Statement from FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Hughes:
"FBI Milwaukee is supporting our state and local law enforcement partners with maintaining public safety in our community. The FBI is providing both personnel and resources in this effort. Our focus is on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals that are inciting violence and engaging in criminal activity. We are not focused on peaceful protests."
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NIJ currently has six active strategic research plans, whose objectives include information sharing, data collection, and technology-driven solutions to address important criminal justice system needs:
As we plan FY 2021 solicitations and other research funding opportunities, interested grantees can review these plans to better understand our research priorities and strategies in these areas. Read Director David Muhlhausen’s recent remarks about how these plans were developed, and download the plans. READ MORE |
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man and woman have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Renae Jo Pacheco, a/k/a Renae Jo Hopkins, age 51, and Thomas Pacheco, Sr., age 29, were indicted on August 11, 2020. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 24, 2020, and pled not guilty to their Indictments.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum 10 years, up to life in prison and/or a $10,000,000 fine, at least 5 years, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each Count. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictments allege that beginning at a time unknown but no later than on or about January 1, 2015, and continuing to on or about January 1, 2020, Hopkins and Pacheco, did knowingly and intentionally, combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with persons known and unknown, to knowingly and intentionally distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.
The charges are merely accusations and Hopkins and Pacheco are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Hopkins was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. Pacheco was released pending trial. Trial dates have not been set.
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on August 24, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Melissa Rose Decoteau, a/k/a Melissa Rose Bobtail Bear, age 35, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Decoteau was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 16, 2019. She pled guilty on August 24, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy in 2018, wherein Decoteau conspired with others to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Mobridge Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Corson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Decoteau was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
CHARLOTTE, NC – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives today announced a reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individuals responsible for breaking into a private residence and assaulting two individuals in Pikeville on Aug. 21, 2019.
At approximately 2:45 a.m., unknown suspects broke into a home on Coffman Drive. During the robbery, the suspects demanded money from a safe while assaulting a female victim. A two-year old child was also injured during the robbery. The suspects stole a large amount of cash along with several firearms.
ATF is investigating the incident with the Wayne County Sheriff’s
Office. Anyone with information about this crime should contact ATF at
1-800-ATF-TIPS (800-283-8477). Tips can also be submitted through email
at ATFTips@atf.gov or through the ReportIt® App. All calls and tips will be kept confidential.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives today announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individuals responsible for a burglary at G4S Secure Solutions in Murrells Inlet.
G4S Secure Solutions, a security services company, is located at 11943 Grandhaven Dr. The burglary occurred between July 31 and Aug. 3. Multiple firearms and a large safe weighing approximately 380 pounds were stolen from the business.
ATF is investigating this burglary along with the Horry County Police Department. Anyone with information should contact the Horry County Police Department at 843-915-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
RICHMOND, Va. – A previously convicted felon pleaded guilty today to a charge related to his possession of an assault rifle, handgun, ballistic vest, and eight magazines of ammunition after leaving the Robert E. Lee Monument during civil unrest on June 12 in Richmond.
“Project Guardian is the Department’s signature anti-gun violence program,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “One of the key cornerstones of Guardian is holding those accountable who have forfeited their Second Amendment rights due to their status as a felon, drug user, or domestic abuser—amongst other prohibitors. This defendant, due to his own previous felonious conduct and conviction, was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition, and chose to openly flout state and federal law by unlawfully possessing multiple firearms and eight magazines of ammunition.”
According to court documents, on June 12, Matthew Lee Frezza, 37, of Chesterfield, possessed an assault rifle and handgun during the course of a traffic stop during civil unrest. The incident started when Richmond Police Department (RPD) officers observed a caravan of three trucks driving recklessly in the vicinity of the Robert E. Lee Monument. Based on this reckless driving, RPD officers executed a traffic stop on one of the pickup trucks at the intersection of Old Mill Road and Boatwright Road in the city of Richmond. Upon approaching the truck, RPD officers observed three occupants inside, with an individual later identified as Frezza in the front passenger seat of the truck. RPD officers further observed all three occupants of the truck armed with firearms, including assault rifles.
“Firearms in the possession of a convicted felon are always a public safety concern, but especially so when multiple weapons are recovered during a potentially volatile situation, such as civil unrest,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division. “This defendant’s guilty plea confirms that the unlawful possession of a firearm is a serious offense and we are grateful to U.S. Attorney Terwilliger and our law enforcement partners in Richmond for this successful outcome.”
Based on the firearms and the vehicles prior presence at the Robert E. Lee Monument, RPD Officers requested the three occupants step out of the truck. As Frezza exited the truck, RPD officers took an assault rifle from his possession, removed a handgun and two clips from a holster on his thigh, and removed a ballistic vest from his body that contained six rifle magazines with ammunition. On the scene, RPD Officers determined that Frezza was a convicted felon and placed him under arrest. The firearm possessed by Frezza was a Taurus, Model G3, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol. The assault rifle possessed by Frezza was later determined to be a homemade rifle without a serial number, which contained a loaded, high-capacity magazine.
Frezza pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on December 10. 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.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-78.
Department of Justice Spokesperson Kerri Kupec has issued the following statement:
“Today, Keith Dwayne Nelson was executed at U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute in accordance with the capital sentence recommended by a jury in 2001 and imposed by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in 2002. Mitchell was pronounced dead at 4:32 p.m. EDT by the Vigo County Coroner.
In October 1999, Nelson told an acquaintance that he wanted to kidnap, rape, torture, and kill a young girl he had seen in Kansas City, Kansas. Shortly thereafter, Nelson parked his white pickup truck outside the home of 10-year-old Pamela Butler, who was rollerblading nearby. As Pamela skated by the truck, Nelson grabbed her around the waist, threw her into the truck, and sped away as Pamela’s sisters looked on in terror. Sometime later that day, Nelson raped Pamela, strangled her to death with a wire, and buried her in a forest behind a church in Kansas City, Missouri. In October 2001, Nelson pleaded guilty to the kidnapping and unlawful interstate transportation of a child for the purpose of sexual abuse resulting in death, and the district court, consistent with a federal jury’s recommendation, later sentenced him to death. His conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal, and his claims for collateral relief were denied by every court that considered them.
More than two decades after viciously taking the life of Pamela Butler, causing untold devastation to those who loved her, Nelson finally faced the justice he deserved. Family members of Pamela Butler, including her mother, attended the execution and witnessed implementation of the sentence for Nelson’s horrific crime.”
ALBUQUERQUE – Harrington Alonzo, 34, of Pinehill, N.M., was sentenced Monday in federal court to 10 years of custody. In January, Alonzo pled guilty to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possessing and discharging said firearm in furtherance of such crime.
According to Alonzo’s plea agreement, he committed this crime in Cibola County on April 24, 2019. Alonzo unlawfully assaulted a Navajo Nation police officer by shooting at the officer with a semiautomatic handgun. The officer was responding to a domestic dispute between Alonzo and his girlfriend. Alonzo is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation where this crime occurred.
The case was investigated by the Gallup office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Ramah Navajo Police Department and the Navajo Nation Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Novaline D. Wilson prosecuted the case.
Deer Park Man Faces Lifetime of Supervision After Release From Custody
Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Dennis Michael Hogan, age 60, of Deer Park, Washington, was sentenced today to a 15-year term of imprisonment for Online Enticement of a Minor Girl to Engage in Production of Child Pornography and Attempted Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places. Following Hogan’s guilty plea on February 18, 2020, United States District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced him at the top of the proposed range, to be followed by a lifetime of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Hogan repeatedly used social media accounts and the Internet to reach out to minor girls in the Philippines. His minor victims ranged in age from 12 to 17, and each victim told Hogan how old she was. Hogan offered his victims as little as $19 for extremely graphic sexual images that the girls took of themselves and one another to send to him. Hogan also sent child pornography to his minor victims to groom them and show them the kinds of images he liked.
As Judge Peterson noted, Hogan’s conduct far exceeded producing and collecting child pornography. The Court found that in addition to the online recruitment of minor victims, Hogan repeatedly traveled to the Philippines and engaged in illicit sexual conduct with his minor victims. He made painstakingly detailed arrangements of date, time, hotel, city, and how to avoid having his victims’ identifications checked by the hotels to verify their ages. Seven minor victims were identified in the case, but based on Hogan’s online communications, there may have been many more.
Federal child exploitation investigators from Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) learned about Hogan’s conduct through the CyberTip Program, when Facebook alerted law enforcement to the transfer of Hogan’s child pornography images. HSI executed a federal search warrant at Hogan’s home in Deer Park and seized numerous devices and communications.
But even after HSI raided his home, Hogan continued to engage in sexual communications with at least one minor female in the Philippines. HSI agents learned that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in Minnesota had identified Hogan as a target in a completely independent investigation into sexual abuse of minor Filipina girls. HSI and FBI worked closely to coordinate the parallel investigations. From the evidence in the separate FBI case, HSI investigators learned that one of Hogan’s victims even sent him an image of her birth certificate to prove that she was a minor. HSI agents also saw that after the raid, Hogan specifically instructed his minor victim to engage in live sex chats online, because Facebook had informed law enforcement when he previously received images and videos of child pornography.
United States Attorney Hyslop said, “It is a priority of the United States Attorney’s Office to protect all children, not just American kids or those who live in Eastern Washington. The Internet has largely erased state, national, and international boundaries when it comes to adults who seek out children for sex. If predators in the Eastern District use the Internet to abuse children anywhere, they should know that federal agents are actively looking for them. We are deeply committed to investigating, prosecuting, and stopping child sexual abuse, including child sex tourism, to the fullest extent possible. The lengthy sentence imposed today sends a strong message that this conduct will not be tolerated, wherever the victims happen to live. I commend the outstanding investigative efforts by the Spokane Office of HSI, and the unwavering support and resources of the FBI, the Philippine National Police, the United States Embassy in Manila, and the United States Consulate in Cebu City. This was truly a global case that brought together the best of American investigatory resources and relied on national and international cooperation to protect children.”
“Today’s sentencing of Dennis Hogan makes it very clear, we will not tolerate child exploitation and those who perpetrate crimes against children,” Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Eben Roberts said. “We work with our local, national and international partners to investigate and prosecute these crimes by using every available resource to pursue the guilty and protect the innocent.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case was investigated by the Spokane Office of HSI, and Special Agents Rodney Weekes (Ret.) and Shannon Hart in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by David M. Herzog, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of WashingtonOAKLAND – John Vicencio Vinoya was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by twenty years of supervised release, for attempted receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr.
Vinoya, 48, of Richmond, California, pled guilty to the charge on September 30, 2019. According to the plea agreement, Vinoya admitted that, in July 2018, when he was 46 years old, he texted a girl that he knew to be fourteen years old. When he learned that the minor was about to take a shower, he requested that she send him a “half body pic.” Vinoya admitted that he hoped and intended that the minor would send him a naked photograph that would have constituted child pornography.
Vinoya further admitted that, two weeks later, he sent sexually explicit text messages to the minor’s cell phone. He attempted to persuade and entice the minor to have sexual intercourse with him. On August 2, 2018, Vinoya drove to the minor’s home at a time when he believed that her parents were out of town. He brought condoms and lubricating oil with him to the meeting. He was stopped by law enforcement when he reached the minor’s home.
Vinoya was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 13, 2018. He was initially charged with online enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). He ultimately pled guilty to a violation of 18 U.S.C §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b), attempted receipt of child pornography. Vinoya has been in custody since his arrest by officers of the El Cerrito Police Department on August 2, 2018.
Katherine Lloyd-Lovett is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is
prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske. The
prosecution is the result of the collaborative investigative efforts of
the El Cerrito Police Department, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes
Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations HSI.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A McKeesport, Pennsylvania, resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on charges of violating federal drug and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The four-count indictment, returned on August 26 and unsealed today, named Jermaine Curry, age 35, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about December 18, 2019, Curry, a convicted felon who was on parole and subject to a Protection from Abuse Order (PFA), knowingly and unlawfully possessed 10 firearms and ammunition. A PFA in Pennsylvania provides that a person shall not "abuse, harass, stalk, threaten, or attempt or threaten to use physical force against" the persons protected by the order, including intimate partners and children. Federal law prohibits anyone who is subject to a PFA and anyone who has been convicted by crimes punishable by a year or more in prison from lawfully possessing a firearm or ammunition. Law enforcement officials seized quantities of fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, drug packaging supplies, and $1,173 in United States currency from the defendant’s residence. As such, the indictment also charges Curry with possession with intent to distribute the narcotics, and possessing the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
"This prosecution is part our of commitment to protect victims and survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence," said U.S. Attorney Brady, who has been a member of Attorney General William Barr’s Domestic Violence Working Group since June of 2019. "We know that where a firearm is present, the likelihood of a domestic violence-related homicide increases by 500%. Our goal, simply stated, is to save lives. One way we are doing that is by federally prosecuting domestic abusers who illegally possess firearms."
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life prison, a fine of $1,750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The defendant has been detained pending the resolution of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt, who serves as the office’s Domestic Violence Coordinator, is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Allegheny County Probation Office, and the McKeesport Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment of Curry.
This case was brought as 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – August 26, 2020 – A criminal complaint was unsealed yesterday charging David Powell, aka Dawud Powell, 29, of Nashville, with armed robbery of a pharmacy and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the complaint, on the morning of August 19, 2020, an individual later identified as Powell, entered the Walgreens pharmacy on Nolensville Pike, brandished a handgun at the pharmacy counter and demanded that the pharmacist give him all of the Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, and Lortab. The pharmacist complied and the robber placed the bottles of drugs in a white bag and fled the store.
The investigation by responding officers and detectives from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department led them to the area of West Valley Drive where they observed an individual exiting a vehicle and carrying a white bag. The individual ignored the officer’s commands to stop and fled, jumping a nearby fence. Subsequent investigation by FBI agents identified Powell as the suspect.
Powell was arrested Monday by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force outside of an apartment complex in South Nashville. At the time of his arrest, Powell was in possession of firearms. He will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Friday for a detention hearing. He is currently on federal supervised release out of the Northern District of Illinois, where he was previously convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the charges, Powell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to life in prison.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Montminy.
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotic and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The three-count Indictment, returned on August 18 and unsealed today, named Daimere Wilmer, age 27, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on March 13, 2020, Wilmer possessed a quantity of marijuana and possessed firearms and ammunition in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Wilmer is also a convicted felon, and as such cannot legally possess a firearm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 20 years in prison and up to life imprisonment, a fine of not more than $750,000, a term of supervised release of at least 3 years, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a large-scale, multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Terrence McGuirk, 51, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
“Project Parkersburg was a game changer – it netted the largest meth bust in West Virginia history and resulted in more than a dozen defendants being prosecuted by my office,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “McGuirk, the latest of the defendants to be sentenced, is now headed to a federal prison for 25 years. McGuirk is being held accountable. And, keep in mind, there is no parole in the federal system. Big time law enforcement operation. Big time results.”
McGuirk admitted distributing large quantities of methamphetamine to dealers operating in Parkersburg between July 2018 and the date of his arrest. He was arrested on September 19, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio where he had traveled to pick up his share of a shipment containing more than 120 pounds of methamphetamine. In his plea agreement, McGuirk admitted pooling his money with other co-defendants to purchase methamphetamine from a source in Phoenix, Arizona. McGuirk distributed quantities ranging from several grams up to multiple pounds at a time to dealers in Parkersburg, Clarksburg, and as far away as Florida. Agents executed several search warrants, including one at McGuirk’s mother’s residence in Kissimmee, Florida, where they seized more than $65,000 cash, which he admitted was the proceeds of drug trafficking.
In imposing the sentence, the court found that McGuirk was a leader and organizer of the conspiracy and that he had attempted to obstruct justice by threatening witnesses, and filing or threatening to file frivolous bar complaints against the prosecutor as well as his own attorneys and attorneys representing co-defendants.
McGuirk was prosecuted as part of Project Parkersburg – a major takedown and dismantling of a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing methamphetamine and heroin. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Parkersburg Police Department, the Dayton (Ohio) Police Department, and the Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crime Task Force. The long-term, joint investigation resulted in at least 29 individuals being charged in federal and state court and the seizure of 121 pounds of ICE methamphetamine, six kilograms of cocaine, 217 grams of heroin and 478 grams of fentanyl.
Of the defendants charged in federal court, Todd Land, Jeffrey Hoyler, Nicholas Easton, T.J. Gibson, Edward Marks, Amy Rake, Marshall Polan, Troy Pastorino, Michael Holley, and Amanda Atkinson have been sentenced. Aurelius Edmonds, Michael Rhodes and Antoine Terry await sentencing later this year. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Jeremy Wolfe are handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-00225.
BOSTON – A Lawrence resident pleaded guilty today to sexually exploiting two children under four years of age.
Jakob Nieves, who also goes by the name Dakota, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 16, 2020. In September 2019, Nieves was indicted and has been detained since being arrested on Aug. 14, 2019.
As part of an investigation into the use of Kik messenger for the trade of child pornography, an undercover agent communicated with Nieves via Kik. During the course of those communications, Nieves sent the undercover agent images and videos that Nieves produced, depicting Nieves sexually abusing a child.
When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Nieves’ home on Aug. 14, 2019, Nieves admitted to distributing images and videos of child pornography to a user Nieves “met” in a Kik group geared toward individuals interested in pedophilia. Forensic analysis of Nieves’ cell phone revealed pornographic images and videos of two children known to Nieves, both of whom were under the age of four, as well as thousands of child pornography images depicting victims personally unknown to Nieves.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Each charge provides for a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Coordinator and member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of ADAM LEE REITZ, 30, to 324 months in prison for producing child pornography. REITZ, who pleaded guilty on October 29, 2019, was sentenced earlier today before Judge Nancy E. Brasel in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota. REITZ’s co-defendant SHAHLA MARIE THOMPSON, 28, pleaded guilty on July 13, 2020, to one count of receipt of child pornography.
“The sexual abuse of children is among the most abhorrent criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald. “When it comes to protecting society’s most vulnerable, we will not relent. As demonstrated in today’s sentence, justice will be served.”
“Those who sexually exploit children do serious lasting harm, and the manufacture and trade of child pornography cruelly perpetuates this damage,” said Michael Paul, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office. “The FBI and its partners are committed to finding such predators, locking them up, and ensuring those they've victimized are safe and well-supported.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on May 11, 2018, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerted the Rochester Police Department to an online communication between REITZ and THOMPSON appearing to contain a depiction of child pornography. Law enforcement searched the defendants’ electronic accounts and found multiple images depicting a minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct with an adult male. Based on distinctive tattoos, law enforcement was able to identify REITZ as the adult male in the video.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If you know of any child who may have been a victim of exploitation, please call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit NCMEC’s web site at www.missingkids.com.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Rochester Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie E. Allyn prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
ADAM LEE REITZ, 30
Rochester, Minn.
Convicted:
Sentenced:
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty plea of FORNANDOUS CORTEZ HENDERSON, 32, to one count of aiding and abetting arson. HENDERSON entered his plea today before Judge Susan Richard Nelson, in U.S. District Court, in St. Paul, Minnesota. HENDERSON’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
According to HENDERSON’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, HENDERSON and GARRETT PATRICK ZIEGLER[1] (co-defendant) constructed multiple Molotov cocktails. In the early morning hours of May 29, 2020, HENDERSON and the co-defendant went to the Dakota County Western Service Center (the ''WSC") located at 14955 Galaxie Avenue in Apple Valley, Minnesota. The WSC houses state and local agencies and organizations, including Dakota County court facilities, as well as a U.S. Passport center. Using baseball bats, HENDERSON and the co-defendant broke multiple windows at the WSC and threw in multiple, lit Molotov cocktails. Some of these devices successfully ignited and caused fire damage to the WSC.
According to HENDERSON’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, HENDERSON and the co-defendant also started and attempted to start other fires at the WSC by pouring ignitable liquids and throwing unlit Molotov cocktails in and around the broken windows, then attempting to start the fluids on fire.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Apple Valley Police Department, and the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander D. Chiquoine and Chelsea A. Walcker.
Defendant Information:
FORNANDOUS CORTEZ HENDERSON, 32
Savage, Minn.
Convicted:
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A Cuban national has made another appearance in federal court following the return of a superseding indictment related to the distribution of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Osvaldo Iglesias Ruiz, 34, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 10 kilograms of cocaine.
Ruiz was originally charged by criminal complaint in March. He made an initial appearance on those charges, but was granted release upon posting bond. Shortly thereafter, authorities caught him as he was allegedly attempting to flee the United States in a boat off the coast of Florida heading towards Cuba. He appeared in court today and ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 14, Ruiz approached the Javier Vega Jr. checkpoint in Sarita traveling northbound. He was allegedly driving a tractor-trailer, but without an attached trailer. The complaint alleges he provided authorities inconsistent answers pertaining to the direction he was traveling. A K-9 also alerted to the rear differential of the vehicle, according to the charges.
He was then referred to secondary inspection where authorities allegedly discovered multiple cocaine bundles weighing more than 10 kilograms.
The drugs have an estimated street value of $250,000.
If convicted, Ruiz faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Coast Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neel Kapur 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.
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Willie Player, 40, of Benton, Louisiana, was sentenced today on a charge of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced Player to spend 151 months (12 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
While conducting a narcotics investigation in 2018, law enforcement agents set up surveillance of Willie Player and others who were known to be distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Phone conversations between Player and other co-conspirators were intercepted and they were found to be arranging transactions to sell methamphetamine in various quantities. Between April and June 2018, law enforcement agents observed Player travelling from the Western District of Louisiana to Waskom, Texas to purchase various amounts of methamphetamine.
On June 13, 2018, after purchasing methamphetamine in Waskom, Texas, Player was travelling back to the Shreveport area. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop the vehicle Player was driving near West 70th and Pines Road but rather than stopping, Player continued travelling at a high rate of speed. Player ran a red light and his vehicle was grazed on the rear passenger side by a truck travelling through the intersection. Player then lost control of the vehicle and struck utility poles before crashing into a fence surrounding an apartment complex. Law enforcement officers found methamphetamine in the vehicle with Player and he was arrested. Player pleaded guilty to the charge on November 14, 2019.
The DEA and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a former Texas top 10 fugitive and alleged member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
The indictment was unsealed today charging Tyral Glenn Turner, 34, of Mathis. He had been in state custody on related charges. He is expected to appear in Corpus Christi federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby Sept. 2.
The indictment charges Turner with one count of possession with intent to distribute over 350 grams of fentanyl and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Authorities apprehended Turner June 26 as part of Operation Triple Beam, a collaboration of federal, state and local authorities targeting alleged violent gang members in the gulf coast region. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement allegedly seized over 350 grams of fentanyl packaged for distribution.
The charges further allege he also had a loaded 9 mm glock model 19 in his possession. Turner is a convicted felon. As such, he is prohibited by federal law of possessing a firearm or ammunition.
If convicted of the drug charges, he faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine. The gun charge carries a 10-year-maximum possible penalty.
The U.S. Marshals Service and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neel Kapur 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.
ERIE, Pa. - An inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 3 months in jail on his conviction of possession of contraband in prison, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on William Hunt, 37. The sentence was imposed to run consecutively to the sentence Hunt is currently serving.
According to information presented to the court, on or about June 11, 2019, Hunt was in possession of contraband, namely a quantity of synthetic cannabinoid NM2201 while an inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hunt.
BOSTON – A Holyoke man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to distributing heroin.
Luis Garcia-Figueroa, 20, pleaded guilty to eight counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Dec. 22, 2020.
Garcia-Figueroa possessed with the intent to distribute and distributed heroin on eight occasions between October 2019 and Jan. 15, 2020.
The case was the result of an investigation into heroin trafficking in Holyoke.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine $1 million on each count. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Kidnapping and Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation.
Steven McDaniel, a/k/a Steven McDaniels, age 33, was indicted on December 17, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 20, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between June 6, 2019, and June 7, 2019, McDaniel kidnapped and held a woman in Mission, and unlawfully assaulted her by strangling and suffocating her.
The charges are merely accusations and McDaniel is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
McDaniel was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Charles Cordier, III, age 21, was indicted on January 14, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 19, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on November 5, 2019, in Rosebud, South Dakota, Cordier did forcibly assault, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with a law enforcement officer who was employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and that such conduct involved the use of a dangerous weapon.
The charge is merely an accusation and Cordier is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Cordier was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jerald Ungerer, age 33, of Milford, Pennsylvania, was indicted on August 25, 2020, by a federal grand jury and charged with multiple child exploitation crimes.
According to United States Attorney, David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that on January 16, and February 9, 2017, March 6, and 12, 2020, Ungerer produced multiple videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Northeast Computer Crimes Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 60 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Watertown, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography and Transportation of Child Pornography.
Derek Michael Mason, age 19, was indicted on August 17, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on August 21, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between May 1, 2017, and May 5, 2020, Mason knowingly received and distributed, and attempted to receive and distribute child pornography that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including a computer.
The Indictment also alleges that between October 14, 2019, and May 5, 2020, Mason knowingly transported child pornography using the internet, and uploaded graphic image and video files depicting one or more minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct into his Dropbox account with his e-mail address.
The charges are merely accusations and Mason is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Mason was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
This was an experiment designed to evaluate the effectiveness of hot spots policing in urban and suburban areas.
The program is rated No Effects. There were no statistically significant differences between treatment and control hot spots in part 1 crimes, part 2 crimes, and crime-related calls for service. However, results showed a statistically significant reduction in crime-related calls for service in urban locations relative to suburban locations.
LEARN MOREEric Coleman was a leader of the Rolling 60s Crips who recruited minors to participate in the robberies
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn today announced that Eric Coleman, age 43, and a leader of the Rolling 60s Crips, was sentenced to serve 188 months (over 15 years) in federal prison for bank robbery and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Coleman appeared remotely in custody and was remanded at the hearing’s conclusion. The FBI joined in today’s announcement.
According to the stipulated facts contained in his plea agreement, as well as the government’s argument at sentencing, Coleman was a member and leader of the Rolling 60s Crips, and a mastermind of a multi-defendant bank robbery operation. Coleman actively recruited and manipulated juveniles to carry out the actual robberies. He made juvenile and younger gang members put on makeup and use a firearm to rob the banks.
For example, on March 14, 2018, the ENT Federal Credit Union in Colorado Springs, Colorado was robbed. After the robbery, law enforcement learned that Coleman had picked up the robber -- a co-defendant -- from the credit union, driving them away from the scene. The four individuals involved in these robberies, including Coleman, met up at a fast food restaurant where the robber gave the firearm to Coleman and the money was divided.
On April 30, 2018, law enforcement stopped four individuals who were planning to commit another bank robbery. Officers found an individual wearing makeup. The manner in which the makeup was being worn matched several recent bank robberies and business robberies. During interviews following the stop, law enforcement learned that Coleman would hand the bank robber a firearm for the robbery. A subsequent search of Coleman’s residence resulted in officers finding three firearms, including one in a bag with Mr. Coleman's prescription medication, directly tying him to the weapon.
All seven of the defendants have pleaded guilty, and three of the seven defendants have been sentenced.
In addition to the bank robbery, Coleman was a felon in possession of three firearms, including: a .38 caliber revolver; a .40 caliber pistol; and a 9mm rifle. Prior to the firearms being discovered, Coleman had been convicted of multiple felony offenses, making it illegal for him to have possessed the firearms.
“Bank robbery, especially with a weapon, is a violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “In this case, Mr. Coleman used his position as a gang leader to recruit minors to do his dirty work. He will now serve a lengthy prison sentence appropriate for someone who orchestrated and led others to commit these crimes.”
“The success of this investigation is largely attributed to the close working relationships between federal, state, and local law enforcement and our Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “The collaborative effort to address violent crimes, such as bank robberies, within our local communities is just one example of how highly the FBI values its partnerships and the critical role these relationships play in making our community safer.”
The sentence was pronounced by U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez on August 19, 2020. The guilty plea was entered on March 5, 2020. This case was investigated by the Colorado Springs FBI. Local law enforcement, including the Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, assisted with the investigation. The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Bohn.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Related court documents can be found on PACER by searching for Case Number 18-cr-360.
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