FORT SMITH– Trio sentenced to over 38 years combined in federal prison on one count each of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Judge P.K Holmes, III, presided over the sentencing hearing’s in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.

According to court documents, In November 2020, members of the 12^th/21^st Drug Task Force (DTF) received information that Charlene M. Elmore, 26,and Frankie Leon Hunter, 29,possessed numerous firearms that were suspected to have been stolen. Elmore was a parolee with an active absconder warrant issued by the Arkansas Parole Board due to her absconding from parole supervision on or about July 31, 2020. Hunter was also a parolee. On November 9, 2020, DTF members went to their residence in Fort Smith, Arkansas. When DTF members arrived at the residence, they saw Elmore, the driver, and Hunter, the passenger, leaving in a green Chevrolet Equinox. Patrol officers attempted a traffic stop, but Elmore stopped only when her vehicle became disabled. Elmore and Hunter were taken into custody.  After Elmore and Hunter were taken into custody, law enforcement officers returned to the residence where Jeremy Robinson, 29, another parolee living at the residence, answered the door. Arkansas State Parole Officers had parole search waivers on file for all three individuals that allowed them to search the residence. Eighteen firearms were found, six of which had been reported stolen in Roland, Oklahoma.

Elmore was sentenced yesterday to 92 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Hunter was sentenced on July 21, 2021 to 192 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

Robinson was sentenced on June 10, 2021 to 180 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

The 12^th/21^st Drug Task Force investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyra Jenner prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

LAS VEGAS, Nev.— A Las Vegas resident was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for robbing two U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carriers while they were delivering the mail.

According to court documents, on January 18, 2020, Rodolfo Rafael Rodriguez-Silva, 21, and another individual — each wearing a ski mask — robbed a USPS mail carrier who was delivering mail. Rodriguez-Silva intimidated the mail carrier while the other person stole mail from the USPS vehicle. One week later on January 25, Rodriguez-Silva accosted another USPS mail carrier while wearing a mask. Rodriguez-Silva stated to the mail carrier, who was delivering mail in North Las Vegas: “I don’t want to hurt you, get to the side of the vehicle.” An individual with Rodriguez-Silva then stole mail from the USPS vehicle.

Rodriguez-Silva pleaded guilty in November 2020 to two counts of robbery of mail, money, or property of the United States. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II sentenced Rodriguez-Silva to two years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Frayn and Daniel Clarkson prosecuted the case.

###

A former IRS officer was sentenced today to three years in prison for obstructing federal tax laws, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah.

Former Revenue Officer Sonya Vivar, 55, pleaded guilty in November to one count of corrupt endeavor to obstruct or impede the due administration of internal revenue laws. She was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman.

According to plea papers, Ms. Vivar admitted she attempted to conceal her personal relationship with C.J.B., the subject of an IRS investigation, from the IRS and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.  

At the time, C.J.B. was operating a business that was delinquent on its employment taxes.

C.J.B. had purchased the company only after Ms. Vivar was assigned to oversee collection efforts against it. Ms. Vivar was aware that C.B.J. had acquired the company and sold its assets at a profit or transferred the assets into newly formed business entities.

At Friday’s sentencing hearing, the judge found that due to the defendant’s crimes, the IRS lost the opportunity to collect more than $4 million in taxes.

IRS – Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rob Boudreau and Jay Weimer are prosecuting the case.

Hattiesburg, Miss. –  A Mount Olive father and son were both sentenced today to 170 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Brad Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

According to court documents, Steven Lawrence Hand, 53, and Steven Tyler Hand, 29, of Mount Olive, sold methamphetamine to an individual on multiple occasions in August of 2019 and both were found to be in possession of additional methamphetamine during a search of their respective residences on July 23, 2020. 

The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury and both pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.  

The case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed “Operation: Bulldog,” which began as an operation targeting illegal methamphetamine distribution in south Mississippi.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha D. Middleton prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 40-year-old Laredo man has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Between Oct. 10-26, 2016, Jesus Gabriel Vara-Perez conspired with others to deliver fire extinguishers containing approximately 24 kilograms of meth to Atlanta, Georgia. He also admitted he received $8,000 for his participation in the meth transportation.

He was arrested in Laredo Sept. 23, 2020, at which time he was in possession of more fire extinguishers containing an additional 17 kilograms of meth.

The drugs had a combined estimated street value of more than $320,000.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing at a later date yet to be determined. At that time, Vara-Perez faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine. He was taken into custody pending that hearing. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney José Angel Moreno is prosecuting the case.

BECKLEY, W.Va. – William David Reid, 46, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of heroin.

According to court documents, Reid sold a quantity of heroin to a confidential informant in Beckley on August 3, 2020.  As part of the plea, Reid also admitted to possessing approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine on August 12, 2020 that he intended to distribute in and around Raleigh County.   

Reid faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 5, 2021.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.

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. 5:20-cr-00156.

###

AUGUSTA, GA:  With the sentencing of the lead defendant, the prosecution of a major Richmond County drug trafficking conspiracy has resulted in convictions of all eight defendants – including a man and two sons.

Terrance Quain Freeman, 50, of Augusta, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Freeman to pay a fine of $2,500 and serve four years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Multiple law enforcement partners at all levels worked together to identify, infiltrate and terminate this conspiracy that imported significant amounts of illegal drugs into the Richmond County area,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “This sentence slams the prison door on poison profiteers who no longer will plague the greater Augusta community.”

The 2019 indictments in USA v. Freeman, et. al., a two-year investigation initiated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, identified Freeman as the leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Augusta area.  Mario Hubbard, 45, of Atlanta, was found to be Freeman’s source of supply for cocaine.  The conspiracy involved the sale of kilograms of cocaine, as well as amounts of crack cocaine marijuana. 

During the investigation of Operation Snowfall – so named because of the large quantities of powder cocaine involved – DEA agents and sheriff’s office investigators seized more than $500,000 in cash, more than two kilos of cocaine, 32 grams of crack cocaine and more than 9 pounds of marijuana, along with eight firearms.

Hubbard previously pled guilty to an Information charging him with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. The plea subjects Hubbard to a statutory sentence of up to 40 years in prison, and he has agreed to the forfeiture of a residence in Smyrna alleged to have been purchased with drug trafficking proceeds.

Six other defendants previously pled guilty in the investigation, including:

• Timothy Jeremy Myers, 33, of Augusta, sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $1,500 after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana;
• Timothy Dale Reid, 53, of Augusta, awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana. Reid is a half-brother of Terrance Freeman. 
• Willie Antonio Bass, 37, of Augusta, sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Tyquain Freeman, 29, of Augusta, sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $1,500 after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana. He is a son of Terrance Freeman.
• Christopher Chin, 36, of Augusta, sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine and Marijuana; and,
• Quieaton Freeman, 22, of Augusta, awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of Firearms by an Illegal Drug User. He is a son of Terrance Freeman.

More than a dozen other defendants faced state charges in the investigation.

“The sentencing of the lead defendant in this case closes the door on an organization that once profited from peddling cocaine in the Richmond County area,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “DEA and its law enforcement partners worked tirelessly to ensure that Richmond County citizens trust their community is a safe place to live. Terrance Freeman will spend well-deserved time in prison.”

“I applaud the federal and local partners who assisted in this investigation,” said Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree. “Targeting organizations will have the greatest impact on the drug trade, and we remind area citizens that these multijurisdictional efforts will continue.”

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, the Dekalb County HIDTA Task Force, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes and Hank Syms.

A Texas man was arrested today for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Andrew Quentin Taake, 32, of Houston, is charged with federal offenses that include assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers and obstruction of an official proceeding, among other charges. Taake made his initial court appearance in the Southern District of Texas today.

According to court documents, Taake was on Capitol grounds on the afternoon of Jan. 6. At approximately 1:16 p.m., he can be seen on Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) body-worn camera (BWC) footage approaching and pepper spraying a line of police officers who were trying to prevent rioters from entering the building. Around 2 p.m., Taake can be seen engaging in a second assault on law enforcement. As depicted in BWC footage, Taake emerged from the crowd and struck officers with what appeared to be a whip-like weapon. Taake can be further observed on video walking through the U.S. Capitol building holding the whip-like weapon.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and FBI’s Houston Field Office.

In the six months since Jan. 6, more than 535 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 165 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

The charges contained in any criminal complaint or indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

HOUSTON – Three illegal aliens from Central America have been ordered to prison following their multiple convictions involving conspiracy to rob a drug dealer, drug trafficking, as well as firearms and immigration offenses, announced Acting U.S. Jennifer B. Lowery. 

The jury deliberated for less than four hours before convicting Nestor Henriquez-Parada, aka Homie, 37, Edwin Martinez-Brilia, aka Jarrito, 42, and Josue Marquez-Oseguera, aka Nahun, 37, Sept. 4, 2019, following a nearly three-week trial. Christain Benjhamin Martinez-Meraz, aka Peludo, 39, pleaded guilty in the middle of trial. All had repeatedly and unlawfully re-entered the United States. 

Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner handed Martinez-Meraz a 220-month sentence, while Martinez-Brilia and Marquez-Oseguera received respective total sentences of 205 and 210 months in federal prison. Not U.S. citizens, all are expected to again face removal following their incarceration. At the hearing, the court heard evidence about numerous robberies they committed prior to their arrests for these charges, multiple previous deportations and other convictions. One of those noted was a violent assault Martinez-Brilia committed against his wife. 

Henriquez-Parada is set for sentencing July 30.

The four men were “Tumbadores” known to be part of a “rip crew” who engage in armed robberies of game rooms, drug dealers, alien smugglers and human traffickers. 

During trial, the jury heard from a total of 24 witnesses and saw 38 exhibits.

The jury heard the crew was involved in several robberies, or “rips,” in the Houston area.

Martinez-Meraz decided to plan a robbery of a local drug dealer and employed the three others as his crew. They thought a pickup truck was coming to Houston from Mexico and contained 25 kilograms of cocaine and five kilograms of meth, but later heard drugs were actually located at a residence in Houston. They went there armed with a sledgehammer and three loaded firearms, one of which had an extended magazine. 

Martinez-Brilia was the armed getaway driver, while the other three forced their way into the house. Marquez-Oseguera was armed with a sledgehammer and used it to knock down several doors in the house while Martinez-Meraz and Henrinquez-Parada were armed with firearms. They eventually broke into a closet and found what they thought were drugs. Law enforcement apprehended them as they were preparing to move the narcotics to the truck.

Authorities later executed a search of Martinez-Meraz’s residence and recovered additional drugs, a loaded assault rifle and several other magazines containing ammunition. 

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

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation along with Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Laurence Goldman and Lisa Marie Collins are prosecuting the case.  

Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that BELINDA J. ARVIDSON, 50, of  Idaho was ordered to pay $5,826.99 in restitution for improper food storage, a misdemeanor offense, in Grand Teton National Park. The sentence was handed down by United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, on July 20, 2021. Arvisdon will also serve four years of unsupervised release.

While camping in Grand Teton National Park, Arvidson failed to properly store garbage and beverages resulting in a grizzly bear receiving a food reward when it found the unattended garbage and drink at the campsite.  Individuals camping in the area took photos and videos of the grizzly bear while it was in Arvidson’s campsite rummaging through the trash and other food items. The campground contained multiple warning signs about bears and proper food storage as well as bear boxes in which food and other items could be stored. 

Due to the bear receiving a food reward, upon locating the bear, it was tranquilized, collared, and relocated by boat to another area of the park.  It could pose a danger to humans if the bear were to have another similar incident, and euthanizing the bear may become necessary.  The amount of restitution to be paid by Arvisdon covers the National Park Service’s costs for this operation, including the cost of a GPS collar now necessary to track the bear’s movement

Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins said, “Irresponsible behaviors have consequences, and many times it is the wildlife that pays the ultimate price. We all have responsibilities to preserve and protect the incredible wild animals of Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”

Grizzly bears and black bears thrive in Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. Odors attract bears into parking lots, campgrounds, and picnic areas. All food and items with a smell must be stored in a bear-resistant food storage locker or in a hard-sided vehicle with the doors locked and windows closed day and night. Never store food, garbage, or toiletries in tents. For information about bear safety in Grand Teton National Park visit Safety in Bear Country - Grand Teton National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov). 

This crime was investigated by the National Park Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Hambrick. For questions relating to Grant Teton National Park, please contact Denise Germann at denise_germann@nps.gov or 307-739-3393.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On July 23, 2021, a federal jury convicted Alim Turner, 23, Ushery Stewart, 22, Ronald Turner, 25, Kedaris Gilmore, 23, Mahlon Prater, Jr., 25, and Trevor Cox, 22, all of Knoxville, TN, and Demetrius Bibbs, 29, of Chattanooga, TN, of conspiring to distribute various controlled substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, oxycodone, alprazolam, and buprenorphine.  The jury also convicted various defendants, including Jyshon Forbes, 27, of Knoxville, of conspiracy to commit money laundering.  In addition, multiple defendants were convicted of the possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking offenses, and numerous other counts involving the illegal distribution of drugs and unlawful possession of firearms in East Tennessee. 

The verdict follows a two-week trial in front of United States District Judge Thomas A. Varlan in which all eight defendants were tried together.  The defendants face varying terms of imprisonment of up to life in prison and $10,000,000 in fines.  Sentencing hearings for all eight defendants will be set for early 2022.

According to court documents, seven other charged members of the conspiracy previously pleaded guilty.  The second superseding indictment resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Knoxville Police Department, Cleveland Police Department, Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Department of Corrections, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.  The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also assisted in this investigation by conducting drug and firearms analysis on seized evidence in the case.

The proof presented at trial revealed that seven of the defendants were members of the Unknown Ghost Vice Lords in Knoxville and another defendant, Demetrius Bibbs, was a member of the Black P Stone Bloods in Chattanooga. The proof also showed that the members of the Unknown Ghost Vice Lords distributed kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs in the Knoxville and Chattanooga areas.

"This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice's comprehensive strategy to reduce violence and increase safety in the community by disrupting and dismantling violent criminal organizations that distribute highly addictive, dangerous, and deadly drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine," said Acting United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III.

“This verdict demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigate violent criminal organizations and individuals who engage in this type of illegal activity. The teamwork between our agents and state and local law enforcement partners ensured there are fewer predators endangering and victimizing the vulnerable and innocent members of our community,” said Joseph E. Carrico, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Knoxville office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.   

“This conviction is the result of the vigorous cumulative efforts of the Knoxville Police Department and its law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to address violent crime head on and make our community safer. By bringing addictive and deadly drugs into our area, these drug trafficking organizations are directly responsible for unimaginable tragedy and senseless violence that fragments families and destabilizes communities. In addition to our Organized Crime Unit investigators and various law enforcement partners, I want to specifically commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee for their extraordinary work on this case,” said Eve Thomas, Chief, Knoxville Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys David P. Lewen, Jr. and Brent N. Jones represented the United States.

This case was part of the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the HIDTA programs.  OCDETF is the primary weapon of the United States against the highest level drug trafficking organizations operating within the United States, importing drugs into the United States, or laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. The HIDTA program enhances and coordinates drug control efforts among local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. The program provides agencies with coordination, equipment, technology, and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States.

This case was also brought as part ofProject Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  This program provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences.  PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces.

                                                                                      ###

NEWARK, N.J. – A Trenton, New Jersey woman today admitted distributing fentanyl that caused the death of a Monmouth county woman, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Tarashanna Blake, 33, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging her with one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl relating to the overdose death of a Monmouth County woman.

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

On May 15, 2018, a 39-year old woman from Englishtown, referred to in court as Victim-1, texted Blake seeking to buy heroin. Blake and Victim-1 discussed the “stamp” or “brand” of heroin Blake was selling and the purchase price. They agreed to meet at a location around Englishtown to complete the sale. Blake obtained the “CAMEL”-stamped heroin and traveled to the agreed upon location and sold to Victim-1 a controlled substance packaged like heroin, which was later determined to be fentanyl. That afternoon, Englishtown police responded to a location in Englishtown on a report of an overdose death of a female. Upon their arrival, Englishtown police discovered Victim-1, and in Victim-1’s possession were several wax folds of suspected heroin stamped “CAMEL” and empty wax folds stamped “CAMEL.” Laboratory analysis of these wax folds bearing the “CAMEL” stamp determined the substance to be fentanyl, a much more potent narcotic than heroin. An autopsy of Victim-1 found her cause of death to be acute fentanyl toxicity.

For distributing and possessing fentanyl, Blake faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, and, because the offense resulted in death, she is subject to significant sentencing enhancements. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2021.

Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; detectives from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Lori Linskey; the Englishtown Police Department, under the direction of Peter S. Cooke Jr.; and Trenton Police Department’s Narcotics Task Force, under the direction of Acting Police Director Steve Wilson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan L. O’Neill, of the Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit.

BOSTON – A Stoughton man with ties to the Orchard Gardens housing development in Roxbury was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston on drug trafficking charges.

Dashawn Matthews, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Dec. 14, 2020, Matthews pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base (also known as crack cocaine).

During an investigation into drug trafficking and violence in the Orchard Gardens housing development, a cooperating witness and an undercover police officer made eight purchases of fentanyl, crack cocaine or both from Matthews. In total, between May and August 2019, Matthews distributed approximately 120 grams of fentanyl and 98 grams of crack cocaine. Most of the sales took place a short distance away from the Orchard Gardens housing development.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging LAMONT FIELDS, 23, of Hartford, with unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.

The indictment was returned on July 20 and Fields was arrested last night.  He appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish who ordered Fields detained.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on March 24, 2021, Hartford Police arrested Fields after officers found him in possession of a loaded .357 Glock 31 pistol.  The investigation revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen in Atlanta, Georgia.

It is further alleged that, on May 13, 2021, while Fields was released on bond in his state case related to his March 24 arrest, Hartford Police arrested Fields after officers found him in possession of a loaded 9mm “ghost gun.”  Fields was again released on bond.

It is alleged that analysis by the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) determined that the ghost gun seized from Fields is likely the firearm that was used on May 4, 2021, to shoot three victims in Hartford, killing one and seriously wounding the other two.

It is alleged that Fields’ criminal history includes state felony convictions in 2017 for carrying a dangerous weapon, and in 2018 for criminal possession of a weapon.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

The indictment charges Fields with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.  Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Eastern District of Wisconsin to Participate in Cross-Jurisdictional Strike Force

Acting U.S. Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin joined the U.S. Department of Justice in announcing on July 22, 2021 the launch of five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country.  Leveraging existing resources, the regional strike forces will better ensure sustained and focused coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions:  New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region, and Washington, D.C.

Each strike force region will be led by designated United States Attorneys, who will collaborate with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and with state and local law enforcement partners within their own jurisdiction (where firearms are used in crimes), as well as with law enforcement partners in areas where illegally trafficked guns originate. These officials will use the latest data, evidence, and intelligence from crime scenes to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.

“All too often, guns found at crime scenes come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. We are redoubling our efforts as ATF works with law enforcement to track the movement of illegal firearms used in violent crimes.  These strike forces enable sustained coordination across multiple jurisdictions to help disrupt the worst gun trafficking corridors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department of Justice will use all of its tools – enforcement, prevention, intervention, and investment – to help ensure the safety of our communities – the department’s highest priority.”

According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in Chicago originate from outside the city, and many originate from the Eastern District of Wisconsin, among other locations. The new strike force will help ensure sustained and focused coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors in Chicago with their counterparts in those other locations.

The strike forces represent one important, concrete step in implementing the Department’s Comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy, which was announced on May 26, 2021. The comprehensive strategy supports local communities in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting gun violence and other violent crime—and requires U.S. Attorneys’ offices to work with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, as well as the communities they serve, to address the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. In guidance to federal agents and prosecutors as part of that comprehensive strategy, the Deputy Attorney General made clear that firearms traffickers providing weapons to violent offenders are an enforcement priority across the country. 

Department of Justice Efforts to Address Violent Crime

Since April 2021, the Department has taken the following steps to reduce and prevent violent crime, especially the gun crime that is often at the core of the problem:

·           April 8, 2021 – Attorney General Garland, alongside President Biden, announced four concrete steps for addressing gun violence:  ATF would propose a new rule  within 30 days to help curb the proliferation of so-called ghost guns, ATF would propose a new rule within 60 days on stabilizing braces used to convert pistols into short-barreled rifles, the Department would publish model state extreme risk protection order legislation within 60 days; and ATF would begin preparing a thorough and detailed new public study of firearms trafficking for the first time in 20 years.

·           In April 2021, the Office of Justice Programs also made clear when existing grant funds could be used to support Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs.

·           On May 7, 2021,  ATF issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to update outdated firearms definitions and to help address the proliferation of ghost guns.

·           May 26, 2021, the Attorney General announced the Department’s comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime, including an overall Department Violent Crime Reduction Strategy, the strengthening of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), and a directive to the U.S. Attorneys to work with their local partners in addressing the increase in violence that typically occurs over the summer (with specific support from DOJ law enforcement agencies).

·           On June 7, 2021, ATF issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify that the restrictions imposed by the National Firearms Act apply when stabilizing braces are used to convert pistols into short-barreled rifles.

·           On June 8, 2021, the Department published model state extreme risk protection order legislation.

·           On June 22, 2021, the Attorney General announced that the Department would be forming five Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces within 30 days.

·           On, June 23, 2021, the Attorney General, alongside President Biden, announced steps that ATF would take to hold rogue gun dealers accountable for their actions. They include applying a “no tolerance” policy for federal firearms licensers (FFLs) that willfully commit violations that endanger public safety; designating  points of contact for state and local government officials to report concerns about rogue FFLs; formalizing the use of public safety factors for inspection prioritization; sharing inspection information with states that regulate firearms dealers themselves; resuming the practice of notifying revoked dealers on how to dispose of their inventory and the potential criminal consequences of continuing to engage in the business; increasing ATF’s resources for inspections (see, FY 2022 Budget request); and publicly posting disaggregated inspection information to ATF’s website. 

  # #  #

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700

Follow us on Twitter

NEW ORLEANS –U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOEL ALEXANDER FABRE, age 33, of California, was charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to the indictment, between March 16, 2021 and March 20, 2021, FABRE, shipped a pound of methamphetamine via USPS.  FABRE received $3000.00 for the methamphetamine via a MoneyGram, in violation of Title 21 United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)A), possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, FABRE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000 and at least five years of supervised release after imprisonment, as well as a $100 special assessment. 

COUNCIL BLUFF, IA – On Friday, July 23, 2021, Hershal James Ratliff, age 71, long time businessman and owner of Jimmy’s All American Malt Shop and Grill in Council Bluffs, Iowa, was found guilty of four counts of sex trafficking minors, two counts of sex trafficking adults and two counts of distributing a controlled substance to a person under twenty-one years of age. The verdict came after a four-day trial before United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey.

Evidence presented at trial showed that RATLIFF, over the last ten years, would have minor girls come to his house an perform sex acts on him and with his friends in exchange for money, drugs, and other material things. The testimony showed that Ratliff provided the minor girls with alcohol, prescription Xanax, and marijuana both before and after they participated in sex acts at his residence.

In addition, the evidence showed that Ratliff obtained sex acts for his friends from adult women by the use of force and coercion.  No sentencing date has been set.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Acting U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA– On Thursday afternoon, David E. Merry, 60, of Pensacola, was sentenced to eleven years in prison on federal charges related to his receipt of child pornography. The sentence, which followed his guilty plea, was announced by Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Court documents reflect, in February 2019, officers with the Pensacola Police Department received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a particular online account with Google maintained child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations and the Pensacola Police Department were able to geo-locate the criminal activity of Merry to Pensacola.  The Pensacola Police Department, through a records check, confirmed that Merry was a suspect in two prior child exploitation investigations in 2016 and 2017. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Merry’s Google account, identifying the child pornography he maintained in the cloud. Law enforcement then obtained and executed a search warrant at Merry’s residence, resulting in the seizure of multiple electronic devices. A forensic review of the seized items revealed thousands of images of child pornography. Merry was arrested and released on bond conditions. While on release, probation officers suspected that Merry continued his illicit activity, and federal agents were able to seize his newly obtained cellular telephone and search it pursuant to a warrant. Additional images of child pornography were located, and Merry was taken into custody without bond. He has been in custody awaiting sentencing since that time. 

During the sentencing hearing, United States District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers considered a prior offense in which Merry was identified as having sexually exploited a minor female.    

“The abuse committed by this child predator has come to an end as a result of the vigilant efforts of our law enforcement partners,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who engage in such heinous conduct will be held accountable for their actions.”

“Merry will now face accountability for his continued delight in the disgusting images of children being exploited,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Sibley, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Northern Florida. “Every time one of these images is shared or viewed it revictimizes an innocent person.”

“This sentence is an example of the great partnership between Pensacola Police and the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Pensacola Police Chief Eric Randall. This team is determined to hold those fully accountable who seek to do harm to our children.”

Following his 11-year term of imprisonment, Merry will be supervised by the United States Probation Office for the rest of his life.

The case was investigated by United States Homeland Security Investigations, the Pensacola Police Department, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Meredith L. Steer.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DAVID MORA, age 60, a resident of California, was sentenced on July 22, 2021 to 120 months imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Barry W. Barry Ashe for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 100 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing heroin as well as one kilogram or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. Additionally, MORA was ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment fee. No fines were imposed in this case.

According to court records, in November 2019, during an investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, co-defendant, Zoraida Lara, a/k/a Zoraida Trinidad, communicated with a special agent working in an undercover capacity about the transportation of illegal narcotics to the New Orleans, LA area. Shortly after their conversation, LARA arranged for MORA to deliver the narcotics to the New Orleans area. MORA delivered the narcotics, which included 959.4 grams of heroin and 1402.2 grams of fentanyl and he was subsequently arrested. LARA flew from California to New Orleans to collect payment for the illegal narcotics and was subsequently arrested upon her arrival.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Bayonle Osundare oversaw the prosecution.

*   *   *