics to Mississippi dating back to 2019. The overall investigation yielded 5,766 grams of pure methamphetamine, 236 grams of fentanyl, 84.2 grams of cocaine, and 7.8 kilograms of marijuana that were shipped to the Gulf Coast. Jayma Nettles was responsible for sending 113 grams of fentanyl to the Coast in October of 2022. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl . Nettles pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2024, and faces up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.


title: Six Members of Transnational Fraud Network Indicted for Scheme to Steal Millions from American Consumers’ Bank Accounts

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging six defendants for their participation in a years-long scheme to steal millions of dollars from American consumers’ bank accounts, the Justice Department announced today. According to court documents, Henry LoConti, 63, of Chardon, Ohio; John Flynn, 43, of Canada; Shoaib Ahmad, 64, of Canada; Timothy Munoz, 57, of Wilmington, California; Eric Crespin, 61, of Canada; and Lezli St. Hill, 53, of Canada, were members and associates of a racketeering enterprise that unlawfully debited money from the bank accounts of unknowing U.S. consumer-victims. “Criminals are utilizing technology to devise increasingly sophisticated methods to steal from victims,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue to use all available tools to prosecute and apprehend these fraud networks, but I also urge everyone to regularly check your accounts for any unauthorized activity – no matter how small. Prevention is key.” “The scheme alleged in the indictment involved an elaborate plot to steal consumers’ hard-earned savings directly from their bank accounts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will use all of the tools at its disposal to prosecute such schemes.” Through various members and associates, the enterprise obtained identifying and banking information for victims, and created shell entities that claimed to offer products or services, such as cloud storage. The enterprise then executed unauthorized debits against victims’ bank accounts, which it falsely represented to banks were authorized by the victims. Some of the unauthorized debits resulted in returned transactions, which generated high return rates. To both conceal and continue conducting unauthorized debits, the enterprise’s shell entities also generated “micro debits” against other bank accounts controlled and funded by or for the enterprise. The micro debits artificially lowered shell entities’ return rates to levels that conspirators believed would reduce bank scrutiny and lessen potential negative impact on the enterprise’s banking relations. Combined with a prior indictment, 19 conspirators are currently charged in the Central District of California for their participation in the scheme. Three other defendants have been convicted and/or sentenced in the District of Nevada, Southern District of California, and District of Maryland. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), along with our partners, remain committed to shutting down these types of scammers,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of USPIS’ Criminal Investigations Group. “Dismantling this syndicate, and the arrests and prosecutions of those involved, should send a clear message that fraudulent schemes that exploit innocent victims, many of whom have suffered not only financial losses but also emotional distress and a breach of trust, will not be tolerated. The Postal Inspection Service will make sure that justice is served and that those responsible for these types of crimes feel the full weight of justice.” All six defendants are charged with racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud. Some defendants made their initial court appearances yesterday. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy and 30 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Ahmad was separately charged in a second indictment with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud related to his participation in a similarly-structured conspiracy that also stole money from U.S. consumer-victims. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The department urges individuals to be on the lookout for unauthorized debits to their accounts. Regularly check your bank, credit card, and other financial statements and contact your financial institution if you see a charge you do not recognize. Report any fraudulent debit you identify to law enforcement. Reports may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. USPIS is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Monica Tait of the Major Frauds Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang, Meredith Healy and Amy Kaplan of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Consumer Protection Branch, in conjunction with the USPIS, is pursing wrongdoers who disguise the unlawful nature of business activities by, among other methods, artificially lowering financial account return rates. These tactics are designed to deceive banks, resulting in bank accounts remaining open and facilitating fraud schemes and other illegal activities, including schemes that debit consumers’ bank accounts without authorization, tech support scams and subscription traps. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch .


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 11 years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Reentry After Deportation

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Pedro Huerta Ramon, 39, of Mexico, was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and unlawfully reentering the United States after prior deportation. Evidence presented in court revealed that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) became aware of Pedro Huerta Ramon in 2018, after receiving information that Ramon was a high-level cocaine distributor operating in Lexington County. As a result of this investigation, Ramon was arrested and convicted for trafficking cocaine in 2019. Ramon was unlawfully present in the United States and after his conviction, he was deported to Mexico in November 2019. In 2023, DEA agents received information that Ramon was back in the United States and trafficking kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine imported from Mexico. The investigation revealed Ramon unlawfully returned to the United States in December 2020. Law enforcement developed and used a confidential informant to conduct a series of controlled purchases from Ramon. Ramon sold over a kilogram of pure methamphetamine to the confidential informant and a search of his residence resulted in the seizure of one kilogram of cocaine. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson sentenced Ramon to 135 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Tampa Man Sentenced To More Than Three Years In Federal Prison For Defrauding Biochemical Company And Diverting Products To China Using Falsified Export Documents

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung today sentenced Pen Yu (51, Taiwan) to three years and eight months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, followed by three years of supervised release. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $100,000, the proceeds of the wire fraud. Yu was found guilty on May 2, 2024. Co-conspirator Gregory Muñoz was found guilty on May 9, 2024, and co-conspirator Jonathan Thyng was found guilty on July 23, 2024. According to court documents, beginning in at least July 2016 and continuing through at least May 2023, Yu ordered biochemical products from MilliporeSigma, a subsidiary of multinational science and technology company Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with help from Muñoz, a MilliporeSigma salesperson, by falsely representing that Yu was affiliated with a biology research lab at a large Florida university. This fictitious affiliation led MilliporeSigma to provide Yu over $4.9 million worth of discounts and other benefits, such as free overnight shipping, not available to the public. Yu gave Muñoz thousands of dollars in gift cards for facilitating these fraudulent discounted orders. When the products arrived at the university stockroom, a stockroom employee diverted the products to Yu, who repackaged them and shipped them to China. To avoid scrutiny, Yu made false statements about the value and contents of these shipments in export documents. This scheme continued until MilliporeSigma compliance personnel identified certain orders as suspicious, prompting the company to retain outside counsel who voluntarily disclosed the misconduct to the Department of Justice’s National Security Division only a week later. MilliporeSigma made the disclosure well before its counsel had completed their investigation and understood the full nature and extent of the scheme. MilliporeSigma offered exceptional cooperation to the prosecution team, including by proactively identifying and producing documents to the Department that established probable cause to search residences and electronic devices of culpable individuals. MilliporeSigma’s cooperation allowed investigators to quickly identify the individuals responsible for the scheme, including Yu, Muñoz, and Thyng, and secure their felony guilty pleas. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the cases.


title: Newington Man Charged with Drug and Gun Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging MARTIN DELGADO, 29, of Newington, with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses. The indictment was returned on July 31, 2024, and Delgado was arrested this morning. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was ordered detained. As alleged in statements made in court, on May 13, 2024, members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force conducted a court-authorized search of Delgado’s Newington residence and seized approximately 2,500 wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine, and narcotics packaging materials. Delgado, who fled on foot when officers arrived at his residence, was apprehended a short time later in West Hartford. Officers located a 9mm handgun near Delgado’s residence that he appeared to have discarded as he fled. Delgado was charged with state offenses and released on bond. It is alleged that Delgado’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug distribution offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. The indictment charges Delgado with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Reed Durham. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: U.S. District Judge Sentences Three Men from Central Arkansas to Federal Prison on Firearms Charges

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK— Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentencing of Terry Lydell Cook, Derrick Owens, and Howard Jerome Jenkins, to be incarcerated in federal prison on firearm related charges. All three defendants illegally possessed firearms after being convicted of numerous violent offenses and drug offenses, including domestic batteries, attempted rape, and robbery. The sentences for Cook, Owens, and Jenkins of 120 months, 102 months, and 96 months, respectively, were handed down on Wednesday by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller. Terry Lydell Cook, 33, Little Rock, Arkansas Cook, a previously convicted felon, was indicted on March 2, 2022, in a one-count indictment for possession of a firearm by a felon. On June 2, 2023, Cook pled guilty to the charge in the indictment. On March 27, 2021, the Little Rock Police Department was dispatched to a residence after reports of a shooting. When police arrived, witnesses stated that Cook was involved in physical altercation with a female, causing visible injury, and fired multiple shots in the air from a handgun. A witness stated Cook had a handgun and was threatening to shoot whoever drove up to the house. Cook was gone when police arrived. After investigation, the Little Rock Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for Cook. On April 2, 2021, officers with Arkansas Community Correction located Cook at a residence and during a subsequent search, officers located a firearm. An investigation revealed that Cook had numerous prior convictions for residential burglary, as well as convictions for simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms. Cook also has convictions for terroristic threatening, possession of a firearm by certain persons, and domestic battery, as well as more than a dozen incidents alleging domestic violence. Judge Miller sentenced Cook to serve 10 years in federal prison, the maximum permitted under the law, and also sentenced Cook to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Little Rock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens prosecuted the case. Derrick Owens, 44, Little Rock, Arkansas Owens, a previously convicted felon, was indicted on August 8, 2019, on one count for possession of a firearm by a felon. On July 27, 2020, Owens pled guilty to the superseding indictment. On April 25, 2017, Little Rock Police Department officers responded to an area on Colonel Glenn Road for a disturbance where shots were fired. Officers made contact with a witness who stated a black male, later identified as Owens, assaulted a female at the apartment complex. The witness stated she yelled for Owens to stop and as the female victim ran towards the witness’ vehicle, Owens followed behind the victim and pulled out a firearm, pointing it at both the witness and the victim. During the assault on the victim, Owens threatened to shoot her before she was able to flee the area. Officers saw Owens in the parking lot of the complex in a vehicle being driven by a family member and initiated a traffic stop. Owens was aware he had an active warrant for failure to register as a sex offender and during questioning, he gave officers his brother’s name. Owens did provide officers consent to search the vehicle where a firearm was located in a bag in the floorboard on the passenger’s side where Owens had been sitting. The investigation revealed that prior to this offense, Owens had previously been convicted of robbery, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of PCP, possession of drug paraphernalia, and criminal attempt to commit rape. He also has convictions for escape, failure to register as a sex offender, possession of firearms by certain persons, and possession of prohibited articles. Judge Miller sentenced Owens to serve 102 months in federal prison and also sentenced Owens to three years’ supervised release. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Little Rock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Walker prosecuted the case. Howard Jerome Jenkins, 33, North Little Rock, Arkansas Jenkins, a previously convicted felon, was indicted on October 26, 2021, for illegally possessing a firearm, and pled guilty to the charge on September 16, 2022. On April 22, 2021, a North Little Rock Police Department officer responded to a one-vehicle accident at the intersection of Donovan Briley and Military Road. An investigation revealed that Jenkins was the driver and determined to be impaired at which time he was arrested. At the time of his arrest, Jenkins was in possession of a firearm. Jenkins had previously been convicted of delivery of cocaine, first-degree battery, terroristic threatening, possession of methamphetamine, and domestic battery. Judge Miller sentenced Jenkins to 96 months in federal prison and also sentenced Jenkins to three years’ supervised release. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the North Little Rock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jana Harris prosecuted the case. # # # This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Lander man arraigned on drug trafficking and firearm offenses

body_text: Jason Trimmer, 47, of Lander, Wyoming, was arraigned on August 1, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Trimmer pleaded not guilty. A trial has been set for Oct. 7, before U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson. The Safe Trails Task Force, led by the FBI, executed a search warrant on Trimmer’s residence and seized more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, over 32 grams of fentanyl, and 14 firearms. This task force investigates drug trafficking on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and in surrounding communities, with an emphasis on stopping the distribution of fentanyl. In addition to the FBI, task force members include the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Riverton Police Department, and the Lander Police Department. If convicted, Trimmer faces 10 years to life imprisonment plus five years of consecutive imprisonment if found guilty of being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, he will serve no less than five years to life of supervised release and may be fined up to $11.5 million on top of the $400 assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist. An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Case No. 24-CR-00118


title: Lynn Man Convicted of Drug and Firearm Charges

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man was convicted today following a five-day jury trial in federal court in Boston in connection with drug and firearm charges. Jose Perez, 27, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor scheduled sentencing for Nov. 1, 2024. In January 2023, Perez was arrested and charged along with co-defendant Henry Del Rio. “Mr. Perez put the community at risk with dangerous controlled substances and an illegal firearm. With drugs and guns threatening many civilians’ livelihoods, this case demonstrates our commitment to protecting our communities from any and all threats they may face,” said Acting United States Joshua S. Levy. “Keeping our neighborhoods safe is the very essence of the work of our office, and we will not rest in pursuit of that mission.” “Illegally possessing a firearm while trafficking in illegal drugs fuels the violence in our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division. “I commend the Lexington Police Department and the United States Attorney's Office for holding Mr. Perez accountable.” In December 2022, local police officers attempted to stop a vehicle for traffic violations that Perez was driving. Instead of pulling over, Perez accelerated and engaged in a high-speed escape attempt, traveling more than 85 miles per hour on residential streets. Eventually, Perez’s car lost control and collided with another vehicle, stopping Perez. When Perez exited the vehicle, a Glock 34X 9mm semi-automatic handgun dropped to the ground. Perez subsequently tried to escape on foot. After Perez and Del Rio ran from authorities and were apprehended, Perez was found with $2,000 cash in his pockets; two bags that were determined to contain cocaine and 44 smaller, individually wrapped bags of fentanyl were found in Del Rio’s flight path. A search of the vehicle yielded a third bag of cocaine. Given Perez’s status as a felon, he is barred from possessing a firearm. Del Rio pleaded guilty in April 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 3, 2024. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years, up to life, of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The charge of felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and ATF SAC Ferguson made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lexington, Chelsea and MBTA Police Departments and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Crowley, Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit, and Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Illinois Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Transfer Obscene Material to a Minor

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 1, 2024, Terrence E. Fabino (Age: 61) of Lake County, Illinois, was sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to a charge of attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1470. According to the court documents, Fabino engaged in online communications with an individual he believed to be a minor located in Northeast Wisconsin. Fabino requested sexually explicit images from the minor and also sent an obscene image of himself taken in a commuter train bathroom to the minor, who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. At sentencing, Senior United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense and the need to protect the community, particularly minors, from Fabino’s actions. After serving his prison sentence, Fabino will spend three years on supervised release and will be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law. This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . ### For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


body_text: A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has returned an indictment charging six defendants for their participation in a years-long scheme to steal millions of dollars from American consumers’ bank accounts. According to court documents, Henry LoConti, 63, of Chardon, Ohio; John Flynn, 43, of Canada; Shoaib Ahmad, 64, of Canada; Timothy Munoz, 57, of Wilmington, California; Eric Crespin, 61, of Canada; and Lezli St. Hill, 53, of Canada, were members and associates of a racketeering enterprise that unlawfully debited money from the bank accounts of unknowing U.S. consumer-victims. Through various members and associates, the enterprise obtained identifying and banking information for victims, and created shell entities that claimed to offer products or services, such as cloud storage. The enterprise then executed unauthorized debits against victims’ bank accounts, which it falsely represented to banks were authorized by the victims. Some of the unauthorized debits resulted in returned transactions, which generated high return rates. To both conceal and continue conducting unauthorized debits, the enterprise’s shell entities also generated “micro debits” against other bank accounts controlled and funded by or for the enterprise. The micro debits artificially lowered shell entities’ return rates to levels that conspirators believed would reduce bank scrutiny and lessen potential negative impact on the enterprise’s banking relations. Combined with a prior indictment , 19 conspirators are currently charged in the Central District of California for their participation in the scheme. Three other defendants have been convicted and/or sentenced in the District of Nevada , Southern District of California and District of Maryland . “The scheme alleged in the indictment involved an elaborate plot to steal consumers’ hard-earned savings directly from their bank accounts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will use all of the tools at its disposal to prosecute such schemes.” “Criminals are utilizing technology to devise increasingly sophisticated methods to steal from victims,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “My office will continue to use all available tools to prosecute and apprehend these fraud networks, but I also urge everyone to regularly check your accounts for any unauthorized activity – no matter how small. Prevention is key.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), along with our partners, remain committed to shutting down these types of scammers,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of USPIS’ Criminal Investigations Group. “Dismantling this syndicate, and the arrests and prosecutions of those involved, should send a clear message that fraudulent schemes that exploit innocent victims, many of whom have suffered not only financial losses but also emotional distress and a breach of trust, will not be tolerated. The Postal Inspection Service will make sure that justice is served and that those responsible for these types of crimes feel the full weight of justice.” All six defendants are charged with racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud. Some defendants made their initial court appearances yesterday. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy and 30 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Ahmad was separately charged in a second indictment with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud related to his participation in a similarly-structured conspiracy that also stole money from U.S. consumer-victims. The department urges individuals to be on the lookout for unauthorized debits to their accounts. Regularly check your bank, credit card and other financial statements and contact your financial institution if you see a charge you do not recognize. Report any fraudulent debit you identify to law enforcement. Reports may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. USPIS is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang, Meredith Healy and Amy Kaplan of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Tait for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case. The Consumer Protection Branch, in conjunction with the USPIS, is pursing wrongdoers who disguise the unlawful nature of business activities by, among other methods, artificially lowering financial account return rates. These tactics are designed to deceive banks, resulting in bank accounts remaining open and facilitating fraud schemes and other illegal activities, including schemes that debit consumers’ bank accounts without authorization, tech support scams and subscription traps. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Six Indicted in Scheme to Defraud D.C. Medicaid Program

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Omolere Omomowo, 43, a resident of Laurel, Maryland and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who led several companies that claimed to provide mental health rehabilitative services to some of the District’s most vulnerable citizens, was indicted on August 1, 2024, along with five “community support workers” (CSWs) employed by his company, on charges that they conspired to and did defraud the D.C. Medicaid program of over $10 million by engaging in a scheme to submit bills for mental-health related services that were not medically necessary, not reimbursable, and did not occur. The indictment was announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia. Law enforcement arrested Omomowo earlier today in Fort Lauderdale. He made his initial appearance earlier today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Co-defendant Zilah Bessem, 36, a resident of Frisco, Texas, who previously lived in Maryland, was charged in the same indictment and arrested Thursday evening at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. She made her initial appearance earlier today in the U.S. District for the Northern District of Texas and was detained pending trial. The remaining four co-defendants – Gregory Clark of Washington, D.C., Ernest Ikomi of Beltsville, Maryland, Diane Mochi of Adelphi, Maryland, and Seraphine Nwufor of Bowie, Maryland – are expected to make their initial appearances in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in the next week. According to the indictment, Omomowo hatched the conspiracy in early 2020, while serving as the chief financial officer of a D.C.-based mental health provider, Prestige Healthcare Resources. After Prestige obtained certification from D.C.’s Department of Behavioral Health to start an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program, Omomowo took the lead in implementing the program. In the District, the ACT program provides intensive, integrated services to the most at-risk adults, individuals with an “intractable, serious, and persistent mental illness.” Under Medicaid rules, ACT providers were authorized to submit bills for a greater number of hours and at a higher rate given the seriousness of the mental-health and substance-abuse issues faced by program participants. The indictment alleges that, shortly after Prestige obtained its ACT authorization, Omomowo orchestrated a scheme by which most, if not all, of the consumers on certain CSWs’ caseloads were stepped up from receiving standard mental health services into receiving services as part of the ACT Program. Omomowo and his co-conspirators allegedly implemented this scheme by directing the submission of false and fraudulent assessments despite knowing that ACT services were not medically necessary for the consumers. Omomowo and his co-defendants then allegedly billed Medicaid for ACT services that were not medically necessary as well as for services that did not occur. According to the indictment, in April 2021, following an employment dispute with the CEO of Prestige, Omomowo resigned and started a new company, The Marcaulay Group, to continue the fraudulent billing scheme. At Omomowo’s direction, the co-defendant CSWs also left Prestige and joined The Marcaulay Group. The Marcaulay Group, however, was not certified with the Department of Behavioral Health, so Omomowo partnered with D.C.-based mental health service providers Affordable Home Healthcare LLC and later Goshen Healthcare Management Services LLC. Because Affordable did not have an ACT Program, the Medicaid beneficiaries Omomowo and his CSWs sought to transfer from Prestige required medical assessments to determine whether they continued to need ACT services. The indictment alleges that Omomowo and an unnamed co-conspirator directed the CSW co-defendants to initiate a blanket ACT step-down process without regard to medical necessity and on the basis of false and fraudulent assessments. Omomowo and his co-defendants then conspired to and did submit false and fraudulent encounter notes for standard mental health services to Medicaid that (1) grossly inflated the amount of time spent conducting the mental health services; (2) were based on activities not authorized to be reimbursed by Medicaid; and (3) for mental health service encounters that did not occur. For this conduct, the indictment charges all six defendants with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. It also charges Omomowo with an additional 10 counts of substantive health care fraud, and each of the five co-defendants with an additional two counts of health care fraud. In addition, Omomowo is charged with four counts of expenditure money laundering for making large purchases with the proceeds of the fraud scheme. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge and lesser penalties for the other offenses. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes. The sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Health and Human Services and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Howland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason Facci, on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Billings man sentenced on firearms crime after armed patrols on sidewalk in an elementary school zone

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man who conducted armed patrols on the sidewalk in his neighborhood, which is across the street from a public elementary school and in a school zone, was sentenced today to three years of probation for a firearms conviction, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Gabriel Cowan Metcalf, 50, pleaded guilty in March to unlawful possession of a firearm in a school zone, as charged in an indictment. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. In a plea agreement, the parties jointly recommended that a probationary sentence was appropriate. “Almost one year ago, just as the school year was scheduled to begin, Broadwater Elementary School was busy taking proactive measures to protect kids from Metcalf and so were our law enforcement partners. Despite multiple attempts to explain to Metcalf that he was in violation of federal law, he continued his habit of armed patrols around his neighborhood and in a school zone. As we prepare for another year of school, the parents and children of Billings schools should know we will do whatever it takes to keep kids safe, as shown by our actions in this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. The government alleged in court documents that in August 2023, multiple individuals observed Metcalf walking in the vicinity of Broadwater Elementary School while carrying a firearm. Metcalf was observed in multiple public areas, including walking down the sidewalk, crossing the street, and walking down a city alley, all within 1,000 feet of the elementary school. Metcalf’s residence is on Broadwater Avenue and is directly across the street from the school. On Aug. 17, 2023, law enforcement officers spoke to Metcalf, who admitted to following cars while carrying a firearm, walking to the nearby business and escorting his mother down the street to her shop while carrying a firearm. Metcalf further told officers he patrolled daily and usually went around the block once or twice a week, but that lately he had done it several times a day. On Aug. 22, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Metcalf’s residence and seized a 20-gauge shotgun and six rounds of ammunition. The shotgun was the firearm Metcalf described as using to patrol. Metcalf’s conduct prompted the school to lock down, put up tarping, erect a temporary fence, change where children walked and request increased police presence. When confronted with information that he was scaring parents and school authorities, Metcalf would not stop. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. 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. XXX


title: Final defendant arrested in 41-person drug trafficking scheme enters guilty plea

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – The final defendant of 41 arrested in an extensive drug trafficking investigation, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and unlawfully possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Kendle Rashen Hawkins, 34, of Goodyear, Arizona, will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez on November 8, 2024. Because of the quantity of drugs involved, Hawkins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. According to records filed in the case, Hawkins was identified as a participant in the drug trafficking ring who brought large quantities of controlled substances—which he concealed in compartments in rental vehicles—from Phoenix to Seattle. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant to track his cell phone and saw the phone traveling from Phoenix to Sacramento and then up Interstate 5 towards Seattle. Using the location data, investigators were able to locate Hawkins as he came into Washington State as a passenger in a car he rented. Agents had the car stopped for speeding in Lewis County. After a drug detection dog alerted to the presence of drugs in the car, agents obtained a warrant to search it. Inside the vehicle, they found about 50,000 fentanyl pills weighing more than 4.8 kilograms, five firearms, two silencers, and a high-capacity drum magazine. Each of the firearms was purchased in Arizona within the previous two weeks by a man later prosecuted in Arizona for dealing firearms without a license. The arrest of Hawkins came midway through a larger investigation into drug trafficking in the Seattle region. This joint investigation by the FBI and the Seattle Police Department resulted in charges against 41 individuals, most of whom were arrested in a takedown in April 2021 or another in June 2021. Over more than two years of the investigation, law enforcement seized 121 firearms, including stolen firearms and ghost guns; more than 16 kilograms of cocaine; more than 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl; nearly 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine; and smaller quantities of heroin, MDMA, oxycodone, and other pills. Investigators also seized hundreds of marijuana plants from an illegal grow operation and hundreds of kilograms of marijuana that were being illegally processed and distributed. In addition to the drugs, investigators seized nearly $1 million in cash that was proceeds from drug trafficking, a pill press used for manufacturing counterfeit pills, dozens of firearm magazines, and innumerable rounds of ammunition, and six sets of body armor. The sentences for those indicted in this case range from time served to more than eight years in prison. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The investigation was led by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force with key participation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Seattle Police Gang and Narcotics Units, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin H. Becker and Lyndsie Schmalz.


title: Lodge Grass man sentenced to four years in prison for trafficking meth in large-scale investigation centered on Crow Indian Reservation

body_text: BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass man who trafficked methamphetamine as part of large-scale, multi-state operation that was centered on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Morgan Luke Hugs, 34, pleaded guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that federal law enforcement, in collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, engaged in a large-scale, multiple-state narcotics trafficking investigation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations. Hugs was one of the individuals affiliated with the investigation and was considered a mid-level dealer. The government further alleged that from about January 2022 until March 2023, Hugs was receiving meth from Spear Siding and distributing it to others on the Crow Reservation. Hugs received meth from two main co-conspirators involved with the investigation, sold ounce quantities and used other people to help him conduct sales. Hugs also acted as a protector/enforcer for another co-conspirator and would use stolen guns to help pay off his drug debt to others at Spear Siding. In addition, law enforcement obtained meth from Hugs in a controlled purchase in Hardin in November 2022. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . XXX