Brandon Quinata Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Over 50 Grams of Methamphetamine

 Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Brandon Quinata, age 37, from Umatac, Guam, was sentenced in the United States District Court of Guam to 57 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, a Schedule II controlled substance in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)(A)(viii).   The Court also ordered 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment, 50 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.   In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.

In February 2018, Quinata agreed with others to distribute methamphetamine.  Two packages were mailed from Las Vegas to Quinata and another individual on Guam.  Prior to delivery, law enforcement intercepted the packages, removed the methamphetamine, replaced it with a sham substance.  The controlled delivery of the packages was conducted, a week later Quinata was interviewed and confessed to the crime.  The combined weight of the drugs was approximately 223 grams, with a purity of 98%.  

U.S. Attorney Anderson stated, “As revealed in this case, substantial quantities of drugs continue to be sent through our mail system.  Federal law enforcement will remain vigilant in combating this activity.  Traffickers can expect substantial terms of imprisonment because of our prosecutions.”

This was a joint investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The case was prosecuted by Stephen F. Leon Guerrero, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.

The COPS Office Announces Winners of its Seventh Annual “Community Policing in Action” Photo Contest

 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced the 12 winners of its seventh annual “Community Policing in Action” photo contest. The contest, piloted in 2015, has received widespread support from law enforcement for providing a platform for agencies to share positive interaction with community members.

Each year, the COPS Office invites annual state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies to submit one photo that reflects the agency’s positive community engagement and trust building with community members, stakeholders, local government, and others. Over 100 agencies participated this year, and through an office-wide selection process, winning photos were chosen from the following law enforcement agencies:

• Dayton (OH) Police Department
• Delano (CA) Police Department
• Drexel University (PA) Police Department
• Frisco (TX) Police Department
• Jonesboro (AR) Police Department
• Lawrence (MA) Police Department
• Maricopa County (AZ) Sheriff’s Office
• Mission (TX) Police Department
• South Bend (IN) Police Department
• South Fulton (GA) Police Department
• St. Charles County (MO) Police Department
• University of Cincinnati (OH) Department of Public Safety

The 12 winning photos will be featured on the COPS Office website, as well as on the COPS Office’s official Twitter profile and Facebook page, for one month each during the 2021 calendar year. In addition, the winning agencies will be featured in monthly articles in the COPS Office e-newsletter, the Community Policing Dispatch. The winning photos from this year and prior years can be viewed on the COPS Office’s Photo Contest page and in its Photo Galleries.

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 134,000 officers. 

St. Louis man pleads guilty to murder-for-hire, witness tampering and drug charges

 ST. LOUIS – Maurice Woodson, 34, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine; one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death; and one count of witness tampering. Woodson appeared today before United States District Judge Henry E. Autrey who accepted the plea. 

Woodson was a member of a large-scale and long-term cocaine trafficking conspiracy between 2012 and 2016. Woodson and others bought large quantities of cocaine from convicted drug trafficker Adrian Lemons and Lemons’ associates in the St. Louis area.  The investigation into Woodson and his associates developed evidence of a well-defined distribution network with a direct Mexican source of supply for cocaine. During the course of investigation, agents seized more than 70 kilograms of cocaine and well over $1 million, among other things.

In furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy, Woodson was recruited to kill victim B.E.  Woodson agreed to commit the murder.  On December 5, 2013, Woodson intentionally shot and killed B.E. as B.E. attempted to enter his vehicle in the 3500 block of Kossuth.  Woodson received both drugs and money as compensation for the murder.  Similarly, Woodson was recruited to kill victim D.J. in furtherance of the cocaine trafficking conspiracy.  On November 28, 2014, Woodson lured victim D.J. to a meeting.  When D.J. arrived at the 900 block of Harlan, Woodson intentionally shot and killed D.J.  Victim D.J. died as a result of his gunshot wounds. Two others who accompanied victim D.J. were also shot and injured. 

In January 2016, Woodson was indicted in federal court for his roles in the drug conspiracy and December 2013 murder.  Woodson was ordered detained by a magistrate judge pending trial.  While detained in a local holding facility, Woodson initiated a murder-for-hire scheme.  As part of the scheme, Woodson recruited an individual to murder a potential witness to the December 2013 murder committed by Woodson.  Utilizing female companions, Woodson arranged meetings with and payments to the individual recruited to murder the potential witness.  Unbeknownst to Woodson, the individual recruited by Woodson to commit the murder-for-hire was an undercover law enforcement official.

The judge will sentence Woodson in June 2021. In exchange for his guilty plea, the parties will jointly recommend to the Court that Woodson be imprisoned for 276 months. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; Drug Enforcement Administration; Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department; the Kennett, Missouri, Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Cecil County Pimp Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Trafficking Charge

 Law Enforcement Seized Website Used to Run Prostitution Business

Baltimore, Maryland – Xavier Lee, a/k/a “X,” age 41, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of sex trafficking of a minor. 

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Matthew J. Donnelly of the Elkton Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad; and Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer.

According to his plea agreement, for the past decade Lee has operated an illicit prostitution business for financial gain, including operating the website, www.wehavefuntimes.com, where Lee posted advertisements of women whom he made available for commercial sexual acts with paying customers. That website was seized by the FBI, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Maryland State Police.  For a time, Lee also operated a different website, where he offered a subscription pornographic service to paying customers.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Lee admitted that he had sexual contact with Minor Victim 5, beginning when Minor Victim 5 was 14 years old.  Lee recorded his sexual contact with Minor Victim 5 when Minor Victim 5 was 15 and 16 years old.  Investigators recovered eight separate videos from Lee’s electronic devices, each of which had been recorded by Lee and each of which documented the sexual abuse of Minor Victim 5, depicting Minor Victim 5 engaged in sexual acts with Lee or with another adult man. Lee admitted that he was aware of Minor Victim 5’s true age.

For approximately the past five years, Lee’s prostitution business was run almost exclusively out of a hotel located in Elkton, Maryland.  Not only did Lee primarily use the same hotel in Elkton to prostitute women, Lee always used the same room to prostitute women.  Lee ran his prostitution business according to a set pattern and protocol.  Lee posted advertisements of women whom he made available for commercial sex acts with paying customers.  The “profiles” of the females whom Lee was prostituting included photographs, descriptions, and fictitious names.  The website also listed the cost of prostitution appointments, described services that were available, and allowed customers to post comments. 

According to the plea agreement, a typical day proceeded as follows:  Lee arrived at the hotel in Elkton at around 11:00 a.m. with a group of women in his car whom he would prostitute that day, rented his usual room, and if he had sufficient business, additional room(s) from the hotel staff.  Lee remained on the premises of the hotel throughout the day, met with customers in the room as they arrived and collected the money due from the customer, then sat in his car in the parking lot.  After the last customer, Lee and the women left, typically by 6:00 p.m.  Lee often transported the women whom he prostituted to the hotel in Elkton, including transporting them across state lines to work for his prostitution business. 

Finally, Lee admitted that in 2013, including in or about April 2013, Lee also had Minor Victim 4, who was sixteen to seventeen years old, do prostitution dates at Lee’s direction.  These prostitution dates were arranged through Lee’s website.  Lee was aware of Minor Victim 4’s true age during the time because Minor Victim 4 advised Lee of her true age. 

Lee faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for sex trafficking of a minor.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Lee on April 30, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.

The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force, created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from10 state and federal law enforcement agencies.  The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.

MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders.  Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members.  For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Elkton Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., Adam K. Ake, and Ayn B. Ducao, who are prosecuting the case

Florida Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

 United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Bradenton, Florida, man convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering was sentenced on February 22, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Kent Duane Anderson, age 50, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $15,311,927.00, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 4, 2020.  He pled guilty on November 5, 2020.

The conviction stemmed from incidents between 2012 and 2018, when Anderson owned and operated a business enterprise that exploited the organic grain market.  Anderson purchased thousands of tons of small grain and seed products from non-organic suppliers and then re-sold those products as “organic” to wholesale distributors, brokers, and other buyers at marked-up prices.  Those buyers, who believed the grain sold them to be organic, were defrauded.

Anderson carried out his fraud through a group of inter-related business entities formed in South Dakota, which he directed and controlled.  These business entities included the Bar Two Bar Ranch and Green Leaf Resources Inc., and four other businesses with the Green Leaf name.

Much of Anderson’s business sales of the misrepresented products occurred through emails, phone calls, and electronically transmitted invoices.  The sales transactions often originated in Florida, where Anderson’s business entities operated, with buyers located in other states, including, Minnesota and Illinois, and thus, caused electronic wire communications between those states.  Other interstate electronic wire transmissions occurred when his business entities received payment via electronic transfer of funds.  Some of those transactions involved the electronic transfer of money from purchasers with bank accounts in South Dakota.

“This investigation and prosecution should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those individuals engaged in the practice of defrauding the National Organic Program,” said Anthony Mohatt, Special Agent-in-Charge, USDA-Office of Inspector General. “It should also serve as a warning to all that participate in the organic supply chain, that fraud will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the USDA-OIG, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and all its federal, state, and local partners that have a stake in ensuring that fraud is eliminated from taxpayer funded programs.”

“Over the course of 5 years, Mr. Anderson engaged in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme where he falsely labeled products as organic products unbeknownst to consumers and USDA inspectors,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge David Talcott. “Individuals who commit fraud with this degree of dishonesty and deceit, deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. IRS Criminal Investigation along with the United States Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those individuals who seek to willfully defraud the American consumers.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

Anderson has been allowed to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by March 15, 2021.

Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty To Drug Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

 SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Caleb Guerrier, age 39, of Hanover Township, pled guilty on February 24, 2021, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and being in possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.

According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the charge of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition stems from an incident in March 2014, in which investigators served a search warrant at Guerrier’s residence and seized a cache of weapons and ammunition, including five semi-automatic pistols, three of which had obliterated serial numbers, one sawed-off shotgun, multiple boxes of assorted ammunition, drug paraphernalia and $195 in United States currency.  Guerrier is a convicted felon and is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. The charge of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine stems from a separate incident in June 2016, in which investigators searched a storage unit which Guerrier rented in Wilkes-Barre Township and seized crack cocaine and additional amounts of ammunition.

Judge Mannion ordered that a presentence investigation take place. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Hanover Township Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.       

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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.

Guerrier faces a maximum possible penalty of up to thirty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $1,250,000 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.

Columbia Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking of Minors

 Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. announced today that Donnell Salethian Woodard, a/k/a “Tank,” age 33, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court to 25 years imprisonment after pleading guilty in September 2019 to conspiracy to sex traffic minors and benefiting from sex trafficking of minors.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on November 21, 2017, undercover officers with the Lexington Police Department encountered a minor advertising sex via a website.  An undercover officer set up a time to meet with the minor at a local motel, wherein officers observed the minor being dropped off by Woodard and India Tykeyah-Najee Cuyler, a/k/a “Lady Tank,” age 26.  Officers placed both Woodard and Cuyler under arrest. The investigation led to another nearby motel where a second minor, who was also involved in the illegal venture, was located.  The investigation revealed Woodard and Cuyler were using a cell phone to post advertisements for commercial sex with the minors on a website and taking a portion of the proceeds.  Woodard and Cuyler were both charged federally.

During the sentencing, United States District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs also ordered Woodard to make restitution to the victims involved. Following service of his term of imprisonment, Woodard will be on supervised release for 15 years and will be required to register as a sex offender. 

Co-defendant India Cuyler previously pled guilty in federal court to using a facility of interstate commerce (a cell phone) to entice a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity.  Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 17, 2021.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Lexington Police Department, and the West Columbia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes.

It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Irmo Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison on Narcotics and Firearms Charges

 Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr., announced today that Steve Seman Hattar, 57, of Irmo, was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.   

Evidence presented to the Court showed that, on October 31, 2019, officers from Richland County Sheriff’s Department made a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Hattar and located suspected methamphetamine, heroin, and other narcotics, as well as three firearms and ammunition.  Later that day, law enforcement searched a hotel room used by Hattar and found methamphetamine and other narcotics.  Further investigation revealed Hattar had trafficked some 43 kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin in the six months prior to the traffic stop.  Hattar had previously served a significant sentence for a federal drug crime in another state. 

Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Hattar to 228 months in federal prison, to be followed by a ten-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.

Utica Man Charged With Online Enticement And Interstate Travel With The Intent To Engage In A Sexual Act With A Minor

 SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joan Perez, age 20, of Utica, New York, was indicted on February 23, 2021, by a federal grand jury for online enticement of a minor and interstate travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor.

According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Perez used his cellphone to entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity.  Additionally, the indictment alleges that Perez travelled to Pennsylvania in order to engage in a sexual act with said minor.

The charges stem from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division, the Scranton Police Department, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting the case.

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 penalties under federal law for these offenses is life 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.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Grants to Tribal Governments to Exercise Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Exercising Tribes Solicitation

 

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is pleased to announce the following FY2021 Open Solicitation.

 

APPLY NOW!!

 

We listened to your requests, … we heard your needs, … so now is the time to make an application to increase your tribal justice system’s resources to plan for and exercise SDVCJ.  This program can support law enforcement, courts, prosecution, indigent defense counsel, batterer’s intervention programming, incarceration costs (including medical care of SDVCJ defendants), and more.

 

 

OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Grants to Tribal Governments to Exercise Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Exercising Tribes Solicitation

Grants.gov deadline: March 26, 2021

JustGrants deadline: March 30, 2021

 

Eligible applicants are limited to: Governments of Indian tribes that have jurisdiction over Indian country and are currently exercising Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction (SDVCJ).

This targeted solicitation under the Tribal Jurisdiction Program assists Indian tribes that currently are exercising special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) by providing financial support for discrete costs that result from the exercise of SDVCJ and related training and technical assistance (TTA). Note: Tribes that have not yet begun to exercise SDVCJ and tribes that are currently exercising but are seeking funding to plan and complete broad-scale system improvements to strengthen the exercise of SDVCJ should apply for funding through the FY 2021 OVW Grants to Tribal Governments to Exercise Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Solicitation.

 

POC for questions, Rebekah Jones, Grant Program Specialist

OVW.TribalAffairs@usdoj.gov.  

 

 

HOW DO WE BEGIN? 3 QUICK TIPS

 

• ACT NOW to be ready to apply. Confirm your registrations in SAM.gov, DUNS, Grants.gov, and JustGrants are current and accurate. If you need to update or register for any of these systems, start NOW.

• DOWNLOAD AND REVIEW the solicitation you intend to apply for. Review the OVW How to Apply webpage including the pre-application webinars under the Program-Specific Resources. If you have questions, reach out to the OVW Point of Contact ASAP.

• PLAN to be successful. Sketch out your timeline for developing and submitting your proposal focusing your time and effort where it counts most and on the required documents.  

If you have any questions, please contact Rebekah Jones, Grant Program Specialist.   

St. Albans Man Sentenced to Prison for Heroin Distribution

 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Karzell Rose, 29, of St. Albans, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for distribution of heroin. 

“I commend MDENT’s relentless efforts to shut down poison peddlers throughout Kanawha County,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Our communities are safer as a result of their work.”

Rose previously pled guilty and admitted that on January 23, 2020, he sold approximately 3 grams of heroin to a confidential informant at his residence in St. Albans. On January 28, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at that residence and located an additional amount of heroin, digital scales and two guns. Rose admitted that he intended to distribute the heroin. 

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica Coleman is 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. 2:20-cr-00082.

Lexington Man Sentenced to 36 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Multiple Victims

 Defendant was convicted of multiple counts of sex and drug trafficking, several firearm offenses and other offenses, including witness tampering

LEXINGTON—Prince Bixler, 41, of Lexington, Kentucky, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Wier to 36 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $333,100 in restitution to three sex trafficking victims.

In September 2020, a federal jury convicted Bixler of 15 federal felonies related to his extensive and violent sex and drug trafficking operation that forced young, drug-addicted women to prostitute and sell crack cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines throughout the Lexington area. Specifically, the jury convicted Bixler of three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, two counts of tampering with a witness, victim or an informant, one count of operating an unlawful prostitution business enterprise, six counts of distributing controlled substances including crack cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, and three counts of being a felon in possession with a firearm.

“Prince Bixler cruelly used violence to create a climate of fear to coerce his victims, while at the same time he increased their dependence on him by exploiting and furthering their serious drug addictions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pam Karlan. “Human trafficking shatters the lives of those it impacts, leaving lasting physical and mental scars. There can be no place in our society for this conduct and I hope that today’s sentence brings some measure of justice to the victims while it also prevents Prince Bixler from harming others in the future.”

“Prince Bixler preyed on vulnerable women, to operate a prostitution enterprise and sell illegal drugs in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shier. “His conduct caused enduring physical and emotional damage to these women, and further spread the devastation of highly addictive and dangerous drugs. We will continue to do our part in identifying, prosecuting, and punishing those who engage in human trafficking. The despicable conduct in this case justifies those efforts, and certainly warrants the punishment the Court has imposed.” 

“Mr. Bixler was simply a predator in our community. This sentencing is a success in the fight against those who exploit the vulnerable and illustrates our dedication to bring these criminals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge James “Robert” Brown, Jr., FBI Louisville. “We are also grateful to our law enforcement partners, especially the ATF, the Lexington Police Department, Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and the Eastern District of Kentucky’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, for their unwavering efforts not only in this investigation, but in our continued fight to disrupt and dismantle human trafficking networks throughout the region.”

“Prince Bixler exploited women with physical violence and drugs while peddling illicit, and deadly narcotics throughout the Lexington community,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Field Division. “Frequently these felons use firearms to further their violent, criminal activities. ATF is committed to investigating and arresting these felons and finding justice for their known and unknown victims.”

Evidence presented at trial, including the testimony of three victims, established that defendant Prince Bixler compelled three victims into prostitution between 2013 and March 2018 by physically assaulting them and others to create a climate of fear and intimidation. He exploited their dependence on crack cocaine or heroin, using it to worsen their addictions and to keep them around him. The defendant also sold crack cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine throughout the Lexington area to numerous customers. When the Lexington Police Department executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in March 2018, they recovered numerous firearms. The defendant, a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing these and other firearms.

As the investigation into the defendant’s illegal conduct continued throughout 2018 into 2019, he became aware that multiple potential witnesses were subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury in Lexington. The defendant threatened one witness with physical violence in an attempt to dissuade her from testifying truthfully before the grand jury. The defendant also repeatedly called and harassed another witness on the eve of her scheduled grand jury appearance in an attempt to prevent her from testifying truthfully before the grand jury.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pam Karlan for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; R. Shawn Marrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. This case was investigated by the Lexington FBI office, the Lexington ATF office, and the Lexington Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hydee Hawkins for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Special Litigation Counsel Matthew Grady for the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

KC Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearm Following High-Speed Police Chase

 KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing methamphetamine and a firearm.

Michael Allen Dicks, Jr., 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Tuesday, Feb. 23, to one count of possessing methamphetamine to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

According to his plea agreement, a Platte County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a Nissan Altima driven by Dicks on March 16, 2020, after Dicks failed to stop at a red light at the intersection of N.W. Cookingham and N. Ambassador in Kansas City, Mo. Dicks failed to stop, and during the ensuing vehicle pursuit the Altima reached speeds of 130 miles per hour. Dicks also drove the wrong way on 152 Highway in an attempt to elude law enforcement. During the pursuit, the Altima crashed in the area of N.W. 92nd Terrace and N.W. Old Tiffany Springs Parkway. Due to his injuries from the crash, Dicks was taken to a local hospital by ambulance.

Inside Dick’s vehicle, deputies found a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic handgun and four bags that contained a total of 462.7 grams (more than one pound) of pure methamphetamine.

Under federal statutes, Dicks is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the DEA and the Platte County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Taney County Couple Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Merriam Village, Missouri, couple has been indicted by a federal grand jury for producing child pornography.

Mark John Millman, 36, a citizen of Great Britain and a legal alien resident, and his wife, Tara Sau Millman, 41, were charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, Feb. 23. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Mark and Tara Millman on January 29, 2021. The Millmans have been in federal custody since their arrest, and remain detained without bail.

The federal indictment charges the Millmans together in one count of using a minor to produce child pornography and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, the investigation began when agents with Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, California, began investigating users of a cloud storage platform (identified in court documents as “Cloud Platform A”). The cloud platform provides encrypted, cloud-based services that enable private, secure online storage, communication, and collaboration for business and individuals. During the investigation, the agents accessed a weblink to an encrypted chat room with approximately 145 registered users. Files containing child pornography were uploaded/posted by participants in the chat room, the affidavit says, including Mark Millman.

A search warrant was executed at the Millmans’ residence in Taney County, Mo., on January 28, 2021. According to the affidavit, images and videos of child pornography were found on both Mark and Tara Millman’s cell phones. Among those photos, the affidavit says, were images of the Millmans’ sexual abuse of child victims.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

Jacksonville Man Sentenced To More Than Eight Years In Federal Prison For Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Images Using The Kik Social Media App

 Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Earl Frederic Owens (33, Jacksonville) to eight years and nine  months in federal prison for distributing child sex abuse images using the Kik social media application. Owens was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and pay $3,000 in restitution to a child victim. Owens has been in custody since his arrest on November 19, 2019.

Owens had pleaded guilty on November 17, 2020. 

According to evidence and court documents, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crimes Center received a report from Kik, a social messaging app, that several different user accounts had uploaded images depicting the sexual exploitation of children using the Kik app. Further investigation revealed that these materials were distributed online from an apartment in Jacksonville, where Owens lived.

On November 19, 2019, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Owens’s apartment. During an interview with agents, Owens admitted that he uses the Kik app to chat with strangers about his “urges,” he has an interest in “pedophilia,” and that he traded child sex abuse materials with others online using the Kik app. A forensic examination of Owens’s computer devices revealed that Owens had collected at least 2,149 images and 23 videos depicting young children being sexually abused. Online chat conversations were recovered from Owens’s smart phone showing that he had offered to pay an individual for nude pictures of underage girls. Several stories authored by Owens were recovered in which he had described, in graphic detail, the sexual assault and molestation of young children.   

“The exploitation of innocent children has no place in our communities and we will vigorously pursue prosecution of anyone involved in the production, distribution, or possession of child pornography to the fullest extent of the law,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This case highlights how important the law enforcement partnerships between HSI Jacksonville, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office are in order to protect our children.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Parma Heights man charged with selling fentanyl that led to fatal overdose

A Parma Heights man has been charged in federal court for selling fentanyl to a Middleburgh Heights man that resulted in a fatal overdose. Marcus L. Sanders, age 23, of Parma Heights, was charged in a superseding five-count indictment with distribution of fentanyl, with a sentencing enhancement alleging the sale resulted in death; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute heroin fentanyl, N-butyl Pentylone, and cocaine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on May 3^rd, 2020, Middleburg Heights Police responded to a call for a suspected overdose at a residence. Upon arrival, the male overdose victim was treated with Narcan and transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Law enforcement searched the victim’s phone and reviewed a series of text messages between the victim and a reoccurring number, later alleged to be the defendant. After reviewing the messages, law enforcement determined that on May 2^nd and May 3^rd, the victim and the defendant allegedly arranged a drug transaction for narcotics.

On May 18^th, law enforcement investigators sent a message to the defendant from the victim’s phone, arranging for the purported purchase of narcotics. Investigators conducted surveillance of the defendant’s residence and observed as he traveled to the victim’s home to complete the transaction. Upon arrival at the victim’s address, the defendant was arrested and searched. The defendant allegedly had in his possession fentanyl, heroin, N-butyl Pentylone, cocaine and marijuana.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Middleburg Heights Police Department and the DEA. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Lewis.        

Hartford Man Admits Sexually Assaulting Young Girl, Producing Child Pornography

 John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RONALD DANIEL, 51, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley to one count of production of child pornography stemming from his sexual assault of a young girl.

Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding occurred via videoconference.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on at least two occasions in 2018, Daniel sexually abused a prepubescent female and took cellphone photos of his sexual abuse.  He also distributed some of these images, as well as other images and videos of child pornography, through the Kik mobile application.  Daniel’s Kik username was “letsgogetluv.”

Daniel has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on June 10, 2019.

Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for May 24, 2021, at which time Daniel faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.

This matter has been investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Connecticut State Police and the Vernon Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.