title: Suburban Chicago Physician Pleads Guilty to Federal Health Care Fraud Charges

body_text: CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago physician has pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges for billing Medicaid and private insurers for nonexistent services. MONA GHOSH owned and operated Progressive Women’s Healthcare, S.C., a medical office in Hoffman Estates, Ill., specializing in obstetrics and gynecology services. From 2018 to 2022, Ghosh submitted and caused her employees to submit fraudulent claims to Medicaid, TRICARE, and numerous other insurers for procedures and services that were not provided or were not medically necessary, some of which were performed without patient consent. Ghosh also fraudulently overstated the length and complexity of in-office and telemedicine visits and submitted claims using billing codes for which the visits did not qualify in order to seek higher reimbursement rates, her plea agreement states. Ghosh admitted in the plea agreement that she prepared false patient medical records to support the fraudulent reimbursement claims. Ghosh, 51, of Inverness, Ill., pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of health care fraud. Each count is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama set sentencing for Oct. 22, 2024. It is the government’s position that Ghosh is accountable for at least $2.4 million in fraudulently obtained reimbursements. Ghosh admitted in the plea agreement that she is accountable for more than $1.5 million of such fraudulently obtained reimbursements. The final amount will be determined by the Court at sentencing. The plea agreement was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Darrin K. Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office; Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright. Ghosh plea agreement


title: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Offense

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jereal J. Booker, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms offense stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm in March 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Booker pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Honorable Richard J. Leon scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2024. According to court papers, on March 21, 2023, an MPD officer observed Booker walking outside a convenience store in a manner that suggested he was carrying a firearm in the front of his pants. An employee of the store then told the officer that he had seen Booker adjusting a firearm in the front of his pants, and he showed the officer surveillance footage that corroborated his account. When the officer attempted to stop Booker in the 4600 block of Livingston Road Southeast, Booker broke into headlong flight. While fleeing the police, Booker discarded the firearm in some bushes before allowing himself to be apprehended. Nearby construction workers who had witnessed the chase alerted the officers to look in the bushes. They did so and recovered a .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun loaded with one chambered round and ten rounds in its magazine. DNA testing later linked the firearm to Booker. Booker was arrested on March 21, 2023, and remains detained pending sentencing. Federal law prohibits Booker from possessing a firearm because he has previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, including a 2023 conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and a 2021 conviction for attempted carjacking in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. Booker was on probation for both convictions at the time of this offense. Booker faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney. 23cr103


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAVID COULTER , age 34, of New Orleans, was sentenced on June 27, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to the statutory maximum of 120 months incarceration after he previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Judge Vitter also ordered that COULTER be placed on supervised release for three (3) years following his release from imprisonment and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, COULTER has a prior conviction for possessing cocaine and multiple convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm or weapon in Orleans Parish. Due to this criminal history, he is prohibited from having a firearm. 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. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and New Orleans Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit prosecuted this matter.


title: Former Security Supervisor at Reentry Center Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of Inmate

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Morris Gary Hibbitt, 51, of Avondale, pleaded guilty on June 17, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge John Z. Boyle to the felony charge of sexual abuse of an inmate. On September 9, 2024, Chief United States District Judge G. Murray Snow will sentence Hibbitt. At the time of the offense, Hibbitt worked as a Security Supervisor for Behavioral Systems Southwest (BSS), a residential reentry center in Phoenix. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) contracts with BSS to help inmates reenter the community when they complete their prison terms. Inmate wards at BSS remain in official detention and under the custodial authority of the BOP. On May 21, 2023, while on duty as the Security Supervisor at BSS, Hibbitt sexually abused a female inmate under his supervision. The investigation in this case was conducted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Kristen Brook, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00993-PHX-GMS RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-085_Hibbitt # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Multiple Orleans Parish Residents Indicted for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on June 27, 2024 a ten-count indictment charging the following Orleans Parish residents: WILBERT SMITH , (“ SMITH”) , age 44 DAVID KELLUP , (“D. KELLUP”) , age 44 IVAN KELLUP , (“I. KELLUP”) , age 41 VINCENT HENDERSON , (“HENDERSON”) , age 50 ELI MATHINS , (“MATHINS”), age 36 DEONTAE DORSEY , (“DORSEY”) , age 43 RONALD KELLUP , (“R. KELLUP”), age 76 SMITH, D. KELLUP, I. KELLUP, HENDERSON, MATHINS, and DORSEY were indicted in Count 1 of the indictment, charging them with Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. If convicted of Count 1, they face a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment. SMITH and D. KELLUP were indicted in Count 2 of the indictment, charging them with Possession with intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine and heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and § 841(b)(1)(C). If convicted of Count 2, they face a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment. HENDERSON was indicted in Count 3 of the indictment, charging him with Possession with Intent to Distribute a quantity of fentanyl and cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). If convicted of Count 3, HENDERSON faces up to twenty years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment. HENDERSON was also indicted in Count 4 along with SMITH, D. KELLUP, I. KELLUP, MATHINS, and DORSEY for possessing firearms in furtherance of these drug trafficking crimes, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1). A conviction on Count 4 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment. Any sentence on Count 4 must run consecutive to any other sentence. D. KELLUP, SMITH, and MATHINS were also indicted in Counts 5, 6, and 7, respectively, for possessing firearms as convicted felons, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). They face up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment. All eight individuals were indicted in Count 8 for maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 856(a) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. Count 8 carries up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $500,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment. All eight counts also carry a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least May 8, 2024, these seven individuals maintained three residences in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans for the purpose of packaging and distributing narcotics, including fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. Several of the individuals furthered their drug trafficking conspiracy by possessing firearms, which they are prohibited from doing under federal law and also due to their prior felony convictions. United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of a defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Starr County justice of the peace and another sent to prison for roles in drug trafficking organization

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – Two Starr County residents, one a former justice of the peace (JP), are now headed to federal prison for their roles in a drug-trafficking organization, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Roel Valadez Jr., 33, and Diego Alberto Reyes-Roiz, 43, both of Rio Grande City, pleaded guilty March 18 and March 25, respectively. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Reyes-Roiz to serve a total of 22 years in prison, while former JP Valadez must serve 21 months. Reyes-Roiz must also serve five years of supervised release following release from prison. Valadez will be on supervised release for three years. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane found Reyes-Roiz was the leader of a drug-trafficking organization that imported substantial quantities of drugs into the United States from Mexico which was then distributed throughout Texas. Reyes-Roiz was found responsible for the importation of approximately 43 kilograms of meth from Mexico into the United States in addition to large amounts of cocaine and marijuana. The Court learned about how Valdez had been doing favors for Ignacio Garza - one of the heads of the drug trafficking organization. Garza had received information that authorities had stopped and apprehended one of his drug couriers. Valadez, a JP since 2018, made a series of phone calls to the Starr County jail to see if the courier had been booked, and if so, by whom and reached out to another Justice of the Peace to see if he could be released on his own recognizance. “As an elected official in Starr County, a judge none the less, Valadez swore an oath to uphold the law,” said Hamdani. “However, he betrayed his oath of office and the citizens of Starr County when he abused his office to assist and protect a local drug-trafficking organization.” At the time of his plea, Valadez admitted he had possessed with intent to distribute less than 100 kilograms of marijuana. He also acknowledged he had used his JP position to assist another person in obtaining a low bond for one of his workers that law enforcement had detained. Reyes-Roiz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Valadez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender at a later date. Garza, 53, Rio Grande City, also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Sept. 5. At that time, he faces up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $10 million fine. He remains in custody. The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigations conducted the Organized Crime and Dug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations with the assistance of local task force officers. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Cook Profit and Ted Parran prosecuted the cases.


title: Fugitive receives significant sentence for synthetic narcotics

body_text: VICTORIA, Texas – A 38-year-old Sugar Land resident has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver a synthetic cannabinoid and a separate charge for failure to appear, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Naveed Rasheed Shike pleaded guilty April 2. U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey has now ordered Shike to serve 208 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a synthetic cannabinoid and another 54 months for failure to appear. The total 262-month prison term will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, law enforcement presented testimony on the impact synthetic cannabinoids have on the local community, adverse effects of those substances and the imminent hazard the substances present to public safety. In handing down the sentence, the court noted and acknowledged the significant danger of synthetic cannabinoids as well as the large scale of the operation, specifically the volume of drugs Shike distributed and the significant number of affected individuals. On Sept. 19, 2016, authorities conducted a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 77 south of Victoria. Law enforcement identified the driver as Henry Martinez and the front seat passenger as Shike. During a search of the vehicle, authorities discovered over 1,400 retail packages of synthetic cannabinoids to be sold to and smoked. Shike admitted the synthetic cannabinoids were for delivery to individuals in Corpus Christi, and they were going to pick up $26,000. Shike admitted the “ledger” in the vehicle was from a prior trip and had done this several times. Both Martinez and Shike were initially arrested and permitted release on bond. On Oct. 2, 2019, Shike failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing before Judge Rainey, resulting in a warrant for his arrest. Authorities determined Shike had fled the United States to Karachi, Pakistani. On Jan. 24, 2024, as part of Operation Lone Star, law enforcement engaged in a high-speed vehicle pursuit resulting in a bailout in Sullivan City. Authorities then tracked, located and arrested Shike. At the time of his arrest, Shike had been a fugitive for more than four years. Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of the synthetic cannabinoid FUB-AMB. Experts determined that based on the chemical structure and the pharmacological effects, FUB-AMB is a controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Analog Enforcement Act. Synthetic cannabinoids are chemical compounds that mimic THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. After application to carrier mediums such as plant material, these chemical compounds are put into rolling papers, pipes, vaporizers or otherwise taken orally. Synthetic cannabinoids are usually sold in small, foil or plastic bags containing dried leaves (resembling potpourri) and marketed as incense for the purpose of smoking. It is commonly sold and known as synthetic marijuana, fake weed, legal and popular brand names including Kush, Spice, K2, Klimaxx and many other names. Martinez, 48, Rosenberg, pleaded guilty Jan. 9, 2018, and received a 24-month sentence followed by two years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substance analogs. Shike has been and will remain in federal custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt prosecuted the case.


title: Gardena Street Gang Member Found Guilty of Participating in Fatal Shooting of Victim in Front of His Family’s Home

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A member of the Gardena 13 street gang was found guilty today by a jury of participating in the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old man who was murdered in front of his family home in November 2020. Justin Arteaga, 23, a.k.a. “Hitta,” of Gardena, was found guilty of one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder. He has been in federal custody since December 2020. “The victims of gang violence are most often the people living in the very neighborhoods the gangs claim as their own,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “In this case, gang members once again committed a cowardly and senseless murder that ended the promise of a young life. The mandatory life sentence that will result for this defendant sends a clear message that my office is laser focused on holding perpetrators of violence accountable to the fullest account.” “Gang violence has far too often senselessly transformed our family, friends, and neighbors into victims of crime. Sadly, this case was no different,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “My office has a long history of combatting gang violence, and I am extremely proud of the HSI special agents and our partners from the ATF, Gardena Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who were determined to seek justice for the family.” “ATF targets trigger pullers by partnering with prosecutors, and law enforcement partners, to build cases against violent criminals,” said Special Agent in Charge of ATF Los Angeles Field Division Christopher Bombardiere. “ATF used its expertise in this investigation to link the evidence from the homicide firearms to the defendants. We will continue to pull and use all our resources to build cases against killers.” According to evidence presented during a five-day trial, on November 13, 2020, the victim and his brother were seated in a parked car in front of their home when they were confronted by three men on foot – Arteaga, Antonio Yanez, 26, a.k.a. “Tank,” and George Hernandez, a.k.a. “Lil Vampy” – who were all armed with handguns. Yanez and George Hernandez were members of the Gardena 13 street gang, and Yanez was an associate of the gang. Following the victim’s perceived disrespect of Gardena 13 and the three assailants, all three assailants pulled out guns and began shooting the victim. After the victim had been shot, the victim’s father stepped out to help his son at which point a shootout between the victim’s father and the assailants, including Gardena 13 gang member Jesus Hernandez, 31, a.k.a. “Rowdy,” occurred. Police and paramedics responded to the scene, where they treated the victim who died at the scene from gunshot wounds. George Hernandez, who was found lying on the street with gunshot wounds to his head and chest, was brought to a hospital, where he later died. Arteaga was arrested four days later at Los Angeles International Airport as he was preparing to board a one-way flight to Mexico. “The Gardena Police Department expresses its appreciation to the US Attorney's Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the ATF, and all other participating agencies in this thorough investigation and prosecution,” said Gardena Police Chief Michael Saffell. “We deeply value the dedication of our collaborative partners in ensuring justice and providing closure to the victim's family.” Jesus Hernandez, who participated in the shootout, pleaded guilty in May 2022 to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and is serving a 110-month prison sentence. Yanez pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of VICAR, one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He is expected to be sentenced in the coming months. United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. scheduled a September 20 sentencing hearing, at which time Arteaga will face a sentence of life in federal prison. Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Gardena Police Department investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys, including Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Varun Behl of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Lexington Man Sentenced for Armed Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., man, Chris Williams, 29, was sentenced on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to 200 months, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, distribution of fentanyl, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. In August 2022, detectives with the Kentucky State Police received information that Chris Williams was distributing large quantities of fentanyl. During a month-long investigation, KSP purchased approximately 74 grams of fentanyl from Williams. In September 2022, detectives seized a loaded firearm, approximately 76 grams of fentanyl, and approximately 20 grams of pressed fentanyl analogue pills from Williams. Williams admitted he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Then, in August 2023, detectives with the Lexington Police received information that Williams was again distributing narcotics. In September 2023, following a second investigation, a search warrant was executed at Williams’ residence. There, detectives located approximately 60 grams of fentanyl and two firearms. Williams again admitted he possessed the firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Under federal law, Williams must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by DEA, KSP, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. — END —


title: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement today from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: “The Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed into law 60 years ago today, gave the Justice Department some of its most important tools to protect Americans from discrimination, including at school, in the workplace, in voting, and in places of public accommodation. Today, we remember the generations of Americans who risked their lives – and the many who sacrificed their lives – in the struggle to claim the rights guaranteed to Black Americans, and to all Americans, under the Constitution. We recognize the continued dedication of our partners in the civil rights community who are the inheritors of that legacy. And we honor the public servants across the Justice Department who have worked to fulfill the promise of the Civil Rights Act over the past six decades and continue to do so today. Before signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law 60 years ago, President Lyndon Baines Johnson addressed the American people, saying, ‘the Civil Rights Act is a challenge to all of us to work in our communities and our States, in our homes and in our hearts, to eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in our beloved country.’ Today, as we mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, the Justice Department renews our commitment to meeting that challenge.”


title: Jefferson County man sentenced for COVID-Relief fraud

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced for federal violations related to a COVID-relief fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Acheon King Aleidron, formerly known as Cameron Alexander, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 1, 2024. Aleidron was also ordered to pay $415,900.00 in restitution. According to court documents, Aleidron used a Beaumont address for a business named The Fishing Factor, LLC to fraudulently obtain $415,000 under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for COVID-19 pandemic relief. Aleidron filed numerous fraudulent loan applications and received the funds which were intended to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during and resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Aleidron opened five bank accounts with four different banks in in order to receive funds from the scheme. The government was able to seize $186,413.78 from Aleidron’s various bank accounts, which will be forfeited to pay back a portion of the loss. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional funding. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (“EIDL”) was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the SBA that provided loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. EIDL loans were intended to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. EIDL loans are processed outside the State of Texas. According to the SBA website ( www.sba.gov ), the stated purpose of an EIDL loan is “[t]o meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred.” EIDL loans are low interest loans and are not forgivable. To obtain an EIDL loan, a qualifying business had to submit an EIDL loan application, which was signed by an authorized representative of the business. The EIDL loan application required the business (through its authorized representative) to acknowledge the program rules and make certain affirmative certifications to be eligible to obtain the EIDL loan, including that the business was in operation and needed the funds for working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by disaster occurring in the month of January 31, 2020, and continuing thereafter. For a business to be eligible for an EIDL loan, the business must have been in operation before February 1, 2020. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA and processed by the agency with support from a government contractor, Rapid Finance. EIDL loan applications were received by SBA servers located in Virginia, Iowa, or Washington. Once approved, the individual or business received the EIDL loan proceeds via an electronic funds transfer to a financial account under the control of the business. The amount of the loan, if the application were approved, was determined based on the information provided by the applicant about employment, revenue, and cost of goods, as described above. Any funds issued under an EIDL advance were issued directly by the SBA. EIDL funds could be used for payroll expenses, sick leave, production costs, and business obligations, such as debts, rent, and mortgage payments. This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin. ###


title: Major Drug Dealer Found Guilty of Multiple Drug and Weapons Offenses

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: BAY CITY – Ricardo Delgado, II, the leader of a large-scale drug conspiracy operating in the Saginaw-Bay area, was convicted by a federal jury of multiple drug and weapons offenses, including drug conspiracy and possession with to intent to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, possession of multiple machineguns, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI in Michigan. Following a week-long trial, the jury convicted Delgado, 51, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl; possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a machinegun; felon in possession of a firearm; possession of an unregistered silencer; and, use of communication facility to commit a drug offense. Evidence at trial established that Delgado was involved in a wide-ranging drug conspiracy that involved the importation of numerous kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl from Mexico for distribution in the Saginaw-Bay area. During the course of the investigation, FBI agents learned from a court-authorized wiretap that Delgado was seeking retaliation for the theft of his drugs from a subordinate and that he ordered that subordinate to exact revenge. However, this plan was thwarted by authorities. In addition, following Delgado’s arrest, law enforcement officers seized 13 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of fentanyl, 12 firearms, including two machineguns, two silencers, and over $200,000 in cash from Delgado’s residence. “The collaboration between federal and local law enforcement partners demonstrated in this case speaks to our overall commitment to rid our community of dangerous drugs and violent offenders,” stated United States Attorney Ison. “Mr. Delgado’s conviction today emphasizes the FBI’s unwavering commitment to pursuing dangerous drug traffickers to stop further harm to our communities,” stated Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The death toll associated with illegal drugs and the fentanyl epidemic continues to rise. We are resolute in our determination to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to address this critical issue and collectively ensure those who contribute to the drug poisoning crisis while trafficking illegal firearms in our communities are brought to justice.” Delgado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 55 years and a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas L. Ludginton. This investigation was conducted by special agents of the FBI Detroit Division (Bay City Office), the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (BAYANET), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive (ATF), and law enforcement officials from Michigan State Police, Midland Police Department, Saginaw Police Department, Saginaw Township Police Department, Bridgeport Police Department, and the Strike Team Investigative Narcotics Group (STING). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tim Turkelson and William Orr.


title: Saginaw Man Sentenced to Federal Prison For Sexually Exploiting Minors

body_text: BAY CITY – Eric Hartman, 34, of Saginaw was sentenced to 19½ years in federal prison for sexually exploiting children, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office. United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed sentence on Hartman, on June 27, 2024, following his guilty plea to sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Judge Ludington also sentenced Hartman to five years of federal supervised release following his release from incarceration. Hartman’s crimes became known in 2023 when a 13-year-old reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation that Hartman was threatening her and forcing her to send sexually explicit images and videos to him online. Law enforcement traced Hartman to Saginaw, and the FBI executed a search warrant at Hartman’s residence where they recovered multiple electronic devices. The FBI analyzed the devices and found numerous online conversations between Hartman and minors where Hartman requested the minors send him sexually explicit videos. They also found numerous images and videos of other child sexually abusive material. “This case came to light through the bravery of a young victim who came forward to bring her predator to justice. This sentence justly punishes the defendant for preying on children and hopefully will encourage others to seek help from trusted adults and law enforcement if they are being coerced into sending explicit images online,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. "Mr. Hartman is a glaring example of the manipulative nature of sexual predators, underscoring the relentless efforts of the FBI to apprehend these criminals and safeguard our children," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "His actions were despicable, and those who perpetrate such crimes will face justice. The FBI urges anyone with knowledge of child sexual exploitation to report it at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI." This case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Hemann.


title: Woman Who Defrauded Health & Human Services Tech Company  Sentenced to 4+ Years in Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A Mansfield woman convicted in a $3.7 million wire fraud scheme was sentenced Monday to more than four years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Tanisha Adderley, 51, was charged via criminal information in September 2023. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud in November 2023 and was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 51 months in federal prison. The judge also ordered her to pay $3,769,401.90 in restitution. According to court documents, Ms. Adderley worked for a health and human services technology company that recovered fees paid by their clients and remitted refunds to them via wires from their funds recovery bank account. Ms. Adderley had access to the funds recovery bank account and was responsible for obtaining approvals and processing fee refunds. Over the course of four years, from 2019 to 2023, Ms. Adderley manufactured false approvals and processed wire payments to business bank accounts that she controlled. Ms. Adderley fraudulently obtained more than $3.7 million in company funds. The United States Secret Service Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nashonme Johnson prosecuted the case.


title: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $30,000 in Postage Stamps Using Fraudulent Checks

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Soto, age 32, of Springfield, Massachusetts, pled guilty today to a federal indictment charging him with twelve counts of theft of government property, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced. During the plea, Soto admitted that, on twelve separate occasions, he used fraudulent checks to purchase more than $30,000 worth of United States Postal Service postage stamps over the course of two days in Oneida County, Oswego County, and Onondaga County in August 2023. In one instance, he bought $9,438.00 in stamps from a post office in Oswego County using a fake check. Sentencing is scheduled for October 29, 2024. Soto faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The USPIS is investigating the case with the help of the City of Fulton Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.


title: Watervliet Woman Charged with Pandemic Fraud

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Elizabeth Lashley, a/k/a “Elizabeth Bonilla,” age 42, of Watervliet, New York, has been indicted on wire fraud charges for fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits in multiple states. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. Lashley was arraigned in federal court today on an indictment alleging that from about May 2020 to July 2020, she fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits worth more than $65,000 by submitting applications for benefits in her own name or an alias with the state workforce agencies of California, Arizona, and Massachusetts. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The wire fraud charges carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The case is being investigated by USDOL-OIG, USPIS, and HSI, with assistance from the Albany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Paulbeck, Joseph S. Hartunian, and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Plattsburgh Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK –Jason Miller, age 33, of Plattsburgh, New York, was sentenced today to serve 120 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. 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. As part of his guilty plea, Miller admitted that on March 17, 2021, he possessed images on his cell phone of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant’s conduct was uncovered during a joint law enforcement investigation into an online group sharing images of child pornography on Kik, a social media messaging application. The defendant admitted to receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography on Kik. United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a term of 15 years of supervised release, which will start after Miller is released from prison. Miller will also be required to register as a sex offender. Miller was previously convicted on May 16, 2016, in Clinton County Court of disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree. Following multiple violations of probation, he was sentenced to 16 months to 4 years’ imprisonment. The FBI investigated this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham prosecuted the case. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Methamphetamine and Cocaine With Intent to Distribute

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Leon “Sam” Ostrander, age 50, of Johnstown, New York, pled guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement. Ostrander admitted that on January 17, 2024, he possessed over 400 grams of actual methamphetamine and 1.2 kilograms of cocaine seized by law enforcement during a search warrant executed at Ostrander’s home. Ostrander further admitted that he possessed the substances with the intent to sell them. Ostrander will be sentenced on October 25, 2024 by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Ostrander faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and a term of post-release supervision of between 5 years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The DEA and the Johnstown Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa is prosecuting the case.


title: Owner Of Online Luxury Baby Boutique Found Guilty On 31 Counts Of Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado announced that a jury found a former Colorado resident guilty of 31 counts of defrauding the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of nearly half a million dollars. Shambrica Washington, 39, now a resident of Parker, Texas, was found guilty on 31 counts including wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and false claims offenses. According to facts established at trial, Washington, obtained loans from the Small Business Administration for two Economic Injury Disaster Loans and from JPMorgan Chase for two PPP loans for a total of $485,749.00 between March of 2020 and July of 2020. During that time Washington obtained the loans under two business names, including Tiny Toes and Tiaras, an online luxury baby boutique. To obtain the fraudulent loans, Washington misrepresented how many people were employed by her businesses and the businesses’ wages, revenues, and costs of operation. She used the funds to purchase a car, a custom-built home, pay for elective surgery, and pay credit card debt and other bills with the money. She then applied for millions of dollars in additional loans, grants, and tax credits, including by applying for advance tax credits from the Internal Revenue Service and a $6 million grant through a Small Business Administration program intended for shuttered concert venues. “The defendant in this case fraudulently took money from American taxpayers for her own personal benefit,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matthew Kirsch. “Our office and the Department of Justice will continue to seek out and prosecute individuals who took advantage of programs meant to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.” “CARES Act funds were meant to provide direct economic assistance to American workers and businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “This defendant fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars under this program to buy homes, vehicles, and elective surgery. The FBI will continue to pursue such criminal opportunists and hold them accountable.” “The defendant was found guilty of taking advantage of programs designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of American workers, families, and small businesses,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui. “IRS-CI has been involved in investigating fraudulent activities tied to CARES Act funds since its inception and our special agents will continue to track down individuals who stole money intended for those whose lives were upended by the pandemic.” United States District Court Judge William J. Martinez presided over the trial. IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Denver Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Fansler and Taylor Glogiewicz handled the prosecution. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On July 11, 2023, the Attorney General selected the District of Colorado’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of five national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-results-nationwide-covid-19-fraud-enforcement-action . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Troy Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Insurance Fraud

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK –Todd Ward, a/k/a “Fats,” age 45, of Troy, New York, pled guilty earlier this week to conspiring to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by obtaining unemployment insurance benefits under the name of another person, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG). Ward admitted that he provided Carl J. DiVeglia III with the personal identifying information of another individual, which DiVeglia used to file a false claim via the NYSDOL website. Ward further admitted that as a result of the fraudulent applications submitted by DiVeglia, the NYSDOL paid out $152,086 in unemployment insurance benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Ward agreed to pay $152,086 in restitution to the State of New York. DiVeglia previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $1.6 million in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme. Ward’s three co-defendants, his brother Christopher Ward, Rocco Resciniti, and Jamaine Myers, have all pled guilty to related offenses. Ward faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on November 14, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. The FBI and USDOL-OIG are investigating this case, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph S. Hartunian and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Foreign National Charged for Allegedly Possessing with Intent to Sell Narcotics, Including Fentanyl in Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – An indictment was unsealed and a foreign national living in Utah will remain in custody after he was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City this week. A U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered the defendant remain in custody pending trial after he was allegedly attempting to sell fentanyl and heroin in the District of Utah. According to court documents, Florentino Ramos-Salazar, 29, of West Valley City, Utah, became part of a DEA investigation in June 2024. During the investigation, agents attempted to stop a silver Jeep Cherokee that left a West Valley residence they were surveilling. The driver of the Jeep, later identified as Ramos-Salazar, allegedly initially attempted to evade agents in a parking lot before stopping. After searching the vehicle, agents seized 1,000 blue M-30 pills inside the Jeep. Following Ramos-Salazar’s arrest, agents executed a search warrant for a West Valley residence and seized approximately 958.5 grams of heroin, which field tested positive. They also seized 4470 grams of fentanyl pills, which field tested positive for properties of fentanyl. Ramos-Salazar is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment was June 27, 2024, at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Holtan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . OCDETF 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 OCDETF, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf . 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: Nashville Man Convicted by Federal Jury After Being Stopped With A Loaded Gun in His Car After Evading Barricades for Local Festival

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal jury convicted John Joseph Simmons, II, age 34, from Nashville yesterday on charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm on May 13, 2023, after he was stopped for evading barricades set up for the annual Blooming Festival in Nashville with a loaded gun in his car. “Nashville’s annual Blooming Festival typically draws families enjoying food, music, and springtime fun. But in the last several years, the festival has sometimes drawn reckless actors with guns,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We are proud to partner with the Nashville Police Department in its stepped-up efforts to keep the community safe. This verdict is a clear warning to keep illegal guns away from Eastern North Carolina festivals this summer. This former felon dodged a police barricade with a loaded gun in the car. He now faces a lengthy federal prison sentence.” According to court records and evidence presented at trial Simmons illegally possessed a firearm when he drove past a police barricade on West Washington Street in downtown Nashville on the evening of Saturday, May 13, 2023. West Washington Street was closed at the time due to ongoing festivities at the Blooming Festival, Nashville’s annual festival. Simmons, who had previously been convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon and second-degree kidnapping in Edgecombe County was not allowed to possess a firearm. When officers stopped Simmons for driving around the barrier, they spotted a Taurus G3C 9mm handgun laying on the front passenger seat within reach of Simmons. An officer asked Simmons if he was a convicted felon and he responded by looking directly at the firearm and then stating, “that’s not mine, it’s my girlfriend’s gun,” acknowledging that he was aware the gun was in the car. The firearm was loaded with 12 rounds including one in the chamber and the firearm’s safety was not engaged. Simmons still faces charges in Nash County for DUI related to his stop. Caleb Shockley, the Head of Investigations for the Nashville Police stated “This is a prime example of how the Nashville Police Department is and continues to collaboratively work with Federal Task Force Officers and the United States Attorney’s Office in order to secure justice for violent felons who possess firearms. This is a proactive approach to address the recent uptick in violence that Nashville has experienced, particularly firearm-related incidents at the Blooming Festival.” Simmons faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison when sentenced on a future date. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. The Nashville Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Childress and Phil Aubart are prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-CR-114-M-BM. ###


title: Iowa City Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms Charges

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in federal prison for making false statements during purchases of firearms and unlawfully possessing firearms while a drug user. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Kiante Demarr Hough Green, 23, purchased numerous firearms which he provided to individuals he knew to be prohibited from possessing firearms, and which were then used in the commission of violence. At the time of Green’s firearm purchases and during his possession of firearms, he was an unlawful user of controlled substances, and engaged in the distribution of marijuana. After completing his term of imprisonment, Green will be required to serve 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department. 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: Burlington Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for His Role in a Methamphetamine Conspiracy and for a Firearms Offense

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for unlawful possession of firearms. According to public court documents, Jimmie Willis, 44, and others, conspired to bring over 400 pounds of ice methamphetamine to Burlington, Iowa. Willis also unlawfully possessed numerous firearms related to his drug trafficking activities. After completing his term of imprisonment, Willis will be required to serve 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce, Burlington Police Department, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Department of Transportation, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa State Patrol. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Adult Film Actor Justin Heath Smith, a/k/a “Austin Wolf,” Charged With Distribution Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the arrest of JUSTIN HEATH SMITH, an adult film actor who uses the stage name “Austin Wolf.” SMITH is charged with sending and receiving hundreds of videos of child pornography via the Telegram application. Those videos depicted children as young as infants, including a video showing a 10-year-old child bound and raped. In addition to sharing child pornography via Telegram, SMITH is also charged with possessing hundreds of additional videos containing child pornography in his Manhattan apartment. SMITH will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky in Manhattan federal court. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Justin Heath Smith received and distributed hundreds of recordings containing child pornography, including a ghastly video showing a young child bound, beaten, and raped. Our investigation into Smith is ongoing, and we urge anyone with information about Smith’s conduct to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue those predators who victimize children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “I want to make it clear: those who distribute child sexual abuse images prey upon the most vulnerable in our society. Each image is a crime scene, leaving lasting scars on innocent victims. The FBI is relentless in our pursuit of these perpetrators. We will track them down, arrest them, and ensure they face justice for the harm they cause.” According to the allegations contained in the Complaint: [1] Between March 24 and March 28, 2024, SMITH, using an anonymous Telegram account, exchanged hundreds of videos containing child pornography with another individual whose phone was later seized and searched by the FBI pursuant to a search warrant. An undercover FBI agent subsequently began a conversation with SMITH’s anonymous Telegram account. In the course of those conversations, SMITH revealed details that confirmed his identity. On April 21, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at SMITH’s Manhattan apartment, which revealed an SD card with hundreds of videos containing child pornography. * * * SMITH, 43, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. Mr. Williams urged anyone who has additional information about SMITH’s conduct to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or to submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov . This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Getzel Berger is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Northfield Man Sentenced to 27 Months for Embezzling $558,625 from ValleyNet

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 27, 2024, John Van Vught, 73, of Northfield, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Van Vught was also ordered to pay $558,625 of restitution to ValleyNet. Van Vught previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud on February 22, 2024. According to court records, from 2010 through July 2022, Van Vught was employed as an accountant for ValleyNet, a non-profit operator of fiber-to-the-home internet networks in east-central Vermont. As part of this work, Van Vught provided accounting services, including managing company bank accounts, which allowed him to execute electronic funds transfers and pay bills from ValleyNet accounts. Between approximately 2013 until July 2022, Van Vught embezzled approximately $558,625 from ValleyNet’s accounts by conducting electronic transfers. After Van Vught’s embezzlement was suspected in the summer of 2022, Van Vught provided intentionally erroneous documentation to ValleyNet leadership in an attempt to further obfuscate his theft. After being confronted with evidence of his crime by ValleyNet leadership, Van Vught fled Vermont, initially traveling west to New Mexico, then back east to Brunswick, Georgia, where he was apprehended by the FBI. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Van Vught was represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.


title: Three More Paycheck Protection Program Defendants Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Teldrin Foster, John Gaines, and Carla Jackson have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to steal Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, a total of 23 individuals have been convicted and sentenced in connection with the fraudulent scheme. “Foster, Gaines, and Jackson, together with 20 other defendants who have already been sentenced for their participation in this criminal scheme, took advantage of a relief program designed to keep small businesses afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K Buchanan. “These defendants have been held accountable for depriving this program of funds desperately needed by some of the most vulnerable in our society. And their sentences send a clear message that fraud against the government will not be tolerated.” “COVID-19 disaster relief loans were issued by the government to help businesses struggling to survive during a pandemic, not to use for personal pleasures like these defendants used them for,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to hold accountable those who abused taxpayer dollars and diverted them from citizens who desperately needed them.” “Those who took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic relief programs are realizing from these sentences that even after four years since Congress enacted them, they are still being held accountable,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will continue investigating and forwarding for prosecution to the U.S. Attorney’s Office those who committed fraud against the government.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the second superseding indictment, and other information presented in court: From April 2020 through August 2020, Foster worked with co-defendant Darrell Thomas and others to fraudulently obtain at least 14 fraudulent loans. Each of the 14 businesses obtained a PPP loan between $700,000 and $850,000, for a total of over $11 million. The loan applications certified that: each applicant’s business was in operation on February 15, 2020, and had employees for whom it paid salaries and payroll taxes or paid independent contractors; the funds would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments; and the information provided in the application and in all supporting documents and forms was true and accurate in all material respects. The PPP loan applications reported that each business maintained between 59 and 69 employees and generated approximately $295,000 to $342,000 in average monthly payroll expenses. To support these payroll figures, each business’s loan application was accompanied by an Internal Revenue Service Form 941, which employers use to report quarterly payroll taxes, for each quarter of 2019 and by a bank statement or a spreadsheet reflecting payroll expenses. In fact, none of the businesses had employees or incurred payroll expenses. The Form 941s, bank statements, and W2 payroll spreadsheets were all fabricated. Some of the supporting documents the businesses submitted were substantively identical, including the Form 941s, bank statements, and W2 payroll spreadsheets – where the reported figures were identical but purported employee names had been changed. Gaines worked with co-defendant Thomas and others to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan in the amount of $806,710, for a Georgia business called Gaines Reservation and Travel. But that business had no employees or payroll expenses. To support the fraudulent PPP loan application, Gaines provided Thomas with fabricated bank statements for Gaines Reservation and Travel that reflected fake payroll deductions. After the PPP loan was approved, the funds were deposited into an account controlled by Gaines. Gaines later directed payments to Thomas that were disguised as payments for rent and payroll, which are approved expenses under the PPP. Jackson laundered some of the proceeds of Gaines Reservation and Travel’s PPP loan, receiving over $300,000 of the stolen PPP funds into her business’s bank account. The funds were transferred via a check in the amount of $155,252.50 and a wire transfer in the amount of $179,985.72. The check falsely claimed that the funds were provided to Jackson as consulting fees and daily business management, and the wire transfer documentation falsely stated that the funds were for payroll services. In actuality, Jackson was assisting Gaines in concealing the stolen PPP funds from detection and seizure by federal law enforcement. U.S. District Judge Jean-Paul “J.P.” Boulee sentenced the defendants as follows: Teldrin Foster, 42, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $9,606,627. On February 15, 2024, he was convicted by a jury of six counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, eight counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of bank fraud, fourteen counts of wire fraud, six counts of making false statements to a federally insured financial institution, and one count of money laundering. John Gaines, 59, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $806,710. On January 31, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. Carla Jackson, 56, of Tucker, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $335,238. On February 15, 2024, she was convicted by a jury of two counts of money laundering. To date, a total of 24 individuals have been charged in connection with the fraudulent scheme. Twenty other individuals have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, while one defendant’s charges remain pending. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tal Chaiken, Samir Kaushal, Nathan Kitchens, and Norman Barnett of the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Siji Moore of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Results in 193 Defendants Charged and Over $2.75 Billion in False Claims

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: Three Defendants Charged in the Western District of Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY – U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester has announced criminal charges against three defendants in connection with the Justice Department’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action . Descriptions of each case involved in the enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here . “It does not matter if you are a trafficker in a drug cartel or a corporate executive or medical professional employed by a health care company, if you profit from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, you will be held accountable,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will bring to justice criminals who defraud Americans, steal from taxpayer-funded programs, and put people in danger for the sake of profits.” “We must protect these federal programs which provide vital funding to our society’s most vulnerable,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Today’s nationwide announcement is further proof of the Department of Justice’s ongoing commitment to protect Americans from those who seek to exploit government programs for personal gain.” “We will not tolerate fraud that preys on patients who need and deserve high quality health care,” said the Honorable Christi A. Grimm, the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The hard work of the HHS-OIG team and our outstanding law enforcement partners makes today’s action possible. We must protect taxpayer dollars and keep Americans safe from harms to their health, privacy, and financial well-being.” The charges are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 193 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that resulted in the submission of over $2.75 billion in alleged false billings. As part of this national initiative, the following individuals have been charged in the Western District of Oklahoma: Dr. Dustin York , 39, and Vincent Carter , 39, both of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, were charged by indictment with health care fraud and conspiracy to pay kickbacks in connection with the delivery of DME. According to the indictment, York, a licensed chiropractor, and Carter, his business partner, operated Discover DME, a DME supplier. Through Discover DME, York and Carter are alleged to have purchased doctors’ orders, paid kickbacks to obtain referrals through telemarketing companies, and then submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare based on those doctors’ orders and referrals. In total, the defendants caused Discover DME to submit to a federal health care program false and fraudulent claims for DME totaling over $4.8 million. Discover DME was paid over $1.1 million as a result of the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Snyder and D.H. Dilbeck of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma. Priscilla Orange , age 66, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was charged by indictment with obstruction of a federal audit, federal program theft, and making false statements to the Small Business Administration. As alleged in the indictment Orange operated a daycare provider in Oklahoma City that primarily served low-income children. Orange applied on behalf of her business for federal funds from programs administered by the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, as well as the Small Business Administration, and received approximately $494,000, but she subsequently misspent the money on impermissible personal expenses. The indictment further alleges that Orange obstructed a federal audit of her use of certain of the funds. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D.H. Dilbeck of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma. NOTE: A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The Western District of Oklahoma cases are the result of investigations by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.


title: Pennsylvania Man Convicted of Firearm and Drug Offenses

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

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced that a federal jury convicted Philip Epps, age 36 of Reading Pennsylvania, of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute on May 22, 2024. Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly accepted the verdict and, in a bifurcated bench trial held on June 26, 2024, found Epps guilty of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Epps was arrested on February 28, 2023, after he arrived at a local motel in Wilmington, Delaware to supply a subordinate with drugs. At the time of his arrest, within a hidden compartment or “trap” inside Epps’ vehicle, New Castle County police officers recovered two loaded handguns with obliterated serial numbers, over 225 grams of cocaine, additional packaged drugs containing fentanyl and xylazine, as well as over $15,000. Law enforcement obtained additional evidence that Epps had been purchasing cutting agents, specifically xylazine, from China via WhatsApp. U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Illegally possessing a firearm while trafficking in illegal drugs fuels the violence in our communities. Mr. Epps’ continued unwillingness to abide by the rule of law was disrupted thanks to law enforcement. I wish to commend New Castle County Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners for holding this repeat offender accountable. Epps faces a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on November 22, 2024. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the New Castle County Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Frey and Michelle Thurstlic-O’Neill prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 23-30.


title: Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty yesterday for his involvement in a cocaine distribution conspiracy. Luis Torres, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug felony. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2024. In December 2022, Torres was indicated by a federal grand jury. Torres conspired with others to coordinate delivery of a package sent from Puerto Rico known by him to contain 4 to 6 kilograms of cocaine and to take possession of the cocaine with the intent to distribute it. In June 2022, law enforcement intercepted the package and executed a controlled delivery during which another individual accepted the package while Torres sat in a car nearby. Torres was arrested at the scene and $26,480 in cash from the car in which Torres was being driven was recovered. Torres admitted he received cash as an advance payment for one of the kilos of cocaine. The charge of conspiring to distribute five hundred or more grams of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of using a communications facility to facilitate a drug felony provides for up to four years incarceration, a fine up to $250,000 and supervised release of up to one year. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: Wilmington Blood Gang Member Sentenced to 10 Years After Ditching a Stolen, Loaded Gun on a Daycare Playground

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession of a stolen, loaded firearm, which was apprehended after he dropped it in the playground of a daycare when he was fleeing from police. On February 21, 2024, Shaquille Gregg, age 29, pled guilty to the charge. The sentence imposed is the statutory maximum for this crime. “This Blood gang member received the maximum time behind bars after ditching a stolen gun on a daycare playground while he ran to dodge arrest,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Officers should be commended for their work apprehending the defendant, and their quick action finding the gun before a toddler could. This case came from our Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) partnership with local law enforcement to stop armed Wilmington-based gang members in their tracks.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, on January 26, 2022, an officer with the Wilmington Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Gregg was the passenger. Once the vehicle stopped, Gregg fled from the vehicle on foot. After a brief foot chase, officers were able to apprehend Gregg. Officers retraced the path of Gregg’s flight from law enforcement and located a stolen Smith and Wesson pistol in the fenced in playground area of a daycare. Subsequent testing revealed the presence of Gregg’s DNA on the firearm. In 2014, Gregg, a member of the Double-II Bloods, shot a man in the face and back after he questioned his gang affiliation. When officers arrested Gregg for the shooting, they located him at his residence asleep with his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter and a loaded, 9mm pistol under his pillow. In 2015, Gregg was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon for this conduct in New Hanover County Superior Court and was sentenced to 75 – 102 months in prison. Gregg also has prior convictions for possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin, carrying a concealed gun, and two federal convictions for distribution of a quantity of heroin. Gregg has been validated as a member of the Bloods street gang by the North Carolina Department of Corrections. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The FBI’s Coastal Carolina Safe Street’s Gang Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Wilmington Police Department, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt prosecuted the case. Van Trigt is a prosecutor with the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters. This has been made possible by a grant funded by New Hanover County. The conviction is a result of the ongoing VCAP initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-cr-00123BO-001.


title: Businesswoman Sentenced to Prison for Fabricating Millions in Business Income to Obtain Pandemic Relief

body_text: BOSTON – A Massachusetts businesswoman was sentenced on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, for submitting fraudulent loan applications seeking COVID-19 relief. Vanessa Nixon, 45, of Framingham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to five months in prison and three years of supervised release. Nixon was also ordered to pay $468,832 in restitution and forfeiture. In March 2024, Nixon pleaded guilty to bank fraud. Nixon was the owner and operator of multiple businesses in Massachusetts, including Mass Homes Investments LLC, Nixon Homes LTD and Alpha Auto Body, Inc. Between April 2020 and November 2022, Nixon submitted multiple fraudulent loan applications in the names of her various businesses to banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program that fabricated millions in business income. Nixon also created fake tax documents that she submitted with the loan applications to substantiate the fabricated business income. In total, Nixon received more than $468,832 in loans that were subsequently forgiven by banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Previously Deported Felon Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 24 months in prison for illegal re-entry into the United States. According to court documents, Erasmo Zuniga-Angel, 30, of Buena Vista, Hidalgo, Mexico, was among a group of six undocumented noncitizens who had illegally crossed the Rio Grande into the U.S. on May 4, 2023. U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered the group and discovered that Zuniga-Angel had previously been deported Nov. 18, 2022 after being convicted in Missouri of illegal re-entry and sexual misconduct involving a child. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. USBP investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayvee Rhoda prosecuted the case. ###


title: Last of 20 Defendants Pleads Guilty in Vast Methamphetamine Conspiracy

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – The final defendant in a 20-member conspiracy that distributed multiple kilograms of methamphetamine throughout Southwest Virginia pled guilty this week in federal court. Eric Dale Whisman, 32, of Bristol, Virginia, pled guilty earlier this week to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture. Others who have previously pleaded guilty as part of the conspiracy included individuals from Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia: Christopher David Johnson (aka “CJ”), Noah Bryan Horn, Nicholas Alexander Courtney, Michael Paul Brown, Jeremy Wayne Maxfield, Kenneth Lee Trivette, Olivia Abigail Coleman, Kayla Cheyanne Winebarger, Sheenah Amber Rogers, Joey Dean Webb, Diamond Snow Booher, Amber Leigh Phipps, Morgan Paige Perry, Kedrick Lee Dingus, Christopher Michael Sullivan, Woodrow America Ritchie, Ashley Lynn Young, Patricia Ann Smoot, and Tabitha Nichole Satterfield. During the conspiracy, Christopher “CJ” Johnson was incarcerated in the state of Georgia and used a contraband cell phone to coordinate his multi-state drug trafficking scheme. Co-conspirators would travel to Georgia to collect large amounts of methamphetamine from Johnson’s designated sources, send payments to him via CashApp and other means, and then bring the drugs back to Southwest Virginia for further distribution. At one point, Johnson was responsible for a large percentage of the overall methamphetamine market in both the Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee areas. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, and Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Bristol (Virginia) Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies in Georgia and Tennessee investigated the case, including Tennessee’s Bristol Police Department, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and 2nd Judicial Drug Task Force as well as the Georgia State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey Hall and Whit Pierce are prosecuting the case.


title: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the Supreme Court’s Decision in Fischer v. United States

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Supreme Court’s decision in Fischer v. United States : “January 6 was an unprecedented attack on the cornerstone of our system of government — the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next. I am disappointed by today’s decision, which limits an important federal statute that the Department has sought to use to ensure that those most responsible for that attack face appropriate consequences. The vast majority of the more than 1,400 defendants charged for their illegal actions on January 6 will not be affected by this decision. There are no cases in which the Department charged a January 6 defendant only with the offense at issue in Fischer . For the cases affected by today’s decision, the Department will take appropriate steps to comply with the Court’s ruling. We will continue to use all available tools to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy.”