LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old Laredo resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiring with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. 

Agustin Martinez III pleaded guilty April 2, 2019. 

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Martinez to serve 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay $2400 in restitution. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Martinez had created a dangerous risk to the community by engaging in a high speed chase.

On Jan. 12, 2019, Martinez planned to transport narcotics in a red GMC pickup truck. Authorities noticed the suspicious vehicle and immediately attempted to conduct a traffic stop after they spotted it leaving a Laredo ranch.

However, Martinez did not pull over which lead to a high-speed chase. It ended after he crashed into two tractor-trailers in Laredo.

Law enforcement immediately took him into custody. During the search of the vehicle, authorities found approximately 315 kilograms of marijuana with a value of $150,000.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 48-year-old resident of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 32 kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Ramces Chavez-Gomez, pleaded guilty Jan. 7.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Chavez-Gomez to serve a total of 72 months in prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his sentence. At the hearing, the court considered statements regarding Chavez-Gomez’s training and practice as a doctor in Mexico. In handing down the sentence, the court noted it was a shame Chavez-Gomez was trained to help and heal people, yet chose to bring poison into our country.

On Oct. 5, 2019, Chavez-Gomez attempted to drive his SUV through the Laredo North Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on Interstate 35. During initial inspection, a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics in the rear of the vehicle. An x-ray scan then revealed a hidden compartment near its rear seats.

Authorities further inspected the vehicle and found the compartment under the carpeting in the cargo area. There, they found 20 bundles of meth that weighed approximately 32 kilograms.

The drugs have an estimated street value of more than $250,000.

Chavez-Gomez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Harrison prosecuted the case.

OAKLAND – Daniel Joseph Feliciano was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for producing child pornography, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.  The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jeffrey S. White, U.S. District Judge.

Feliciano, 30, of Pleasant Hill, pleaded guilty to the charge on March 3, 2020.  According to his plea agreement, Feliciano admitted that he recorded a video of a 9-year-old minor in a sexually explicit act and produced an image of a 5-year-old seated on a bed with the minor’s genitalia visible.  Feliciano knew the two victims were minors and he created the images using his cellular phone. 

In addition, Feliciano admitted that he possessed approximately 205 images or videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  The government filed additional papers arguing that Feliciano possessed more than 21,000 images of child pornography, including images of sexual abuse of a toddler-aged child and other children younger than 7 years old.   

A federal grand jury indicted Feliciano on December 19, 2019, charging him with two counts of producing and possessing child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B).  Feliciano pleaded guilty to both counts.

In addition to the prison term, Judge White also sentenced the defendant to a 10-year period of supervised release and scheduled a hearing for September 22, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to resolve issues concerning restitution. The defendant will begin serving the sentence immediately.

This prosecution arose from a Cybertip on October 4, 2019, to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) related to the discovery of potential exploitation material being stored in a cloud storage account later traced to Feliciano. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan U. Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessica Rodriguez Gonzalez, Kay Konopaske, and Kathleen Turner.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Pleasant Hill Police Department.

DENVER – The following statement has been issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and the Denver Division of the FBI:

“The standard practice of the Department of Justice is to not discuss the existence or progress of ongoing investigations. However, there are specific cases in which doing so is warranted if such information is in the best interest of the public and public safety.  Recent attention on the death of Elijah McClain warrants such disclosure.

“The FBI - Denver Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado began reviewing the facts for a potential federal civil rights investigation in 2019.  In addition, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has been notified and has been involved in ​this review.  The matter is ongoing, and we are in the process of gathering additional evidence from the Aurora Police Department and other parties.  To date, the City of Aurora has been cooperating.

“We are also aware of recent media reports about Aurora police officers being placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into a photograph in which those officers appeared. We are gathering further information about that incident to determine whether a federal civil rights investigation is warranted.  

“We will have no further comment until both of those reviews are completed.”

Four sitting Toledo City Council members and one local attorney were charged in a criminal complaint today for their participation in a bribery and extortion scheme that encouraged soliciting and/or accepting cash, checks, money orders, or other things of value from local business owners in exchange for their votes on City Council. 

Charged today were Tyrone Riley (District 1), Yvonne Harper (District 4), Garrick “Gary” Johnson (At-Large), Larry Sykes (At-Large) and Keith Mitchell all of Toledo.  All defendants were charged via a federal criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of Ohio with Receipt of Bribe by Agent of Organization Receiving Federal Funds and Hobbs Act Extortion Under Color of Official Right. Additionally, defendant Harper was charged with Interstate Communications with Intent to Extort.

“As alleged in the Complaint, four Toledo City Council members and a local attorney have been engaged in a pay-to-play scheme involving bribes for Council votes,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “Maintaining the public’s trust in its elected officials is one of the Department of Justice’s core responsibilities.  The residents of Toledo should know, as should every other resident of the Northern District of Ohio, that where there are allegations of public corruption and kickbacks, we and our federal partners will be there every time.”

"Elected officials are elected by the people, to serve the people, not to serve their own financial self-interests,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith.  “The FBI will continue efforts to root out public corruption so citizens can have faith and trust in their public officials.”

According to the criminal complaint, in early 2018, the FBI began to investigate Toledo City Council members for soliciting monetary payments or other things of value from local business owners in exchange for their votes on City Council. In addition, Councilwoman Harper was investigated for an extortion attempt on a local business.

The following is a summary of the events listed in the complaint:

From May of 2018 to April of 2019, a local businessman, Source 1, applied for a Special Use Permit “SUP” for a curb cut at Source 1’s place of business off of Dorr Street in Toledo.Source 1 bribed Councilman Tyrone Riley with $2,000 and other items of value in return for the Councilman’s support of the SUP. On April 30, 2019, the SUP passed council unanimously with Councilman Riley abstaining. Later on, Source 1 would provide an additional $700 bribe to remove a sprinkler system requirement written into Source 1’s SUP.

In April of 2018, a local businessman, Source 2, applied for a SUP for the re-zoning of an internet café business on Holland-Sylvania Rd. Source 2 bribed Councilman Tyrone Riley $1,000 in return for the Councilman’s support of the re-zoning SUP. On October 23, 2018, Riley and the rest of City Council voted in favor of SOURCE 2’s SUP for his/her internet café on Holland-Sylvania Rd. 

From 2018 to 2020, Source 2 solicited and bribed council members Yvonne Harper (through local attorney Keith Mitchell), Tyrone Riley, Garrick “Gary” Johnson and Larry Sykes with monetary payments and other items of value in return for their support of a SUP to open an internet café on Central Avenue in Toledo.  

Source 2 paid Councilwoman Harper, through Mitchell, a total of $2,825 ($2,000 for Harper for the Central Ave. SUP; $500 for Mitchell; and $320 for Harper’s fundraiser), Councilman Johnson $1,000 in a check for him in some else’s name, Councilman Riley $5,000 and Councilman Sykes $1,500 all in return for their support of the Central Ave SUP. On February 25, 2020, the Central Avenue internet café SUP passed City Council unanimously.

In 2019, Source 2 applied for two SUPs for two internet cafés on Reynolds Rd.  During the same approximate time period, Source 2 wanted City Council to pass a moratorium to prohibit any additional internet cafés within the city for a specified time frame. Source 2 then paid Councilman Sykes in return for three votes in favor of the two internet cafes on Reynolds Rd., the moratorium legislation, and paid Riley $5,500 in bribe money for his three votes in favor of these issues. Source 2 also paid Councilman Tyrone Riley $500 for his support of the two Reynolds Rd internet cafes and moratorium legislation.

On January 2, 2020, Sykes and Riley voted yes on a moratorium on internet cafés and the two Reynolds Rd SUPs; all three measures passed. 

In 2019, an acquaintance of Source 2, A.M., applied for a SUP to open an internet café on Manhattan Blvd. A.M. provided two bribes, one to Councilwoman Harper’s reelection campaign for $5,000 and a separate fee to Mitchell for $1,500.  114.   On July 23, 2019, Harper voted in favor of A.M.’s SUP during the City Council meeting.  A.M.’s SUP was approved unanimously. 

Additionally, in 2019, A.M., applied for a SUP to open an internet café on Secor Rd. A.M. and Source 2 paid Councilman Johnson $2,000 in return for his support of the SUP.  The SUP ultimately failed to garner the required votes in Planning Commission and in City Council. 

In November of 2019, Councilwoman Harper and Source 1 convened a meeting to discuss a Facebook post by one of Harper’s constituents claiming that Source 1’s tenant used racial slurs when interacting with a female customer from the neighborhood. Harper then threatened Source 1 with protests, negative media attention and potential loss of their liquor license unless the constituent was compensated appropriately. On January 31, 2020, Source 1 paid the constituent $2,500.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Freeman. 

###

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Austin Pratt, age 23, of Syracuse, was arraigned today on an indictment filed by a federal grand jury charging him with Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Distribution of Child Pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.

The indictment charges that sometime between February and April 2018, Pratt engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a 10-year-old child for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the conduct, and that he then distributed the child pornography over the Internet.  An earlier criminal complaint filed in the case details some of the images and a video Pratt is accused of producing.  It also details some of the messages Pratt sent at the time he distributed the images and video to an Instagram user who has since been identified by the FBI, including an admission that the child depicted in the images and video is the 10-year-old.

If convicted, Pratt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and a maximum sentence of 30 years for sexually exploiting the 10-year-old, and a minimum of 5 and maximum of 20 years for distributing the images he produced.  He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and will have to register as a sex offender.  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.

Pratt is detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter on Thursday, July 2, 2020.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Syracuse Resident Agency and the New York State Police as a part of the Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, in cooperation with the Syracuse Police Department and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York. 

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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Martin Nicholson, age 32, of Geddes, New York, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Hon. Thomas J. McAvoy to serve 15 years in federal prison for willfully causing the Sexual Exploitation of a Child, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.

Nicholson, a former local track coach, pled guilty to the offense in October 2019, admitting that sometime between 2012 and 2015 he threatened to cut off a relationship he was having with a minor, unless that minor produced and sent him sexually explicit images of another child, who was under the age of 14.  Nicholson admitted that he received the requested images, and sent them to other users over the Internet.  The images produced at Nicholson’s direction were recovered from his residence following a search warrant conducted there in 2018 after Nicholson was discovered trading child pornography over Twitter.  

After serving his 15-year sentence, Nicholson will be required to serve 15 years on supervised release, and will be required to register as a sex offender.  He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and has agreed to pay restitution to his victims.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-Syracuse Resident Agency, and the New York State Police as a part of the Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, assisted by the Wallie Howard Jr. Center for Forensic Sciences, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York. 

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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

HONOLULU, Hawaii – On June 10, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a six count indictment against three former correctional officers—Jason Tagaloa, 29, Craig Pinkney, 36, and Jonathan Taum, 48—for their roles in assaulting an inmate housed at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center and for attempting to cover up their misconduct.

The indictment was unsealed today announced U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price for the District of Hawaii, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge Eli S. Miranda.

The indictment alleges that, on June 15, 2015, Defendants Tagaloa, Pinkney, and Taum, along with a fourth correctional officer designated “Officer A,” physically assaulted an inmate in the jail’s recreation yard, that Tagaloa later assaulted the same inmate in a holding cell, and that both assaults resulted in bodily injury. The indictment further alleges that the defendants and Officer A conspired to cover up their misconduct by engaging in a variety of obstructive acts, including devising a false cover story to justify their use of force, documenting that false cover story in official reports, and repeating that false cover story when questioned during the ensuing investigation and disciplinary proceedings arising out of the assault.

“Those committed to the custody of our state and federal detention facilities do not jettison their constitutional rights when they pass through the doors to those facilities. They are entitled to humane treatment, which includes constitutional safeguards, such as the right to be free of ‘cruel and unusual’ punishment while in custody. Our communities entrust correctional officers to protect detention facilities and the inmates housed within them, and when such officers commit crimes within a detention facility, they will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Price.

“The FBI’s Civil Rights Program dedicates a significant amount of its efforts to investigating police misconduct and other crimes committed by individuals exploiting their government-granted powers. Fortunately, the vast majority of public servants understand that they must both uphold and obey the law. The few who illegally manipulate others using their official capacity will be caught and tried like any other criminal. The FBI is committed to restoring trust in law enforcement by holding those who abuse their privileges and abandon their responsibilities accountable,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Miranda.

The maximum penalties for the charged crimes are 10 years of imprisonment for each of the deprivation-of-rights offenses, 20 years of imprisonment for each of the false report offenses, and five years of imprisonment for the conspiracy offense.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Craig Nolan of the District of Hawaii is prosecuting the case in partnership with Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division.

        Fairview Heights, Ill. – U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean M.
Cox announced today that 14 men have been federally charged for attempting to engage in sexual
activity with minors. The cases are the result of an FBI led operation involving multiple federal
and state law enforcement agencies that targeted online predators attempting to meet minors for
sex. Over 50 law enforcement agents were involved in the operation.

        U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft said, “Instead of lurking on playgrounds, modern predators hide
behind electronic devices using social media and texting apps to access young children.” Weinhoeft
continued, “Serious dangers are no further away than a child’s cell phone or tablet, and we
strongly urge parents to monitor their children’s online activity, be aware of who their children
are talking with, and have conversations about how to stay safe online.”

        SAC Cox echoed those remarks: “Over this past weekend, FBI Agents from Springfield and St. Louis
partnered with law enforcement to conduct an operation to identify child predators. These are some
of the most difficult, and yet the most important, investigations we work with our partners to make
a positive impact in our communities and protect our children. In today’s world, children have a
much larger presence on social media platforms than they had in the past, which places them at far
greater risk of becoming a victim to online sexual predators. These arrests should serve as a
reminder to parents everywhere of the importance of monitoring the computer usage of their children
and staying active in their lives.”

        During the two-day operation, undercover agents pretended to be minors in a variety of online
texting, social media and message board platforms and apps. All of the defendants contacted these
profiles online, engaged in sexually explicit discussions with the undercover agents and arrived at
a residence with the intent to engage in sexual acts with minors. Some of the defendants also
propositioned the undercover agents to send them pornographic photos, traveled across state lines
for the purpose of illicit sexual activity with a minor, and/or offered to pay money to engage in
sexual activity with a minor. All of the defendants were arrested after arriving at the undercover
residence. Several defendants arrived with items intended for the fictitious minors, including
alcohol, sex toys, lubricant, condoms, methamphetamine, and in one case, a dog leash and a dog
collar with the name of the undercover profile engraved on it. No actual minors were harmed.

        All of the defendants were charged by criminal complaint between June 28-29, 2020. U.S. Attorney
Weinhoeft said, “Sex trafficking and child exploitation continue to impact our communities, and we
will aggressively enforce the law against those who would prey upon children.”

        The identities of the 14 men who were charged in the East St. Louis Division of the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, as well as their charges, are set out in the
table below:

        Between June 29-July 1, 2020, all 14 defendants will have an initial appearance in front of United
States Magistrate Judges Mark Beatty or Gilbert Sison at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.
Each of the offenses is alleged to have occurred in Madison County, Illinois. If convicted, the
defendants each face a minimum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and could receive as much as life
behind bars. The offenses also carry a possible lifetime term of supervised release and fines of up
to $250,000.

        Pending  trial,  all 14  defendants  will  be  held  without  bond or  released  on  electronic
monitoring and other strict conditions mandated by the Adam Walsh Act.

        A complaint is merely a charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be
innocent of the charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

        These cases fall under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in
2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and
abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation
and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to
locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and
rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on
the tab “resources.”

        The investigation was led by the FBI-Springfield Division, with the assistance of the FBI- St.
Louis Division, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Belleville Police Department,
the Collinsville Police Department, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Franklin County
Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police, the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Police
Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Swansea Police Department, and the United
States Secret Service. Additional assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service,
the Alton Jail, the Monroe County Jail, and the St. Clair County Jail. The 14 defendants’ cases
will be prosecuted by Assistant Unite States Attorneys Chris Hoell,  Ali Burns,   Karelia
Rajagopal, and Laura Reppert.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carthage, Missouri, husband and wife have pleaded guilty in federal court to their involvement in a four-year-long scheme to embezzle from a Joplin, Missouri, business owner.

Jeanine A. Poe, 51, and William Poe, 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Tuesday, June 30, in separate but related cases. Jeanine Poe pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. William Poe pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of a felony.

Jeanine Poe was hired to manage two Doc Stop convenience stores in Joplin. The owner had little to do with the businesses, according to the plea agreements, except to invest his money into both to ensure their financial success. In 2015, Jeanine Poe told the owner the businesses weren’t doing well financially and asked him to invest even more money. The owner invested much of his salary to financially support the businesses.

In October 2019, after the businesses continued to lose money, the owner asked a friend to review the financial affairs of the businesses and learned that Jeanine Poe was embezzling money from his businesses. She had obtained at least seven credit cards in the name of the businesses, conducted transactions on the credit cards, and paid for such transactions with funds from the businesses. All of the credit cards opened by Jeanine Poe had reached their maximum allowable credit limit, and many times were used by Jeanine and William Poe for expenses that were entirely unrelated to the operation of the businesses (such as trips and personal expenses). One of the credit cards was in William Poe’s name. The owner also discovered that large amounts of cash were being fraudulently electronically transferred from his businesses’ bank account to Jeanine Poe’s personal bank account.

William Poe admitted that he was aware of his wife’s embezzlement. He concealed these thefts by convincing the owner his wife was not embezzling, when he knew she was stealing from him. His concealment allowed Jeanine Poe to continue to conduct fraudulent credit card transactions and withdrawals from the business accounts.

Under federal statutes, Jeanine Poe is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. William Poe is subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI.

El Dorado, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Tracy Wright Jr., age 25, of Crossett, Arkansas, was sentenced on June 30, 2020 to 70 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for one count of being a Felon In Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in El Dorado.

On or about July 27, 2019, deputies with the Ashley County Sheriff’s Department and officers with the Crossett Police Department encountered Wright, a convicted felon. Upon contact with law enforcement, Wright was immediately recognized by law enforcement, who were aware of an active warrant that had been issued for Wright’s arrest. After Wright was taken into custody, a search of his persons resulted in officer’s locating two handguns in his pants pocket.

Wright was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2019, and entered a guilty plea in January of 2020.

This case was prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice=s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, which is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of firearms and improving the safety of residents in the Western District of Arkansas.  Participants in the initiative include federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

This case was investigated by the Ashley County Sheriff’s Office, the Crossett Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Fire, Tobacco, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Achorn prosecuted the case for the United States.

ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – Shauntae Crummer, a visitor at United States Penitentiary [USP] Lee in Jonesville, Virginia was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court for introducing heroin and buprenorphine into the penitentiary. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced the sentence today.

Crummer, 29, of Lakeland, Florida, was sentenced to 36 months in prison. Crummer previously pleaded guilty to providing narcotics to an inmate at USP Lee and conspiracy to possess and possess with the intent to distribute heroin. 

Co-defendant Tylan Lucas is scheduled to be sentenced July 15, 2020, for his role in the conspiracy.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Debbie Stevens prosecuted the case for the United States.

St. Louis – Gary Dewayne Willard, 48, of St. Louis, MO, was charged by a federal complaint on Tuesday.  Willard was charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, felon in possession of one or more firearms, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  

According to the complaint, Willard was previously the subject of a federal investigation and was indicted on May 2, 2019, along with his co-Defendant Paul Garcia, for conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On March 3, 2020, Willard pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in that case, and was allowed to remain on bond, subject to conditions of pretrial release.  Willard’s sentencing in that case is currently set for July 9, 2020.

After learning that Willard was involved in the continued distribution of methamphetamine while on pre-trial release, on June 26, 2020, federal law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for Willard’s residence. 

On June 30, 2020, the officers executed the warrant at Willard’s residence where   Willard was present, along with three (3) other individuals.  Officers found and seized three (3) firearms, including an H&K 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 12 live cartridges at the foot of Willard’s bed, a Taurus Judge .45 Long Colt/410 revolver loaded with five live cartridges within a large safe located at the foot of Willard’s bed, and an unloaded Davis Industries .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun bearing a defaced serial number, which was located within a small, open safe sitting on top of the larger safe.  Officers also located over 500 rounds of miscellaneous ammunition on a shelf in the living room.

Also located within in the larger safe were clear plastic bags containing over 140 grams of suspected methamphetamine, as well as clear plastic bags containing various pills and powders also suspected to be controlled substances.  The Officers also recovered a total of $72,003.00 in United States Currency in the bedroom.  Throughout the living room and kitchen, Officers recovered materials commonly used in the manufacture and production of methamphetamine.

These current charges are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the St. Louis County Police Department. 

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL. – U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn sentenced Adrian Fierros, 22, from California, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for coercing young girls into taking and sending him sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves. Making good on a threat to one of his victims, Fierros shared nude photographs of the 11-year-old girl with six of her school friends, one of whom was nine-years-old.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, make the announcement.  

According to court records, Fierros contacted his victims on social media. Most of the children were under 14-years-old. Fierros’ tactic with the young girls was to “friend” them on social media, tell them they were pretty, and have the girls send him suggestive photographs of themselves. Then, Fierros would extort the minors into taking and sending him nude photographs, in poses that he selected. Defendant threatened the minors with sharing their nude pictures with their family and friends if the minors stopped sending him increasingly explicit sexual images. When one of his 11-year-old victims stopped communicating with Fierros, he did just that. He sent nude pictures of the minor to her school friends, whom he identified through the victim’s social media contacts.

One of Fierros’ victims told her parents about Fierros’ demands. This prompted a South Florida law enforcement investigation. Officers located Fierros in California and arrested him. On January 8, 2020, Fierros pled guilty in South Florida federal court to producing child pornography, distributing child pornography, and on-line extortion. 

U.S. Attorney Fajardo-Orshan commends the investigative efforts of FBI, and, in particular, FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force who worked in partnership with the Coral Springs Police Department on the matter. The U.S. Attorney also thanks FBI Los Angeles, and FBI Headquarters, Operation Rescue Me for their assistance. Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Katherine Koontz prosecuted this case.

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.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

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.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Daniel Lee Rippy, 29, of Livermore, California pleaded guilty today to threatening a shooting at The Ohio State University and vowing to hurt football players. He sent the online threat during the 2018 football game between Ohio State and Michigan, which was played in Columbus.

According to court documents, Rippy sent a message over Facebook stating that the school was going to get shot up and “I’m seriously going to hurt the students and all the players from the football team.” He sent several other threats to injure or kill players, their family members and the head coach.

Law enforcement officials at the stadium were placed on high alert and re-allocated resources to investigate the threat, ultimately determining that Rippy was in California at the time he made the threat and did not pose an immediate danger.

“Graphic threats of violence against anyone, but especially threats during high-profile events, are taken seriously and will be prosecuted,” said David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.

“Threats of violence are very dangerous and can divert law enforcement resources from local emergencies,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman. “I commend The Ohio State University Police Division, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and our law enforcement partners who aggressively investigated this case and work each day to keep the community safe.”

FBI agents arrested Rippy in California in December 2019 and he was released on bond, but he was re-arrested and U.S. Marshals transported him to Columbus after he failed to appear for a scheduled appointment with the court. Rippy today pleaded guilty to one count of Threat in Interstate Communications, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The court will conduct a pre-sentence investigation and determine an appropriate sentence according to federal sentencing guidelines and the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility, among other factors. He remains in custody pending sentencing.

Joining Mr. DeVillers and SAC Hoffman in announcing the plea was Ohio State University Police Chief Kimberly Spears-McNatt. The plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Knight represented the United States in the case which was investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey of the Eastern District of Tennessee today announced that Knox County received $142,578 in Department of Justice grants to respond to the public safety challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19.

The grant is available under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump. Other jurisdictions can determine if they are eligible for funds and may apply immediately by visiting this website. The Justice Department is moving quickly, awarding grants on a rolling basis and aiming to have funds available for drawdown as soon as possible after receiving applications.

“As this country continues to fight COVID-19, our office remains committed to deterring, investigating, and prosecuting those who seek to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will help many of the communities struggling in these trying times and provide some much-needed relief to our district,” said U.S. Attorney Overbey.

“The outbreak of COVID-19 and the public health emergency it created are sobering reminders that even the most routine duties performed by our nation’s public safety officials carry potentially grave risks,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “These funds will provide hard-hit communities with critical resources to help mitigate the impact of this crisis and give added protection to the brave professionals charged with keeping citizens safe.”

The law gives jurisdictions considerable latitude using these funds for dealing with COVID-19. Potential uses include hiring personnel, paying overtime, purchasing protective equipment, distributing resources to hard-hit areas and addressing inmates’ medical needs.

Agencies eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for the emergency funding. Local units of government and tribes will receive direct awards separately according to their jurisdictions’ allocations.

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.  

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HAMMOND – Brian Kunze, age 31, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was charged by criminal Complaint with receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

According to documents in the case, Mr. Kunze, a former Wheeler High School teacher, used his position of authority at the school to coax one of his minor students into taking and sending him sexually explicit photos of herself.  Digital forensic examination of devices seized by federal law enforcement agents from Mr. Kunze’s home also revealed that he knowingly obtained sexually explicit photos of other minor girls who attended the school.   

“Use of a position of authority to betray the trust placed in a teacher by his student is a very serious offense for which my office will hold all perpetrators accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Kirsch. “Individuals who seek out sexually explicit images of minor children, will be investigated and prosecuted by my office.”   

The United States Attorney’s office emphasizes that a Complaint is merely an allegation and that the United States is required to prove the allegation before a defendant can be found liable.

If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the Judge after consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Porter County Sheriff’s Department and Michigan City Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster. 

Anyone with information about Mr. Kunze or his alleged crime is encouraged to call the Merrillville office of the FBI’s GRIT Task Force at (219) 942-4900. 

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BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Justin Hobbie, age 42, of Springfield Center, New York, was sentenced today to 200 months in prison for persuading three girls between the ages of 14 and 17 to engage in sexual activity and transmit live depictions of that activity to him.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Hobbie was a gym and health teacher in Cooperstown, New York.  In pleading guilty, he admitted that from 2015 to 2018, he persuaded three girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct and live-stream that conduct to him over the internet.  These sexually explicit acts and images were recorded by Hobbie so that he could look at them again. 

“While working as a teacher, Justin Hobbie preyed on teenage girls he met online by pretending to be a teenage boy and pressuring victims to make and send him sexually explicit video,” said United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.  “Hobbie has now been held accountable for egregiously exploiting those children over a three year period.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly stated: “Child exploitation is an egregious crime especially when children are victimized by a teacher, or anyone in a position of trust.  Today's sentencing hopefully begins the healing process and marks a final chapter in a painful period for those affected.”

Hobbie also admitted to amassing a large collection of child pornography using peer-to-peer file sharing software.  The collection included videos depicting the rape of toddlers.

Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, to begin after Hobbie is released from prison, and restitution in the amount of $9,999.99.   Hobbie will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by HSI Albany with assistance from the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood.  Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

There are numerous Internet-based tools that assist parents and guardians in protecting children from online predators.  More information is available at the iGuardians web site, operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians), and the NetSmartzKids web site, operated by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (https://www.netsmartzkids.org/). 

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Camden, New Jersey, has been sentenced in federal court to 15 years in prison and four years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Jamel T. Brown, 38.

According to information presented to the court, on October 25, 2018, Brown and a co-conspirator distributed more than 28 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as "crack," and possessed with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Mr. Brady commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Brown.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Fourteen members of a methamphetamine trafficking ring have been charged with federal drug conspiracy and related drug and firearms offenses, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The federal indictment was unsealed in court today.

Seven of those charged have been arrested by federal, state and local law enforcement, and the remaining seven defendants are currently incarcerated on unrelated charges. The arrests are the result of a multi-agency investigation targeting the trafficking of methamphetamine from Georgia into Western North Carolina. 

 “With methamphetamine trafficking on the rise, it is crucial that we continue to team up with our law enforcement counterparts to stem the flow of this dangerous drug, disrupt drug pipelines, and prosecute traffickers who plague our neighborhoods and imperil our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.

“Methamphetamine poses a clear and present danger to the health and safety of communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Because of the unified effort of all law enforcement agencies involved and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we have dismantled this alleged drug conspiracy, and these defendants will no longer be able to distribute this toxic drug that destroys lives and communities.”

“The trafficking of methamphetamine into our country and its spread through our communities is a national crisis. Together, through our partnerships with the DEA and the United States Attorney’s Office, we are fighting this battle as a united front,” said Sheriff Donald G. Brown II, of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.

According to allegations contained in the criminal indictment unsealed today in federal court, from 2018 through April 2019, the 14 defendants were involved in a drug conspiracy that trafficked and distributed methamphetamine in Catawba, Lincoln, Caldwell, and Alexander Counties and elsewhere in Western North Carolina.  Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized at least 23 firearms, and more than $250,000 in drug proceeds. The 14 defendants charged are: 

• Thomas Dewayne Simmons, Jr., 34, of Snellville, Georgia.
• Ruth Marie Duggar, 36, of Claremont, N.C.
• Kimberly Deann Bumgarner, 55, of Claremont, N.C.
• Cynthia Roxanne Shook, 34, of Catawba, N.C.
• Lowell Thomas Messer, 32, of Sherrills Ford, N.C.  
• Samantha Jean Taylor, 26, of Newton, N.C.
• Jason Keith Reichard, 38, of Newton, N.C. 
• Aaron Douglas Goodson, 29, of Maiden, N.C. (in custody on state charges)
• Priscilla Chapman Lambert, 33, of Hickory, N.C.  (in custody on state charges)
• Jonathan Corey Daniel, 31, currently incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections.
• Tiffany Christmas Hirani, 33, currently incarcerated at the Clayton County        Sheriff’s Office Detention Center in Jonesboro, Georgia.
• James Kristoffer Cantley, 38, currently incarcerated at the Robert A. Detention Center in Lovejoy, Georgia.
• Brian Duane Martz, 40, currently incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections.
• Michael James Notheisen, 34, currently incarcerated in the North Carolina Department of Corrections.

All 14 defendants are charged with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, which carries a statutory minimum prison term of ten years and a maximum term of life in prison, and a $10 million fine.  Some defendants face additional drug possession and distribution charges and/or related firearms offenses. (See chart below for a breakdown of federal charges and maximum penalties for each defendant). 

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the following agencies for their investigative efforts which led to federal charges: the DEA in Charlotte, Asheville, and Atlanta; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office; the Newton Police Department; the Conover Police Department; the Maiden Police Department; the Hickory Police Department; the Longview Police Department; the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office; the Granite Falls Police Department; the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office; the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; the Huntersville Police Department; the Cornelius Police Department; the Mint Hill Police Department; the Pineville Police Department; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; the Monroe Police Department; the Taylorsville Police Department; the Gaston County Police Department; the Georgia Highway Patrol; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia; and the Commerce Police Department in Georgia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is prosecuting the case.