WASHINGTON - U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and numerous local and federal law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations are teaming up to host the Eighth Annual “Breaking the Silence on Youth Violence Youth Summit” on Friday, June 29, 2018, at Friendship Collegiate Academy.

             The focuses this year will be gun violence, sexual assault, and bullying prevention.  The event will feature dynamic speakers, entertainment, and invaluable information and resources.

            For the past seven years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has joined its many partners to host the Youth Summit. The Youth Summits have kicked off with plenary sessions that highlighted subjects such as the causes and consequences of youth violence, challenged youth participants to make better decisions, and emphasized the importance of cooperating with law enforcement.  The plenary sessions have been followed by breakout sessions that have focused on public safety issues facing our youth, such as teen domestic violence, heroin and opiate abuse, and human trafficking. The summits have concluded with an educational entertainment segment, which reinforced the positive messages of the Youth Summit. 

            Additionally, the summits have included a youth informational fair in which numerous non-profits have provided information on youth development programs, mentoring programs, and educational youth activities.  More than 500 youths participated in the event last year, and thousands have participated in the activities since the first event in 2011.

            The eighth annual “Breaking the Silence on Youth Violence Summit” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., east of the Anacostia River, at Friendship Collegiate Public Charter Senior High School, 4095 Minnesota Avenue NE. The location is directly across the street from the Minnesota Avenue Metro station.

            The Summit is a part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood Program, a nationwide effort to reduce violent crime.

            The many collaborative partners include East of the River Family Collaborative, Collaborative Solutions for Communities, Men Can Stop Rape, the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation, Hillcrest Children and Family Services, Howard University Hospital, the District of Columbia Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, the  Metropolitan Police Department,  the Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, Go-Go Fitness and a Foundation for a Drug-Free World. People with questions may contact Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for External Affairs, Wendy Pohlhaus at (202)-252-6930 or wendy.pohlhaus@usdoj.gov.

Twenty-five people were indicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic drugs in Elyria and the surrounding area, including fentanyl, carfentanil, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and fentanyl analogues pressed to look like pills of Percocet.

Everyone indicted is from Elyria unless otherwise noted. They are: Troy Davis, 37; Reginald Jenkins, 40; Stephen Phares, 25; Deondre Vaughn, 35, of Cleveland; Jarell Davis, 29, of Cuyahoga Falls; Leon Lamont Washington, 42; Raymond Trenell Oliver, 43; Anthony Rodgers, 35, of Cleveland; Elonzo Davis, 44; Quadron Johnson, 31; William Solomon, 43; Malik Hobson, 38; Johnnie Lawrence, 38; Richard Fluker, 59; Troy Martin, 37, of Cleveland; Myron L. Pryor, 47, of Cleveland; Alvin Fennell, 48,; Terrance Williams, 25,; Aaron White, 22,; Alkeem Fennell, 25; Cassandra Studebaker, 25,; Courtney Warrens, 25; Tommie Richardson, 27; Arthur Solomon, 45, and Mickey Tramaine Wright, 25.

According to the 59-count indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Cleveland:

Troy Davis traveled to South Carolina to buy from Jenkins pills that were laced with furanyl fentanyl and pressed to look like 30 mg Percocet pills. Davis brought the pills to Ohio, where he sold them to Phares and others.

Troy Davis sold cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and various fentanyl analogues to other drug dealers and customers in the Elyria area. Troy and Elonzo Davis, who are uncle and nephew, were supplied by Vaughn, Jarell Davis, Washington, Oliver and Rogers. The Davis’ then resold the drugs to Lawrence, White, Pryor, Hobson and others.

The Davis’ and others used homes in Elyria to store and sell the drugs. They also used numerous vehicles, including rental cars, as well as multiple pre-paid cellular telephones, to facilitate the shipment and sale of drugs.

“These defendants brought lots of deadly drugs into Elyria, including carfentanil and fentanyl,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “Law enforcement worked together to dismantle this organization and the lives of countless Elyria residents will be better because of those efforts.”

“Today’s indictment and arrests shut off a pipeline of dangerous drugs that have killed so many of our friends and neighbors and caused pain and destruction in our community,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon. “This case is the result of a long joint investigation between DEA, Elyria police, the Lorain County HIDTA and many others. DEA will continue to work to reduce the supply of illegal narcotics hitting our streets.”

Elyria Police Chief Duane Whitely said: “The events today are the culmination of nine months of work aimed at attacking the drug trade in Elyria and surrounding areas.  This investigation was initiated by the Elyria Police Narcotics Unit who partnered with the DEA Cleveland’s Office and the Lorain HIDTA.  We are grateful for the excellent working relationship between all the Lorain County law enforcement agencies.  We will continue working together to attack the illegal drug trade throughout Lorain County.” 

“Through the cooperation of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies working together to share their resources, intelligence and manpower we can aggressively investigate drug trafficking organizations,” said Lorain County Sheriff Phil Stammitti. “These organizations from the street level dealer to the main source suppliers are drastically having a devastating effect on our communities.  In conjunction with the newly formed Lorain County HIDTA, we are proud of all the units that work together to aggressively investigate and pursue these drug trafficking organizations.”   

Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program Executive Director Derek Siegle said: “This case is an example of HIDTA’s ability to help coordinate investigations that span several city, county and state boundaries. We are building off our successes in other parts of Ohio to help make Lorain County and the entire region safer.”

Lorain Police Capt. Roger Watkins said: “We have always been appreciative of the level of cooperation between the local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies in this area in combating the drug issues that plague our communities.”

“Opioids are killing people every single day in Ohio, and I firmly believe that those trafficking drugs into our communities have no regard for human life,” said Attorney General DeWine. “This case is yet another example of our commitment to stopping drug traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic, and I applaud the state, local, and federal authorities who aggressively worked on this case.”

This case was investigated by the DEA’s Cleveland office, Elyria Police Department, the Lorain County HIDTA -- which is comprised of the Sheriff’s Lorain County Drug Task Force, DEA, Ohio Adult Patrol Authority, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Avon Lake Police Department, Avon Police Department, Amherst Police Department, Oberlin Police Department and Vermilion Police Department -- Lorain Police Department, Lorain Prosecutor’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and U.S. Marshal Service.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa T. Darden and Vasile C. Katsaros.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jackson, Miss. – Willie Evans, Gino Banks, and Devonta Jimmerson, all of Jackson, were sentenced yesterday before United States Chief District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III for the robbery of a local Jackson convenience store and illegal discharge of a firearm during said robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations.

Evans was sentenced to serve 40 months for the robbery and 120 months for illegally discharging a firearm to run consecutive to the robbery for a total sentence of 160 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Banks was sentenced to 15 months for the robbery and 120 months for discharging a firearm to run consecutive for a total sentence of 135 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Jimmerson, the getaway driver, was sentenced to 70 months for the robbery, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

On January 14, 2016, Devonta Jimmerson entered the store and conducted a surveillance of the Stop and Shop store located on Beasley Road and informed the other defendants of the store conditions and whether theywould be able to access the register and the store clerk. After receiving the report from Jimmerson, Banks and Ellis entered the Stop and Shop store dressed in dark clothing. They assaulted the clerk, demanded money, and fired several shots at the store safe in an attempt to open it. The suspects fled the store and were met by Jimmerson who drove them away from the scene.

Jackson Police Department officers stopped a vehicle matching the getaway car and upon a search of the vehicle they found several items including a .40 caliber handgun, the clerk’s stolen cell phone, U.S. currency, and the clothing that matched the description of the clothing worn by the suspects seen on the surveillance and described by the victim.

U.S. Attorney Hurst commended the work of the Jackson Police Department and their cooperation with FBI agents and Project EJECT task force members. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for"Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

BEAUMONT, Texas – A 56-year-old Beaumont woman has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.

Minnie Annette Coleman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and conspiracy to launder money on June 26, 2018 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin.

According to information presented in court, since December 2012, Coleman was involved in a drug trafficking organization that distributed crack cocaine in the Beaumont, Texas, area.  During this time, Coleman allowed drugs and drug proceeds to be stored at her home in the 3300 block of Paris Street in Beaumont and she was personally responsible for delivering crack cocaine to others in the Beaumont area.  Coleman was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with drug trafficking violations on Feb. 7, 2018.     

                Under federal statutes, Coleman faces at least 10 years in federal prison at sentencing.  The minimum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) as a joint investigation.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, weapons trafficking offenders, money laundering organizations, and those individuals responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. 

                This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Beaumont Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Rapp.

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ALBANY, NEW YORK – Katie Bessette, age 29, of Albany, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute cocaine.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Janelle M. Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As part of her guilty plea, Bessette admitted that on December 3, 2017, she distributed approximately 527 grams of cocaine to another person at a shopping center in Albany County. 

Sentencing is scheduled for October 17, 2018 before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe.  Bessette faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 4 years and up to 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. 

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss.

WILMINGTON– Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Wilmington has returned indictments charging RICARDO NOEL AYALA-AMAYA, age 32, of Honduras,and JOSE ANTONIO DANIA-MALDONADO, age 35, of the Dominican Republic, with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.

If convicted of Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien, AYALA-AMAYA, found in Wake County and previously deported three times, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

DANIA-MALDONADO is alleged to have been deported from the United States subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction (conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule II controlled substance). If convicted, DANIA-MALDONADO, found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.

PRESS RELEASE

Indianapolis B Josh J. Minkler, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced today the convictions of multiple offenders in two separate sex trafficking cases.

 “Sex trafficking, particularly of children, has no place in this country,” said Minkler. “Our children should be able to grow up without being offered for sale by adults who seek to profit from their vulnerability.”

In the first case, United States v. James Young, four offenders were sentenced for their varying roles in trafficking four minors and other adults over a two-year period beginning in 2013. Young’s trafficking did not end until he was arrested in 2015. While he was on home detention and probation for promoting prostitution, Young trafficked teenagers and prostituted adults out of a motel on the Eastside of Indianapolis using online sex trafficking forums. IMPD and the FBI first focused on Young when a child was arrested for prostitution and she disclosed the ways in which Young had trafficked her. From there, investigators put together their case using social media, online sex trafficking advertisements, historical police reports, and motel records.

Young pleaded guilty to the sex trafficking of three minor girls, operating a business enterprise that prostituted adults and children, and illegal possession of a firearm. Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson sentenced Young to 26 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. Young was also ordered to pay a total of $450,000 in restitution to five victims. Defendant Raheem Simmons pleaded guilty to interstate travel and transportation in aid of racketeering activity, specifically the sex trafficking of a minor child. He was also sentenced by Magnus-Stinson to a term of two years imprisonment, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2000 in restitution to an identified victim. Another defendant, in a sealed case, pleaded guilty to her role in conspiring to prostitute adults and minors. 

In the second case, United States v. Nahtahna Garcia Herrera, four offenders were sentenced for their roles in trafficking two identified minor children and prostituting other adults. Using two houses on the Westside of Indianapolis, Garcia-Herrera and her co-defendants trafficked children and prostituted adults in the fall of 2016. The FBI and IMPD, working together, discovered that properties known as “the building” and “the sugar shack” were places were illegal drugs were bought and sold, and that the purchase and sale of these drugs was facilitated by prostitution. More concerning, investigators found that teenage girls were being offered up online for commercial sex acts. Their investigation led to the arrest of Garcia-Herrera and her co-defendants on varying charges stemming from the criminal enterprise.

Defendant Garcia-Herrera was sentenced to 20 years in prison for trafficking two minor girls by Judge Tanya Walton-Pratt. Defendant Vaughn Isom pleaded guilty to interstate transportation and travel in aid of racketeering for his role in promoting prostitution and the sale of illegal narcotics. Judge Walton-Pratt sentenced him to a prison term of four years and    three years of supervised release. Defendant Rhonda Badger has also pleaded guilty to the same charge as Isom and is awaiting sentencing. Finally, defendant Tyrece Jones pleaded guilty to the sex trafficking of a minor child and will be sentenced on July 27, 2018, by Judge Sarah Evans Barker.

 "The exploitation of vulnerable youth is, unfortunately, a very real and growing issue in our country and one the FBI simply will not tolerate,” said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “We will continue to work with our partners to identify and investigate those who engage in this predatory behavior in order to ensure the safety of our children.”

IMPD Chief Bryan Roach stated, "The physiological and physical damage borne by the victims of this horrific crime is truly unimaginable and heartbreaking and deserves the full attention of law enforcement." Because of the tremendous investigative efforts and collaborative spirit of both IMPD detectives and our federal partners, together we hope to help victims restore their dignity and a greater sense of hope and prosperity."

Minkler further stated, “Teenagers are some of our most vulnerable population. Caught between the innocence of childhood and on the brink of being an adult, we must assure that teens do not fall prey to adults with malicious intentions. The children in our community are not for sale, and forcing or coercing adults to engage in acts of prostitution is repugnant. These convictions should serve as a warning not only to sex traffickers, but also to adults trying to pay for sex acts. It is a federal crime and we will not stop seeking justice for these victims.”

In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who exploit and harm children and other vulnerable victims. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 4.1

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A Mansfield man was charged with theft of government funds.

Timothy L. Deener, 47, who receives Social Security benefits, falsely reported to the Social Security Administration for five years that he was not married and that he lived alone. As a result, Deener unlawfully obtained more in benefits than he was entitled to receive, according to the criminal information.

Special Agent Kelly Clark from the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Payum Doroodian is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the Court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum.  In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

            CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today that Leonard Johnson and Robert Dales, both inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution FCI-Berlin, were sentenced to 12 months and 10 months, respectively for assaulting another inmate at the prison.  The court ordered that their sentences run consecutively to the sentences they are currently serving.

            According to documents filed with the court and statements made during the sentencing hearings, on May 23, 2017, Johnson and Dales were in Unit A-4 of the prison when they attacked another inmate.  The attack, which was captured on videotape, included Johnson and Dales punching, kicking and stomping on their victim.  Johnson and Dales continued the attack even though prison staff ordered them to stop.  Only after the defendants were threatened with use of pepper spray did the attack end.

            The victim was treated for his injuries at Androscoggin Valley Hospital.  He suffered lacerations and bruising to his head, eyes, and ears.

            Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to committing the assault.

            The staff at FCI-Berlin conducted the investigation of this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Donald A. Feith prosecuted the case.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal indictment was unsealed late yesterday charging three members of an alleged Washington, D.C., area drug crew with drug and firearms offenses.

According to allegations in the second superseding indictment, Donnell Leroy Williams, aka “Bubbles,” his son, Antonio Donnell Shelton, aka “Little Bubbles,” and Demetrius Antonio Johnson, aka “Bake,” worked together to distribute several types of controlled substances, including fentanyl, a highly dangerous synthetic opioid.

During the course of the drug conspiracy, Donnell Williams resided in Hyattsville, Maryland. Donnell Williams coordinated drug transactions with customers over the phone, and he drove to locations in Arlington, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. to meet customers and distribute fentanyl. When Williams was unavailable, he directed his customers to other members of his crew, including his son, Shelton, and Johnson.

According to allegations in the indictment, beginning in May 2017, an undercover Fairfax County detective conducted several deals with Williams, eventually working his way to purchasing approximately 1/2 kilogram of fentanyl from Williams for $40,000. On November 7, 2017, the FBI arrested Williams and searched his apartment in Hyattsville. Inside the apartment, FBI agents found a large quantity of fentanyl packaged in small baggies for distribution. Agents also found large quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, as well as a loaded handgun.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Tyler McGaughey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Peters are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-30.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

WASHINGTON - Today, the Department of Justice, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced the results of a year-long, coordinated national operation that used the first nationwide undercover action to target vendors of illicit goods on the Darknet. Special Agents of the HSI New York Field Division, in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, posed as a money launderer on Darknet market sites, exchanging U.S. currency for virtual currency. Through this operation, HSI New York was able to identify numerous vendors of illicit goods, leading to the opening of more than 90 active cases around the country. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, working with more than 40 U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country, coordinated the nationwide investigation of over 65 targets, that lead to the arrest and impending prosecution of more than 35 Darknet vendors.

These results were announced by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Executive Associate Director Derek Benner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez of HSI New York Field Office, Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) New York Division, Assistant Director Kenneth Jenkins of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Office of Investigations, and Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division.

“Criminals who think that they are safe on the Darknet are wrong,” said Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein. “We can expose their networks, and we are determined to bring them to justice. Today, we arrested more than 35 alleged Darknet vendors. We seized their weapons, their drugs, and $23.6 million of their ill-gotten gains. This nationwide enforcement effort will reduce the supply of deadly drugs like fentanyl that are killing an unprecedented number of Americans. I want to thank our federal prosecutors, and the dedicated federal agents with DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the Postal Inspection Service, and the Secret Service for their outstanding work.”

“The Darknet is ever-changing and increasingly more intricate, making locating and targeting those selling illicit items on this platform more complicated. But in this case, HSI special agents were able to walk amongst those in the cyber underworld to find those vendors who sell highly addictive drugs for a profit,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Benner. “The veil has been lifted. HSI has infiltrated the Darknet, and together with its law enforcement partners nationwide, it has proven, once again, that every criminal is within arm’s reach of the law.”

“Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners will spare no resource or expense to shine a light on the sale and distribution of illicit and dangerous items on the Darknet, that serve to destroy the lives of many through addiction and despair,” said Inspector in Charge Rendina. “Today’s announcement of our law enforcement partnership and operation sends a strong message to those who choose this illegal path, we are watching and will bring you to justice for your crimes against the American public.”

“The Secret Service is proud to work with our law enforcement partners to help combat one of the largest threats to the U.S. financial infrastructure, money laundering with virtual currency,” said U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director Jenkins. “The Secret Service continues to adapt along with these cyber criminals to maintain our level of success in stopping them.”

“At this crucial time of unprecedented drug related deaths, one of the greatest threats we face is cyber drug trafficking,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Hunt. “Because the Darknet invites criminals into our homes, and provides unlimited access to illegal commerce, law enforcement is taking steps to identify and arrest those involved. I applaud all the agencies who participated in this groundbreaking investigation.”

The extensive operation, which culminated in four weeks of more than 100 enforcement actions around the country, resulted in the following:

• Federal arrests of more than 35 Darknet vendors who engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit goods;
• Execution of 70 search warrants, resulting in the seizure of massive amounts of illegal narcotics, including 333 bottles of liquid synthetic opioids, over 100,000 tramadol pills, 100 grams of fentanyl, more than 24 kilograms of Xanax, and additional seizures of Oxycodone, MDMA, cocaine, LSD, marijuana, and a psychedelic mushroom grow found in a residence;
• Seizure of more than 100 firearms, including handguns, assault rifles, and a grenade launcher;
• Seizure of five vehicles that were purchased with illicit proceeds and/or used to facilitate criminal activity;
• Seizure of more than $3.6 million in U.S. currency and gold bars;
• Seizure of nearly 2,000 Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies, with an approximate value of more than $20 million;
• Confiscation of 15 pill presses, which are used to create illegal synthetic opioids; and
• Seizure of Bitcoin mining devices, computer equipment, and vacuum sealers.

Amongst those charged federally, include:

• Antonio Tirado, 26, and Jeffrey Morales, 32, of the Bronx, New York, were arrested on June 18, and separately charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York with distribution and possession with intent to distribute narcotics, including cocaine, LSD (also known as “acid”), marijuana, and hashish oil. Additionally, Tirado was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking offenses. Following an investigation into a Darknet marketplace vendor using the moniker “Trapgod,” investigators executed search warrants at homes in two residential neighborhoods in the Bronx leading to Tirado and Morales. As alleged in the complaints, during the execution of the search warrants at the Tirado and Morales residences, agents seized controlled substances including powder cocaine, marijuana, and LSD, as well as various precursor powders, liquids, and reagents, and other narcotics-related paraphernalia including marijuana growing equipment, a home chemistry lab, scales, and heat sealing packaging materials. In Tirado’s home, agents recovered a fully loaded shotgun alongside a narcotics stash. Investigators in Tirado’s apartment recovered additional evidence of Darknet narcotics distribution, such as numerous U.S. Postal Service shipping boxes, already addressed to customers around the United States, which boxes contained hairbrushes some of which had already been packed with powder cocaine for distribution.

• Jian Qu, 30; Raymond Weng, 24; and Kai Wu, 22, all of Queens, New York, along with Dimitri Tseperkas, 22, and Cihad Akkaya, 22, of Middle Island and Port Jefferson, New York, respectively, were each arrested on June 18, and charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York with participation in a conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Tseperkas and Akkaya were also charged with firearms offenses relating to the drug conspiracy. Investigators monitoring Darknet marketplaces found accounts used by some of the conspirators, leading agents to execute search warrants at three addresses in residential communities in Flushing and Mt. Sinai, New York. From the residences, agents recovered approximately $400,000 in U.S. currency, 140 kilograms of suspected marijuana and an additional 10 kilograms of suspected marijuana vape cartridges, 12 kilograms of suspected Xanax pills, over half a kilogram of suspected ecstasy, four pill presses, mixers, and pill press parts, over a dozen kilograms of various powders, packaging materials, and paraphernalia. While searching the residence where Akkaya and Tseperkas were found, investigators recovered three loaded shotguns, including a tactical double-barreled shotgun loaded with 14 shells, and over 50 shotgun shells, as well as significant quantities of narcotics, packaging materials, and paraphernalia including a money-counting machine. Review of electronic evidence recovered from the residences proved the conspirators’ connections to Darknet marketplaces, use of cryptocurrency, and narcotics distribution schemes.

• Ryan Farace, 34, of Reisterstown, Maryland, and Robert Swain, 34, of Freeland, Maryland, were charged by the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland related to a scheme to manufacture and distribute alprazolam tablets, which are typically sold under the brand name “Xanax.” The indictment alleges that Farace distributed the drugs through sales on the dark web in exchange for Bitcoin, and that Farace and Swain laundered the drug proceeds through financial transactions designed to conceal the source and ownership of the illegal funds. To date, law enforcement has seized various crypto currency, to include bitcoin, valued at over $22 million at the time of the seizures, and over $1.5 million in cash, which was seized from Farace’s residence upon the execution of a search warrant on Jan. 18. As part of the indictment, the government seeks the forfeiture of no less than $5.665 million, plus the value of 4,000 Bitcoin believed to be the proceeds of the illegal drug sales, two residences, and a vehicle used to facilitate the drug distribution.

• Nicholas J. Powell, 32, and Michael Gonzalez, 27, former and current residents of Parma, Ohio, respectively, were charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and laundering money using the dark web. The complaint alleges that Powell used various monikers on Darknet marketplaces as part of his criminal scheme, including “TheSource,” “BonnienClyde,” BnC,” “BCPHARMA,” and “Money TS.” The conspiracy operated on multiple Darknet marketplaces, including Silk Road 2, AlphaBay, and HANSA. The conspiracy involved distributing Xanax, steroids, marijuana and other drugs across the country using these and other Darknet monikers. Powell and Gonzalez would then launder the funds as cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Etherium, and Komodo through individuals specializing in money laundering on Darknet marketplaces. At the time of arrest, law enforcement had already seized approximately $437,000 in cryptocurrencies from Powell.

• Jose Robert Porras III, 21, and Pasia Vue, 23, both of Sacramento, were charged with drug distribution, money laundering, and illegally possessing firearms, in a 16-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the Eastern District of California. According to the indictment, Porras and Vue were using the online monikers “Cannabars” and “TheFastPlug,” to distribute marijuana, Xanax, and methamphetamine on various dark web marketplaces, including Trade Route, Wall Street Market, and Dream Marketplace. Porras and Vue then laundered the Bitcoin proceeds of their drug distribution through the HSI undercover agent located in New York. After receiving the Bitcoin from Porras and Vue, the undercover agent mailed parcels of cash to them in Sacramento. HSI and USPIS agents seized nine weapons including an AK-47 magazine and ammunition, 30 pounds of marijuana, $10,000 in U.S. currency, a vehicle, and over 100 bars of Xanax.

• Sam Bent, 32, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont (and formerly of East Burke, Vermont), and his cousin, Djeneba Bent, 26, also of St. Johnsbury (and formerly East Burke) were charged with conspiracy to distribute LSD, MDMA (also known as “ecstasy”), cocaine, and marijuana in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the District of Vermont. The indictment alleges that the conspiracy involved setting up accounts on dark web marketplaces, establishing online identities, accepting Bitcoin in exchange for sales over the dark web, and mailing controlled substances from several different post offices in Northeastern Vermont and Northwestern New Hampshire in an effort to avoid detection. The indictment also charges Sam Bent with four counts of money laundering involving three different exchanges of bitcoin drug distribution proceeds for U.S. currency.

• In Fresno, California, a federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment on May 17, against Daniel Boyd McMonegal, 35, of San Luis Obispo and Mariposa, California, charging him with drug distribution and money laundering in the Eastern District of California. According to the indictment, McMonegal, using the online monikers “Sawgrass,” “Ross4Less,” and “ChristmasTree,” distributed marijuana on various dark web marketplaces, including Dream Market. McMonegal was also the owner of a marijuana delivery service in San Luis Obispo called West Coast Organix, which claimed to be a non-profit medical marijuana cooperative. McMonegal then laundered the Bitcoin proceeds of his drug distribution through an undercover agent located in New York. After receiving the Bitcoin from McMonegal, the undercover agent mailed parcels of cash to McMonegal in San Luis Obispo and Mariposa.

More than 50 Darknet vendor accounts were identified and attributed to the real individuals selling illicit goods on Darknet market sites such as Silk Road, AlphaBay, Hansa, Dream, and others. HSI-New York Field Division and MLARS coordinated with law enforcement and federal prosecutors to investigate 65 targets identified by the undercover operation in more than 50 Federal districts, including: the District of Arizona, the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Western District of Arkansas, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Connecticut, the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Northern District of Iowa, the District of Kansas, the District of Maryland, the Eastern District of Michigan, the District of Minnesota, the Eastern District of North Carolina, the Western District of North Carolina, the District of New Hampshire, the Northern District of New York, the Southern District of New York, the Western District of New York, the District of North Dakota, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the District of Oregon, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the District of South Carolina, the District of South Dakota, the Eastern District of Texas, the Northern District of Texas, the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of Utah, the Eastern District of Virginia, the District of Vermont, the Eastern District of Washington, and the Western District of Washington. FBI was part of the investigative team in the Northern District of California.

The investigation is ongoing.

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St. Louis, MO - Jacobi Temple, 27, of Saint Louis, MO, was sentenced to 50 years imprisonment for his for his killing of James Lacey, Paige Schaefer, and Tammie Thurmond on March 27, 2015.  Mr. Lacey and Ms. Schaefer were shot and killed inside a residence located in the 4400 block of Itaska in the City of Saint Louis.  Ms. Thurmond was found by police in an alley behind the 4200 block of South 37th Street.  She died a short time later. 

Temple was sentenced on one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and two counts of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking where deaths resulted.  United States District Court Judge John A. Ross imposed the sentence.

According to court documents, Temple, along with his two co-defendants, Demante Syms and Samuel Spires, traveled in a vehicle to the area of 4467 Itaska Street.  Temple went there to obtain payment for heroin previously distributed by him that had not been paid for.  Temple learned of the 4467 Itaska location from Tammie Thurmond who was the mother of Paige Schaefer.  While inside 4467 Itaska demanding payment, Temple shot and killed James Lacey and Paige Schaefer.  A third occupant, Brittney Brown, was shot in the head and severely injured.  Shortly after, Temple, Syms and Spires located Ms. Thurmond.  Temple took Ms. Thurmond to an alley, then shot and killed her. 

After being shot in the head inside the Itaska residence, Brittney Brown struggled to, but successfully contacted 911.  Ms. Brown survived but was hospitalized for a significant period of time.  While hospitalized (and continuing after her release), Ms. Brown provided invaluable support and assistance to law enforcement officials.  Ms. Brown provided a powerful, moving victim impact statement during today’s sentencing for the court’s consideration in fashioning an appropriate sentence:

“After 21 years of being uncertain of who I was, [Temple’s] actions changed that for me.  I was stripped down to my core; you took away my worth, privacy, energy, time, safety and my confidence.  Do you know how that feels?  I do because of [Temple].  The one thing [Temple] did not take away was my voice, and with that, I found my wounds led me to my purpose, and I was able to change this tragic event into something positive.  There were many bumps along the way, but I refuse to let them, [Temple] or my circumstances define me.  Today, I love myself for who I am -- scars and imperfections.  I have learned to be a better person.  I have learned to show compassion because you never know how you might influence someone’s life.  I believe in miracles, because I am one…I have somehow managed to piece together all of the broken pieces that [Temple] left for me…

One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can’t change.  I was brave, strong, and broken all at once, and I pulled through…The fact that I am standing here today, sober, walking, talking and living my life, is proof that I am not what happened to me.  I am what I choose to become.  Today I choose to be a survivor, not a victim.

I am a woman of substance; don’t define me by the way I look.  I am way more than meets the eye.  Define me by the tough battles that I fight each and every day.  Define me by the courage that I have found to face [Temple] no matter how difficult.  I will survive despite any struggle because I am strong through and through.”

Temple’s sentencing is the last of the three named defendants.  It concludes a three-plus year investigation and federal prosecution resulting in the convictions of all three charged participants.  Syms and Spires were previously sentenced to terms of life and 20 years imprisonment, respectively.  Likewise, the investigation resulted in the separate prosecution and convictions of Syms and his mother, Tabitha Hunt, for witness tampering in connection with the underlying homicide investigation.  Tabitha Hunt was previously sentenced to a period of supervised release.  

United States Attorney Jeff Jensen again applauded the courage of Ms. Brown and the commitment of the investigative team, “it is impossible to understate the importance of strong people like Ms. Brown who courageously stand up to violent offenders like Jacobi Temple.  She epitomizes the good people of St. Louis that our violent crime initiative seeks to help.”

This case was investigated as part of the on-going effort between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to address the violent crime within the City of Saint Louis.

Charlottesville, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury sitting in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville today charged an Ohio man with federal hate crimes, including a hate crime act that resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, for his actions during the Aug. 12, 2017 “Unite the Right Rally” in Charlottesville. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen of the Western District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division Adam S. Lee, made the announcement.

James Alex Fields Jr., 21, of Maumee, Ohio, was charged in an indictment returned earlier today with:

• one count of a hate crime act resulting in the death of Heather Heyer (18 U.S.C. § 249);
• 28 counts of hate crime acts causing bodily injury and involving an attempt to kill (18 U.S.C. § 249); and
• one count of racially motivated violent interference with a federally protected activity (18 U.S.C. § 245(b)(2)), resulting in the death of Heather Heyer, for driving his car into a crowd of protestors on a downtown street in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“At the Department of Justice, we remain resolute that hateful ideologies will not have the last word and that their adherents will not get away with violent crimes against those they target,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “Last summer’s violence in Charlottesville cut short a promising young life and shocked the nation. Today’s indictment should send a clear message to every would-be criminal in America that we aggressively prosecute violent crimes of hate that threaten the core principles of our nation. I want to thank the FBI as well as our fabulous prosecutors Stephen Curran, Christopher Kavanaugh, and Rachel Kincaid for their hard work on this case.”

“As this case indicates, our office will aggressively prosecute hate crimes and other civil-rights offenses committed because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin of any individual or group,” U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen stated. “We are grateful to the FBI and our state and local law-enforcement colleagues who conducted the parallel federal and state investigations in a cooperative fashion, enabling us to vindicate this critical federal interest.”

"Hatred and violence have no place in our communities," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The investigation of hate crimes is a top priority of the FBI, and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure those who perpetrate such despicable acts are held accountable.”

“The events of Aug. 12, 2017, in Charlottesville are a grim reminder of why the FBI prioritizes its investigations of civil rights violations among the top of its criminal programs. I hope today will also be a reminder to those who are motivated by hate and intent on committing violence; we are going to be there, just as we were in this case,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Lee of the Richmond Division, who also oversees the office in Charlottesville. “I want to thank the Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for their outstanding partnership, my team of FBI agents and analysts who worked tirelessly to put the case together, and the business owners and residents of Charlottesville who worked with us and provided a massive volume of evidence in this case.”

According to the indictment, on or before Aug. 8, 2017, Fields decided to attend the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Unite the Right rally was scheduled to occur on Aug. 12, 2017, at Emancipation Park and was widely publicized on social media and internet sites associated with white supremacist individuals and groups.

On the morning of Aug. 12, 2017, Fields arrived in and around the vicinity of Emancipation Park in Charlottesville. Multiple groups and individuals, including Fields, engaged in chants promoting or expressing white supremacist and other racist and anti-Semitic views. After an “unlawful assembly” was declared, rally participants, including Fields, dispersed the area. Fields returned to his vehicle and soon after drove to the vicinity of the intersection of Fourth and East Market streets in downtown Charlottesville.

As alleged in the indictment, Fields drove his car onto Fourth Street, a narrow, downhill, one-way street in downtown Charlottesville. At around the same time, a racially and ethnically diverse crowd of individuals was gathered at the bottom of the hill, at the intersection of Fourth and East Water streets. The indictment alleges that Fields slowly proceeded in his vehicle toward the crowd, stopped, and then observed the crowd while idling in his vehicle. Many of the individuals in the crowd were chanting and carrying signs promoting equality and protesting against racial and other forms of discrimination. With no vehicle behind him, Fields slowly reversed his vehicle to the top of the hill near the intersection of Fourth and Market streets. Fields then rapidly accelerated, ran through a stop sign and across a raised pedestrian mall, and drove directly into the crowd, striking numerous individuals, killing Heather Heyer, and injuring many others. Fields’s vehicle stopped only when it struck another vehicle near the intersection of Fourth and Water streets. He then rapidly reversed his vehicle and fled the scene.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen, Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh and Stephen Curran and Rachel Kincaid, trial attorneys with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, are prosecuting the case for the United States.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Boston, announced that TRAVIS W. MCCOY, 24, of Houston, Texas, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately August 2015 and March 2017, while he was attending college and living in New London, McCOY used internet-based video chatting services, including Kik and Google Hangouts, and internet-based gaming systems, such as Xbox Live, to entice four minor males between the ages of 9 and 14 to engage in sexually explicit conduct over video-chatting services, such as Skype.  McCOY either took screen shots of the minors engaged in sexual activity, or requested and received from the minors digital images and videos in which the minors are depicted engaging in sexual activity.  McCOY also sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself to the minor victims.

The investigation revealed that McCOY initially met one of the minor victims at a summer camp in Texas where McCOY had worked as a camp counselor.

The investigation also revealed that McCOY maintained three Dropbox accounts and gave the password to one of the accounts to a person living in Los Angeles as a way to share and receive child pornography.  The Dropbox accounts contained 120 images and 158 videos of child pornography.  There is no evidence that McCOY distributed any of the images or videos he received from the four minor victims he enticed.

Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for September 24, 2018, at which time McCOY faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

McCOY was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on June 28, 2017.  He is detained pending sentencing.

This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the New London Police Department and the Houston Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

CHICAGO — A financial advisor who told clients they were guaranteed to make money by investing with him has been indicted for allegedly defrauding those clients out of $4.7 million.

DARAYL DAVIS falsely represented to clients that they were guaranteed to receive annual interest payments of at least 6% if they invested with Davis’s two firms, Washington, D.C.-based Financial Assurance Corp. and Los Angeles, Calif.-based Affluent Advisory Group LLC, according to a superseding indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Davis also claimed that his clients’ principal investments were protected against losses and that some of the purported investments were backed by a well-known multinational life insurance company, the superseding indictment states.  The charges describe how Davis defrauded some of his 22 victims by causing them to “roll over” their retirement savings into an account controlled by Davis.  In reality, Davis did not invest the funds as promised, and none of the purported investments offered by Davis through FAC and AAG had any affiliation with the life insurance company, the charges allege. 

Instead of investing his clients’ money, Davis spent the money for his own personal benefit, including $706,000 on credit card payments, $476,500 to rent a mansion in Los Angeles, $102,000 on airline tickets, $45,000 on car rentals, $42,500 on membership in an exclusive club, $42,000 on luxury hotels, and $25,000 on theater tickets, the indictment states.  Davis also used the investors’ funds to make Ponzi-type payments to newer investors to conceal the scam, the charges allege.  The alleged fraud scheme began in 2003 and continued until this year.

The indictment charges Davis, 45, of Bowie, Md., with six counts of money laundering, five counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.  Arraignment is scheduled for June 28, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman.

The superseding indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which previously filed a civil complaint against Davis. 

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  Each count of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory consecutive prison term of two years.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennie H. Levin.

LAKE CHARLES, La. –United StatesAttorney David C. Joseph announced that a federal prisoner in Oakdale pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempting to escape by climbing over a razor wire perimeter fence.

Lucas Gregory Woodard, 41, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Center in Oakdale, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of attempted escape. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James. According to the guilty plea’s factual basis, U.S. Bureau of Prison staff at the Federal Correctional Center in Oakdale discovered two inmates, Woodard and codefendant Nicholas Bickle, 40, ensnared in razor wire on the perimeter fence and ground that encompassed the correction center on October 11, 2017. Staff had to pry open and cut the coils of razor wire in several places in order to remove Woodard and Bickle.

The defendants face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Bickle pleaded guilty on June 6, 2018 to one count of attempted escape. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced October 1, 2018

The FBI and U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel is prosecuting the case.

Greenbelt, Maryland – Onijah Crighton, age 23, of Chillum, Maryland, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2018, to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud more than 100 elderly victims through an advance fee scheme, specifically, by falsely representing that the victims had won a lottery or sweepstakes and demanding taxes or other fees before the victims could receive the prize.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, Matthew J. DeSarno; and Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division.

According to his plea agreement, beginning in April 2013, Crighton and a co-conspirator began contacting Victim 1, an elderly man living in Virginia who suffered from Parkinson’s disease.  Crighton falsely told Victim 1 that he was the second-place winner of the $10 million “grand prize draw” that Publisher’s Clearing House and the Better Business Bureau sponsored.  Crighton fraudulently represented that the second-place prize was $2.5 million.  Over the following months, Crighton and his co-conspirator contacted Victim 1 hundreds of times, convincing Victim 1 to send the conspirators 44 payments totaling approximately $112,000.  Victim 1 made the payments through Western Union, by adding money to Green Dot cards controlled by Crighton and his co-conspirator, or by sending cash in the mail. 

During the course of the conspiracy, Crighton emailed a “leads list provider” to purchase a list of names and personal identification information that Crighton could use to mass-market the lottery scam to elderly individuals across the country.  Crighton and other members of the conspiracy successfully defrauded over 100 elderly victims of at least $396,157. 

Crighton admitted that, beginning in 2012, he also used the personal identifying information of elderly individuals to fraudulently enroll debit cards in their names without their knowledge or consent.  To conceal his involvement in the scheme, Crighton listed a number of different email addresses on the debit card applications, and listed street addresses on the applications that belonged to others involved in the scheme.  In this manner, Crighton enrolled or caused to be enrolled hundreds of debit cards that were applied for using the stolen identities of at least 10 elderly individuals.

Crighton and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Crighton will be sentenced to 57 months in prison and will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is at least $396,157.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for August 30, 2018 at 9:00 a.m.

Earlier this year, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners conducted the largest, coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history that involved more than 250 defendants and over one million American victims, most of whom were elderly.”

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Dana J. Brusca, who are prosecuting the case.

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), and James J. Hunt, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced the unsealing today of a Superseding Indictment charging a total of 20 members and associates of a branch of the MacBallas street gang operating primarily in and around the Andrew Jackson and Melrose Houses in the Bronx with racketeering, narcotics, robbery, and firearms offenses.  Two defendants are charged with the 2011 murder of Daniel Delgado.

A total of 12 defendants were taken into custody today; three other defendants were already in federal custody; and three are in state custody.  Fourteen of the 20 defendants will be presented and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox later today.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote.   

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants brought violence, fear, and drugs to the streets of New York.  The people of this city will not stand for it, and neither will we.  Thanks to the extraordinary work of the NYPD and DEA, the defendants will now face justice for their alleged crimes.” 

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “Gang and crew activity, particularly in the Bronx as we’ve seen of late, is responsible for much of the violence in our city.  This behavior will never be tolerated by New Yorkers, and I thank our federal partners at the DEA and the Southern District for strengthening the NYPD’s relentless efforts to rid our streets of these criminals.”

DEA Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt said:  “Gang violence begets violence and turns neighborhoods into battlegrounds.  Law enforcement knows that shutting down gangs’ drug and gun networks lays a foundation for safer communities.  Today’s arrests demonstrate that we are proactively safeguarding our communities by dismantling one gang at a time.”

As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and in other court papers[1]:

From 2011 through June 2018, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, TOSHNELLE FOSTER, a/k/a “Tosh,” CHRISTOPHER ASHE, a/k/a “Chips,” DAWAYNE BELL, JASON CHRISTIAN, a/k/a “Hungry,” NAVONE DOZIER, a/k/a “Dollaz,” KEVON GAITHER, a/k/a “KK,” CLARENCE GLASGO, a/k/a “Chuck,” XAVIER HOLMAN, a/k/a “Rico,” JAFARI JONES, a/k/a “JJ,” SEAN JONES, a/k/a “S Dot,” KEENAN MCFARLAND, AUSTIN MORRISHOW, a/k/a “Chuckey,” DEANDRE MORRISON, a/k/a “D Nice,” DEONTE MORRISON, a/k/a “Suki,” KEITH OUTLAW, a/k/a “Keefy,” LASYAH PALMER, a/k/a “Timbo,” JASON RAMOS, a/k/a “Chico,” FRANCISCO TORRES, a/k/a “Baby,” and BO WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Boski,” were all members and associates of the MacBallas street gang, whose territory was centered in and around the Andrew Jackson and Melrose housing projects in the Bronx, New York.  In order to fund the gang, protect its territory, and promote its standing, members of the MacBallas engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking, robbery, and other acts of violence, including murder.  MacBallas members sold heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the gang’s territory, promoted their gang affiliation on social media sites like Facebook, possessed shared firearms, and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership.

In particular, on August 1, 2011, DEANDRE MORRISON and NATHANIEL FLUDD murdered Daniel Delgado in order to maintain and increase their status in the MacBallas gang.

Members of the MacBallas gang also participated in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in and around the MacBallas territory in the Bronx.  In particular, CHRISTIAN, ASHE, DOZIER, GAITHER, JAFARI JONES, SEAN JONES, McFARLAND, MORRISHOW, DEONTE MORRISON, OUTLAW, PALMER, RAMOS, TORRES, and WILLIAMS participated in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, marijuana, and more than 280 grams of crack cocaine.

*          *          *

Charts containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD’s Bronx Violent Crimes Squad and the New York Field Division of the DEA.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Estes, Maurene Comey, and Christopher Clore are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.       

Hot Springs, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Steven Nelson a.k.a Steven Varnes,age 40, of Lonsdale, was sentenced yesterday to 78 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Receiving and Possessing an Unregistered Firearm. The Honorable Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.

According to court records, in November 2016, officers with the Glenwood Police Department were dispatched to the scene of a two vehicle accident. One of the drivers was attempting to identify himself using a false name and birthdate with an expired identification card. Officers became suspicious and confronted the individual with this information, and the individual was identified as Nelson. Further investigation revealed that Nelson’s driver’s license was suspended and that he was a convicted felon. Nelson was then placed under arrest.  

A search of Nelson revealed a live 12-gauge shotgun shell in his pocket and a search of the vehicle he operated revealed twenty-one (21) 12-gauge shotgun shells, and a short-barreled, 12-gauge shotgun.  A subsequent search of the National Firearm Registration and Transfer record revealed that Nelson’s short-barreled shotgun was not registered to Nelson in violation of federal law.

Nelson was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2017 and entered a guilty plea in September 2017.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Glenwood Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Donat prosecuted the case for the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Salem County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for signing false tax returns for shell companies resulting in $286,742 in fraudulent refunds, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Marilyn Crespo, 50, of Carney’s Point, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Jose L. Linares to an information charging her one count of filing a false corporate tax return for tax year 2009. Judge Linares imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Crespo previously resided in Guttenberg, New Jersey. At the direction of her husband, José Crespo, she signed under penalty of perjury numerous false corporate tax returns, Forms 1120, for fake businesses, knowing that the businesses were not real and that the credits claimed on the tax returns were false.

In signing these false tax returns, Marilyn Crespo took advantage of fuel excise tax credits offered under federal tax law. The federal government taxes gasoline, diesel fuel, and certain other types of fuel, but certain commercial uses of these fuels are nontaxable. Businesses that purchase fuel for a nontaxable use can claim a tax credit by filing Form 4136 entitled “Credit for Federal Tax Paid on Fuels.”

Marilyn Crespo signed a federal corporate tax return for 2009 for Magnum Cleaning Service Corp. that claimed gross receipts of $115,027, a fuel excise tax credit of $20,859 and a resulting refund of $15,750. In fact, Magnum was a shell company and the gross receipts and fuel excise tax credit numbers were false. Marilyn Crespo received and cashed the $15,750 refund check at a check-cashing facility in Guttenberg. She cashed many other refund checks for similar false tax returns at this same check-cashing facility.

José Crespo pleaded guilty on Sept. 11, 2017, before Judge Linares, to engaging in the fuel excise tax credit scheme and another tax fraud scheme and causing an anticipated loss to the IRS of nearly $1.5 million. He was sentenced Dec. 20, 2017, to three years in prison.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Linares sentenced Marilyn Crespo to one year of supervised release and ordered her to pay restitution of $286,742.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

Defense counsel: Kenneth W. Kayser Esq., East Hanover, New Jersey