McALLEN, Texas – Two Edinburg residents have been indicted on multiple charges to include hostage taking, labor trafficking and financially benefitting from the labor of three victims, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Today, a federal grand jury returned a seven-count superseding indictment against Eduardo Javier Gomez, 31, and Margarita Alvarez, 40. They are expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Hacker for their arraignment in the near future.  

Both had been previously indicted for hostage taking and labor trafficking. The superseding indictment returned today adds the charge of financially benefitting from the forced labor.

According to the complaint originally filed in the case, authorities learned that three individuals had allegedly been taken at gun point and forced to work in McAllen for approximately two weeks. 

The investigation revealed the victims were allegedly being harbored separately and forced to work without pay. The two male victims were forced to sell drugs outside of a club, while a female was required to act as a nanny and housekeeper at the house Gomez and Alvarez shared, according to the charges. All three victims were also allegedly made to work at a local fireworks stand Gomez managed.

If convicted, the couple faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Nineteen firearms were seized by federal agents from Rusty Snow's residence.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who was arrested with 19 firearms and quantities of illegal drugs in his home was sentenced in federal court today for trafficking methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms.

Rusty W. Snow, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years and one month in federal prison without parole.

On Jan. 6, 2022, Snow pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes.

Investigators were conducting surveillance on co-defendant Dylan Lee Larson, 29, of Overland Park, Kansas, who engaged in a series of controlled drug transactions with a confidential source in October 2020. Officers followed Larson to Snow’s residence, where they executed a search warrant on Nov. 5, 2020. Snow and co-defendant Robin A. Graham, 38, who shared the residence with Snow, were at home during the search and were arrested.

Officers found a loaded Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on the couch, along with a lunchbox that contained approximately 572 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Officers also found approximately 400.8 grams of marijuana in a shoebox on the floor, and multiple items of drug paraphernalia nearby.

Officers found 18 more firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition littered throughout the residence. Six of those firearms – a shotgun, a rifle, and four semi-automatic pistols – had been reported stolen.

Additionally, as they continued the search, officers found another approximately 527.44 grams of marijuana, another approximately 33.39 grams of crystal methamphetamine, approximately 33.39 grams of psychedelic mushrooms, approximately 48.9 grams of THC concentrate/THC wax, and 38 full and 11 half pills of various controlled pharmaceuticals.

Officers also found four stolen motorcycles on the property, two police tasers, police identification and other police items stolen from Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan. officers.

Graham pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Jan. 21, 2022, to nine years in federal prison without parole. Larson pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 15, 2022, to five years in federal prison without parole.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

FAIRBANKS – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned a 31-count indictment charging two Fairbanks men with conspiracy, bank and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

According to court documents, Jared Post, 25, and Levi Skulstad, 26, defrauded multiple banks and individuals they viewed as vulnerable to scams between 2017 and 2021, obtaining at least $500,000. Post and Skulstad contacted individuals who they called “Plays” via social media or in person and convinced the “Play” to share their bank account information under the pretense they needed to deposit a check into the “Play’s” account. Post or Skulstad then offered the “Play” a portion of the deposited check in return for use of the “Play’s” bank account.

Once the check posted in the “Play’s” account, Post or Skulstad logged in via the “Play’s” remote banking app and withdrew or transferred the funds electronically or directed the “Play” to transfer the funds to one of them via a cash app or Western Union. In reality, the checks Post and Skulstad deposited were stolen and fraudulently altered; and they withdrew the funds prior to the bank flagging the checks as fraudulent and reversing the transaction. The involved banks, the “Plays,” and the initial victim whose checks were stolen, were left paying losses and overdraft fees while Post and Skulstad made off with the cash.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the most serious indictment count and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Fairbanks Resident Agency of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Police Department, Anchorage Police Department and the Vancouver, Washington, Police Department are investigating the case. The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office also assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Tansey is prosecuting the case.

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

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Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that GHISLANE MAXWELL was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court by United States Circuit Judge Alison J. Nathan to 240 months in prison for her role in a scheme to sexual exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade.  MAXWELL was previously found guilty on December 29, 2021, following a one-month jury trial, of conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors to participate in illegal sex acts, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts, sex trafficking conspiracy, and sex trafficking of a minor.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children.  This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late for justice.  We again express our gratitude to Epstein and Maxwell’s victims for their courage in coming forward, in testifying at trial, and in sharing their stories as part of today’s sentencing.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment, court documents, and evidence presented at trial:

From at least 1994, up to and including in or about 2004, GHISLAINE MAXWELL assisted, facilitated, and participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to MAXWELL and Epstein to be under the age of 18.  The victims were as young as 14 years old when they were groomed and abused by MAXWELL and Epstein, both of whom knew that their victims were in fact minors.  As a part and in furtherance of their scheme to abuse minor victims, MAXWELL and Epstein enticed and caused minor victims to travel to Epstein’s residences in different states, which MAXWELL knew and intended would result in their grooming for and subjection to sexual abuse.

MAXWELL enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways.  For example, MAXWELL attempted to befriend certain victims by asking them about their lives, their schools, and their families, and taking them to the movies or on shopping trips.  MAXWELL also acclimated victims to Epstein’s conduct simply by being present for victim interactions with Epstein, which put victims at ease by providing the assurance and comfort of an adult woman who seemingly approved of Epstein’s behavior.  Additionally, Epstein offered to help some victims by paying for travel and/or educational opportunities, and MAXWELL encouraged certain victims to accept Epstein’s assistance.  As a result, victims were made to feel indebted and believed that MAXWELL and Epstein were trying to help them.  MAXWELL also normalized and facilitated sexual abuse for a victim by discussing sexual topics, undressing in front of the victim, being present when the victim was undressed, and encouraging the victim to massage Epstein.

As MAXWELL and Epstein intended, these grooming behaviors left minor victims vulnerable and susceptible to sexual abuse by Epstein.  MAXWELL was then present for certain sexual encounters between minor victims and Epstein, such as interactions where a minor victim was undressed, and ultimately was present for sex acts perpetrated by Epstein on minor victims.  That abuse included sexualized massages during which a minor victim was fully or partially nude, as well as group sexualized massages of Epstein involving a minor victim where MAXWELL was present.  In some instances, MAXWELL participated in the sexual abuse of minor victims. 

Ultimately minor victims were subjected to sexual abuse that included, among other things, the touching of a victim’s breasts or genitals, placing a sex toy such as a vibrator on a victim’s genitals, directing a victim to touch Epstein while he masturbated, and directing a victim to touch Epstein’s genitals.  MAXWELL and Epstein’s victims were groomed or abused at Epstein’s residences in New York, Florida, and New Mexico, as well as MAXWELL’s residence in London, England.

In the earlier phase of the conspiracy, from at least approximately 1994 through approximately 2001, MAXWELL and Epstein identified vulnerable girls, typically from single-mother households and difficult financial circumstances.  This earlier phase required the defendant and Epstein to identify one girl at a time to target for grooming and abuse.  In the later phase, from approximately 2001 until at least approximately 2004, MAXWELL and Epstein enticed and recruited, and caused to be enticed and recruited, minor girls to visit Epstein’s Palm Beach Residence to engage in sex acts with Epstein, after which Epstein, MAXWELL, or another employee of Epstein’s would give the victims hundreds of dollars in cash. MAXWELL and Epstein encouraged one or more of those victims to travel with Epstein with the intention that the victim engage in sex acts with Epstein.  Moreover, and in order to maintain and increase his supply of victims, MAXWELL and Epstein also paid certain victims to recruit additional girls to be similarly abused by Epstein.  In this way, MAXWELL and Epstein created a network of underage victims for Epstein to sexually exploit.

*                *                *

In addition to the prison sentence, MAXWELL, 60, was sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $750,00 fine.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maurene Comey, Alison Moe, Lara Pomerantz, and Andrew Rohrbach are in charge of the prosecution.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Wascar Javier, age 37, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced today to serve 20 months in prison following his conviction for illegally reentering the United States, and fraud and misuse of a nonimmigrant visa, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Thomas Brophy, Buffalo Field Office Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); Keith Byrne, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service; and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.

Javier was removed from the United States in October 2020 following a felony conviction in New York state court. As part of his previous guilty plea, Javier admitted that sometime after his removal, he unlawfully reentered the United States without permission. On September 30, 2021, a New York State Trooper stopped a car Javier was driving and Javier presented to the Trooper a document that purported to be a passport issued by the Dominican Republic. The passport contained a fraudulent United States nonimmigrant visa and Javier admitted knowing that it was fraudulent.

Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also sentenced Javier to a three-year term of supervised release to begin after he serves his term of imprisonment. 

This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the U.S. Department of State-Diplomatic Security Service, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the New York State Police.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.

Charleston, South Carolina --- Lori Hammond, 53 of Summerville, Catherine (“Cassie”) Needham, 36, of Manning, Jontrell Wright, 35, of Holly Hill, and Christopher Conrad, 39, of Holly Hill, have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud, in connection with their roles in fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in PPP loans.  

Evidence presented to the Court showed that from in or around June 2020 through around January 2021, Lori Hammond caused multiple materially fraudulent PPP loan applications to be submitted to federally insured financial institutions on behalf of herself and her co-conspirators. In these loan applications, Hammond used the identity of a deceased individual, misrepresented the number of employees and payroll expenses of the entities seeking the loans, attached fraudulent tax documents, and made numerous other false and misleading statements. As part of the conspiracy, Hammond assisted Needham, Conrad, and Wright by filling out the loan application documents with materially false and fraudulent information and then submitting them to an individual in California. The individual in California would in turn submit the fraudulent loan applications to financial institutions in exchange for a fee. Based on the false representations and submissions in the applications, the approved PPP lenders funded the PPP loans. After the funds were deposited into the respective accounts, Hammond, Wright, Needham, and Conrad used the funds for non-qualifying, non-business-related purposes, including homes, property, cars, and other personal purchases.

In total, the members of the conspiracy fraudulently obtained $4,721,638.50 in PPP loan funds.

The defendants all face a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison. They also face a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge David C. Norton accepted the guilty plea and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

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.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Limehouse is prosecuting the case.

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NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, woman today admitted that she concealed her attempts to provide material support to Syrian foreign terrorist organizations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge Jesse Levine, and FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Timothy Langan announced.

Maria Bell, aka “Maria Sue Bell,” 54, of Hopatcong, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging her with one count of concealing attempts to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.

According to documents previously filed in this case:

Bell admitted that from February 2018 to November 2018 she knowingly concealed and disguised the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the attempted provision of material support and resources to fighters based in Syria who were members Jabhat Fath al-sham, also known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Bell admitted that she knew JFS and HTS were designated foreign terrorist organizations, that JFS and HTS has engaged or engages in terrorist activities. She admitted the offense to which she pleaded guilty involved the concealment of the attempted provision of funds or other material support or resources with the intent, knowledge, or reason to believe they were to be used to commit or assist in the commission of a violent act.

The charge of concealment of terrorist financing to a designated foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 21, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jesse Levine, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorneys Brenda Sue Thornton and Kathleen Campbell of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A convicted sex offender residing at a Charleston homeless facility pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 25, 2020, James Gipson, 59, was in the common room of a homeless facility on Leon Sullivan Way when facility staff observed Gipson looking at child pornography on a laptop he possessed. The staff summoned police, who recovered the laptop. A forensic analysis found more than 300 images depicting child pornography on Gipson’s laptop. Gipson admitted that the laptop was his and that he knew he should not have possessed it.

Gipson was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on March 5, 2012. Gipson was on lifetime supervised release as a result of that conviction when he committed this new crime. Gipson was also a registered sex offender at the time of this incident as a result of the 2012 conviction.

Gipson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison as well as at least five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Charleston Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department for conducting and assisting in the investigation. Thompson also credited the shelter staff for being vigilant in protecting their facility and its residents.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-92.

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Memphis,  TN  –A  federal  grand  jury  has  indicted  fourteen  alleged members  and associates  
of   the   Traveling   Vice   Lord   /Junk  Yard   Dogs   (TVL/JYD),   a   criminal organization  
whose  members  and  associates  engaged  in   a  racketeering  conspiracy involving acts of 
murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking.

According to the indictment, the TVL/JYD is a violent criminal street gang that operates throughout 
the Western District of Tennessee.  The TVL is a subset of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation which 
originated in Chicago, Illinois,  and other parts of the United States. The TVL were organized into 
different positions, including Chief of Streets, Deck Holder, Enforcer, Treasurer and Chief of 
Security.  Participation  in violent acts directed at rival gangs  or  as   directed  by   gang  
leadership,  increases  the   respect  accorded  to  that member/associate and can result in 
membership, maintenance, and increased position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion of a 
leadership position  within the gang. Violations of rules and orders may result in the loss of 
membership, physical punishment in the form of beatings and in some instances, death.

This is the culmination of a two-year investigation into the Traveling Vice Lord subset the Junk 
Yard Dogs who operated mostly in Fayette County, TN.  Between June 2020  and August 2020,  the  
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 
(ATF) investigated five different shootings.

The  investigation  revealed,  between  June  17,  2020,   and   August  2020,   Tomarcus 
Baskerville ordered Martivus Baskerville, Deonte Walker, Toorrence Fitzpatrick, Deandra Rivers and 
Trevin Hullom, to conduct five separate shootings against rival gang members, the  Gangster 
Disciples  and  the  4  Corner  Hustlers  with  the  intent  to  kill  those  gang
members.  As a result of these crimes, nine individuals were shot, and one person died.

Named in the indictment are:
•    Tomarcus BASKERVILLE, 33, a/k/a “TC”, a/k/a “Glove.”   Held the rank of “Chief of 
Streets”
•    Christopher PEELER,30, a/k/a “Lil Chris.”  Held the rank of 3UE
•    Martivus  BASKERVILLE,  28,  a/k/a  Tavis.    Held  the  rank  of  “Deck Holder”
•    Thomas SMITH, 22, a/k/a “TJ.”   Held the rank of 5BE
•    Davaius WORRLES, 29, a/k/a, “Mighty”, a/k/a “Mighty Shun.”  Held the rank of 5BE
•    Curtis BASKERVILLE, 36, a/k/a “CB.”   Held the rank of 3BE
•    Montaveen   TAYLOR,21,    a/k/a,    "CGE    Tay.”       Held    the    rank    of 
“representative” and functioned as the “first seat.”
•    Mardarius McNEAL, 24.  Held the rank of “representative” and functioned as the 
“enforcer”
•    Deandra RIVERS, 26, a/k/a “Dre.”   Held the rank of “representative” and functioned 
as “chief of security.”
•    Deonte WALKER, 27, a/k/a, “Tez.”  Held the rank of “representative” and functioned as 
the “man of literature.”
•    Trevin HULLOM,  29, a/k/a  “Scooter.”   Held the  rank of representative and 
functioned as the “assistant man of literature.”
•    Torrance    FITZPATRICK,    27,    a/k/a    Phat.        Held    the    rank    of 
“representative”
•    Bianca JACKSON, 20.  Held the rank of “representative”
•    Courtland  SPRINGFIELD,  30,  a/k/a,  “Hot  Box.”     Held  the  rank  of 
“representative.”

The RICO conspiracy charge in this case carries a maximum sentence of life.  The Murder in Aid of 
Racketeering charge in this case carries a sentence of death or life imprisonment. Each of the 
Brandishing and Discharging a Firearm during and in Relation to a Crime of Violence carries a 
penalty of not less than 10 years consecutive to its  related Attempted Murder (Violent Crime in 
Aid in Racketeering).

This  case is  being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Neal Oldham and Beth Boswell.

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

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Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 27-count indictment charging the following 16 individuals with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses stemming from the gang-related distribution of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack:

LUIS FELICIANO, a.k.a. “Louminaty,” 38, of East Hartford
JOSE TIRADO, a.k.a. “Joselito” and “Leet,” 41, of Hartford
CARL JONES, a.k.a. “M.O.B.,” 41, of Hartford
LUIS ROBLES, a.k.a. “Lou,” 25, of Hartford
ROBERTO DIAZ, a.k.a. “Dragon Eyes,” 52, of West Hartford
MILTON ROSARIO, a.k.a. “Little,” 39, of Hartford
ANGEL DELGADO, 58, of Hartford
MARTIN MALDONADO, 33, of Hartford
JEREMY OZUNA, 27, of New Jersey
ROBERT VALLE, 58, of Schenectady, New York
MARSHA WATSON, 33, of Bangor, Maine
DEVIN TEXIRA, a.k.a. “LV,” 25, of Hartford
JOSHUA RODRIGUEZ, 31, of Hartford
JOEL DELEON, JR., a.k.a. “Psycho,” 41, of Hartford
HERIBERTO MENDEZ, a.k.a. “Big Ed,” 43, of Hartford
CHRISTOPHER GILLIARD, a.k.a. “CJ” and “Gilly,” 34, of Hartford

The indictment, which was returned on June 8, alleges that Feliciano and several co-defendants distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack to customers and other distributors in the Hartford area, and also to Watson in Bangor, Maine, and Ozuna and Valle in Schenectady, New York.  The indictment also alleges that several defendants unlawfully possessed firearms.

Feliciano was arrested on April 13, 2022, after searches of his East Hartford residence and a Hartford apartment he used to store drugs revealed more than three kilograms of heroin, approximately 700 grams of fentanyl, quantities of crack and powder cocaine, and 40 rounds of ammunition.  The other defendants have been detained in state custody, or were arrested by members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force after the indictment was returned.

The indictment charges Feliciano, Tirado, Jones, Robles, Diaz, Rosario, Delgado, Maldonado, Ozuna, Valle and Watson with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances.  Felciano, Jones, Tirado, Rodriguez, Delgado, Deleon, Robles and Gilliard are charged in one or more counts with various narcotics distribution offenses.

The indictment also charges Jones, Tirado, Texira, Deleon and Mendez with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; Feliciano with unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon; and Robles with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

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

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Robert S. Ruff.

Seattle – A 34-year-old Bothell, Washington, man was sentenced today to five years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Ryan Kane pled guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute on March 22, 2022. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, addressing Kane, “This isn’t about you…. This is about what you did to the community …sending drugs not just into our community, but the world.  What you did is decidedly wrong.”

“Mr. Kane was distributing nearly pure and addictive methamphetamine across the world, concealed in computer hard drives,” said U.S. Attorney Brown.  “He used the Dark Web to conceal his identity and make dangerous drugs available as far away as Australia and New Zealand.”

Kane first came to the attention of law enforcement because he was mailing packages with methamphetamine hidden inside. Kane used a Dark Web vendor account to take orders for the methamphetamine shipments; he then packaged the drugs and mailed them through the U.S. Postal Service to various locations in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. In April of 2021, he attempted to mail two packages to Australia. However, these packages were intercepted by law enforcement and found to contain over three kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride concealed in computer hard drives.

Meth in hard drive

In asking for a six-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Casey Conzatti said, “This recommendation takes into account Mr. Kane’s struggle with addiction, but it also takes into account the large volume of drugs involved.”

When Kane’s residence was searched on June 7, 2021, law enforcement seized a glass jar and 16 additional hollowed out computer hard drives containing over three kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride. Agents found packing materials, a notebook containing shipping labels to Australia and artwork related to Kane’s Dark Web vendor account. Additionally, agents discovered a loaded 9mm handgun on the couch in the apartment.

“Mr. Kane’s conviction and today’s sentence demonstrates how smugglers cannot hide behind the perceived veil of secrecy associated with Dark Web marketplaces,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI through its transnational law enforcement footprint will doggedly pursue these cases with our law enforcement partners within the U.S. and abroad.”

“With Mr. Kane’s sentencing today, we show a clear and united front, not only here in the United States but abroad, in the effort to combat the distribution of these dangerous and potentially lethal narcotics,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (U.S.P.I.S.). “We remain steadfast in our mission to remove illegal narcotics from the U.S. Mail and will continue to do so to ensure our communities remain safe. We thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance in bringing Kane to justice.”   

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (U.S.P.I.S.) and the Australian Border Force (ABF).

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey S. Conzatti.

          LOS ANGELES– A Riverside County man was arrested today on federal charges alleging he manufactured and distributed significant quantities of methamphetamine at his home laboratory – where two young children lived – and illegally possessed firearms and ammunition.

          Alvaro Hector Martinez, 32, of Perris, is charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, three counts of possession of methamphetamine, one count of knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

          Martinez is expected to be arraigned this afternoon at United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

          According to the indictment returned on June 17, a co-conspirator arranged for wholesale drug purchasers to buy large quantities of narcotics, including methamphetamine, from Martinez. Martinez and others allegedly then manufactured methamphetamine using a homemade laboratory, and used firearms to protect the drugs, the laboratory and their drug proceeds.

          Martinez allegedly distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, including a March 2021 drug deal in which he transported 34 pounds (15.4 kilograms) of the drug to a buyer.

          After his arrest during a March 2021 traffic stop, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Martinez’s home and found more than 17.6 pounds (8 kilograms) of methamphetamine, 12.6 pounds (5.7 kilograms) of marijuana, five gallons of methamphetamine solution, two rifles, two handguns, eight firearm magazines, 41 rounds of ammunition, tactical vests and a methamphetamine conversion laboratory, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case.

          Along with the narcotics, drug paraphernalia and firearms, law enforcement discovered two young boys – 2 and 3 years old, the affidavit states. Child Protective Services subsequently were called to the residence.

          Martinez’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Los Angeles Superior Court for grand theft and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the indictment.

          An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

          The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this matter.

          Assistant United States Attorney Gregory D. Bernstein of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on June 23, 2022, against Stacey Furlow, 61, of the 3000 block of North Peoria Road in Springfield, Illinois, for attempted enticement of a minor, use of interstate facilities to attempt to transmit information about a minor, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Sentencing for Furlow is scheduled for October 21, 2022, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield.

During the trial, the government presented evidence that established that between August 27 and August 29, 2020, Furlow met an individual online and believed he was communicating with a fifteen-year-old child. Despite learning the individual’s age, Furlow discussed engaging in sexual activity with the minor, asked for the minor’s address on numerous occasions, and sent inappropriate pictures of himself to the child. On August 29, 2020, after confirming that the minor was alone, he asked for the child’s address and drove to the residence expecting to engage in sexual conduct; he was then arrested. 

Furlow remains in the custody of U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. At sentencing, he faces statutory penalties of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison for attempted enticement of a minor; not more than five years in prison for use of interstate facilities to attempt to transmit information about a minor; and not more than 10 years in prison for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.

The prosecution was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Office, with assistance from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Springfield Police Department; and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tanner K. Jacobs and Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government at trial.

The case against Furlow was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative 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 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.

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man to 11 years for selling methamphetamine to drug investigators.

Judge White also found that Shaun Glenwood Mack, 44, was a career offender due to prior drug convictions.

In August 2020, investigators for the Drug Enforcement Administration learned that Mack was selling methamphetamine from his St. Louis apartment in ounce quantities. A DEA confidential source arranged to buy two ounces of crystal methamphetamine from Mack on Aug. 7, 2020 for $1,800.

After Mack was indicted for that sale and arrested on June 29, 2021, investigators found 7 grams of methamphetamine, 211 capsules containing a total of 12.5 grams of fentanyl and clear plastic bags containing approximately 13.7 grams of fentanyl, 5.8 grams of cocaine and 5.2 grams of cocaine base.

Mack pleaded guilty on March 30 to a charge of intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. 

BANGOR, Maine:  A Lincoln man was sentenced today in federal court for providing false information to a firearms dealer while purchasing firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Dwight Gary, 51, of Lincoln to time served and two years of supervised release. Gary pleaded guilty in November 2021.

According to court records, in February 2021, Gary knowingly made two false and fictitious written statements to Maine Military Supply in Holden, a licensed firearms dealer. When asked on an ATF form, “Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this form and any continuation sheets,” he checked the box for “yes.” However, at the time of the purchases, Gary knew that he was not the actual buyer of the firearms, but rather was buying them for and at the direction of another person. It is against federal law to provide false information to federal firearm licensees when purchasing firearms. His false statements were discovered after the Orono Police Department seized a Sig Sauer P365 9mm pistol on February 14, 2021.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orono Police Department investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. Project Safe Neighborhoods is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories, and the program is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, Project Safe Neighborhoods follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

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WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansan man has been sentenced to a total of 295 months in prison for drug trafficking crimes. 

According to court documents, in March 2022, a federal jury convicted Travis Vontress, 45, of Wichita of the following charges:

• one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin;
• one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine;
• one count of maintaining a drug involved premises;
• two counts of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime;
• one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and 
• one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime

The FBI, Wichita Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Barton County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Service, Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Marshall Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Nebraska State Patrol investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak prosecuted the case.

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NEW BERN, N.C. – An Edenton man was sentenced today to 91 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. On July 14, 2021, Rayshawn Lamont Anthony, pled guilty to the charges.

“One of our top priorities is keeping North Carolinians safe from dangerous narcotics traffickers pushing fentanyl in our communities, which has caused countless overdoses and taken far too many lives,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “We are working closely with law enforcement across Eastern North Carolina to prosecute narcotics trafficking and the violence so often associated with the drug trade.  We are committed to working with Chief King to keep Edenton a safe place for people to live, work, and raise a family.” 

“The Edenton Police Department is committed to working closely with our citizens towards a crime free community. We will continue to partner with The United States Department of Justice, The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosive and The First Judicial District.  If you are a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and you meet the criteria, we will seek federal prosecution and you will end up on our next video,” said Edenton Police Chief Henry King. 

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Anthony, 30, came to the attention of the Edenton Police Department after he was found walking down the highway away from a vehicle.  An officer stopped to see if Anthony needed assistance, but he declined.  After seeing suspicious items in plain view inside the vehicle, the officer located Anthony again after receiving a report that Anthony had just stolen a separate vehicle.  Officers used a K9 unit to conduct an open-air sniff around the first vehicle which alerted to the presence of narcotics.  Upon a search, officers located 12 individually wrapped packages of fentanyl and a loaded 9mm firearm along with Anthony’s identification card.  Anthony was arrested on state charges and released on bond.  While out on bond, Anthony was encountered again by the Edenton Police Department in a traffic stop in which he was a passenger.  Officers found him in possession of cocaine and a stolen .380 caliber firearm.  He was subsequently taken into federal custody and detained.

Anthony qualifies as a Career Offender under federal law, having two prior felony drug convictions: sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  His other convictions include a prior felon in possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana, maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving while license revoked. 

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Edenton Police Department, the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson 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. 2:21-CR-00004-FL.

FORT WAYNE – Daniel Witt, 26 years old, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to production of material depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Witt was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on or about June 5, 2020, Daniel Witt did employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor to produce sexually explicit images, knowing and having reason to know that such visual depiction would be transported using any means and facility of interstate commerce. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Allen County Sherriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.

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NEWARK, N.J. – A Warren County, New Jersey, businessman today admitted fraudulently obtaining nearly $1.8 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced.

Rocco A. Malanga, 50, formerly of Hackettstown, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals to an information charging him with one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering.

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

From April 2020 through August 2020, Malanga submitted false documentation to three lenders to fraudulently obtain approximately $1.8 million in federal COVID-19 emergency relief funds meant for distressed small businesses. He submitted at least three PPP loan applications on behalf of three different business entities in which he fabricated the number of employees employed by each business entity, as well as their average monthly payroll. Malanga then diverted some of the proceeds from the loans to fund a business that did not receive PPP loan funds. 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.  In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. Businesses must have used PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and used at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses.

The bank fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine; the money laundering charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 2, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Polite credited special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood; special agents of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, under the Direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Donnelly; special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca, New York Region; and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott, with the investigation leading to the today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice.

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Charles Meininger, Jr., age 37, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was indicted today by a federal grand jury for mailing threatening communications. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that, in October of 2021, Meininger mailed letters to General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks, threatening to kidnap and injure both of those officials along with Senator Nancy Pelosi.  The indictment also alleges Meininger sent a threatening letter to a news journalist in Wilkes-Barre.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.

The total maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 25 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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