WASHINGTON - MacArthur Venable, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for killing a man near Union Station in October 2018.

            The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Venable pleaded guilty in February 2020, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence between 15 and 18 years. The Honorable Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring accepted the plea and sentenced Venable accordingly. Following his prison term, Venable will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 31, 2018, at approximately 9:50 p.m., Venable was walking down Massachusetts Avenue with another individual when he came upon the victim, James Ferrell, near the intersection of North Capitol Street NW. Venable then began to speak to Mr. Ferrell and an argument ensued.  The argument escalated and Venable walked up to the individual who he was walking with, reached into his waistband, and pulled out a firearm.  Venable then pointed and fired the firearm at Mr. Ferrell. Mr. Ferrell was struck in his chest twice and subsequently ran across the street and collapsed in front of the National Postal Museum.  A witness called 911 and police and paramedics arrived at the scene.  Mr. Ferrell, 34, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead soon afterward.

            Venable was arrested on Dec. 20, 2018 and has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence,  Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department and also the U.S. Capitol Police.  They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuel, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar, who investigated and prosecuted the matter. 

A man who fraudulently solicited artist booking deposits and other expenses for concerts that never occurred was sentenced on October 20, 2021, to more than six years in federal prison.  Romel Murphy, age 43, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a January 8, 2021 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

Information from a plea agreement and at sentencing showed that Murphy operated a talent booking agency that ostensibly booked artists for performances at concert venues around the United States.  From about November 2017 through March 2019, Murphy used his business to induce potential clients to send him funds to secure artists’ performances at concerts.  For instance, Murphy sent signed contracts to victims that appeared to have come from the artists.  In fact, Murphy had drafted and signed the contracts himself.  The victim would sign the contracts and wire deposit funds to Murphy.  Murphy did not send the money to the artists and converted the funds to his own use, including gambling.  As the concert dates approached and the victims had advertised the concerts, the victims would discover that the artists had not received any funds, frequently through communications from the artists’ actual representatives.  In total, Murphy defrauded his victims out of more than $410,000.  Murphy had three prior convictions for federal fraud-related offenses.  He committed two of those offenses while on federal supervised release.           

Murphy was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Murphy was sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $414,433.23 in restitution to the victims of his offense.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Murphy was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 20-CR-0006.

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Tacoma– A 57-year-old Sequim, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 70 months in prison.  Kenneth Francis Simmons came to the attention of law enforcement in early 2019, as a prolific methamphetamine dealer in the Sequim area, as well as on the Lower Elwha and Jamestown S’Klallam Indian Reservations. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle noted that the sentence was aimed at protecting the community since methamphetamine is a poison that ruins lives.

“Methamphetamine not only destroys the lives of those who use it, but it also destroys the lives of the families and friends who witness the toll this drug takes on their loved ones,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.  “As a long-time dealer, this defendant touched the lives of long-time addicts, first-time users, and everyone in between. For community safety this sentence is an important first step.”

According to records filed in the case, the FBI and the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) began investigating Simmons in 2019.  On four occasions in July 2019, a person working with law enforcement purchased methamphetamine from Simmons.  On August 16, 2019, a Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped Simmons for speeding.  Ultimately, Simmons’ car was impounded, and a court authorized search revealed that he had methamphetamine packaged for resale, as well as a firearm.  Due to his prior felony convictions Simmons is prohibited from possessing firearms.

On September 1, 2021, Simmons pleaded guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Distribution of Methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.  Mr. London serves as Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

TYIESE WARREN, also known as “Loose Screw,” 21, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooly in Bridgeport to a racketeering offense stemming from a murder and other violent crimes he committed as a member of a Bridgeport gang.

Today’s announcement was made by Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence.  Warren has been a member of the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport whose members sold narcotics, laundered narcotics proceeds, committed acts of violence against rival gang members, robbed drug dealers, stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut and used them to commit crimes, and tampered with witnesses who might testify against them.  From approximately 2017 until August 2020, O.N.E. members were aligned with the “Greene Homes Boyz” (“GHB/Hotz”), a gang based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End, against rival groups in Bridgeport, including the East End, East Side and PT Barnum gangs, as well as 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport.

In pleading guilty, Warren admitted that on December 8, 2019, he and others shot and killed Ty’Quess Moore, a member or associate of the East End/P.T. Barnum gang alliance.

Warren also helped plan the retaliation shootings of East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a Bridgeport courthouse.  At 12:11 p.m. on January 27, 2020, Bridgeport Police responded to the area of 172 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport after a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the state courthouse located there.  Upon arrival, investigators discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a black Chevrolet Impala.  One victim was shot in the side of his chest and was left paralyzed and a second victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his back, shoulder and wrist.  The victims’ vehicle had approximately 23 entry bullet holes in the driver’s side and windshield area.

Warren also admitted that he participated in gang-related drug trafficking.

Further, on March 25, 2020, Warren and an accomplice stole a car that was in front of the Citgo 6M Service Station and Quik Mart located at 2000 Barnum Avenue in Stratford.  During the theft, they dragged the car’s driver, who was trying to stop the theft and was hanging onto the car, several hundred yards before he let go.  Warren and an accomplice then engaged in a carjacking involving a Toyota Corolla in Bridgeport, holding the owner at gunpoint and ultimately driving away in the car.  Minutes later, Warren and an accomplice committed a gunpoint robbery of the Citgo in Stratford, taking cash from the store and a cellphone from a store employee.  Stratford Police arrested Warren later that night after he crashed another stolen car he was driving on an I-95 on-ramp and then ran from police.

Warren pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 21, 2022, at which time Warren faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Warren has been detained since March 25, 2020.

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Stratford and Naugatuck Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Rahul Kale, Peter D. Markle, Karen L. Peck and Stephanie T. Levick.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is 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.

Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.  Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.  If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man who downloaded thousands of images and videos of child pornography was sentenced in federal court today.

Nicholas Goins, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Goins to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration and ordered Goins to pay $24,000 in restitution to his victims. Goins will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On March 3, 2020, Goins pleaded guilty to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography. He has been in federal custody since December 2019.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Goins’s residence on March 7, 2019. Officers seized multiple digital storage devices, which contained thousands of images and videos of child pornography. A forensic examination discovered messaging sessions with other individuals in which they shared child pornography. Goins actively encouraged such exchanges. One of the participants posted imagery of himself sexually abusing a 4-year-old child victim, for which he was charged in another district.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Jackson Grant, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, was charged today by criminal complaint with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Grant is scheduled to appear on the charge before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on Tuesday, October 26, 2021. 

According to court records, Grant was found in possession of a firearm during the execution of a federal search warrant on October 22, 2021. Federal law enforcement, with the assistance of state and local officers, searched the ground floor of an apartment located at 47 Baxter St., Rutland, Vermont, where Grant was encountered. The search at 47 Baxter St. also yielded a large amount of U.S. currency and suspected controlled substances. Grant is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law due to a prior felony conviction. 

If convicted of the charge alleged in the complaint, Grant faces a maximum sentence of ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The Acting United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. 

The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Van de Graaf. Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara M. Puls represents the defendant. 

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

           Montgomery, Alabama– A civilian professor at the Air War College on Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federal agent, Announced Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

           According to court documents, Xiaoming Zhang, 69, a naturalized citizen of Chinese descent living in Montgomery, Alabama, began working as an Air War College (AWC) professor in July 2003. During his tenure at the AWC, Zhang would travel to China on a regular basis for work-related purposes, research and to visit family living there.

           Beginning sometime in 2012, Zhang developed a relationship with a known foreign official working with the Shanghai Municipal Government. Records indicate that Zhang met with the official in person on approximately six occasions and exchanged approximately 40 emails with him from December 2012 to January 2017. At some point during this period, Zhang became aware that the official was using, or attempting to use, their relationship to gain access to sensitive information in Zhang’s possession, as well as to make contact with other potentially valuable individuals.

           As part of his employment at the AWC, Zhang held a “secret” security clearance and attended annual security training that informed him of reporting requirements about suspicious foreign contacts and relationships with foreign government officials, along with other briefings concerning reporting requirements. Despite all the trainings and briefings, Zhang failed to report the relationship with the foreign official even after he came to understand that the official was attempting to gather sensitive information from Zhang.

           According to the factual basis contained in the plea agreement, Zhang made multiple misleading or false statements to authorities in an attempt to hide his relationship with the Chinese official. In August of 2017, Zhang denied knowing the foreign official when questioned by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) investigators who were verifying his continued eligibility for a security clearance. When the FBI interviewed Zhang in July of 2020, he initially made more false statements, but eventually admitted to meeting with the official in China on numerous occasions and to being untruthful concerning that information. Zhang also acknowledged that he had concealed the relationship with the official because he knew it was improper.

           Zhang pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federal agent and faces a maximum of five years in prison at sentencing. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

           The FBI investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Department of the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), and the Department of Defense.

           Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Talley of the Middle District of Alabama is prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Suzanne Adiyeh, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.

Adiyeh, 40, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises.” Adiyeh admitted to working with another to manage a place on Willowdale Road in Morgantown in Monongalia County for the purpose of storing, using, and distributing cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride in May 2020.

Adiyeh faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $500,000. 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 Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.  The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and, the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments.  The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners:  the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and, the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.

Find more about the case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
 

BOSTON – The former head coach of men and women’s tennis at Georgetown University pleaded guilty today in connection with soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate the admission of prospective Georgetown applicants and failing to report all of the income from the bribes on his federal income taxes.

Gordon Ernst, 54, of Chevy Chase, Md. and Falmouth, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, three counts of federal programs bribery and one count of filing a false tax return. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for March 2, 2022.

As set forth in the charging document, Ernst solicited and received bribe payments from William “Rick” Singer and the families of prospective Georgetown applicants to facilitate their admission to Georgetown as student athletes. Ernst then failed to report all of the income from those bribe payments on his federal income tax returns.

Under the terms of Ernst’s plea agreement, the parties have agreed to a sentence of at least one year and up to four years in prison, two years of supervised release and forfeiture of $3,435,053.

The charge of federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents, and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Mark Deckett, Resident Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Kriss Basil of Mendell’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Kenneth Howard Crum, Jr., age 33, of Sidney, Iowa, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 210 months in prison for Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography. His prison term will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. According to court documents, Crum pleaded guilty to the offenses in June of 2021.

In November 2020, law enforcement investigated Crum for harassing his ex-wife through postings on the internet. The investigation revealed Crum also took pictures of children and posted the images on various internet websites. A search warrant was obtained to seize Crum’s cellular telephone and a forensic examination of the cell phone located images and videos of child pornography, most involving children less than 12 years of age.

Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation - Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.

Baltimore, Maryland – On October 22, 2021, U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Gibran Nelson-Smith, age 41, of Pikesville, Maryland, to 19 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute kilogram quantities of heroin, and crack cocaine, as well as quantities of cocaine and fentanyl.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Lisa Meyers of the Howard County Police Department; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, from at least 2015 through March 2019, Nelson-Smith conspired with others to distribute large quantities of heroin and crack cocaine, as well as cocaine and fentanyl, in and around Baltimore. Nelson-Smith exercised a supervisory role in the conspiracy, meeting with co-conspirators to provide the narcotics and resupplying the narcotics throughout the day.  Nelson-Smith also collected the drug proceeds from the distributors.

On at least one occasion between November 2018 and February 2019, law enforcement conducted several controlled purchases from Nelson-Smith.  On at least one occasion, law enforcement thought Nelson-Smith was selling heroin, but the lab results indicated that the drugs were a combination of heroin and fentanyl. 

As part of his plea agreement, Nelson-Smith admitted that he endorsed the use of firearms by members of the organization to maintain security in the areas where drugs were being sold, and also endorsed the use or threatened use of violence by members of the organization to protect the drug sales activities of the organization.  In January 2019, law enforcement received surveillance footage dated May 25, 2018, in which Nelson-Smith appears to brandish a firearm in the alley next to the “White House” located in the 3900 block of Dorchester Road in Baltimore, where Nelson-Smith operated.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Nelson-Smith’s residence on April 4, 2019, and recovered a .40-caliber pistol; a magazine for the pistol; at least 75 rounds of various caliber ammunition; cash; approximately 11 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl; approximately 46 grams of crack cocaine; approximately 251 grams of cocaine; and drug paraphernalia, including packaging material and digital scales; eight cellular phones; two tablet computers; and a laptop.

Nelson-Smith agrees that over the course of the conspiracy, he and his conspirators distributed at least a kilogram of heroin, at least a kilogram of crack cocaine, at least 250 grams of cocaine, and at least 10 grams of fentanyl. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.

This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.    

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Howard County Police Department, the Baltimore Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joan C. Mathias and Patrick G. Selwood, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Tacoma - A former Port Angeles, Washington, naturopathic physician was convicted late last week of a federal felony related to his misbranding of products he claimed could prevent and treat numerous serious diseases, including COVID-19 and MRSA, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Brown.   Richard Marschall, 68, was convicted following a 4-day trial.  The jury found Marschall guilty of Introduction of Misbranded Drugs into Interstate Commerce, his third conviction for the same crime following earlier prosecutions in 2011 and 2017.  Sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle likely will occur in early 2022.

According to records filed in the case, in late March, 2020, Food and Drug Administration criminal investigators began reviewing complaints from the public regarding postings on Marschall’s Facebook page claiming the “Dynamic Duo” could “crush” viruses, including the coronavirus.  Marschall billed himself as a retired naturopath and “Health Coach.”  Marschall’s Facebook page also claimed that his products could eliminate MRSA and other infections “even if there is antibiotic resistance.”

On March 30, 2020, an FDA investigator spoke to Marschall on the telephone in an undercover capacity.  Marschall explained to the investigator that the “Dynamic Duo” contained garlic extract and larch tree starch, and further represented that one of the substances “doesn’t boost the immune system, it just kills the virus.”  Marschall represented that the second substance would boost the production of white blood cells that attack infections.  The undercover agent ultimately ordered the “Dynamic Duo” for $140 plus shipping. 

On the call with the FDA investigator, Marschall also referred to himself as “Dr. Rick Marschall.” His Facebook posts and other marketing materials for the “Dynamic Duo” also referred to Marschall as “N.D.” and “N.D. retired.” But Marschall did not have a license to practice naturopathy. In 2018, the Washington State Department of Health permanently revoked his credential to practice as a naturopath. 

FDA investigators received Marschall’s “Dynamic Duo” products in early April 2020, along with documents.  The products themselves were not produced by Marschall but by other manufacturers.  The manufacturers’ labels for the substances do not claim to kill viruses, but still Marschall included documents that stated the substances can “crush 30 different viral infections, including those in the Corona family, like in China Corona-19.”

The jury found that Marschall misbranded the drugs because his marketing was false or misleading and because his products were not listed with the FDA.

In 2011 and again in 2017, Marschall was convicted and sentenced in federal court for distributing misbranded drugs.  For the current conviction, Marschall faces up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine. 

The case was investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigation (FDA-OCI).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas Manheim, Michelle Jensen, and Brian Werner.

PLANO, Texas – A Nigerian national has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Sobanke Idris Sunday Adereti, 24, pleaded guilty to false use of a passport and attempted bank fraud today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly Priest Johnson.

According to information presented in court, Adereti knowingly used a false passport in an attempt to open a bank account for the purpose of furthering fraud schemes and engaging in money mule activity.

“A significant danger of document fraud is that it helps fraudsters move their ill-gotten gains through the US bank system by concealing it in legitimate-looking bank accounts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, adding, “this not only affects our banks but also the individual victims whose identities were used to open the accounts.  Thanks to astute bank employees and the quick work of law enforcement, this defendant was prevented from further fraud against innocent victims.”

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).  This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps.  Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis.  Reporting is the first step.  Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses.  The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.   

The case was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General, and with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to hurricane-related fraud in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today. 

Ricky Gonzales, 61, pleaded guilty to fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson.

According to information presented in court, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in southeast Texas in August 2017, causing extensive damage to the region.  Gonzales applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for damage to a residence in Mauriceville, which he claimed was his primary residence.  Gonzales received approximately $35,000 as a result of his claim.  This residence, however, was actually rented and occupied by Gonzales’ daughter, who also applied for FEMA assistance.  Her application was denied because of the duplicate applications for the same address.  In order to receive FEMA funds, the applicant must use the property as their primary residence.  Rental income properties are not eligible for FEMA funds.   

Gonzales was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 8, 2021.  He faces up to 30 years in federal prison.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

“FEMA relief funds are intended to assist Americans who have been affected by life-changing disasters, not as a publicly-funded handout for unscrupulous fraudsters,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.  “EDTX will protect the integrity of these relief programs, and the interests of the American taxpayer, by vigorously prosecuting anyone who attempts to steal disaster relief funds.”

This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.  

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm following a shooting on the street of a residential neighborhood.

Terrquan J. Beasley, 22, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Officers were dispatched to Research Medical Center, 2316 Meyer Blvd., Kansas City, Mo., on May 12, 2020. An individual suffering from a gunshot wound had been transported to the hospital by Beasley and another person. When officers arrived at the hospital, Beasley was standing beside the white GMC Yukon, which was parked near the ambulance bay of the hospital.

Officers saw apparent bullet holes in the car and blood on the vehicle, as well as on Beasley. The rear windshield was also missing from apparent bullet damage. Beasley was a passenger in the vehicle when the shooting occurred in the area of 81^st Street and Park Avenue. Before officers frisked him for weapons, Beasley told them he had a firearm in his armpit.

Beasley was in possession of a loaded Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Beasley has a prior felony conviction for robbery, for which he was on probation at the time of this federal offense.

Under federal statutes, Beasley is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be held on March 15, 2022.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

          LOS ANGELES– A San Gabriel Valley man who last year drove his truck into a crowd of demonstrators in Pasadena was sentenced today to one year and one day in federal prison for violating multiple firearms laws, including illegally obtaining and transporting weapons.

          Benjamin Jong Ren Hung, 29, a San Marino resident who also has a home in Lodi, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who also ordered Hung to pay a $10,000 criminal fine and perform 120 hours of community service.

          Hung pleaded guilty on May 12 to a superseding information charging him with 11 felonies: one count of conspiracy, two counts of transporting and receiving firearms across state lines, five counts of making false statements during the purchase of firearms and three counts of possession of unregistered firearms.

          From July 2014 to August 2018, Hung participated in a multi-year conspiracy to make false statements to firearms dealers in Oregon and to illegally transport those firearms to California. Hung provided cash to a co-conspirator in Oregon to buy handguns for Hung and to falsely state that the co-conspirator was the actual buyer, rather than Hung. The co-conspirator then delivered the firearms to Hung in California. Hung admitted in his plea agreement that he engaged in the scheme to obtain the firearms and “evade California’s firearms registration laws.”

          Hung also made false statements to firearms dealers in Washington in connection with his purchase of four rifles and one shotgun in March 2020. When he purchased the firearms, Hung falsely attested that he was a resident of Washington, rather than California, which was material because, as Hung admitted in the plea agreement, “the firearms dealers were not legally permitted to sell firearms to California residents.” Hung illegally transported those firearms into California and illegally possessed three unregistered short-barreled semiautomatic rifles, which authorities seized from his residence in Lodi in September 2020.

          In court documents, Hung admitted to bringing one of his illegally obtained firearms, a Glock 26 9mm handgun, to counterprotest in Old Town Pasadena against a group who had gathered on May 31, 2020, to protest unequal treatment of minorities by police, including the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis Police officer. Hung, who was driving a customized Dodge pickup truck with license plates reading “WAR R1G,” accelerated toward an intersection where the protest was taking place, sounded a train horn installed on the truck, came to a stop, and then continued through the intersection. As he drove past the demonstrators, Hung caused the truck to emit a large amount of exhaust in what is sometimes called “coal rolling.” No protesters were injured during the incident.

          Judge Wilson described Hung as “looking for trouble” when he went to the protests and determined that while Hung did not intend to endanger anyone’s life, he engaged in “threatening” behavior designed to “intimidate” and “create fear.”

          Local police detained Hung following his confrontation with the demonstrators, and the FBI then took over the investigation.

          “Over a seven-year period, in preparation for what he described as an upcoming ‘civil war’…Benjamin Hung illegally accumulated a massive cache of weapons,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “[Hung’s] motives were clear: his messages to friends reflected increasingly violent rhetoric, including his desire not to defend himself, but to seek out and ‘eradicate’ his perceived enemies.”

          The FBI’s Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force, FBI civil rights squads and the Pasadena Police Department investigated this matter.

          Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis and David T. Ryan, both of the General Crimes Section, prosecuted this case.

BOISE – Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., announced today that the office’s Financial Litigation Program collected more than $10.94 million in criminal restitution, fines, and assessments and in civil debts for the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2021. In some cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked in conjunction with litigating components of the U.S. Department of Justice. Of the total collected, approximately $5 million were criminal restitution, fines, and/or assessments, and approximately $5.9 million were civil debts. In addition, the Asset Forfeiture Unit deposited to the Asset Forfeiture Fund approximately $452,963 in proceeds and instruments of crime in criminal and civil forfeiture actions.

“This office’s collection and asset forfeiture attorneys, paralegals, analysts, and fiscal agents is second to none. They come to work every day to recover money for you from those who have hurt victims and attempted to profit from their nefarious deeds,” said Mr. Gonzalez. “We should all be proud of the outstanding work these dedicated public servants have done over the past year. These results show they served this office and the taxpayers of Idaho so very well.”

Victims of crime receive funds collected in criminal restitution cases. In fiscal year 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, through the Financial Litigation Program, collected over $4.6 million in criminal restitution that was or will be distributed to victims of crime. Other criminal collections such as fines go into the Crime Victims Fund. From there, funds are distributed to the Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program, the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance, and similar programs across the country. Money recovered from the illegal proceeds of criminal activity through forfeiture is returned to victims, used to offset the costs of operating federal prisons, and shared with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to help fight crime. Other recoveries go back to agency creditors.

During the fiscal year, some notable criminal restitution collections include $3 million from a defendant who committed wire fraud, almost $250,000 from a defendant who embezzled from their employer, $100,000 from a defendant who also embezzled funds, and almost $100,000 from a business for violating the Clean Water Act.

Forfeitures valued at approximately $452,963, included currency, vehicles, and other property related to trafficking in controlled substances, fraud, child exploitation, and other serious crimes. These included $191,841 from a defendant who embezzled from his employer and invested the proceeds in real estate and two $100,000 payments from defendants convicted of drug crimes. In some cases, the United States shared, or will share, seized money and property with local investigating agencies. In victim cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works to direct proceeds of forfeiture to crime victims.

As for civil debts and penalties, the Financial Litigation Program collects civil penalties for violations of regulations involving, among other things, controlled substances, environmental protection, damage to federal property, and procurement fraud. It also collects civil debts for defaulted loans.

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Tacoma, WA – A 63-year-old Port Townsend, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 102 months in prison and ten years of supervised release for raping a 6-year-old child while on a vacation in Canada.  John Timothy Whicher pleaded guilty to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place in February 2021.  At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, the victim “has a life sentence…. He’ll live with this.  This kind of horrendous assault follows a victim through their entire life.”

“Child sexual abuse has been linked to long-term trauma, health and social problems for victims, including addiction and suicide risk,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.  “The conduct in this case was a shocking betrayal to the child and the child’s family.  Law enforcement both here and in Canada worked collaboratively seeking justice in this case.”

According to records filed in the case and the plea agreement, in August 2017, Whicher took the 6-year-old child to Canada to stay at a family cabin in Ontario.  When the child returned from the trip, the child disclosed to a parent the sexual molestation, saying Whicher said to keep it a secret.  The parent confronted Whicher and reported the conduct to the Port Townsend Police.

Port Townsend Police contacted authorities in Canada.  When Canada filed to extradite Whicher to face charges and forwarded the request to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle, federal prosecutors first learned of the criminal conduct.  Assistant United States Attorneys worked with local and Canadian law enforcement to bring appropriate charges in the Western District of Washington.

Speaking to the court today, the mother of the victim said Whicher, “turned out to be the biggest threat in both of our lives.”

Whicher will be required to register as a sex offender following his release from prison. 

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Port Townsend Police Department. Canadian law enforcement provided critical assistance. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Christa Dawn Ravenscroft, 45, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on March 8, 2019, at a residence on Baer Street in Huntington after receiving multiple reports of drug activity at that location. A search of the residence found approximately 1.55g of methamphetamine along with multiple ledgers and a digital scale. Ravenscroft admitted that she sold drugs to support her own habit. 

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe handled 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. 3:19-cr-00181.

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