Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a seven-count Indictment in White Plains federal court charging GLENN GRIFFIN, the owner, president, and principal of Griffin’s Landscaping Corporation, in separate bribery and bid rigging schemes, and GRIFFIN and ROBERT DYCKMAN, a former Assistant General Foreman with the Town of Cortlandt, in the bribery scheme in which DYCKMAN allowed GRIFFIN to dump hundreds of truckloads of unauthorized materials at a Cortlandt facility.  GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were arrested this morning and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court later today.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “As alleged, Robert Dyckman, a former Town of Cortlandt employee, used his position of trust to enrich himself by allowing Glenn Griffin to dump unauthorized materials at the Town’s facility, which will cost the Town as much as $1.5 million to clean up.  Griffin is also alleged to have defrauded the village of Croton-on-Hudson and the hamlet of Verplanck in a separate bid rigging scheme.  My Office will continue to ensure that corrupt business leaders and public officials will be brought to justice.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court^[[1]]:

Illegal Dumping Scheme

            From 2018 until February 2020, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN engaged in an unauthorized dumping scheme.  DYCKMAN gave GRIFFIN and his employees unauthorized access to Arlo Lane, a Cortlandt facility, to dump hundreds of large truckloads of unauthorized materials such as thick concrete, cement with rebar, large rocks, and soil.  Based on estimates provided by third-party vendors, the Town of Cortlandt estimates that it will cost between $600,000 to $1.5 million to remove these materials.

            DYCKMAN generally allowed GRIFFIN and his employees access to Arlo Lane on Saturdays or after working hours.  To carry out the scheme, DYCKMAN would attempt to clear senior Town of Cortlandt management away Arlo Lane around the time of the unauthorized dumping.  When DYCKMAN arranged for a subordinate Town of Cortlandt worker to work overtime when GRIFFIN was dumping unauthorized loads, DYCKMAN would falsely record the worker’s overtime as having occurred during the week in order to conceal the scheme.

            In exchange for access to Arlo Lane, GRIFFIN gave DYCKMAN cash bribes, firewood, flowers and gardening materials and made extensive improvements to DYCKMAN’s home at no cost.  GRIFFIN also gave DYCKMAN a backdated, false invoice for DYCKMAN to give to his insurance company in support of a false insurance claim.

Bid-Rigging Scheme

            Between 2015 and 2018, GRIFFIN also engaged in a bid-rigging scheme.  GRIFFIN defrauded the village of Croton-on-Hudson, for work on its schools, and the hamlet of Verplanck, for work at its fire department.  He made sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids on behalf of entities that GRIFFIN did not work for or have authorization to submit bids on behalf of, so that GRIFFIN would be the low bidder in a pool of purportedly competitive bids and receive public money for work on the projects.  Based on these sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids, GRIFFIN was awarded contracts with a combined value exceeding $133,000. 

*                *                *

           A chart containing the charges and maximum penalties for GRIFFIN, 53, of Cortlandt Manor, New York and DYCKMAN, 51, of Verplanck, New York, are set forth below.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

            Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Westchester County Police Department in this investigation.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.

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SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Matthew Felitto, age 27, of Utica, New York, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Syracuse after previously pleading guilty to violating the constitutionally protected right of an arrestee to be free from excessive force by a law enforcement officer. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In pleading guilty previously, Felitto admitted that while working as a police officer for the Utica Police Department in September 2020, he arrived on the scene of an arrest to assist in transporting the arrested individual to the station. The arrestee was handcuffed behind his back and in leg shackles when Felitto arrived because he had been refusing to comply with the commands of other officers already on-scene. Felitto helped those officers place the arrestee in the back of a police van. Once the arrestee was lying on the floor of the van face up and restrained, Felitto kicked him several times in the face and upper chest while wearing work boots. The kicks were without legal justification and were made with sufficient force to cause the arrestee pain and a bruised and swollen lip.

Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby sentenced Felitto to a term of probation of 2 years and a fine of $7,500. Felitto will be required to perform 100 hours of community service during his probation term. As a convicted felon, Felitto will be prohibited under federal law from owning or possessing a firearm. Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement Felitto has resigned from the Utica Police Department.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Michael F. Perry with the assistance of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Frederick J. Haresign, age 63, of Oswego, New York was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography. Haresign also will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office.

As part of his prior guilty plea, Haresign, a former school bus driver, admitted that, in 2017, he provided a minor child who rode on his bus with nicotine and other gifts in exchange for the child creating sexually explicit images and videos and providing those images and videos to Haresign. Haresign admitted that he possessed those images and videos in 2017 so that he could view them.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New York State Police: Fulton Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and Troop D Computer Crimes Unit and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian in coordination with the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Seattle – U.S. Attorney Nick Brown today issued the following statement as Western Washington voters mark their primary ballots and prepare to use ballot drop boxes throughout the Western District of Washington.

“Voter intimidation is a federal crime and any attempt to harass or discourage citizens from voting at our state’s secure election drop boxes will be investigated and prosecuted in federal court, said U.S. Attorney Brown.  “We recognize and revere the First Amendment right to free speech and political debate.  But there is a time when protected speech turns into acts of intimidation or threats of violence.  We will work with our law enforcement partners to investigate threats of violence, hate crimes, and any effort to intimidate voters or those tasked with ensuring free and fair elections in our state.”

Under federal law, it is a felony to intimidate or threaten other persons to discourage them from voting or for assisting others in voting.  This crime is punishable by up to five years in prison.  Federal law also prohibits bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.  Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

Through the primary and general election periods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will have District Election Officer Seth Wilkinson working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to investigate and respond to any reports of voter intimidation or threats. Assistant United States Attorney Wilkinson can be reached at (206) 553-7970 and ask to leave a message with the Civil Rights complaint hotline.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (206) 622-0460. 

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Archie Arsenio Caldwell, 33, of Rock Hill, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.  He also plead guilty to distributing crack cocaine and money laundering.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Rock Hill Police Department began to investigate a group of defendants who were obtaining large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana from a distributor in Southern California.  Based upon the investigation, the police were able to determine that members of the group were flying to California and having the drugs shipped back to the Rock Hill and Charlotte, N.C. area. Specifically, Caldwell was a member of the group and helped other members obtain flights to California to purchase the illegal substances.  Caldwell also flew to California to purchase illegal substances for other members of the group and orchestrated shipping the packages back. After the drugs were shipped back to South Carolina, the group distributed the drugs to local dealers.  Later, the group began ordering fentanyl from California which they used to make fentanyl-laced pills which were sold to users in Rock Hill, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga. This group shipped more than 255 packages from California and distributed more than five kilograms of cocaine, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one kilogram or more of heroin, and more than a 1000 grams of marijuana.  Eighteen defendants were charged in this case.  Thirteen defendants have pled guilty, including Caldwell, to their involvement. Five defendants are awaiting trial.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Caldwell to 300 months imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.   

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Rock Hill Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), York County Sheriff’s Office, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William K. Witherspoon, Elliot Daniels, Elle Klein, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Brooklyn, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years’ imprisonment on his conviction for violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Miguel Rodriguez, 53, formerly of Belmont Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, who previously pleaded guilty to a Superseding Indictment charging him with possessing 400 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin intending to redistribute it.

In connection with his prior guilty plea, the Court was advised that law enforcement agents encountered Rodriguez on July 27, 2019, departing a bus in downtown Pittsburgh that had recently arrived from New York City. During a subsequent search of Rodriguez’s bags, agents discovered a large bag of powder that was later determined to contain mixtures of both heroin and fentanyl, which are scheduled controlled substances under federal law. In connection with his plea, Rodriguez admitted to knowingly possessing a controlled substance intending to distribute it in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rodriguez.

ind_drug_trafficking_cloro_7-20-22-cr-328-fab_.pdfSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 20, 2022, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging four individuals with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Participating agencies in the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) are in charge of the investigation of the case, with the collaboration from: the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the San Juan Municipal Police, and the Guaynabo Municipal Police.

According to the evidence recovered in the investigation, and as alleged in the indictment, as part of the manners and means of the conspiracy, the members of the conspiracy packaged the cocaine inside cardboard boxes labeled as cleaning products.

The defendants named in the indictment are:

     Francisco Rivera-Rivera

     Santiago Ramírez

     Teddy Vergara-López

     Jonathan Castro-Rivera

Part of the contraband seized in this case was recently recovered from a warehouse at a correctional facility.  At this time, the evidence does not indicate the involvement of any correctional officer or correctional employee in the commission of this crime. Instead, it appears that the cocaine-laden boxes were not removed from the shipment as planned, and were mistakenly taken to the Ponce warehouse with the cleaning products.  The estimated value of the approximately 228 kilograms of cocaine seized in this investigation is $4,104,000.

“This operation reflects the excellent collaboration between our state and federal law enforcement partners.   We will continue following leads in this investigation in order to identify all of those responsible,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

“The Caribbean Corridor Strike Force is composed of our federal, state and local counterparts in an effort to stop the movement of contraband in the Caribbean,” said Iván J. Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Juan. “Those involved in drug trafficking should know that the Caribbean is no longer an option to transship narcotics into the United States, we are working together, we are interdicting, and we are arresting.”

“The events related to the discovery of 50 kilos of cocaine inside a warehouse at the Ponce Correctional Facility, have been coordinated with our Federal Law Enforcement partners, the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, and the Department of Public Safety.  Our combined mission in the investigation of this crime and violation of the law is to find and prosecute all individuals involved in this criminal organization,” stated the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety, Alexis Torres.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section Max Pérez-Bouret, Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, AUSA Vanessa Bonhomme, and AUSA Luis A. Valentin are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison.

The Caribbean Corridor Strike Force is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Participating agencies of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force include the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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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DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Jay G. Mills and Danielle A. Mills were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 23, 2022, on charges of failure to account for and pay over employment payroll taxes and failure to file income tax returns. Danielle Mills had her initial appearance on July 20, 2022, before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Kato Crews and was released on bond.  Jay Mills initially appeared in federal court on April 25, 2022.

According to information contained in the indictment, the co-defendants were the owners, operators and principal officers of Mills Solids Control Consulting LLC located in Colorado. During the period for quarters ending March 31, 2016, through June 30, 2017, it is alleged the co-defendants deducted and collected taxable wages from MSCC employees. The co-owners are alleged to have willfully failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service the federal income taxes, Social Security taxes, and Medicare taxes withheld during this six-quarter period. Both co-defendants are also alleged to have failed to file federal individual income tax returns for the 2015-2017 tax years.

Jay Mills and Danielle Mills each face six counts of failure to pay over employment payroll taxes and three counts of failure to file a federal tax return. The defendants face a maximum fine of $1,575,000 and up to five years in prison for each failure to pay over count and up to one year in prison for each count of failure to file income tax returns.

This case is being investigated by Internal Revenue Service: Criminal Investigation.

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

ATLANTA - Ryan Felton has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering charges on the fourth day of his jury trial arising from his fraudulent promotion of two cryptocurrency investment schemes that cost investors millions in losses.

“The defendant used 21st century technology to perpetrate an age-old fraud: lying to investors to steal their money and fund his own lavish lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.  “Felton’s conviction should serve as a warning to anyone who seeks to capitalize on emerging technology to victimize others.”

“The technology has advanced, but the crime remains the same, and those who invest in cryptocurrency must be wary of opportunities that appear too good to be true,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is committed to protecting investors from sophisticated cryptocurrency scammers that seek to capitalize on the novelty of digital currency.”

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: In 2017, Felton promoted an initial coin offering (ICO) for a new entertainment streaming platform, FLiK, which he promised would surpass Netflix.  ICOs are fundraising events during which the issuers of a unique cryptocurrency “token” or “coin” set an amount they want to raise, offer it to the public in a crowd sale, and receive cryptocurrency from investors in exchange.

In order to increase, or pump, the price of FLiK coins, Felton falsely represented to investors that a prominent Atlanta rapper and actor was a co-owner of FLiK, the United States military had agreed to distribute the streaming platform to service members, and FLiK was finalizing licensing deals with major film and television studios. In reality, the rapper had no role in the company beyond authorizing a promotional social media post, FLiK had no military contract, and Felton never had discussions with any studio about licensing content. Felton further claimed that he was actively developing the platform and would use all funds raised in the ICO to launch FLiK. After the ICO closed, Felton dumped more than 40 million FLiK coins on trading markets, causing the value of FLiK coins to plummet.

Instead of using investor funds to develop the platform, Felton diverted approximately $2.4 million in investor proceeds from the ICO and trading markets to his personal account. He used the vast majority of the investor proceeds to fund his extravagant lifestyle, including all-cash purchases of a $1.5 million residence, a $180,000 red 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fioran Coupe, a new $58,250 Chevy Tahoe, and approximately $30,000 in diamond jewelry.

In 2018, Felton promoted a second ICO for a new company, CoinSpark, which was a cryptocurrency trading exchange.  In order to attract investors to the ICO, Felton promised that Spark coin investors would receive 25% of the trading exchange’s profits in the form of dividends. Felton further claimed that a global accounting firm would audit CoinSpark’s finances on a quarterly basis, but, in reality, he never spoke with the accounting firm. Felton also posed as a potential investor, using fake names, on various internet forums and social media sites to further promote false information and build up excitement in CoinSpark.

After raising more than $200,000 in the ICO, Felton announced that CoinSpark would not pay Spark investors a dividend and offered ICO investors a refund. Felton then repeatedly rejected or ignored investor requests for refunds. The CoinSpark exchange ultimately launched months after its promised delivery date but had significant technical issues and minimal trading activity. Instead of applying ICO proceeds to CoinSpark, Felton again diverted significant funds to his personal bank account.

Ryan Felton, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to twelve counts of wire fraud, ten counts of money laundering, and two counts of securities fraud on the fourth day of his jury trial. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date before U.S. District Court Judge J.P. Boulee.    

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

The SEC Washington, D.C. Office and the SEC New York Regional Office provided valuable contributions in this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sekret T. Sneed and Nathan P. Kitchens are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Carl Rabe, 44, Baraboo, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 96 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  Rabe pleaded guilty to this charge on April 26, 2022.

During the course of a long-term, multi-agency investigation, law enforcement officers identified several people, including Rabe, who distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine in western Wisconsin.  Investigators also learned that Rabe partnered with traffickers who purchased methamphetamine from sources-of-supply in other states.  

On October 20, 2021, an investigator from the Richland-Iowa-Grant Drug Task Force watched Rabe meet with the driver of a pickup truck in a retail parking lot in Lancaster, Wisconsin.  The investigator knew Rabe had an outstanding warrant and was on probation for prior drug charges.    

While Rabe stood next to the pickup, the investigator and a canine officer from the Lancaster Police Department arrested Rabe on the outstanding warrant.  Investigators then interviewed the driver of the pickup who admitted that he planned to purchase $50 worth of methamphetamine from Rabe. 

Investigators searched Rabe’s car after the Lancaster Police Department’s drug detection dog alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.  A scale, packaging material, and 425 grams of methamphetamine were found in the car.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley described Rabe as someone who embraced the drug trafficking lifestyle.  Judge Conley noted that, in addition to the charged conduct, Rabe jumped into a major drug trafficking network when he partnered with Christopher Fernette and Dillan Boydston to obtain three pounds of methamphetamine from a source-of-supply in Minnesota. 

On June 29, 2022, Judge Conley sentenced Christopher Fernette to 120 months’ imprisonment for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver.  Dillan Boydston pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, 2022.

The charge against Rabe was the result of an investigation conducted by Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Prairie du Chien Police Department, Richland-Iowa-Grant Drug Task Force, Lancaster Police Department, Dakota County (Minnesota) Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case. 

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four Maryland residents with federal conspiracy and wire fraud charges related to a CARES Act unemployment insurance fraud scheme with more than $3 million in losses.  The indictment was returned on July 13, 2022, and unsealed today upon the arrests of the defendants.  Charged in the indictment are:

            Tyshawna Davis, age 38, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland;
            Tiia Woods, age 44, of Cockeysville, Maryland;
            Donna Jones, age 55, of Hanover, Maryland; and
            Devante Smith, age 27, of Baltimore.

Davis, Jones, and Smith had initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner.  They were released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.  Woods is detained in the Middle District of Florida pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 22, 2022.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy Springer of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to the 14-count indictment, from June 2020 through May 2021, the defendants used the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits.  The CARES Act expanded states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance benefits for workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed states to give an additional $600 per week to individuals collecting regular unemployment insurance compensation during certain months in 2020.

The indictment alleges that the defendants obtained the names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of victims using false pretenses, then used the PII to submit and certify fraudulent Maryland unemployment insurance (UI) benefit applications in the victims’ names.  For example, the indictment alleges that as part of the conspiracy a Maryland UI application was submitted in the name of Davis’s deceased ex-husband.  The defendants allegedly caused the UI benefits to be loaded onto debit cards which were mailed to the addresses of the defendants, rather than the victims.  The indictment alleges that the defendants used the fraudulently obtained debit cards to make cash withdrawals and other transactions throughout Maryland.  The defendants allegedly used the cash for their own benefit and for the benefit of others who were also not entitled to the money, including by purchasing luxury vehicles.  The indictment seeks the forfeiture of two 2021 Mercedes-Benz automobiles and any other proceeds of the scheme.

The indictment alleges that as a result of the scheme, at least 160 fraudulent UI claims were submitted in Maryland, with a loss of more than $3 million.  The indictment details 13 specific wire transfers involving fraudulent UI benefits obtained in the names of eight separate victims.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy and for each count of wire fraud.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended DOL-OIG and the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary H. Ray and Christine Goo, who are prosecuting the federal 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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BILLINGS  — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana is closing its investigation into the Dec. 2, 2021 fatal shooting of Arlin Bordeaux by a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.

“After a thorough investigation by the FBI into the shooting of Mr. Bordeaux by a BIA officer and an extensive review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the office has declined to prosecute the case.

“According to the evidence reviewed during the investigation, the shooting occurred when a BIA officer responded to a call of a suspicious man near a residence and encountered Mr. Bordeaux, who was acting in a peculiar manner. Mr. Bordeaux disobeyed orders to stop and get on the ground and began fighting with the officer. The responding officer called for assistance and a second BIA officer arrived. Using non-lethal methods, including tasers, both officers tried unsuccessfully to gain control of Mr. Bordeaux, who was taller and heavier than the officers. During the fighting, Mr. Bordeaux obtained the assisting officer’s taser and was within arm’s reach of the responding officer. Believing the taser could incapacitate the responding officer or himself, the assisting officer shot Mr. Bordeaux twice. The first shot was through the back. The assisting officer shot Mr. Bordeaux a second time, in the shoulder, because Mr. Bordeaux again reached for the taser while he was still within arm’s reach of the responding officer. Both officers received minor injuries.

“An autopsy determined that the first shot did not incapacitate or kill Mr. Bordeaux, while the second shot nicked his heart and killed him. The autopsy also showed that Mr. Bordeaux had methamphetamine in his system.

“Evidence reviewed in the investigation included law enforcement video and audio files, interviews of the officers and the person who called the police, and autopsy records.

“As in all cases under its consideration, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is responsible for determining whether the government can prove each element of a federal crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Under the applicable federal criminal civil rights statute, prosecutors would have to establish that the assisting officer’s actions were objectively unreasonable under the circumstances, and that his actions were willful. To establish willfulness, the government must show that the officer acted with deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids – one of the highest standards of intent imposed by law. An officer reasonably believing that he or she is acting in self-defense or defense of others – even if predicated on mistake, misperception, negligence or poor judgment – is insufficient to establish this high standard. 

“After a careful and thorough review into the facts surrounding the shooting, the evidence, when viewed as whole, is insufficient to prove that the officer’s actions were ‘objectively unreasonable’ under the law. The evidence is also insufficient to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer acted willfully, that is with the specific intent to break the law.

“Accordingly, the investigation into this tragic incident has been closed. This decision is limited to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s inability to meet the high legal standard required to prosecute the case under the applicable federal civil rights statute; it does not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of the shooting.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to ensure that all such allegations are fully investigated and aggressively prosecuted whenever there is sufficient evidence to do so.”

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Carlos Carter, 33, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 72 months in federal prison for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of firearms.  Carter pleaded guilty to this charge on April 28, 2022.

In 2020, federal and state law enforcement agencies started investigating several known cocaine traffickers in Dane County, Wisconsin.  As part of this joint investigation, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) obtained state-authorized wiretaps on two phones belonging to Andre McClinton. Over the course of several months, investigators intercepted numerous calls and text messages between McClinton and Carter.  Most of these conversations centered on McClinton selling large amounts of drugs to Carter, a felon with prior drug convictions. 

On March 8, 2021, law enforcement officers from the Wisconsin State Patrol (WSP) and DCI stopped Carter for speeding and detained him as part of the narcotics investigation.  Investigators also searched a house in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin where Carter stayed.  During the search, investigators found 260 grams of a powder cocaine, 76 grams of crack cocaine, drug packaging material, two digital scales, six cellphones, a drug ledger, two loaded 9 mm handguns, and a loaded .44 caliber revolver which was reported stolen.

In sentencing Carter, Judge Peterson wanted to protect the community from someone who had a capacity for violence.  Judge Peterson explained that the amount of drugs Carter distributed and the number of firearms he illegally possessed warranted a significant term of imprisonment.

On March 23, 2022, Judge Peterson sentenced Andre McClinton to 108 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and illegally possessing firearms. In addition, Judge Peterson entered a money judgment against McClinton in the amount of $313,100.  McClinton also agreed to forfeit $116,890 in cash, property located in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, three vehicles, and two firearms.  Other defendants convicted as part of this investigation include:

• Michael Henderson, who received a sentence of 84 months’ imprisonment on December 9, 2021 for conspiracy to distribute cocaine;
• Jeffrey Kemp, who received a sentence of 48 months’ imprisonment on May 6, 2022 for attempting to possess fentanyl for distribution; and
• Antonio Dillard, who received a sentence of 24 months’ imprisonment on April 1, 2022 for attempting to possess fentanyl for distribution.

The charges against Carter were the result of an investigation conducted by DCI, WSP, the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case. 

Baltimore, Maryland – Calvin Abramowitz, age 48, of Lakewood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud.  As part of his guilty plea, Abramowitz has been ordered to pay $209,036.    

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.

According to his guilty plea, Calvin Abramowitz and his brother, Philip Abramowitz, age 40, of Pikesville, Maryland conspired to defraud at least one financial institution by fraudulently obtaining Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans and property under false pretenses.   Specifically, Philip Abramowitz used his company 163 N. Potomac St., LLC., to facilitate the fraudulent sales of his Potomac Street, Baltimore, Maryland properties.

In May 2016, Philip Abramowitz decided to sell one of the Potomac Street properties (Property 1) to his brother, Calvin Abramowitz for $300,000 using an FHA-insured loan.  The FHA is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and provides mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA-approved lenders.  To qualify for the FHA-insured loans, the buyer must use the residence as their primary residence, disclose any familial or business relationship between the seller and buyer, and disclose the source of the money the buyer intends to use for the down payment and closing costs.

As stated in his guilty plea, Calvin Abramowitz applied for and received a $294,566 FHA-insured loan with a mortgage company (Mortgage Company 1) by falsely representing Philip Abramowitz’s bank account records as his own.  The defendants also concealed their familial relation from Mortgage Company 1 by submitting false company filings during the loan application process, having Philip Abramowitz’s property manager (Property Manager 1) pose as the sole seller and manager of 163 N. Potomac St., LLC and arranging Property Manager 1 to sign the FHA-loan contact as the official seller of the property.  Philip Abramowitz’s ownership of 163 N, Potomac St., LLC. or involvement in the sale was never disclosed.

Further, to facilitate the loan underwriting process, Philip Abramowitz gave Calvin Abramowitz $10,500 to pay for the closing costs for Property 1 as Calvin Abramowitz did not have the financial means to make the purchase.   Based on the fraudulent financial information presented during the loan application process, Mortgage Company 1 loaned Calvin Abramowitz $294,566 for the purchase of Property 1.  The majority of the loan proceeds were subsequently deposited into Philip Abramowitz’s bank account.  Ultimately, Calvin Abramowitz never used Property 1 as a primary residence and rented the property to tenants before ceasing mortgage payments and causing the property to fall into foreclosure.

Philip Abramowitz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in May 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 9, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.

Calvin Abramowitz faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for bank fraud.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for December 6, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HUD-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin J. Clarke, who is prosecuting the federal 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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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment today against Heidy Isabel Torres Lopez, 40, of Stockton; Cesar Mag Rodriguez Hernandez, 23, of Stockton; and Marco Antonio Sanchez Garcia, 37, of Modesto, charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of cocaine, distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, cocaine base, and marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Lopez, Hernandez, and Garcia distributed methamphetamine and cocaine to a confidential informant working for law enforcement. In total, the group attempted to sell over 13 pounds of methamphetamine and 3.7 pounds of cocaine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, all three defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life years in prison, and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On July 14, Jahque Dijion Williams, 21, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 120 months in prison. Williams previously pleaded guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor.   

On July 23, 2020, the Human Trafficking Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department found the 17-year-old minor, who appeared to have been physically assaulted, at a Los Angeles hospital.  The victim indicated that she first met Williams on July 19, 2020, through her social media account and he invited her to a party in Phoenix. At the party, she realized it was a “recruiting party” for commercial sex workers. Williams then transported the minor and another adult female to Los Angeles where he told the minor she would work for him. Williams gave the minor details about the amount of money she would bring back each night. On the trip to Los Angeles, Williams prevented the minor from leaving the car by activating the child lock on his vehicle.  

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Mesa Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated the case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson and Phoenix, handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00687-PHX-DJH-1
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-121_Williams

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Ralph St. Croix, a.k.a. “Stretch,” age 39, most recently of Schenectady, New York, formerly of Long Island, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for distributing heroin laced with fentanyl, and for possessing two firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.

In pleading guilty, St. Croix, a previously convicted felon, admitted to selling fentanyl-laced heroin to another person on three occasions in December 2020 at his apartment on Eastern Avenue in Schenectady.  St. Croix further admitted to possessing, in his apartment, a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, in order to guard against the potential theft of his drugs and drug proceeds.

Senior United States Senior District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. also ordered that St. Croix serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.

This case was investigated by ATF and NYSP with assistance provided by the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.

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

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a seven-count Indictment in White Plains federal court charging GLENN GRIFFIN, the owner, president, and principal of Griffin’s Landscaping Corporation, in separate bribery and bid rigging schemes, and GRIFFIN and ROBERT DYCKMAN, a former Assistant General Foreman with the Town of Cortlandt, in the bribery scheme in which DYCKMAN allowed GRIFFIN to dump hundreds of truckloads of unauthorized materials at a Cortlandt facility.  GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were arrested this morning and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court later today.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “As alleged, Robert Dyckman, a former Town of Cortlandt employee, used his position of trust to enrich himself by allowing Glenn Griffin to dump unauthorized materials at the Town’s facility, which will cost the Town as much as $1.5 million to clean up.  Griffin is also alleged to have defrauded the village of Croton-on-Hudson and the hamlet of Verplanck in a separate bid rigging scheme.  My Office will continue to ensure that corrupt business leaders and public officials will be brought to justice.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court^[[1]]:

Illegal Dumping Scheme

            From 2018 until February 2020, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN engaged in an unauthorized dumping scheme.  DYCKMAN gave GRIFFIN and his employees unauthorized access to Arlo Lane, a Cortlandt facility, to dump hundreds of large truckloads of unauthorized materials such as thick concrete, cement with rebar, large rocks, and soil.  Based on estimates provided by third-party vendors, the Town of Cortlandt estimates that it will cost between $600,000 to $1.5 million to remove these materials.

            DYCKMAN generally allowed GRIFFIN and his employees access to Arlo Lane on Saturdays or after working hours.  To carry out the scheme, DYCKMAN would attempt to clear senior Town of Cortlandt management away Arlo Lane around the time of the unauthorized dumping.  When DYCKMAN arranged for a subordinate Town of Cortlandt worker to work overtime when GRIFFIN was dumping unauthorized loads, DYCKMAN would falsely record the worker’s overtime as having occurred during the week in order to conceal the scheme.

            In exchange for access to Arlo Lane, GRIFFIN gave DYCKMAN cash bribes, firewood, flowers and gardening materials and made extensive improvements to DYCKMAN’s home at no cost.  GRIFFIN also gave DYCKMAN a backdated, false invoice for DYCKMAN to give to his insurance company in support of a false insurance claim.

Bid-Rigging Scheme

            Between 2015 and 2018, GRIFFIN also engaged in a bid-rigging scheme.  GRIFFIN defrauded the village of Croton-on-Hudson, for work on its schools, and the hamlet of Verplanck, for work at its fire department.  He made sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids on behalf of entities that GRIFFIN did not work for or have authorization to submit bids on behalf of, so that GRIFFIN would be the low bidder in a pool of purportedly competitive bids and receive public money for work on the projects.  Based on these sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids, GRIFFIN was awarded contracts with a combined value exceeding $133,000. 

*                *                *

           A chart containing the charges and maximum penalties for GRIFFIN, 53, of Cortlandt Manor, New York and DYCKMAN, 51, of Verplanck, New York, are set forth below.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

            Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Westchester County Police Department in this investigation.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.

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DETROIT - Jermaine Rose, a former lead claims examiner for the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (MUIA), was sentenced to two years in federal prison today arising from his participation in a $1.5 million pandemic-related unemployment insurance fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and Special Agent in Charge John Marengo of the United States Secret Service’s Detroit Field Office.

Jermaine Rose pleaded guilty on April 22, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud arising out of his participation in a wide-ranging fraud scheme designed to provide Rose’s co-conspirators with pandemic unemployment insurance benefits to which they were not entitled.      

United States Attorney Ison stated “Corrupt public servants compromise the ability of the government to function effectively and undermine confidence in all public programs. This prosecution reflects the seriousness with which my office takes corruption and fraud in the public sector as well as our commitment to prosecuting those who used a national crisis as an opportunity to defraud the public.   

“Jermaine Rose, while employed as a State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency lead claims examiner, abused his authority to allow the payment of more than $920,000 in fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims.  Rose exploited his position to release payment on the claims in exchange for kickbacks from his co-conspirators.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement and state partners to investigate those who exploit the unemployment insurance system, “stated Special Agent-in-Charge Irene Lindow, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

According to court documents, Rose was working as a lead claims examiner for the MUIA in April 2020, and as such, had electronic access to the MUIA claims database. Rose could use his credentials to access and approve specific UI claims submitted to the agency.

Court documents indicate that beginning in approximately April 2020, Rose entered into an agreement with various individuals to defraud the MUIA by obtaining UI benefits through the submission of false UI claims. Rose’s co-conspirators would electronically submit fraudulent claims to MUIA in the names of various individuals, some of whom would be victims of identity theft and some of whom were entirely fictitious people. These co-conspirators made false statements in the applications attesting to the eligibility of these purported claimants, and would upload fictitious documentation to support those fraudulent claims. The co-conspirators would then communicate with Rose, either directly or through intermediaries, and identify the claims that they had submitted.  Rose would then use his insider access to the MUIA system to approve the claims and release benefits. Most of the time, benefits would be electronically loaded onto Bank of America debit cards and mailed to addresses controlled by Rose’s co-conspirators. Rose was often paid for his services, typically in amounts between $50 and $150 per claim he touched.

While some of the individuals who approached Rose had legitimate UI claims and worked with him solely to receive benefits on an accelerated schedule, many of the individuals with whom Rose conspired submitted fraudulent UI claims in bulk. In his plea agreement, Rose acknowledged that he was well aware that many of the claims that he authorized were fraudulent.

Court documents indicate that while it is difficult to provide precise loss figures associated with Rose’s criminal scheme, a conservative estimate of the actual loss in this case is approximately $1,011,000.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John K. Neal and Alyse Wu. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General and the Secret Service, with substantial assistance from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. 

St. Paul, Minn. - The Justice Department announced today that former Minneapolis Police Officer Thomas Lane, 39, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release for depriving George Floyd Jr., of his constitutional rights.

On Feb. 24, 2022, following a trial that lasted nearly five weeks, a federal jury in St. Paul, Minnesota, found Lane guilty of depriving Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from a police officer’s deliberate indifference to serious medical needs when Lane saw Floyd restrained in police custody in clear need of medical care and willfully failed to aid him. The jury found that Lane’s failure to act resulted in bodily injury to and the death of Floyd.  This offense is a violation of the federal criminal civil rights statute that prohibits willful violations of civil rights by a person, such as a police officer, acting in an official capacity. Lane was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson.

The same jury also found former Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) Officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng guilty of depriving Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from an officer’s unreasonable force when Thao and Kueng each willfully failed to intervene to stop former MPD Officer Derek Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force, resulting in bodily injury to and the death of  Floyd. Thao and Kueng were also found to have deprived Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from a police officer’s deliberate indifference to Floyd’s serious medical needs, resulting in bodily injury to and the death of Floyd. A sentencing hearing for Thao and Kueng has not yet been scheduled.

Former Officer Derek Chauvin previously pleaded guilty to depriving Floyd and a then-14-year-old child of their constitutional rights in violation of the same federal statute. On July 7, 2022, Chauvin was sentenced to 252 months in prison for those crimes.

“The tragic death of George Floyd makes clear the fatal consequences that can result from a police officer’s failure to intervene to protect people in their custody,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Had this defendant and other officers on the scene with Derek Chauvin taken simple steps, George Floyd would be alive today. This sentence should send a message that protecting people in custody is the affirmative duty and obligation of every law enforcement officer, regardless of one’s rank or seniority.”

“In the critical last minutes of George Floyd’s life, former officer Lane understood the seriousness of the situation,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the District of Minnesota. “He knew that Mr. Floyd was in grave need of medical care, but he chose passivity rather than action. As a sworn law enforcement officer, he failed to uphold his duty to step in and save a man’s life.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Bates, LeeAnn Bell, Evan Gilead, Manda Sertich and Allen Slaughter for the District of Minnesota.  

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