BRUNSWICK, GA:  A New York man will spend the next six and half years in federal prison for an October 2019 bank robbery.

Lionel Valenzuela, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 78 months in prison on one count of Bank Robbery, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his sentence, Valenzuela must serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Bank robbery is a terrifying, dangerous crime, and no one should have to fear for their lives while in their workplace,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We’re grateful to the alert bystander and the Brunswick Police officers who stopped Valenzuela’s brief and foolish crime spree. The great work of the FBI will send the repeat offender Valenzuela to a system where there is no parole.”

In pleading guilty to the crime, Valenzuela admitted robbing the Ameris Bank at 3440 Cypress Road in Brunswick on Oct. 30, 2019. He threatened the clerk by saying he had a firearm and demanding money, and then ran from the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash. He was quickly captured by Brunswick Police officers after a private citizen identified him. While the cash from the robbery was recovered, no weapon was found.

Valenzuela was on lifetime parole from New York State at the time of his arrest after having been released from a prison sentence for second-degree murder.

“Without the help of our partners in law enforcement, and our citizens, our job of protecting American citizens and upholding the Constitution would be more difficult,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This bank robber was captured and will now be held accountable because a citizen witness stepped up and helped police.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Brunswick Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kirkland and Joshua Bearden.

Ten individuals were separately charged by complaint or indictment during the past week in the Eastern District of New York with being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the arrests and charges.  

“The one tried and true way to reduce the rapid spike in gun violence we’ve experienced in Brooklyn this summer is to take the guns out of the hands of repeat offenders and take those offenders off of our streets,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney DuCharme.  “This is another example of the great results we’ve achieved with our Project Safe Neighborhoods program and I commend the outstanding work by this Office’s prosecutors, members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the FBI-NYPD New York Metro Safe Streets Task Force and the New York State Department of Parole for sending a clear message to convicted criminals that carrying a gun also carries serious federal consequences.”

As alleged, the following defendants, having previously been convicted in a court of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, intentionally possessed a firearm:

DASHAWN ANDREWS

On August 6, 2020 Andrews was indicted for possessing a Taurus, model PT-22, .22LR caliber pistol and ammunition on Livonia Avenue near Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn.

PAOLO ALFARO BARBER

On August 6, 2020, in front of 2501 Newkirk Avenue in Brooklyn, NYPD Officers observed an L-shaped bulge in a bag hanging from Alfaro Barber’s neck.  When the bag was searched, officers found a Taurus .38 caliber revolver loaded with six rounds of .38 caliber ammunition. 

TERRENCE BROWN

On August 6, 2020, Brown was indicted for possessing a Taurus PT 111, 9mm pistol found in his apartment at 419 Blake Ave. in Brooklynduring a search by New York State Parole Officers and NYPD Officers.

JAHQUEL GIDDEON

On August 6, 2020, Giddeon was indicted for possessing a loaded Ruger 380 semi-automatic pistol found under a mattress during a search of his apartment on Rockaway Parkway by New York State Parole Officers.

MACYE MCCALL

On August 6, 2020, McCall was indicted for possessing a Taurus, Model 85, .38 Special caliber revolver.  NYPD Officers discovered the gun after they pulled over a Range Rover in which McCall was a passenger for driving the wrong way down a one way street off  Sutter Avenue in Brooklyn.

TONY MCQUEEN

On August 6, 2020, McQueen was arrested for possessing a Smith & Wesson Model M&P 9C caliber 9mm pistol loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition in a vehicle where he was found intoxicated and passed out behind the wheel at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Boyland Street in Brooklyn.

AVERY MILLINGTON

On August 6, 2020, Millington was indicted for possession of Charter Arms Undercover .38 Special Pistol loaded with five rounds of .38 caliber ammunition after he was observed driving a Hyundai the wrong way on Bristol Street near Newport Avenue in Brooklyn.

KEENEN NURSE

On August 4, 2020, Nurse was arrested on a complaint charging him with possessing a loaded Jimenez Arms .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol hidden under the stairwell in a residential building on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn.  Nurse’s DNA was found on the firearm.

MARVIN PICKETT

On August 6, 2020, Pickett was arrested on an indictment charging him with possessing a Taurus .380caliber pistol while allegedly driving drunk and crashing into a Citibike stand at Nassau and Navy Streets in downtown Brooklyn on March 28, 2020.

AARON SWABY

On August 6, 2020, Swaby was indicted for possessing a Smith & Wesson, Model SD40VE, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol inside a vehicle stopped by NYPD Officers for a traffic infraction on Surf Avenue in Brooklyn.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General William Barr has enhanced PSN as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The charges in the complaints and indictments are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

The government’s cases are being handled by the Office’s Criminal Division, General Crimes Section and Organized Crime and Gangs Section.

The Defendants:

DASHAWN ANDREWS
Age:  29
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-285 (ILG)

PAOLO ALFARO BARBER
Age:  29
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-MJ-642

TERRENCE BROWN
Age:  24
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-295 (WFK)

JAHQUEL GIDDEON
Age:  20
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-289 (MKB)

MACYE MCCALL (also known as “Gunplay”)
Age:  27
Bronx, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-290 (ARR)

TONY MCQUEEN
Age:  32
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-MJ-643

AVERY MILLINGTON
Age:  25
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-288 (LDH)

KEENEN NURSE
Age:  29
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y.  Docket No. 20-MJ-602

MARVIN PICKETT
Age:  38
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-255 (BMC)

AARON SWABY
Age:  27
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-287 (WFK)

SALT LAKE CITY – A federal complaint unsealed Tuesday charges a fourth individual with one count of arson for using fire to destroy a Salt Lake City Police Department vehicle during May 30, 2020, riots in Salt Lake City.

An arrest warrant was issued for Lateesha Richards, also known as Lateesha Kahryn Ritchards, 24, of Salt Lake City on June 18, 2020. While she has yet to turn herself in to the U.S. Marshals Service, she appeared via Zoom with her attorney for an initial appearance Wednesday afternoon.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Jared Bennett found her to be a danger to the community and ordered her detained pending trial.  He ordered her to turn herself in by Friday morning.            

During the afternoon of May 30, 2020, a peaceful protest in downtown Salt Lake City transitioned into acts of destruction, property damage, arson, and other criminal conduct. During the riot, a Salt Lake City police officer, driving a police vehicle, became boxed-in and immobilized by surrounding protestors.  Fearing for her safety, the officer fled from her patrol car. Her patrol vehicle was subsequently overturned, vandalized, looted, and then set on fire.  Video footage from the event shows individual rioters using fire and explosives to damage and destroy the police vehicle.

At the detention hearing Wednesday afternoon, federal prosecutors told the court that approximately 200 rounds of ammunition for a handgun and 90 rounds of rifle ammunition were in the car when the officer was forced to it. Video shown as evidence during the detention hearing shows the ammunition exploding during the fire.

Federal authorities are filing arson charges against those allegedly responsible for burning the patrol vehicle.

Video footage from the riot shows an individual, later identified by police as Richards, holding a cell phone in her right hand as she walks toward the overturned police car. Richards is then observed taking a selfie with the burning police car as the background. Richards walked away from the patrol car momentarily and then returned to the patrol car holding what appears to be an item of clothing in her right hand. The complaint alleges she bent down facing the burning patrol car and tossed the item onto the small flames before running away.

The complaint alleges the clothing item Richards threw onto the fire acted as kindling and increased the size of flames.  Shortly after, the vehicle becomes engulfed in flames. According to the complaint, Richards returned to the area with Latroi Newbins, another defendant in the arson case, to take more selfies with the burning police car in the background. Law enforcement officers identified Richards based on her driver’s license photo, a booking photo, and a neck tattoo, according to the complaint.  

Federal arson charges in the case are also pending against Jackson Stuart Tamowski Patton, 26, Latroi Devon Newbins, 28, and Christopher Rojas, 28, all of Salt Lake City, who were charged earlier.  Patton remains in custody. Newbins and Rojas have been released on conditions of pretrial release. In addition to complaints filed in the case, Patton, Newbins, Rojas and Richards are charged with arson in a one-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2020. 

Complaints and indictments are not findings of guilt.  Individuals charged in a complaint or indictment are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court. Arson carries a potential sentence of 20 years in prison with a minimum-mandatory five-year sentence.    

Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Utah U.S. Attorney’s Office are prosecuting the case. Investigating agencies include members of the FBI’s JTTF, the Salt Lake City Police Department, the ATF and the Utah Department of Public Safety. 

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment last week against five men for allegedly installing skimming devices on gas pumps in Nevada and Southern California to steal credit and debit card information from unsuspecting customers, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Brian Spellacy of the U.S. Secret Service, and Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD).

Five defendants, all of whom live in Las Vegas, face charges related to access device fraud, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft: Juan Luis Sosa Tamayo, 31; Adrian Leyva Tamayo, 31; Dayner Manuel Alarcon Rodriguez, 22; Alen Boucourt Diaz, 39; and Francisco Rodriguez Gonzalez, 34.

According to allegations in the indictment, from about June 2018 to about June 2020, the defendants and their co-conspirators placed skimmers at gas pump terminals that compromised at least 2,500 credit and debit card numbers. The defendants traveled to gas stations in and around Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, as well as to various cities in Southern California, to install the skimmers. They subsequently recoded the stolen account information and other personal data onto counterfeit cards. Then the defendants made multiple ATM withdrawals and purchases using the stolen credit and debit card account information obtained from the skimmers.

Sosa Tamayo, Leyva Tamayo, and Rodriguez Gonzalez made their initial appearances on August 7, 2020 in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts. Boucourt Diaz made his initial appearance on August 10, 2020, and Alarcon Rodriguez made his initial appearance on August 12, 2020 in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler.

The statutory maximum penalty for the conspiracy charge is 5 years in prison and a $250,000 maximum fine. The statutory maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 maximum fine for each count of use or possession of unauthorized or counterfeit access devices. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory penalty of two years in prison. In addition to imprisonment and fines, each defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and the LVMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Mickelson is prosecuting the case.

If you are a victim of identity theft, you may make a report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by calling 1-877-438-4338 or online at www.identitytheft.gov. For identity theft prevention tips and free resources visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As carjacking skyrockets in Louisville, the FBI, joined by the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms, Homeland Security Investigations, Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office and the Kentucky State Police have set up a new task force in an effort to take more cases federal – where penalties range up to more than a decade in a federal penitentiary and parole does not exist. This new effort will be in close consultation with the Jefferson Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.  

Carjacking is a federal crime punishable by imprisonment of up to 15 years and a fine of $250,000. However, if a victim of a carjacking suffers serious bodily injury, the maximum term of imprisonment is up to 25 years.  And, if the carjacking victim is killed as a result of the carjacking, a defendant may be imprisoned for any number of years up to life, or sentenced to death. Additionally, if the defendant brandishes a firearm, a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of seven years is added. If a firearm is discharged, a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of ten years is added to the sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Put Louisville families at risk though carjacking then be prepared to go to federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “We will respond to this increasing threat to neighborhoods across our city and pledge closer collaboration with our state & local partners to reverse the disturbing trend.”

The FBI Louisville Field Office and law enforcement partners are offering incentives in the form of federal overtime, vehicles and training for Jefferson County law enforcement agencies who are participating in the task force.

"Helping to foster safe communities continues to be a primary focus of FBI Louisville,” said FBI Louisville Division SAC Robert Brown. “As preventing violent crime is a bedrock of the FBI, we look forward to working with and leading a new violent crime task force comprised of FBI, ATF, LMPD, KSP, HSI, and JCSO."

“We have seen a disturbing number of carjackings over the past few weeks,” said LMPD Interim Chief Rob Schroeder. “We are grateful for this collaboration with our federal partners, who always step up for this city when we see spikes in crime or alarming trends in violence.”

“Carjackings are violent crimes that harm our communities and threaten the public’s safety,” stated R. Shawn Morrow, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Division. “ATF Special Agents will work closely with our law enforcement partners in order to stop this trend and find those responsible. The combined efforts of our law enforcement partners with the U.S. Attorney’s Office will go a long way in quickly shutting down these violent robberies.”

“The reduction and prevention of violent crime is important regardless where it takes place in our state,” said KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer. “The Kentucky State Police is committed to providing whatever resources we have available to combat carjacking and other crimes in and around the Louisville Metro region.”

There has already been one such carjacking case taken federal in Louisville. Damion Lemont Hayes, 20, of Louisville, Kentucky, has been charged with carjacking. Hayes was on a felony diversion at the time of the carjacking as a result of a February 2020 conviction for charges that were initially filed as complicity to murder and complicity to robbery.

According to a criminal complaint, on June 2, 2020, the victim was driving a black 2017 Subaru Forester with a friend down Bardstown Road. The two victims ran into protestors and police activity on Bardstown – they parked to see what was going on. As the victims were walking they were asked for a ride by two females and five males. They all walked back to the victims’ Subaru, however, only three of the males got in the car.

The victim continued to drive down Bardstown, but was caught in traffic. According to the victim, she was uncomfortable with the men in the car, and told them she needed to get gas. She was directed by one of the men to BP, where one of the men put $20 worth of gas in the Subaru. The driver was then directed to drive to three different houses.

The victim reported she wanted the men out of the car, and as she turned to tell them she needed to get home one of the men in the rear passenger side of the car pointed a gun at her. At that point both victims were forced out of the car. The men attempted to take their cell phones, according to the complaint. A minor struggle ensued and one of the men was sprayed with mace by the owner of the car.

The federal carjacking charge carries a penalty of no more than 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000 and no more than three years of supervised release.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Kentucky State Police, the Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office comprise the task force with additional local departments expected to participate as well.

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WAYCROSS, GA:  An admitted methamphetamine trafficker and criminal street gang member has been sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison.

Christopher Wells, a/k/a “Jugg,” 32, of Waycross, was sentenced to 210 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Wells will be required to serve five years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Christopher Wells has been involved in criminal activity for his entire adult life, and despite ample, multiple opportunities to walk away from crime, he chose to immerse himself in a violent, lawless lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “While he’s locked away to protect society, he’ll have more than a decade to rethink his illegal choices and criminal associates.”

A leader in the “G-Shine” sect of the notorious Bloods criminal street gang, Wells was arrested in August 2017 as part of an FBI operation targeting a methamphetamine-trafficking operation in the Waycross area and beyond. He was named in a 47-count indictment in 2017 along with 34 other defendants targeted in the wide-ranging operation. Two of the defendants are awaiting sentencing; the remaining defendants all pled guilty, and have been sentenced to an average of 88 months in prison.

Wells’ criminal record started at age 15 and includes at least 25 arrests, with eight felony convictions as an adult.

“Waycross citizens are safer with Wells off the streets,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Unfortunately he decided, after many opportunities, not to turn his life around. He now has 17 years in federal prison to think that over once again.” 

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. It was investigated by the FBI, the Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Ware County Sheriff’s Office, the Waycross Police Department, the Glynn County Police Department, and the Brunswick Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kirkland.

WAYCROSS, GA:  A former correctional officer has been sentenced to federal prison for accepting bribes in return for smuggling contraband to an inmate.

Micheal Eaddy, 25, of Blackshear, Ga., was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Bribery, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. At the time of the offense, Eaddy was a correctional officer at D. Ray James Correctional Facility, a private prison operated under federal contract in Folkston, Ga. After completion of his prison term, Eaddy must serve three years of supervised release.

“Michael Eaddy sold out his fellow corrections staff and forfeited his own freedom when he accepted money in return for smuggling contraband into the prison,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “His crime endangered other prison guards and the security of the entire facility, and as a result he’ll now spend time on the wrong side of the prison bars.”

In his guilty plea, Eaddy admitted accepting a bribe of $246.25 from inmate Jean Civil, 25, of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in return for smuggling cigarettes into the prison. Investigators discovered the activity after seizing a contraband phone from Civil and reading electronic conversations between Civil and Eaddy.

After pleading guilty to Possession of Contraband, Civil received one month added to his current sentence of 78 months for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine. 

“Eaddy put his own interests above his duties when he accepted bribes from an inmate and smuggled contraband into the prison he was supposed to secure,” said Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith, Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Miami Field Office. “He will rightly serve time for his actions, which put his fellow correctional officers, prison staff, and the entire institution at risk.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.

Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Peter D. Lopez, Regional Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 (EPA), announced today that the United States filed suit under the Clean Air Act (CAA) against the Village of Rockville Centre (“the Village”) to address its failure to comply with federally-enforceable emissions limits for particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx).  The Village operates a 33 megawatt municipal power plant (the “Power Plant”) that provides electric power to its residents, in part, using diesel engines.  The Village operates the Power Plant primarily during the summer to meet high electricity demands. 

The parties also agreed to enter into a Consent Judgment that requires the Village to retire high-emission engines, and to institute operational practices and technologies to reduce further the PM and NOx emissions of the Power Plant.  The settlement also requires the Village to pay a civil penalty of $110,000 and perform other injunctive relief that will bring its Power Plant into compliance with the CAA.

The lawsuit and Consent Judgment were filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, in Central Islip, New York.  Following a 30-day public comment period, the United States will review any comments and, if appropriate, request the District Court to enter and approve the Consent Judgment.

“The United States brought this action to ensure that the Village of Rockville Centre meets its obligation to protect our air quality by instituting stronger emission control practices at its power plant,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme.  “The settlement enforces specific and appropriate emission limits that are critical to mitigating human exposure to particulate matter, which is potentially harmful to our health.  This Office will vigorously enforce the Clean Air Act against parties who illegally emit air pollutants and compromise the safety of our community.”

“Emission limits on particulate matter and nitrogen oxides exist to help reduce conditions that lead to the formation of dangerous soot and smog. Studies show that in excess, both of these pollutants are linked to a range of respiratory ailments and premature death,” stated EPA Regional Administrator Lopez. “EPA is committed to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act. By fully implementing the actions in the agreement, the Village can protect people that live, work and visit this community.”

The CAA was passed by Congress in 1970 to protect public health and the environment through the regulation of air emissions from both stationary and mobile sources.  The law requires the EPA to establish national ambient air quality standards and imposes limits on air pollutant emissions.

Since at least 2009, the Power Plant has exceeded PM and NOx limits under the CAA.  As a result of the United States’ enforcement efforts preceding this settlement, the Power Plant’s exceedances of PM ceased in December 2018, by which time the Village had instituted effective operational controls to reduce its PM emissions.  However, the Village continues to violate the NOx limits, and the Consent Judgment requires the Village to comply with the NOx limits by December 31, 2021.

As part of the settlement, the Village has permanently retired its three most polluting engines.  Further, the Village will reclassify certain engines to limit their use, which will produce significant emissions reductions.  The Village will also increase its capacity to import electricity, thereby reducing the load on its Power Plant and associated air emissions.  Finally, the Consent Judgment requires the Village to install and operate a continuous emissions monitoring system on all non-emergency engines and implement periodic engine tune ups.  These requirements will protect local air quality while enforcing the Village’s compliance with PM and NOx limits.

The negotiations and settlement were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James R. Cho and Matthew Silverman and paralegal Loan Nguyen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, working with Liliana Villatora, Denise Leong, Amanda Prentice and Sara Froikin of the Regional Counsel’s Office, U.S. EPA Region 2, Gaetano LaVigna, Chief, Stationary Source Compliance Section, Air Compliance Branch, U.S. EPA Region 2 and Richard Kan, also with the Air Compliance Branch.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging eight members of a drug trafficking organization with offenses related to the distribution of cocaine and heroin. (See chart for details).    

According to court records,this investigation targeted illegal drug traffickers operating an open-air drug market in the Robles Park Housing Community in Tampa. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized approximately 2.5 kilograms of cocaine and approximately $52,000.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This investigation is the result of a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tampa Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Lakeland Police Department. It will be prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorney Callan L. Albritton.

This investigation is the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

SUMMARY CHART

 Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Daniel A. Nigro, Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department (“FDNY”), announced today the arrest of COREY SMITH and ELAINE CARBERRY in connection with their destruction of a marked NYPD Homeless Outreach Unit van in Greenwich Village in Manhattan.  SMITH and CARBERRY were arrested this morning and will be presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Ona T. Wang later today.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As alleged, Corey Smith and Elaine Carberry deliberately set fire to an NYPD van, then minutes later returned to the vehicle and – once again using an accelerant – ensured its complete destruction.  Thanks to the NYPD, the Fire Department, and the ATF, there was not further damage to life or property.  The defendants are now in custody.”

ATF Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito said:  “These defendants, as alleged, set fire to a marked NYPD van under the cover of darkness, endangering the lives of all New Yorkers.  ATF and our partners in the Arson and Explosives Task Force remain dedicated to seeking justice against those intent on using fire as a weapon.”

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said:  “Setting a police car on fire endangers police officers, firefighters, and nearby residents and properties.  These organized efforts are not a form of protest, they are crimes.  They cost the taxpayer and damage the cause of those enraged in legitimate protest.  I commend the hard work of our detectives in this case together with our law enforcement and city partners, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, and the New York Fire Department.”

Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said:  “Deliberately setting fires to damage property or harm others has no place in our city, or anywhere.  The act of arson endangers the lives of New Yorkers and all first responders.  I commend the excellent teamwork of our Fire Marshals, the NYPD, and ATF to apprehend those who needlessly destroy property and risk the lives of others.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint[1]:

On July 15, 2020, at approximately 4:35 a.m., using ignitable liquid, SMITH and CARBERRY set on fire a marked NYPD Homeless Outreach Unit van on the northwest corner of 12th Street and University Place.  More specifically, as surveillance footage shows, at approximately 4:37 a.m., the NYPD van ignited in flames, and CARBERRY and SMITH walked away from the NYPD van.  As they walked away, SMITH handed CARBERRY what appeared to be a bottle, which CARBERRY put in her purse.  Minutes later, CARBERRY handed SMITH a bottle from her purse, and SMITH again walked towards the NYPD van, with CARBERRY following behind.  Shortly after SMITH approached the NYPD van the second time, a larger fire appeared to ignite.  CARBERRY and SMITH again walked away from the NYPD van, and SMITH again handed CARBERRY an object that appeared to be a bottle, which CARBERRY put in her purse. 

An analysis of the materials found in the NYPD van confirmed the presence of an accelerant.  The FDNY ultimately confirmed that the fire was deliberately set as an act of arson, resulting in the complete destruction of the NYPD van. 

*                *                *

SMITH, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, and CARBERRY, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit arson and one count of arson, each of which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Arson and Explosion Task Force of the ATF, the NYPD, and the FDNY. 

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Christy Slavik is in charge of the prosecution.

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

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two men pled guilty this week to federal firearm crimes, according to United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

Jeremy Vance, 38, of Charleston, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of several firearms in Logan County. Vance admitted that on August 15, 2019, he was carrying four guns while riding a bicycle in West Logan. He admitted that he knew he should not have had the guns because he had previously been convicted of breaking and entering in Logan County Circuit Court in 2011. Vance admitted that he had planned to take the four guns to a local flea market to sell them for money. The guns included two Mossberg 12 gauge shotguns, one Marlin .22 caliber rifle and one Marlin 12 gauge shotgun. Vance faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on December 9, 2020. The West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Scott is handling the prosecution.

Adam Michael Miller, 28, of Parkersburg, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Miller admitted that he was driving a white Honda Pilot on October 28, 2019, when the vehicle was stopped by an officer with the Parkersburg Police Department in the 900 block of Williams Street in Parkersburg. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol along with a digital scale, small empty plastic bags consistent with drug distribution, and quantities of marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms. Several .40 caliber bullets also were found on Miller’s person. The firearm had previously been reported to the Parkersburg Police Department as stolen. Miller was not legally permitted to possess a firearm due to his previous conviction for the felony offense of burglary on December 6, 2017, in the Circuit Court of Calhoun County. Miller’s prior burglary conviction was related to his role in the kidnapping and torture of Joshua Darwin Shrader of Parkersburg in July 2016. He was sentenced to prison in that case for an indeterminate sentence of not less than one year or more than 15 years. He was later released on supervised parole and was still on parole when this offense occurred. In addition to the burglary conviction, Miller has three convictions for battery on a corrections officer, four convictions for battery, three convictions for violation of a protective order, as well as convictions for reporting a false emergency, obstructing an officer, destruction of property and intimidation of a witness. Miller faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on December 8, 2020. The Parkersburg Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.

These cases are being prosecuted as part of the 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. The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting these cases with support from the Project Guardian partners noted above. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00094 (Vance) and Case No. 2:20-cr-00022 (Miller).

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            WASHINGTON - The Justice Department today announced the dismantling of three terrorist financing cyber-enabled campaigns, involving the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, al-Qaeda, and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).  This coordinated operation is detailed in three forfeiture complaints and a criminal complaint unsealed today in the District of Columbia.  These actions represent the government’s largest-ever seizure of cryptocurrency in the terrorism context.

            These three terror finance campaigns all relied on sophisticated cyber-tools, including the solicitation of cryptocurrency donations from around the world.  The action demonstrates how different terrorist groups have similarly adapted their terror finance activities to the cyber age.  Each group used cryptocurrency and social media to garner attention and raise funds for their terror campaigns.  Pursuant to judicially-authorized warrants, U.S. authorities seized millions of dollars, over 300 cryptocurrency accounts, four websites, and four Facebook pages all related to the criminal enterprise.

            Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (http://www.usvsst.com/) after the conclusion of the case.

            “It should not surprise anyone that our enemies use modern technology, social media platforms and cryptocurrency to facilitate their evil and violent agendas,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.   “The Department of Justice will employ all available resources to protect the lives and safety of the American public from terrorist groups.  We will prosecute their money laundering, terrorist financing and violent illegal activities wherever we find them.  And, as announced today, we will seize the funds and the instrumentalities that provide a lifeline for their operations whenever possible.  I want to thank the investigators from the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the prosecutors from the D.C. United States Attorney’s Office and National Security Division for their hard and innovative work in attacking the networks that allow these terrorists to recruit for and fund their dangerous actions.”

            "Terrorist networks have adapted to technology, conducting complex financial transactions in the digital world, including through cryptocurrencies. IRS-CI special agents in the DC cybercrimes unit work diligently to unravel these financial networks," said Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin.  "Today's actions demonstrate our ongoing commitment to holding malign actors accountable for their crimes.” 

            “The Department of Homeland Security was born after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and, nearly 20 years later, we remain steadfast in executing our critical mission to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values,” said Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf.  “Today’s announcement detailing these enforcement actions targeting foreign terrorist organizations is yet another example of the Department’s commitment to our mission. After launching investigations that identified suspected online payments being funneled to and in support of terrorist networks, Homeland Security Investigations skillfully leveraged their cyber, financial, and trade investigative expertise to disrupt and dismantle cyber-criminal networks that sought to fund acts of terrorism against the United States and our allies.  Together with our federal law enforcement partners, the Department will utilize every resource available to ensure that our Homeland is and remains secure.”    

            “These important cases reflect the resolve of the D.C. United States Attorney’s Office to target and dismantle these sophisticated cyber-terrorism and money laundering actors across the globe,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael R. Sherwin.  “While these individuals believe they operate anonymously in the digital space, we have the skill and resolve to find, fix and prosecute these actors under the full extent of the law.” 

            “IRS-CI’s ability to trace funds used by terrorist groups to their source and dismantle these radical group’s communication and financial networks directly prevents them from wreaking havoc throughout the world,” said Don Fort, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation.  “Today the world is a safer place.”

            “As the primary law enforcement agency charged with defeating terrorism, the FBI will continue to combat illicit terrorist financing regardless of platform or method employed by our adversaries,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "As demonstrated by this recent operation, the FBI remains committed to cutting off the financial lifeblood of these organizations that seek to harm Americans at home and abroad."

            “Homeland Security Investigations continues to demonstrate their investigative expertise with these enforcement actions,” said ICE Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Matthew T. Albence.  “Together with law enforcement partners, HSI has utilized their unique authorities to bring to justice those cyber-criminal networks who would do us harm.”

            Al-Qassam Brigades Campaign

            The first action involves the al-Qassam Brigades and its online cryptocurrency fundraising efforts.  In the beginning of 2019, the al-Qassam Brigades posted a call on its social media page for bitcoin donations to fund its campaign of terror.  The al-Qassam Brigades then moved this request to its official websites, alqassam.net, alqassam.ps, and qassam.ps.

            The al-Qassam Brigades boasted that bitcoin donations were untraceable and would be used for violent causes.  Their websites offered video instruction on how to anonymously make donations, in part by using unique bitcoin addresses generated for each individual donor.

            However, such donations were not anonymous.  Working together, IRS, HSI, and FBI agents tracked and seized all 150 cryptocurrency accounts that laundered funds to and from the al-Qassam Brigades’ accounts.  Simultaneously, law enforcement executed criminal search warrants relating to United States-based subjects who donated to the terrorist campaign. 

            With judicial authorization, law enforcement seized the infrastructure of the al-Qassam Brigades websites and subsequently covertly operated alqassam.net.   During that covert operation, the website received funds from persons seeking to provide material support to the terrorist organization, however, they instead donated the funds bitcoin wallets controlled by the United States.

            The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia also unsealed criminal charges for two Turkish individuals, Mehmet Akti and Hüsamettin Karataş, who acted as related money launderers while operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.   

            Al-Qaeda Campaign

            The second cyber-enabled terror finance campaign involves a scheme by al-Qaeda and affiliated terrorist groups, largely based out of Syria.  As the forfeiture complaint details, these terrorist organizations operated a bitcoin money laundering network using Telegram channels and other social media platforms to solicit cryptocurrency donations to further their terrorist goals.  In some instances, they purported to act as charities when, in fact, they were openly and explicitly soliciting funds for violent terrorist attacks.  For example, one post from a charity sought donations to equip terrorists in Syria with weapons:

            Undercover HSI agents communicated with the administrator of Reminder for Syria, a related charity that was seeking to finance terrorism via bitcoin donations.  The administrator stated that he hoped for the destruction of the United States, discussed the price for funding surface-to air missiles, and warned about possible criminal consequences from carrying out a jihad in the United States.

            Posts from another Syrian charity similarly explicitly referenced weapons and extremist activities:

            Al-Qaeda and the affiliated terrorist groups together created these posts and used complicated obfuscation techniques, uncovered by law enforcement, to layer their transactions so to conceal their actions.  Today’s complaint seeks forfeiture of the 155 virtual currency assets tied to this terrorist campaign. 

            ISIS Campaign

            The final complaint combines the Department’s initiatives of combatting COVID-19 related fraud with combatting terrorism financing.  The complaint highlights a scheme by Murat Cakar, an ISIS facilitator who is responsible for managing select ISIS hacking operations, to sell fake personal protective equipment via FaceMaskCenter.com (displayed below).

            The website claimed to sell FDA approved N95 respirator masks, when in fact the items were not FDA approved.  Site administrators claimed to have near unlimited supplies of the masks, in spite of such items being officially-designated as scarce.  The site administrators offered to sell these items to customers across the globe, including a customer in the United States who sought to purchase N95 masks and other protective equipment for hospitals, nursing homes, and fire departments.

           The unsealed forfeiture complaint seized Cakar’s website as well as four related Facebook pages used to facilitate the scheme.  With this third action, the United States has averted the further victimization of those seeking COVID-19 protective gear, and disrupted the continued funding of ISIS. 

            The claims made in these three complaints are only allegations and do not constitute a determination of liability.  The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.  Further, charges contained in criminal complaint are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

            IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit (Washington, D.C.), HSI’s Philadelphia Office, and FBI’s Washington D.C., New York, and Los Angeles field offices are investigating the case. Assistant U.S Attorneys Jessi Camille Brooks and Zia M. Faruqui, and National Security Division Trial Attorneys Danielle Rosborough and Alexandra Hughes are litigating the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Bria Cunningham, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick.  Additional assistance has been provided by Chainalysis and Excygent.

SOUTH BEND – Jamar Sims, age 27, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio upon his plea of guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

Mr. Sims was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to documents in this case, in November 2018, Mr. Sims sold methamphetamine to a person working for the police.  In March of 2019, he sold methamphetamine to the same cooperating person.  On both occasions, investigators watched Sims travel from a residence on Bowman Street in South Bend to conduct the transactions.  Sims also indicated to the cooperator that he had a variety of drugs to sell. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Gabrielse.

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COVINGTON, Ky. - Daniel J. Huegel, 23, of Cincinnati, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Covington, for one count of distributing a controlled substance resulting in death.

The indictment alleges that, on or about March 23, 2020, in Boone County, Ky., Huegel distributed fentanyl, which resulted in the death of the victim.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted jointly, by the DEA and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force.

If convicted, Grogan faces a minimum of 20 years in prison, up to a maximum of life in prison. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes governing the imposition of sentences.

            An indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial, at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.                                                                                                     

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John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SIMON HESSLER, 48, formerly of Ellington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 347 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for child exploitation offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2018, a Connecticut State Police detective identified Hessler as a person possibly involved in the sex trafficking of minors.  Hessler began communicating with the detective, who was acting in an undercover capacity, and told the detective that he maintained a sex dungeon on the top floor of his office building that was full of devices including a cage, stocks, handcuffs, whips and other devices.  Hessler offered to pay the detective $500 for two-days of “slave training” and “limitless sex” with a 12-year-old “DCF child.”  Once the detective agreed to the “sale,” Hessler required the “DCF child” be left in a trailer near a hotel he operated in Manchester, and told the detective to send him a picture of the child gagged, blindfolded and handcuffed before he would reveal the location of the cash payment.  After the detective sent Hessler a photo of an image that appeared to be a child bound on the floor of a trailer, Hessler revealed the location of the money.  On November 13, 2018, Hessler was arrested after he exited his car and began walking toward the trailer.

After his arrest, investigators accessed a USB drive that had been inside a safe in Hessler’s “sex dungeon” in Vernon.  The USB drive contained thousands of photos and videos that contained both child pornography and child erotica, including approximately 60 images of a specific female who was under the age of 12.  The investigation revealed that, between July 2016 and November 2018, Hessler sexually abused the minor female, and he used a used a cellular phone to produce images of the sexual abuse.

Hessler has been detained in state custody since his arrest.  On December 11, 2019, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography. 

Hessler also was charged in both the Hartford Judicial District and the Tolland Judicial District with related state offenses.  On December 17, 2019, he pleaded guilty to several of those offenses, including two counts of sex assault in the fourth degree, two counts of risk of injury, and multiple counts related to his attempt to commit commercial sex abuse of a minor under the age of 13, unlawful restraint and attempt to commit intentional cruelty.  Today’s sentencing is part of a global resolution of all federal and state charges.  Hessler is expected to be sentenced to 30 years of incarceration for the state offenses, and Judge Underhill ordered Hessler’s federal sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.

This matter was investigated by the Connecticut State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case federal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the Hartford and Tolland State Attorney’s Offices for their cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

ALBANY, NEW YORK –Tyler C. King, age 31, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with his hacking of a New York-based technology company. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith stated: “Tyler King hacked into a major technology company, damaged its systems, stole its data, and laughed about it, all from the comfort of his sofa in Texas.  He will now serve 57 months in federal prison.  Those interested in hiding behind their keyboards to steal information and damage property should take today’s sentence as a stark reminder that computer hacking is a serious business with serious consequences.  I thank the FBI for its exceptional work in bringing King to justice.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Relford stated: “This kind of behavior is not a prank, and it isn’t harmless. Today’s sentence should serve as a reminder that cybercrime is a serious threat and the FBI is prepared to go to any lengths to apprehend criminals like Mr. King.”

Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy ordered King to serve a 2-year term of supervised release, to begin after King is released from prison, and to pay a fine of $15,000 and $21,159 in restitution.

The evidence at King’s 5-day trial, in November 2019, established that he conspired with Ashley St. Andria in 2015 to gain access to the computer network of a New York-based technology company that employed St. Andria.  While on the company’s network, King and St. Andria created unauthorized administrator accounts that gave them access to proprietary company information, including real-time access to the emails of senior company executives, personnel files, and financial records. 

In response to the company shutting down the fake administrator accounts, King regained access to the network with the assistance of St. Andria, stole proprietary business records, and – through a series of sophisticated steps, including the use of password-cracking programs – bypassed the company’s security measures.  In doing so, King illegally used the credentials of two company employees based overseas.  The jury convicted King of conspiring to commit computer fraud, computer fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. 

In June 2020, King pled guilty to obstructing justice by falsifying evidence for use at his November 2019 trial.

King’s co-conspirator, Ashley St. Andria, age 31, of Irving, Texas, pled guilty to computer fraud on August 15, 2018 and was sentenced by Judge McAvoy to time served, and 2 years of supervised release, in March 2020.

This case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne A. Myers and Joshua R. Rosenthal.

SAN JUAN, P.R. – United States District Court Chief Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí sentenced Enrique Sánchez Hernández to 210 months (17 years and six months) in prison followed by a supervised release term of 30 years for Production of Child Pornography, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

On November 20, 2019, Sánchez Hernández pleaded guilty to the sole count in the indictment, one count of Production of Child Pornography. According to the government’s evidence, Sánchez Hernández had made a recording of his sexual abuse of an 8 year-old minor, utilizing his cellular phone. A civilian discovered the recording in June of 2018, when the abandoned phone was found in Río Grande, Puerto Rico. Police of Puerto Rico referred the case to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, who were able to identify Mr. Sánchez Hernández from the video and arrested him shortly thereafter.

 “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico will continue to protect and defend our children from those who seek to prey upon them and steal their innocence,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these crimes, using all available resources to ensure that additional vulnerable victims aren’t abused.” 

Project Safe Childhood is an initiative of the Department of Justice aimed at preventing the abuse and exploitation of children by the use of digital cameras, computers and other digital and electronic media.

The Department of Homeland Security was in charge of the investigation of the case and the criminal prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Cannon.

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U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced that the Middle District of Louisiana received $499,458 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime, to provide safe, stable housing and other appropriate services to victims of human trafficking. 

The recipient, Empower 225, is a charitable foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to helping those who are at risk of homelessness and dependency locate permanent housing and secure employment, occupational training, and counseling.  Their HOPE Team provides supportive services and mentoring to victims of human trafficking and also facilitates training for those who serve these victims.  The grant awarded to Empower 225 will provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rent, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs.  Empower 225 is among 73 organizations receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.

“Human trafficking is a barbaric criminal enterprise that subjects its victims to unspeakable cruelty and deprives them of the most basic of human needs, none more essential than a safe place to live,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Throughout this Administration, the Department of Justice has fought aggressively to bring human traffickers to justice and to deliver critical aid to trafficking survivors. These new resources, announced today, expand on our efforts to offer those who have suffered the shelter and support they need to begin a new and better life.”

U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “This funding is a tremendous boost to our efforts to combat human trafficking and serve victims so desperately in need of help.  This funding will assist victims of this terrible crime by allowing service providers to enhance their efforts in combatting human trafficking in Louisiana.  This is yet another example of the Justice Department’s support of local organizations that serve and mentor crime victims in our district.”      

“Human traffickers dangle the threat of homelessness over those they have entrapped, playing a ruthless game of psychological manipulation that victims are never in a position to win,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will empower survivors on their path to independence and a life of self-sufficiency and hope.”

Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflect. A new report issued by the National Institute of Justice, another component of the Office of Justice Programs, found that the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such cases. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.

The Office for Victims of Crime, for example, hosted listening sessions and roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the field in 2018 and launched the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. From July 2018 through June 2019, 118 OVC human trafficking grantees reported serving 8,375 total clients including confirmed trafficking victims and individuals showing strong indicators of trafficking victimization.

For a complete list of individual award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/htvictimsfactheet.pdf

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 thecriminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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

SOUTH BEND – Allen Hanuscak, 65, who has resided in Elkhart Indiana and Ohio, was charged by way of an Indictment with bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

On July 14, 2020, Magistrate Judge Joshua P. Kolar approved a criminal complaint against Hanuscak for the bank robbery that is the subject of the indictment.  According to the affidavit, on July 13, 2020, the Old National Bank located at 320 North Main Street, Elkhart, Indiana, was robbed by a white male at about 10:30 am. The male entered the bank and slid a demand note to the teller. The man had his hand in his pocket leading the teller to believe he was concealing a firearm, and the teller then gave the man about $7000. The teller described the robber as an elderly, white male wearing glasses, a mask, jeans and a black backpack. Officers responding to the crime saw a white elderly man walking near the bank who was wearing a mask, glasses, jeans and carrying a backpack. Officers stopped him and he identified himself as Allen Hanuscak. He was searched and police found $6995 in his pants. Old National Bank’s money bands were still wrapped around the money.  Mr. Hanuscak was on supervised release from federal courts in Ohio when this robbery occurred.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.

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

This case is being investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.

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CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Anthony Foy, of Detroit Michigan, was sentenced today to 100 months of incarceration for selling heroin, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Foy, also known as “Duke,” age 42, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin” in September 2019. Foy admitted to selling heroin in October 2017 in Monongalia County.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.

U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.