United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Colorado Springs, Colorado, men were sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court Judge.

On November 14, 2019, Joshua Cruz, age 30, was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

On January 31, 2020, Billy Torrez, age 24, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm.

The charges related to Torrez, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, having a GSG, .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol in his vehicle, found when Torrez and Cruz came into contact with Rapid City police officers. Also found in the vehicle was methamphetamine, which Cruz admitted to being his. 

Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity.  Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers.  It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.

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.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its 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 local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Torrez and Cruz were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a White Horse, South Dakota, man convicted of Domestic Assault by Striking, Beating, and Wounding, was sentenced on February 6, 2020, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.

Shawn Traversie, age 35, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison, followed by 12 months of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.

Traversie was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 9, 2019.  He pled guilty on December 5, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on January 27, 2019, when Traversie had been drinking and got into an argument with his spouse. Traversie left the residence and when he returned, he discovered the door to his residence was locked and became aggravated.  Traversie then kicked the door open, entered the residence, and began assaulting his spouse.

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.

Traversie was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Khalid M. Chadder, age 50, of Ticonderoga, New York, pled guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud Medicaid.

The announcement was made by:

• United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith;
• New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett;
• James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and
• New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro.

Chadder operated Chadder Imports, Inc., d/b/a Adirondack Taxi and Limo, Inc. (“Adirondack Taxi”), a Medicaid-funded transportation company based in Ticonderoga. 

Chadder admitted that from 2015 to 2018, he committed several frauds against Medicaid and the New York State Department of Health, including: billing Medicaid and receiving payment for trips where beneficiaries drove themselves to their own medical appointments, and falsifying the identities of the drivers for those trips; and billing Medicaid and receiving payment for roundtrips to and from medical appointments when the beneficiaries took only one-way trips with Adirondack Taxi.

Chadder faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years, when he is sentenced on June 9, 2020 by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy.  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.  Chadder has also agreed to pay $200,000 in restitution.

Chadder is the last of 6 defendants to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with a multi-agency investigation into Medicaid fraud committed by the owners and operators of medical transportation companies based in Essex County.  The following defendants have previously pled guilty:

These cases were investigated by the FBI, the New York State Police’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Office of the New York State Inspector General, and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.

Several additional agencies assisted in this investigation, including the Essex County District Attorney’s Office; New York State Police-Troop B; the Office of the New York State Comptroller, Division of Investigations; New York State Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); Essex County Sheriff’s Office; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG); and the New York State Department of Labor.

U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Andrew Melendez-Gonzalez, 22, of Loxahatchee, Florida, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for coercing a 15-year-old girl from the Philippines into taking sexually explicit photographs and videos of herself and sending them to his cellular telephone.     

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, and Rick Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement.

Melendez-Gonzalez pled guilty on December 4, 2019, to producing child pornography, possessing child pornography, transferring obscene material to a minor, and stalking.

According to court records, Melendez-Gonzalezmet the 15-year-old victim in an on-line chat room in 2018.  He was in Florida. The minor was in the Philippines. After the initial on-line contact, Melendez-Gonzalez communicated with the minor through text messages.  He texted the minor an image of his penis and directed her to record sexually explicit photographs and videos of herself and send those to him by text message. The defendant told the minor that if she did not continue texting sexually explicit images to him, he would post the ones he had of her on the internet and send them to the press. Melendez-Gonzalez also texted the minor that he knew where she lived and went to school and that if she did not respond to his messages, he would travel to see her.  He also threatened to kill himself if she did not respond. 

Law enforcement officers located and arrested Gonzalez after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigation efforts of HSI and PBSO. She also thanked the 15^th Judicial Circuit Palm Beach County State Attorney Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted this case.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – Two Georgia women involved in a crystal ice methamphetamine conspiracy led by a co-defendant incarcerated in Virginia were each recently sentenced to federal prison.  Veronica Martinez, 30, of Doraville, Georgia, and Alison Atkinson, 30, of Grovetown, Georgia, were each sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced.

Martinez and Atkinson each previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.  Two other co-defendants, Adrian Romero, 31, of Augusta, Georgia, and Clayton Lee Tate, 39, of Austinville, Va., were sentenced in late 2019 for their roles in the offense.

According to court documents, and from evidence presented at the sentencing hearings, from January 2017 to May 16, 2018, lead defendant Adrian Romero led a conspiracy with at least five or more individuals to distribute methamphetamine throughout the Western District of Virginia, and elsewhere.  Specifically, Romero organized and led a network of individuals to distribute large amounts of “crystal ice” methamphetamine, a potent form of the drug, from sources in Georgia into southwest Virginia.  Romero led this organization while he was incarcerated in a Virginia prison on other methamphetamine related charges.  The crystal ice Romero’s organization obtained and distributed was an extremely pure form of the drug, sometimes having a purity of 90 percent.   Atkinson and Martinez obtained the drug from sources according to his direction and then further distributed the drug in Georgia and southwest Virginia.  Atkinson and Martinez each accepted responsibility for trafficking up to 1.5 kilograms of crystal ice during this conspiracy. 

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Twin County Drug Task Force (Virginia) and Richmond City Police Department and Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.  Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, is prosecuting the case for the United States.

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – Travis Day, a Tennessee man, who in April 2019 robbed the Valero Mart in Marion, Virginia and was arrested two weeks later by police in West Virginia, was sentenced last week in federal court in Abingdon to 108 months in prison, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced.

In September 2019, Day, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of using a firearm in relation to a federal crime of violence.

According to court documents, on April 18, 2019, Day interfered with commerce by threats or violence in relation to his armed robbery of the Valero Fast Mart in Marion. Following an investigation and search by law enforcement in Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia, Day was arrested on May 2, 2019 in West Virginia, with the assistance of the West Virginia State Police. 

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Marion Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys Lena Busscher and Whit D. Pierce prosecuted the case for the United States.

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – In a hearing last week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Edward Thomas DeBord, who was previously convicted of trafficking a large quantity of methamphetamine in Smyth County, Virginia, retaliating against a witness, and contempt of court, was sentenced to 270 months in prison. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring made the announcement today.  

DeBord, 49, of Saltville, Va., previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin, conspiring to retaliate against a witness, and willfully disobeying a court order. 

According to court records, DeBord engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy from April 1, 2016, through April 11, 2017.  The conspiracy involved over 50 grams of crystal ice methamphetamine, over 953 grams of methamphetamine and over 125 grams of heroin. These substances were among the items seized from a Smyth County apartment DeBord shared with co-defendant Zachary Blue Carter. DeBord and Carter distributed methamphetamine from the apartment throughout the life of the conspiracy. 

Following DeBord’s guilty plea to the underlying drug conspiracy charges, court records show he continued to engage in criminal conduct by retaliating against a witness and knowingly and willfully disobeying a court order.  DeBord stole confidential records and caused them to be copied and distributed, both in paper format and through distribution on social media, intentionally causing potential harm to witnesses in the case. DeBord’s actions were in direct violation of a court order directing that confidential records not be disseminated in connection with the case. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Saltville Police Department investigated the case.  The Virginia State Police assisted with DeBord’s arrest and consent search of his apartment.  Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case for the United States, with assistance from Special Assistant United States Attorney Roy F. Evans, who also serves as Commonwealth’s Attorney for Smyth County. 

CHICAGO — A former suburban insurance agent has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling money from an elderly client.

DIANE LAZAR was a licensed insurance producer and authorized agent of various insurance companies.  Beginning in 2008 and continuing until 2014, Lazar submitted applications for an elderly client in his 80s to purchase several annuities and a life insurance policy from the companies Lazar represented, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Upon approval of the applications, the client paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in premiums and Lazar received commissions from the companies, the indictment states.  In some instances, Lazar designated her daughter as the beneficiary of the annuities, falsely claiming that her daughter was the client’s grandchild or great grandchild, the indictment states. 

Upon the client’s death in 2014, Lazar attempted to fraudulently collect some of the client’s annuity and insurance proceeds, the indictment alleges.  She also submitted a phony power of attorney to the client’s bank to fraudulently withdraw approximately $100,000 from his checking account, the indictment states.

The indictment was returned on Feb. 4, 2020.  It charges Lazar, 46, of Cape Coral, Fla., and formerly of Palos Heights, with two counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.  Arraignment is set for Feb. 12, 2020, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle, Sr.

The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey B. Rubenstein.

“Keeping older Americans safe from fraud is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.  “We are committed to protecting our vulnerable seniors from those who seek to exploit them.”

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. 

The bank fraud and false statement counts are each punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, while each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.  More information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to help seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage.

ATLANTA – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with hacking into the computer systems of the credit reporting agency Equifax and stealing Americans’ personal data and Equifax’s valuable trade secrets.

The nine-count indictment alleges that Wu Zhiyong (吴志勇), Wang Qian (王乾), Xu Ke (许可) and Liu Lei (刘磊) were members of the PLA’s 54th Research Institute, a component of the Chinese military.  They allegedly conspired with each other to hack into Equifax’s computer networks, maintain unauthorized access to those computers, and steal sensitive, personally identifiable information of approximately 145 million American victims.

“This was a deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people,” said Attorney General William Barr, who made the announcement.  “Today, we hold PLA hackers accountable for their criminal actions, and we remind the Chinese government that we have the capability to remove the Internet’s cloak of anonymity and find the hackers that nation repeatedly deploys against us.  Unfortunately, the Equifax hack fits a disturbing and unacceptable pattern of state-sponsored computer intrusions and thefts by China and its citizens that have targeted personally identifiable information, trade secrets, and other confidential information.”

“The indictment exposes the Chinese military’s effort to collect sensitive information of Americans on an unprecedented scale and steal proprietary information for the benefit of the Chinese government. With this announcement, we underscore our resolve to protect our citizens from state-sponsored cyber threats and to unmask those who perpetrate unlawful attacks,” said U.S. Attorney Byung “BJay” Pak of the Northern District of Georgia. “These charges were made possible because Equifax worked closely, and early, with our dedicated law enforcement team to hold the perpetrators accountable. As corporations like Equifax continue to be targeted by cyber attacks, this investigation illustrates the critical importance of public-private collaboration to combat the most sophisticated cyber threats.”

“The FBI is dedicated to working with our federal partners to seek justice for anyone who would threaten the safety, security and confidence of our American citizens,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “These criminal hackers, sponsored by their government, were not able to hide behind the internet curtain thanks to the determination of FBI Atlanta’s cyber squad, FBI Headquarters Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of Georgia and the Justice Department. This does not end our investigation into one of the biggest threats to our national security today.” 

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: The defendants exploited a vulnerability in the Apache Struts Web Framework software used by Equifax’s online dispute portal.  They used this access to conduct reconnaissance of Equifax’s online dispute portal and to obtain login credentials that could be used to further navigate Equifax’s network.  The defendants spent several weeks running queries to identify Equifax’s database structure and searching for sensitive, personally identifiable information within Equifax’s system. 

Once they accessed files of interest, the conspirators then stored the stolen information in temporary output files, compressed and divided the files, and ultimately were able to download and exfiltrate the data from Equifax’s network to computers outside the United States. In total, the attackers ran approximately 9,000 queries on Equifax’s system, obtaining names, birth dates and social security numbers for nearly half of all American citizens.  

The indictment also charges the defendants with stealing trade secret information, namely Equifax’s data compilations and database designs.  “In short, this was an organized and remarkably brazen criminal heist of sensitive information of nearly half of all Americans, as well as the hard work and intellectual property of an American company, by a unit of the Chinese military,” said Barr.

The defendants took steps to evade detection throughout the intrusion, as alleged in the indictment.  They routed traffic through approximately 34 servers located in nearly 20 countries to obfuscate their true location, used encrypted communication channels within Equifax’s network to blend in with normal network activity, and deleted compressed files and wiped log files on a daily basis in an effort to eliminate records of their activity. 

The defendants are charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit economic espionage, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  The defendants are also charged with two counts of unauthorized access and intentional damage to a protected computer, one count of economic espionage, and three counts of wire fraud.  The details contained in the charging document are allegations.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Criminal and National Security Divisions of the Department of Justice, and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office are investigating the case.  The FBI’s Cyber Division also provided support.  Equifax cooperated fully and provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Kitchens, Samir Kaushal, and Thomas Krepp of the Northern District of Georgia; Senior Counsel Benjamin Fitzpatrick of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; and Trial Attorney Scott McCulloch of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case.  Attorneys with the Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining evidence from overseas. 

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.

Memphis, TN –Karl "Shun" Blackmon, 46, has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and conspiracy. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty plea today.

According to the Superseding Indictment and information presented in court, from April 2013 until November 2014, Karl "Shun" Blackmon defrauded the City of Memphis's ("City") Division of Housing and Community Development ("HCD") maintenance program. The purpose of that program is to maintain vacant City-owned lots and properties.

During that time, Karl Blackmon's father, Leon Blackmon, Sr., worked for the City and was in charge of that program. Karl Blackmon recruited at least 13 family, friends, associates, and employees to establish lawn care companies in order to participate in the HCD maintenance program. Karl Blackmon and Leon Blackmon Sr. instructed those recruits to apply for business licenses, obtain federal EIN numbers, open post office boxes and business bank accounts, and apply to become City vendors. Karl Blackmon distributed lists of properties to his recruits, and caused invoices to be submitted for those recruits to Leon Blackmon, Sr. under the City's HCD maintenance program.

At least half of the properties shown on the invoices were fraudulently billed; meaning the work shown was not done. The fraudulent invoices resulted in City checks being generated and mailed to Karl Blackmon's recruits via the U.S. Postal Service. Karl Blackmon met the recruited vendors in Memphis, where he was paid a portion of those recruits' City checks.

As a result of this fraud scheme, the City paid approximately $84,665 under the HCD maintenance program to lawn care companies that Karl Blackmon recruited. Charges against Leon Blackmon, Sr. and eight other alleged co-conspirators are still pending.

Sentencing for Karl Blackmon is scheduled for May 22, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman, where he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This long-term fraudulent scheme had significant financial consequences to the public interests of the City of Memphis, and created unfair business advantages for vendors in the HCD Maintenance Program. This office is committed to the protection of the integrity of public services, and schemes to defraud programs or compromise public office will not be tolerated. This case demonstrates our commitment to protect taxpayer resources from such disturbing crimes of dishonesty, and to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in government programs."

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Damon Griffin and Murre Foster are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

LEXINGTON, Ky. – An Afghan man was convicted Friday, by a federal jury sitting in Lexington, of conspiring to commit kidnapping and murder-for-hire, targeting a victim and his minor son.

Following a five-day trial, the jury convicted 32-year-old Fnu “John” Sadiqullah of one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Fnu “John” Sadiqullah believed that the victim owed him tens of thousands of dollars.  After repeated attempts to try to get his money back, through persistent visits to the victim’s place of business, Sadiqullah contacted Mahmoud Shalash to help him get his money back.  Shalash had been working with a confidential human source, for whom Shalash had laundered approximately $100,000.  Shalash introduced the confidential source to Sadiqullah as an individual who could collect debts, by any means necessary.

Evidence at trial demonstrated that Sadiqullah and the confidential source proceeded to agree to kidnap the victim or his son; attempt to retrieve the money; and then, if necessary, kill the victim. Three days later, when Sadiqullah learned that the victim was in Lexington, Sadiqullah, along with other friends, cornered the victim at his place of business and called the confidential source to carry out the plan. The confidential source, who had been working for the FBI during this entire period of time, reported the incident to the FBI, which then took the victim and his son into protective custody.

A third defendant, Hadi Abdul, was acquitted at the trial.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the verdict.  The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew T. Boone and Kathryn M. Anderson.

Sadiqullah will appear for sentencing on June 11, 2020.  He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.  Shalash had previously pleaded guilty for his role in these offenses, and others, on January 27, 2020.  His sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2020.  He also faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.  However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence

– END –

          LOS ANGELES– An Orange County lawyer was arrested today on a federal grand jury indictment charging her with conspiring to sell firearms without a license and distributing methamphetamine.

          Melinda Romines, 41, ofAnaheim, was taken into federal custody this morning. She is expected to make her initial court appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

          Romines has been charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, and two counts of distributing methamphetamine.

          According to the indictment returned last week, Romines – who does not have federal firearms license issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – found firearms available for purchase from black market firearms dealers. She then acted as a broker between the black market dealers and customers, ultimately buying the firearms from the dealers and then re-selling them to customers, the indictment alleges.

          For example, in a Los Angeles parking lot in May 2018, Romines allegedly sold two firearms – a .40-caliber pistol and an AR-type .45-caliber rifle, both lacking serial numbers – as well as a silencer and a high-capacity magazine with approximately 20 rounds of ammunition in a transaction that netted her $2,600. In October 2018, in another Los Angeles parking lot, she sold a .45-caliber pistol and ammunition to a buyer for $900, the indictment alleges.

          Romines also allegedly sold nearly a quarter-pound of methamphetamine in two transactions in October and November 2018.

          A second defendant named in the indictment – Seaira Benson, a.k.a. “Relli,” 27, of Los Angeles – is been charged along with Romines with one count of distributing approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine. Authorities are currently seeking Benson.

          An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

          The ATF investigated this case, which was conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

          This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brittney M. Harris of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section and Rachel N. Agress of the General Crimes Section.

Spokane --Monday, February 10, 2020, William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, and Brian T. Moran, United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, will meet with reporters at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington to discuss new litigation in Western Washington regarding a sanctuary policy.

Copies of the litigation will be available at the press conference.

Who:   United States Attorney William D. Hyslop, Eastern District of Washington United States Attorney Brian T. Moran, Western District of Washington

What: Federal litigation regarding sanctuary policies in Washington

When: Monday, February 10, 2020, 2:30 PM

Where: U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington – 5th Floor, Federal Courthouse – 700 Stewart Street, Seattle, Washington

Reporters who wish to listen in to the conference via phone please call 866-744-2264 Passcode 9189807.

To schedule interviews following the press event, please email: Communications Director Emily Langlie at Emily.Langlie@usdoj.gov and cc Charlene Koski at Charlene.Koski@usdoj.gov.

NEW ORLEANS –  U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that RANDY JONAL SCHENCK (a/k/a RuRu, a/k/a “Shaq”), age 38, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on February 7, 2020 by a federal grand jury in a 12-count Indictment with interstate transportation and use of an interstate facility with intent to carry on unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1952(a)(2), (a)(3) (Counts 1 through 6), wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 (Counts 7 through 8), sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591 (Count 9), transportation of an individual to engage in prostitution, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2421 (Counts 10 through 11), and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A (Count 12).

CAMDEN, N.J. – A member of a drug-trafficking organization today admitted her role in a conspiracy to distribute significant amounts of illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Meylin Troncoso, 32, of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school.  

Thirteen other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, William Carrillo, Elisa Rivera, Ramon Velez, Naeem Sadler, Jasmin Velez, Jameel Byng, Kaliel Johnson, David Velez and Carlos Perez – previously have pleaded guilty to their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that was based on the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden. The charges against five other defendants remain pending.

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

Members of the drug-trafficking organization sold heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and fentanyl – in and around Camden. An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of the Camden drug-trafficking organization.

The count to which Troncoso pleaded guilty carries a mandatory penalty of one year in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $2 million fine. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 18, 2020.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster in Philadelphia; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

For the five defendants whose charges remain pending, the charges and allegations are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced MS-13 gang member Carlos Alas Brizuela, a/k/a “Truco” and “Stewie,” age 29, to 32 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on a federal racketeering charge related to his participation in a violent racketeering conspiracy, specifically MS-13, including two murders, two attempted murders, and a kidnapping.

Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to call the FBI’s nationwide tipline, 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713).  The FBI tipline allows individuals to provide information about MS-13’s criminal activities to a central location and the FBI will then disseminate the information to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for investigation.  Your identity will be protected.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Chief Edward G. Hargis of the Frederick Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Timothy J. Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

“Brizuela and his fellow MS-13 members committed a horrifying series of violent acts, ravaging communities throughout Maryland,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Brizuela will now serve 32 years in federal prison, where there is no parole - ever.  Federal, state, and local law enforcement will use all the tools at our disposal to arrest and prosecute gang members who prey on our neighbors.  We will not rest until we dismantle this organization to make Maryland safer.”

“The defendant and his conspirators committed numerous criminal violations to include extortion, kidnapping and murder.  This prosecution exemplifies the ruthless violence committed by MS-13 gang members, which threatens the stability and safety of our communities,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone. “While today’s sentence will not bring back those who had their lives taken from them, we hope it provides justice to the victims and their families and shows the FBI’s commitment to continue to work with our law enforcement partners and  be uncompromising in our pursuit to bring these violent criminals to justice.”

“The violence and fear MS-13 inflicts upon the community is unacceptable,” said John Eisert, special agent in charge for HSI Baltimore. “HSI will continue to work towards safer streets through collaboration with our law enforcement partners to combat and dismantle criminal gangs like MS-13.”

MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.  Brizuela was a member and associate of the Fulton Locotes Salvatrucha clique of MS-13.

At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons.  To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members were expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence.  MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations and reputation including “mata, viola, controla,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control,” and “ver, oir y callar,” which means, “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing.”

MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members.  Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to a promotion to a leadership position.  One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. 

According to Brizuela’s plea agreement, beginning in 2015 Brizuela conspired with other MS-13 members and associates to engage in racketeering activity including murders, conspiracies to commit murder, attempted murders, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking, in order to further the interests of the gang.

Specifically, on April 7, 2015, MS-13 members and associates murdered Victim 1, whom they believed to be a rival gang member, with Brizuela’s knowledge and permission.  MS-13 members identified Victim 1 at a restaurant in Frederick, Maryland, then called Brizuela to inform him that they had a potential victim.  Brizuela contacted other gang leaders to get approval to kill Victim 1 and arranged for another gang member to participate in the murder of Victim 1.  MS-13 members lured Victim 1 to a wooded area in Frederick, where they disabled Victim 1 by hitting him in the head with a rock, then struck him repeatedly with a machete and a knife until he was dead.  During the course of the attack, they contacted Brizuela on the phone to confirm that they should complete the murder of Victim 1 and Brizuela confirmed that they should kill Victim 1.  The next day, MS-13 members buried Victim 1 in the woods near the site of the murder, where his body was ultimately recovered.  

Brizuela admitted that on May 10, 2015, he and other MS-13 members kidnapped Victim 2, who had stopped making his required extortion payments to the gang.  Brizuela and the other MS-13 members forced Victim 2 into a car at gunpoint and took him to a wooded area.  Although the plan was to kill Victim 2, Brizuela and other gang members got approval from gang leadership to let Victim 2 live, after he agreed to pay the gang immediately.

In August 2015, MS-13 members and associates sought—and received—the approval of Brizuela and other gang leadership to murder Victim 3, whom they believed to be a rival gang member.  On August 28, 2015, after previously conducting surveillance of the residence where Victim 3 lived with his girlfriend, Victim 4, the MS-13 members and associates entered the apartment and waited there for the victims to return.  After the victims returned to the apartment, three gang members attacked Victim 3 with machetes and knives while restraining and assaulting Victim 4.  Although both victims survived, the attack on Victim 3 left him with both hands nearly severed, and severe wounds to his face and torso.  He still has no use of one hand and limited use of the other.  Following the attempted murder, gang members contacted Brizuela and others to report that Victim 3 had been killed.  

Finally, Brizuela admitted that on August 31, 2015, he and other MS-13 members and associates murdered Victim 5, whom they believed to be a rival gang member.  On that day, Brizuela and other MS-13 gang members were drinking in Wheaton and went to Dunkin Donuts where they saw Victim 5, who was wearing Nike Cortez sneakers.  According to MS-13 rules, Nike Cortez sneakers were only to be worn by gang members.  Brizuela said that he had previously warned Victim 5 about wearing those sneakers.  Victim 5 spit on one of the MS-13 gang members as they walked by, who then punched him in the mouth.  Victim 5 threw a beer on Brizuela and ran.  Brizuela and another gang member chased Victim 5 and stabbed him to death.  Following the homicide, Brizuela and others reported to gang leadership that they had killed a rival gang member.   

A total of 29 defendants have been charged in this case with participating in a racketeering conspiracy and/or other crimes related to their association with MS-13, including 18 defendants charged in the fifth superseding indictment filed on October 21, 2019.  A total of 13 defendants, including Brizuela, have pleaded guilty to crimes related to their participation in MS-13 gang activities.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI; HSI; the Frederick Police Department; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in the investigation, and recognized the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Catherine K. Dick, and Matthew DellaBetta, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Holden Matthews, 22, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Lafayette to intentionally setting fire to three Baptist churches because of the religious character of those buildings. Specifically, Matthews pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act—one count for each church—as well as one count of using fire to commit a federal felony. The fires, which Matthews set over a ten-day period in March and April of 2019, completely destroyed each of the church buildings. United States District Court Judge Robert R. Summerhays presided over the hearing. 

At the plea hearing, Matthews admitted that, between March 26 and April 4, 2019, he intentionally set fire to three Baptist churches with predominantly African-American congregations in the Opelousas, Louisiana area. First, on March 26, 2019, Matthews set fire to St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, Louisiana. Next, on April 2, 2019, Matthews set fire to the Greater Union Baptist Church, in Opelousas, Louisiana. Then, on April 4, 2019, Matthews set fire to the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas, Louisiana. The fires Matthews set destroyed each of the church buildings. Matthews admitted to setting the fires because of the religious character of these buildings, in an effort to raise his profile as a “Black Metal” musician by copying similar crimes committed in Norway in the 1990s. Matthews further admitted that, after setting the third fire, he posted photographs and videos on Facebook that showed the first two churches burning.  Matthews admitted that he had taken these photographs and videos in real time on his cell phone, as he watched those churches burn, and that he had posted them to Facebook in an effort to promote himself in the Black Metal community.

“Today, the defendant has taken responsibility for the burning and destruction of three of our churches,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “The freedom to safely congregate and worship in our churches is a fundamental right of all Americans and will be vigorously protected by my office and our law enforcement partners.  I want to thank the ATF, FBI, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Landry Parish Fire Department, Louisiana State Fire Marshal, Louisiana Attorney General’s Cybercrime Unit, Louisiana State Police, and the Florida State Fire Marshal for their hard work and seamless collaboration on this case.”

“The Department of Justice will remain unwavering in its protection of the freedom to practice religion without the threat of discrimination or violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “Matthews admitted to setting fire to three churches because of their religious character. His disgraceful conduct violated the civil rights of the church’s parishioners and harmed their communities.”

“Protecting our communities is a vital part of our mission,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “ATF will continue to provide expertise and resources to investigate arson at houses of worship which threaten the well-being of our communities.  I would like to thank all of our law enforcement partners for working tirelessly to ensure justice will be served.”

“Holden Matthews made a conscious decision to randomly target and destroy churches within his own community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Bryan Vorndran. “His atrocious actions inflicted severe pain and grief upon these congregations, as well as all of St. Landry Parish. Throughout this investigation, the men and women of the FBI, ATF, Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Landry Parish District Attorney’s Office, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Cybercrime Unit, and the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office worked tirelessly to bring Holden Matthews to justice.” 

Matthews will be sentenced on May 22, 2020. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a statutory maximum sentence of 70 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the ATF’s National Response Team, the Lafayette Satellite Office of the ATF’s New Orleans Field Division, the Lafayette Resident Agency of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal, the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation’s Cyber Crimes Unit, the St. Landry Parish Fire Department, and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Luke Walker, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

For more information about the Department of Justice’s work to combat and prevent hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes: a one-stop portal with links to Department of Justice hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other organizations and individuals. 

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The year 2020 marks the 150^th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

          LOS ANGELES– A Walnut man was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison for orchestrating a $2 million armed robbery of a commercial marijuana warehouse where over half a ton of marijuana was stolen with the help of a corrupt Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy.

          Christopher Myung Kim, 30, was sentenced by United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips, who also ordered him to pay a $500,000 fine.

          Following a four-day trial in November 2019, a jury found Kim guilty of five felonies: conspiracy to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under color of law, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

          Kim had worked at the downtown Los Angeles warehouse for years, but a dispute with its owners left him “bitterly disgruntled,” according to court documents. Kim left his job just weeks before the robbery and conspired with LASD Deputy Marc Antrim, 42, of South El Monte, to orchestrate the raid both for profit and to get revenge against his own bosses. Antrim was assigned to the LASD station in Temple City at the time.

          Days before the robbery, Kim supplied Antrim with inside information about the robbery, including key details about the warehouse’s layout, operation and security. Kim also gave Antrim the warehouse’s blueprints, noting where security guards likely would be stationed and which rooms Antrim and their co-conspirators should “hit” to ensure that the most valuable items were stolen.

          At approximately 3 a.m. on October 29, 2018, Antrim and six co-conspirators began to rob the marijuana distribution warehouse. Antrim was dressed as an armed deputy and flashed his badge and a fake search warrant to gain access to the warehouse. He then detained the warehouse’s security guards in a cage in the back of an LASD Ford Explorer.

          During the two-hour robbery, Antrim and the fake law enforcement team stole more than half a ton of marijuana, two large commercial safes containing more than $600,000 in cash and money orders, and other items of value from the warehouse.

          Hours after the robbery, Antrim drove a rental truck to a storage facility in Walnut, where Kim had rented a storage unit the day of the robbery. Antrim and co-conspirator Kevin McBride, 44, of Glendora, delivered $1.5 million dollars’ worth of stolen marijuana and marijuana products to Kim to resell for profit.

          In the weeks following the robbery, Kim worked diligently to sell off the marijuana, trying to make as much money as he could from it and also to exact revenge against his former employers.

          Kim has been in federal custody since his conviction in November 2019.

          “Although not physically present during the robbery…Kim was integral to its planning, success, and profitability,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum. “He was a leader, organizer, and knowingly made this robbery possible.”

          Antrim was arrested in November 2018 and pleaded guilty in March 2019 to multiple felonies in connection with the armed robbery. At Kim’s trial, Antrim testified about how he devised and executed the robbery with Kim’s help. Antrim’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 13.

          Five other defendants, including McBride, have pleaded guilty to criminal charges for their involvement in the robbery and will be sentenced in the coming months.

          The Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. LASD’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau provided substantial assistance to the federal investigation.

          This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Greer Dotson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Joseph D. Axelrad of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the February Federal Grand Jury A.

The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

Jennifer Louise Bruce. Theft of Mail by United States Postal Service Employee. Bruce, 43, of Jennings, is charged with theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee. In her position as a sales and services associate in Bristow and Jennings, Bruce allegedly stole hydrocodone tablets from packages by VA Medical Centers and Outpatient Clinics on five different occasions. She is also alleged to have stolen $20 cash from a letter. The Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service is the investigative agency.

Kevin Dewayne Burris. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Burris, 54, of Tulsa, is charged with failing to register as a sex offender. The U.S. Marshals Service and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Leslie Michelle Clark. Bank Fraud (Counts 1-29); Aggravated Identity Theft (Counts 30-58). Clark, 52, of Tulsa, is alleged to have knowingly executed a scheme to defraud a financial institution, and to obtain funds under the custody and control of the financial institution by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, that is, by causing checks to be paid from a company’s customer account to Alliance Consulting, a fictitious consulting firm, for fabricated services never rendered, Clark is further charged with 29 counts of aggravated identity theft for allegedly using another individual’s name and signature on the checks which were paid over to Alliance Consulting. The FBI is the investigative agency.

Pablo Gino Hernandez. Possession of Heroin With Intent to Distribute. Hernandez, 27, is charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute more than 100 grams or more of heroin. The Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Calvin Johnson. Wire Fraud (Counts 1 and 2). Johnson, aka “Lakeshia Johnson” and “Keyshia Johnson”, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with two counts of wire fraud. Starting on approximately February 18, 2018, Johnson was employed in the Northern District of Oklahoma by a call center outsourcing company.  Through her employment with the company, Johnson allegedly performed call center services for a financial institution, answering calls from customers concerning suspicious activity on their accounts. During the calls, Johnson gained access to the customers’ account information, including account and routing numbers. Johnson, without the knowledge or consent of the financial institution or its customers, allegedly caused monies to be transferred from customer accounts to various business and financial institutions, such as Best Buy, Verizon Wireless, and several banks. It was part of the Scheme that Johnson used the nearly $20,000 in stolen monies for her own personal expenses. The wire communications were between servers located in the Northern District of Oklahoma and account servers in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania; Little Rock, Arkansas; and other financial institutions. The FBI is the investigative agency.

Victor Manuel Martinez-Luna. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute. Martinez-Luna, 35, unlawfully in the United States, is charged with knowingly possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Jeffrey Rahn Reetz. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. Reetz, 65, of Claremore, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Mosin-Nagant bolt-action 7.62 caliber rifle; a Kimber .45 caliber pistol; a Beretta 9 mm pistol; a Springfield Arms bolt-action .30 caliber rifle; a Derringer .32 caliber pistol; a New Haven Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun; a Savage Arms .223 caliber rifle; an Olympic Arms 12 gauge shotgun; a Hopkins & Allen .22 caliber revolver; and 1,421 rounds of ammunition. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency.

Jamal Rucker. Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Rucker, 30, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Heritage Arms .38 caliber revolver The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Wesley Scott Stonebarger. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition; Drug Conspiracy (Methamphetamine); Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Drug Conspiracy (Fentanyl); Possession of Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute; Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking Crimes; Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute (Count 7 and 8). Stonebarger, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol and associated ammunition. He is also charged with conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and to distribute 500 grams or more of the drug as early as October 2019. He is also charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on Dec. 20, 2019. Stonebarger is also charged with conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and to distribute fentanyl. He is also charged with knowingly possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl on Dec. 20, 2019. He is also charged with carrying a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol during and relation to drug trafficking crimes. Finally, Stonebarger is charged with attempted possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute (Counts 7 and 8). In Count 7, Stonebarger allegedly attempted to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine contained in a U.S. Postal Service parcel. In Count 8, Stonebarger allegedly attempted to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine contained in a second U.S. Postal Service parcel. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies.

Daniel Nathan West. Distribution and Receipt of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. From May 17, 2019, to Dec. 17, 2019, West, 47, of Claremore, is alleged to have knowingly distributed and received child pornography. He is also charged with knowingly possessing and accessing with intent to view one or more graphic image or video files of child pornography.  The production of the visual depictions involved the use of at least one prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The Tulsa Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies.