St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a Colorado man was arrested on October 19, 2021 at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport and advised of his rights on criminal charges related to his alleged possession cocaine on October 20, 2021.

According to court documents, Customs and Border Patrol officers were conducting inspections of passengers on American Airlines flight #1293 departing from St. Croix to Miami, Florida when Kareme Holst presented himself. He was referred to secondary inspection where an x-ray of his luggage revealed a box that contained plastic bottles with a white powdery substance in clear plastic wrapping.  Further inspection revealed a pair of trousers with a white powdery substance wrapped in plastic in a pocket. The substance was field tested and reacted positive to the characteristics of cocaine. The weight of the substance was approximately three kilograms.

Holst is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. If convicted, he faces a potential of 5 - 40 years in prison.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry is prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Jackson, Miss. – A member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute hydrocodone on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.    

According to court documents, Antoniel Thomas, Sr., 49, of Choctaw, participated in a conspiracy to distribute hydrocodone in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation. 

A federal grand jury indicted Thomas in August of 2020 and he pled guilty on March 4, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute hydrocodone. Thomas admitted to buying and selling hydrocodone on the Choctaw Indian Reservation.

Hon. Daniel P. Jordan, III., Chief United States District Judge, sentenced Thomas to a prison term of 33 months, plus a fine of $1,500.00, to be followed by a term of 3 years on supervised release following release from prison.  

The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne.

LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United StatesAttorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Spencer Matthew Legendre, 23, of New Iberia, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 72 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, on distribution of child pornography charges. Legendre was also ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution.

According to information presented in court, an undercover agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) engaged in an undercover chat on a Kik group referring to young girls. The undercover agent observed username “legend_re” which was later identified to be the defendant, Spencer Matthew Legendre, post prepubescent child pornography images from the Kik account over the internet.

A search warrant was executed on February 27, 2020 at Legendre’s residence and he was questioned by law enforcement officers. Legendre confessed to downloading child pornography and admitted that he had distributed child pornography using his Kik account. In addition, law enforcement agents seized Legendre’s cell phone and found numerous images of prepubescent child pornography located on the phone. A forensic examination of the phone revealed that Legendre had distributed child pornography on February 18, 2020.

The FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Luke Walker prosecuted the case.

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

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Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that an Inwood, Iowa, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on October 15, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Kyle William King, age 35, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

King was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 6, 2021.  He pled guilty on July 19, 2021.

The conviction stems from King failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between October 1, 2020, and February 8, 2021.  King had previously been convicted of a sex offense in state court, which requires him to register for the rest of his life.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

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

BEAUMONT, Texas - A Cuban national has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.

Victor Entenza, 30, pleaded guilty on May 10, 2021 to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft.  Entenza was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield.

“Typically, a skimmer, such as the one found in this case, is placed inside a gas pump and used by criminals to collect credit card information from victims using the pump,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei. “The crime is difficult to detect because intended gas purchase will proceed without interruption or notification,” Ganjei added. “A single gas station skimmer is capable of storing credit card information for hundreds of victims.”

According to information presented in court, on Jan. 27, 2017, an officer with the Nacogdoches Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Entenza and occupied by Cuban nationals, Orlando Enrique Quesada-Oliva, 25, and Ricardo Chavez-Travieso, 29.  During the traffic stop, the officer discovered a credit card bearing the name of third party, leading to a more exhaustive search of the car.  During this search, the officer found a notepad that listed various gas stations in Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama, numerous cell phones, a laptop computer and tape used as a security seal/tamper indicator for gas station fuel pumps. The officer also located a card skimmer, an encoder, a key used to open gas pumps, and additional credit cards located in hidden compartments within the vehicle. Credit card information for nine individuals, none of whom were occupants the vehicle, was additionally found.

Entenza, Oliva, and Travieso were indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 8, 2020 and charged with federal violations.  On July 12, 2021, Travieso pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aiding/abetting aggravated identity theft. Travieso is awaiting a sentencing date.  The case against Oliva is still pending.

This case was investigated by the Nacogdoches Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman.

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The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Blakely H. Jenkins, Sr., 60, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont has been indicted by the federal grand jury in Burlington on six counts of tax evasion and one count of identity theft in connection with Jenkins’ operation of his St. Johnsbury-based painting business, Blake Jenkins Painting, Inc. Jenkins was arrested on the charges today and is expected to appear in United States District Court tomorrow.

According to the indictment, Jenkins evaded employment taxes for over five years by underreporting to the Internal Revenue Service the amount of wages that Blake Jenkins Painting, Inc. actually paid to its employees. Between July 2015 and October 2020, Jenkins paid employee wages partially or entirely “off the books” in two different ways: by paying them in cash, or by writing them checks falsely denoted as non-wage payments. Jenkins did not include the “off the books” cash or check wages on quarterly forms (“Forms 941”) that Blake Jenkins Painting, Inc. filed with the IRS.

The indictment further alleges that Jenkins knowingly used the name of another person in connection with his commission of tax evasion.

The Acting United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

If convicted, Jenkins faces a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment and a $100,000 fine for each tax evasion charges, and a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for the identity theft charge. The actual sentence in the event of a conviction would be determined with reference to the federal sentencing guidelines.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt commended the investigatory work of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service.

The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Cate. The defendant is represented by Jody Frey, Esq.

Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that Eric Ladeaux, age 35, of Rapid City, South Dakota, was found guilty of two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and one count of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm following a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota.  The verdict was returned on October 14, 2021.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.   

The conviction relates to Ladeaux, a person who is prohibited from possessing firearms, possessing firearms that were found after he came into contact with Pennington County Sheriff’s Office deputies in December 2019 and Rapid City Police Department officers in September 2020.  Ladeaux was also found to be in possession of an unregistered firearm in the September 2020 stop.

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.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set.  The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for attempting to interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder when he attempted to set fire to a police vehicle during a riot in Trenton, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Justin D. Spry, 22, of South Plainfield, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of attempting to obstruct, impede, or interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder affecting commerce. Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence by videoconference today.

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

On May 31, 2020, large-scale protests were held throughout the United States, including in Trenton, in response to the death of George Floyd. Although the May 31st protest in Trenton was peaceful earlier in the day, violence erupted later. A group of individuals proceeded down East State Street in downtown Trenton and began to riot, smashing store fronts, looting stores, and attacking multiple marked Trenton Police Department vehicles parked on the 100 Block of East State Street.

A Trenton street camera and other video footage taken by an individual present on the street captured Kadeem Dockery light an explosive device and throw it through the open front driver’s side window of a Trenton Police Department vehicle. Dockery then removed his shirt and handed it to Killian Melecio, who then attempted to stuff the shirt in the gas tank of the police vehicle and ignite it. Melecio was then assisted by Spry in attempting to set fire to the police vehicle. Law enforcement officers on scene arrested Spry, but Melecio and Dockery fled. Law enforcement later identified Melecio and Dockery through analysis of street camera and other video footage. They were arrested on Aug. 5, 2020.

Melecio pleaded guilty on Jan. 26, 2021, to his role and was sentenced June 28, 2021, to 28 months in prison. Dockery pleaded guilty on May 19, 2021, to his role and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 26, 2021.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Spry to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. She also thanked officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Acting Police Director Steve Wilson; troopers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers of the New Jersey Department of Corrections, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Michelle S. Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

Defense counsel: Benjamin J. West Esq., Trenton

Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Theft of Government Property and Supplemental Security Income Benefits Fraud was sentenced on October 19, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Linda R. Reade.

Holli Lundahl, a/k/a Holli Telford, age 65, was convicted by a jury of both charges and was sentenced to a total of 18 months in federal prison.  Lundahl was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a total of $200 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $70,110 in restitution.  Lundahl must serve her sentence consecutive to a federal sentence of three years in custody she received for fraudulent behavior in Wyoming.

Evidence at trial established Lundahl knowingly stole and converted to her own use Social Security Administration Title XVI Social Security Supplemental Income payments between 2011 and 2019.  The evidence showed Lundahl received and kept the payments, even though she was not entitled to them, because she owned property and had resources far in excess of the limits permissible for Title XVI beneficiaries.  In order to continue to receive the benefits, Lundahl falsely reported, concealed, and failed to disclose to the Social Security Administration extensive property, resources, and assets she held or possessed.

This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General – Social Security Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted and tried the case.

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

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – An undocumented individual pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to use over 100 victims’ identities (without their consent) to unlawfully submit fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits claims, totaling at least $934,129.

According to court documents and admissions made in court, from March 2020 to late October 2020, Alan Ray, 33, conspired with others to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation, California Employment Development Department, and other state workforce agencies. As part of the fraudulent scheme, Ray had the state workforce agencies mail debit cards — not in his name — containing unemployment benefits to addresses he had access to. In total, more than $934,129 in unemployment benefits was approved by the state workforce agencies, and at least $698,655 was withdrawn by Ray and his co-conspirators. The fraud was discovered when Ray attempted to ship fraudulently-obtained debit cards from Las Vegas to his residence in Houston, Texas.

Ray pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess counterfeit and unauthorized access devices. U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan scheduled sentencing for February 4, 2022. Ray faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Los Angeles Region. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Fang is prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago woman admitted in federal court today that she used insider information obtained from her husband to purchase shares of a company ahead of its acquisition by the husband’s employer.

DENISE GREVAS, 60, of Evanston, pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud.  The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber set sentencing for Feb. 23, 2022.

The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil enforcement action against Grevas, provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Jason Yonan represent the government in the criminal case.

Grevas admitted in a plea agreement that in 2019 she made $286,960 in illegal profits from the purchase and sale of securities in a Washington state-based pharmaceutical company, which was a target for acquisition and later acquired by an overseas-based pharmaceutical company that had an office in Deerfield, Ill., and employed Grevas’s husband.  Grevas used material, non-public information about the expected acquisition to purchase shares in the Washington company ahead of a public announcement of the acquisition on Sept. 16, 2019.  After the announcement, the Washington company’s stock price increased and Grevas sold her shares for the profit, the plea agreement states.

INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis man was sentenced to over 23 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child by utilizing the social media platform Instagram to deceive and entice an Indiana teenager to send sexually explicit photos and videos of herself to him.

In December 2018, Marcus Pettus, 37, from Texas and posing a 15-year-old boy, began following the minor victim on Instagram. He soon began sending direct messages to the victim, including purported photos of himself, which appeared to be “selfie” photos of a teenage boy. The victim told Pettus she was 14 years old and in 8^th grade. Eventually, Pettus enticed the victim to be his “girlfriend.”

Pettus then began directing the victim to send him sexually explicit photos and videos of herself.  Pettus was particular in his demands, instructing the victim how to dress, how to wear her hair, and whether to wear makeup. Pettus also sent the victim images of nude women posed in various positions and directed that the minor send images of herself posed in the same way.

He also enticed the victim to send photos and videos of the victim engaging in sex acts, as well as engaging in acts of self-harm, such as choking and gagging. When the victim protested, Pettus threatened that he would harm himself, and manipulated the victim into sending more sexually explicit material. Pettus was arrested after the minor victim and her parents reported the incident to law enforcement.

“This case represents any parent’s worst nightmare. The lengthy prison sentence should send a message that those who seek to prey on children—particularly those who hide behind the anonymity of the internet—will be caught and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Acting United States Attorney John E. Childress. “Protecting our youth from cyber criminals and sexual predators will always remain a top priority of this office.”

“HSI is dedicated to protecting our most vulnerable population against sexual predators,” said R. Sean Fitzgerald, acting special agent in charge, HSI Chicago. “This sentence sends an important message that we will not allow any crime against children to go unpunished and we will continue to work with our law enforcement and prosecuting partners to hold predators accountable for their actions.”

“The Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force is thankful to our federal partners for allowing us to purse those that harm our children, regardless of where they reside,” said Fishers Police Detective Lieutenant David Flynn. “We will continue to work with agencies that help us best protect our children and keep our communities safe. With Mr. Pettus in prison, we have one less predator endangering our youth.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum who prosecuted the case, said that Pettus will also serve ten years of supervised release following his 281-month prison term and must pay $9,000 in restitution to the minor victim.

In fiscal year 2019, when this case was prosecuted, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana prosecuted the second most cases involving sexual exploitation of a child in the country.

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

BOSTON – An alleged member of the Franklin Hill street gang in Boston pleaded guilty today to federal drug charges. 

Timmy Hunt, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute over 28 grams of cocaine base. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Feb. 9, 2022. Hunt was indicted in June 2020 along with co-defendant Trevel Brewser.

Hunt and Brewster distributed and possessed with intent to distribute cocaine base in Boston on Feb. 26, 2020 and March 2, 2020 and conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 28 grams of cocaine base. On Sept. 16, 2021, Brewster was sentenced by Judge Casper to five years in prison and four years of supervised release.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; and Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes made the announcement today. Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Cary man was sentenced today by Chief Judge Richard E. Myers II to a total of 165 months for Receipt of Child Pornography.  On February 19, 2021, Randall Womble Smith, 66, pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Cary Police Department conducted a proactive investigation attempting to identify individuals using dark web websites and programs to distribute and collect child pornography.  Based upon their investigation, detectives received a search warrant for Plastic Tooling Corporation to search for child sexual abuse material.  They requested assistance from the Department of Homeland Security for the execution of the search warrant and the remainder of the investigation. 

Smith, owner of the company was present when law enforcement arrived.  Smith admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography.  He admitted he had been looking at child pornography for a decade.  When his digital devices were seized, investigators found nearly 9,000 images and videos of child pornography. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II.  The Cary Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson  prosecuted the case.

This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.  For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00438-M-1.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ROBERT GONZALEZ pled guilty today to possessing ammunition after having been convicted of a felony in connection with a shooting that took place in the vicinity of the 1800 block of University Avenue in the Bronx, New York, in August of 2020.  GONZALEZ pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Robert Gonzalez possessed ammunition in furtherance of a violent shooting.  Today’s plea and conviction send the message that our Office is committed to bringing to justice those who perpetrate gun violence in our communities.”

As alleged in the Complaint, Indictment, and statements made in open court:

ROBERT GONZALEZ committed a shooting in the vicinity of the 1800 block of University Avenue in the Bronx on or about the evening of August 9, 2020.  Law enforcement officers responded to the shooting after three 911 calls.  When they arrived at the scene, law enforcement officers noticed two victims with gunshot wounds – one in the hand and another in the leg.  The victims were attending a neighborhood block party that began around midnight and continued into the early hours of the morning. 

Law enforcement officers identified ROBERT GONZALEZ as the shooter through, among other evidence, surveillance photographs and videos, which showed the shooter’s clothing and a unique-looking fanny pack around his torso, which matched surveillance images and videos of GONZALEZ from shortly before and after the shooting.  Officers recovered a 9mm Luger shell casing from the vicinity of the shooting and found a fanny pack that matched the unique-looking fanny pack the shooter wore during a search of GONZALEZ’s apartment.   

At the time of the August 9, 2020, shooting, GONZALEZ had been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, including attempted criminal possession of a weapon, attempted robbery, and narcotics conspiracy.   

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GONZALEZ, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 2, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.  The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.

GONZALEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Caproni on February 7, 2022.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Brandon D. Harper is in charge of the prosecution.

LONDON, Ky. – A Letcher County Middle School teacher was convicted late Wednesday, by a federal jury sitting in London, of producing child pornography and cyberstalking a student.

The jury convicted Charles Evans Hall Jr., 48, after 30 minutes of deliberations, following a three-day trial.

According to the evidence at trial, Hall persuaded a child to setup a secret Snapchat account. Hall then manipulated the child into creating and transmitting sexually explicit pictures and videos over a seven-month period.  Hall used physical molestation to coerce and entice the minor into producing additional images.

The Kentucky State Police (KSP) seized Hall’s cell phone on November 20, 2018.  Despite that, Hall still used Instagram to engage in cyberstalking.  Hall repeatedly contacted the victim, asking her to destroy evidence, and ultimately threatened the child when she did not help him do so.  KSP then arrested Hall on November 30, 2018.  Despite that, Hall had his cellmate communicate with a co-conspirator, outside of the jail, to continue the cyberstalking campaign against the child, using Facebook.  Hall told the victim to make another statement to law enforcement, to clear him of the charges. Hall also used his mother’s public Facebook page to relay messages to the victim.   

Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Louisville Division; and Col. Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crimes Branch.  The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.

Hall will appear for sentencing on February 22, 2022.  He faces a maximum of 35 years in prison.  However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing the sentence.

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

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RALEIGH, N.C. – A Greenville man was sentenced today to 171 months in prison for Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Discharging a Firearm in Connection to a Crime of Violence.  On July 16, 2021, Tyv Vaaron Lemark Jones pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Jones, 20, and another unidentified individual committed an armed robbery and shooting at the JIA Sweepstakes located in Greenville, North Carolina on January 15, 2020. Surveillance video footage from inside the business shows Jones and a masked individual brandishing a revolver and an AK-47 style rifle as they rushed through the front door. Jones and his associate are seen corralling the customers into a bathroom towards the rear of the business. Jones is then seen shooting through the bathroom door at least once. Video then shows Jones and his associate attempting to break into the business office. Despite firing multiple rounds through the office door, the door did not open. Jones then broke down the door using his body. At that point, Jones and his associate grabbed the female clerk, who was hiding underneath the office desk, assaulted her, held her at gunpoint and demanded the money. Ultimately, the pair stole approximately $3,000 in U.S. currency and two cellular phones before fleeing the scene. Jones fled to Hampton, Virginia, where he was arrested on January 22, 2020. A federal grand jury indicted Jones on February 10, 2021, and he was transferred to federal custody on February 23, 2021. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s Fugitive Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aakash Singh prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-CR-10-BO.

COLUMBUS, Ga. – A convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm, the statutory maximum under federal sentencing guidelines.

Charleston Magee, aka Chopp, 33, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Clay Land on Oct. 20, after he previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Convicted felons caught illegally possessing a firearm will face serious consequences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Repeat offenders who continually break the law will be held accountable for their crimes. I want to thank the Columbus Police Department and the ATF for their work on this case.”

“Convicted felons have no business possessing firearms,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Schmidt. “The citizens of Columbus are safer now that Mr. Magee will spend the next ten years of his life in federal prison.”

“I am pleased with the outcome of this case and I am thankful for our partnership with the ATF. We will continue to work together to make gun cases on those who possess them illegally. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in Columbus, Georgia,” said Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon.

According to court documents, the Special Operations Unit of the Columbus Police Department (CPD) met with a confidential informant (CI) in August 2019 about an individual known as “Chopp” who was distributing illegal drugs in the community. Under surveillance, the CI purchased illegal drugs from Magee in August and September 2019. Officers executing a search warrant at Magee’s residence on September 16, 2019, found quantities of methamphetamine, powder and crack cocaine in baggies, a Glock 19 handgun with a large-capacity extended magazine containing six rounds of live ammunition, a .22 rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, an extended pistol magazine and $3,000 in cash. Magee was previously convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Muscogee County, Georgia, Superior Court. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.

The case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals prosecuted the case for the Government.

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jason Steven Kokinda, of Westover, West Virginia, was found guilty today of a failure to register charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.

After a three-day trial, Kokinda, 42, was found guilty of one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registry.” Kokinda, who was previously convicted of sex offenses against children and child pornography charges, failed to update his sex offender registration after traveling from Vermont and New Jersey to West Virginia in August 2019.

Kokinda is facing up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon S. Flower and Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Marshal Service, the West Virginia State Police, and the Elkins Police Department investigated.

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