Bay St. Louis Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

Gulfport, Miss – Rico Laneaux, 38, of Bay St. Louis, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to serve 96 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  Judge Guirola also ordered Laneaux to pay a $15,000 fine. 

On February 8, 2018, Bay St. Louis Police Department officers and DEA agents responded to the Hollywood Casino Hotel in Bay St. Louis regarding a narcotics complaint.  A casino staff member located a large amount of suspected methamphetamine in the safe of a hotel room rented by Laneaux.  Laneaux was held by casino security in the lobby of the casino prior to the arrival of law enforcement officers, but he fled from security and left the property before officers arrived.  The suspected methamphetamine and a scale were found in Laneaux’s hotel room safe.  The DEA crime lab determined that the methamphetamine weighed 26.78 grams and was 95% pure.   

Laneaux pled guilty before Judge Guirola on September 3, 2019.

The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.

Father And Son Sentenced To Federal Prison For Drug Dealing

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Christopher Gloster, Sr. (57, Fort Myers), aka “OG,” to seven years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine. Gloster’s son, Christopher Gloster, Jr. (30, Fort Myers), aka “Jitt,” was sentenced to five years in federal prison earlier this year for the same offense.

According to court documents, in April 2019, the Glosters approached a woman with a plan to establish a residence in Lee County from which she could use to sell their crack cocaine. Gloster, Jr. advised the woman on suitable locations and how to run the “trap house.” Over the course of the next month, the father-and-son team supplied the woman with approximately $7,000 in crack cocaine, often meeting her in busy parking lots, where they also gave her pointers on generating more business and avoiding law enforcement. The plan collapsed within a month.

Gloster, Sr. was arrested on May 15, 2019, during a search of his apartment. His son quickly confessed. In total, law enforcement seized nearly one pound of the duo’s drugs.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.

Acting U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest Of 65-Year-Old Pastor For Receipt Of Child Pornography

Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the arrest today of FRANCIS HUGHES.  HUGHES, 65, a pastor at a religious institution in Queens, New York, is charged with receiving images of child pornography via text from a 15-year-old minor in Westchester, New York, with whom Hughes was engaging in sexually explicit text communications.  HUGHES was arrested this morning and will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith in White Plains federal court.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “The allegations against Francis Hughes are chilling and frightening to any parent.  A person who, by the nature of his profession, is presumed to be trustworthy allegedly victimized a child.  Thanks to the FBI, Hughes now faces a serious federal charge.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “We expect adults, especially those in positions of trust like Francis Hughes, to protect our children, not victimize them.  Sadly, these allegations demonstrate there are still predators out there who abuse this trust.  If you or anyone you know may have been a victim of Rev. Hughes, we are asking you contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI.  If you are a parent or guardian, please take a moment to have a discussion with your children about protecting themselves and about how they can report the type of predatory behavior that is alleged here today.”

According to the Complaint[1] filed today in White Plains federal court:

On February 16, 2020, HUGHES communicated by text messages with a 15-year-old boy (“Minor-1”).  During the course of the text communications, among other things, Minor-1 sent HUGHES three images of Minor-1’s penis.  Upon receiving one of the images, HUGHES responded, among other things, “Yummmmm I will suck you so much” and “Make you cum.”  During the communications, HUGHES told Minor-1 that he was a part-time college professor and a counselor.

There may be more victims of this alleged conduct.  If you have information to report, contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI.           

*                       *                      *

HUGHES, 65, of Glendale, New York, is charged with one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the efforts of the FBI and its Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, and thanked the Greenburgh Police Department for its assistance.  She added that the investigation is ongoing.                     

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.  

The charge in the Complaint is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

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[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Eight Indicted for Criminal Activity During May 30, 2020 Pittsburgh Protest

PITTSBURGH – Eight Pittsburgh-area residents have been charged in six separate indictments for criminal activity perpetuated during a civil disorder in the City of Pittsburgh, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today. The alleged criminal acts occurred while Pittsburgh Police officers were engaged in responding to the violent demonstration in downtown Pittsburgh on May 30, 2020 at the same time that many other citizens were lawfully protesting over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The indictments were returned under seal on July 22, 2020, and the final two indictments were unsealed today.

"Throwing IEDs and bricks at police officers, throwing projectiles at and striking police horses, and setting police cruisers on fire are not the protected First Amendment activities of a peaceful protest; they are criminal acts that violate federal law," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "We will continue to identify and prosecute these agitators, whose acts of violence hijacked a lawful protest and undermined a message of equality with one of destruction."

"The actions of the accused were uncalled for and prevented law enforcement officers from carrying out their duties to protect and serve our community," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. "The FBI respects the rights of people to peacefully exercise their First Amendment freedoms but will not stand by and let those with a violent agenda take over peaceful protests. We, alongside the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, worked around the clock to uncover the faces behind the destruction and obstruction of law enforcement. We are not done. We continue to use all of our investigative resources to find each person who chose to start a violent confrontation."

"The defendants in this case posed as protesters to hijack otherwise peaceful demonstrations," said John Schmidt, acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives’ Philadelphia Field Division. "ATF supports every citizens’ constitutional right to peaceably protest, and we are committed to rooting out those who use the current situation for their own nefarious intentions. Rest assured we will continue to work with our local and state partners to investigate violent acts committed during these unprecedented times until the criminal offenders are brought to justice."

"I would like to thank our law enforcement partners with FBI Pittsburgh, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, plus the Damage Assessment and Accountability Taskforce for continuing to seek justice in these matters. The lawlessness we saw on May 30 cannot be tolerated. We appreciate the support to hold accountable those who committed violent acts in the City of Pittsburgh," Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said.

"The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is committed to serving every resident, every visitor, and every person who works in the city of Pittsburgh. We have a track record of assuring the public’s First Amendment rights, and we will continue to protect those rights. But when protests turn violent, we have an obligation to protect everyone—including business owners, peaceful protesters, and law enforcement officers who are attacked for simply doing their jobs," Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert said.

The first indictment charges George Allen, 31, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with one count of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. According to the Indictment, on or about May 30, 2020, Allen knowingly and willfully caused damage to a police officer’s police vehicle by throwing a projectile through the front passenger window of the vehicle, causing the obstruction, impediment and interference of law enforcement officers engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties.

A second indictment charges Nicholas Lucia, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with one count of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. According to the Indictment, on or about May 30, 2020, Lucia knowingly and willfully threw an object at uniformed police officers that appeared to be an explosive device, which landed on an officer’s vest, was quickly pulled off by another officer, and thereafter exploded when it hit the ground, causing the obstruction, impediment and interference of law enforcement officers engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties.

A third indictment charges Andrew Augustyniak-Duncan, 25, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, with one count of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. According to the Indictment, on or about May 30, 2020, Augustyniak-Duncan knowingly and willfully threw projectiles at several police officers, causing the obstruction, impediment and interference of law enforcement officers engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties.

A fourth indictment charges Raekwon Dac Blankenship, 24, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. According to the Indictment, on or about May 30, 2020, Blankenship knowingly and willfully caused damage to a police officer’s unmarked police vehicle by hitting, kicking and stomping on various parts of that vehicle, knowingly and willfully caused damage to a police officer’s marked vehicle by throwing a projectile into the windshield, and poked and struck multiple police horses, causing the obstruction, impediment and interference of law enforcement officers engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties

The grand jury also returned a two-count indictment charging Devin Montgomery, 24, and Brandon Benson, 29, each of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with malicious destruction or damage by fire of a vehicle of an organization receiving federal financial assistance and bank burglary. According to the Indictment, on May 30, 2020, Devin Montgomery maliciously damaged and destroyed by fire a police vehicle leased and possessed by the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. The indictment further alleges that on May 30, 2020, Devin Montgomery and Brandon Benson entered and attempted to enter the Dollar Bank, located at 537 Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh, with the intent to take property, money or thing of value. The bank’s deposits were then insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Finally, the grand jury returned a four-count indictment that named Da’Jon Lengyel, 22, of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and Christopher West, 35, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as defendants. Counts one and two of the indictment allege that on or about May 30, 2020, Da'Jon Lengyel and Chrisopher West knowingly conspired to and did maliciously damage and destroy by fire a police vehicle leased and possessed by the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, an organization receiving federal financial assistance. In addition, Counts three and four of the indictment allege that on May 30, 2020, Lengyel and West, respectively, knowingly and willfully caused damage to a police officer’s vehicle by hitting, kicking and stomping on various parts of the vehicle and by joining others to destroy the vehicle by fire. The indictment alleges this conduct resulted in the obstruction, impediment and interference of a law enforcement officer engaged in the lawful performance of his official duties.

For Allen, Lucia, Duncan and Blankenship, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. For Montgomery, the law provides for a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 25 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. For Benson, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. For Lengyel and West the law provides for a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 30 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant(s).

U.S. Attorney Brady credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to these indictments.

Assistant United States Attorneys Shaun E. Sweeney and Jonathan D. Lusty are prosecuting these cases for the government.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Marquez Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Methamphetamine With Intent To Distribute, Agrees To 120-Month Sentence

SALT LAKE CITY – Roberto Manuel Marquez, 43, of Tooele, pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City.

Marquez, a Sureno gang member, was a fugitive from state parole when he was arrested Oct. 10, 2018, during a fugitive operation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service’s Violent Fugitive Apprehension Team (VFAST) in the Salt Lake Valley.  The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole had issued a warrant for Marquez after he removed a GPS ankle monitor and failed to report.  The Tooele County Sheriff’s Office was also looking to talk to Marquez about a drive-by shooting in Middle Canyon in Tooele County on Oct. 3, 2018.

Task force officers developed information on Marquez’s location.  Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop in West Valley City, but the driver of the car fled at a high rate of speed and then attempted a U turn. After law enforcement officers tried to block the vehicle, the car hit two task force cars and came to a stop. 

Marquez, who was in the passenger seat, was non-complaint, tased, and removed from the vehicle. After his arrest, officers found a key in his pocket that fit a gray lock box in the vehicle.  They found meth, heroin, plastic baggies, drug paraphernalia and $3,269 in the box.

As a part of the plea agreement, Marquez admitted he possessed 346 grams of methamphetamine and $3,269.  He agreed he was planning to distribute the methamphetamine to other people.

The plea agreement includes a stipulated sentence of 120 months in federal prison, subject to the approval of the Court. As a part of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors have agreed to dismiss a second count in the indictment, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, at sentencing.

While federal prosecutors cannot bind the State of Utah or Tooele County, parties to the federal plea agreement understand that the Tooele County Attorney’s Office will dismiss its pending case charging Marquez with discharge of a firearm during the drive-by shooting in Tooele after sentencing in the federal case.

There is no parole in the federal criminal justice system, so if the stipulated sentence is approved by the court, Marquez will serve 10 years in federal prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City are prosecuting the case.  Special agents and task force officers with the U.S. Marshals Service’s VFAST and the DEA are investigating the case.

Luzerne County Women Sentenced For Fentanyl Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 24, 2020, Chyvonne Traver, age 28, and Kayla Clark, age 29, both of Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for fentanyl trafficking and firearms offenses.  Judge Mariani sentenced Traver to 36 months’ imprisonment and a four-year term of supervised release, and sentenced Clark to 60 months’ imprisonment and a four-year term of supervised release.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Traver and Clark were convicted of conspiring to distribute between 100 and 300 grams of a fentanyl mixed with acetyl fentanyl, which is equivalent to approximately 50,000 to 150,000 potentially lethal individual doses of fentanyl, in June and July 2018. Traver also was convicted of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and Clark also was convicted of possessing a stolen firearm.  Judge Mariani ordered the forfeiture of the firearm seized during the investigation.

A codefendant, Jhaquil Moore, previously was convicted of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, and was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and a four-year term of supervised release.  Another individual, Corey Foster, was charged in a separate indictment with trafficking fentanyl.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Luzerne Country Drug Task Force, and the Kingston Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

This case was 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.

This case was also 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.

This case further was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

Nineteen indicted in cartel-connected drug trafficking conspiracy

Organization tied to CJNG cartel smuggled and distributed meth and heroin

Seattle - Fifteen people were arrested today throughout the Puget Sound region and in California following an 18-month investigation of a drug trafficking organization tied to the CJNG cartel in Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran.  The defendants arrested today made their initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

“This cartel is known as a violent and prolific drug trafficking group.  I commend the DEA-led task force for taking a bite out of its drug distribution and money laundering networks,” said U.S. Attorney Brian Moran.  “Over the course of this investigation law enforcement seized more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine and ten pounds of heroin, and agents and officers continued their work despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

 “The South Sound Streets are safer today with the removal of this violent criminal ring that pushed heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis.  “Without question the critical partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies made today’s effort possible and ultimately benefits the public’s safety.”

“The results of this operation are a clear example of what can be achieved through HSI’s partnership with state, local and federal law enforcement agencies,” said Eben Roberts, acting special agent in charge HSI Seattle.”  I commend all of the agents, officers and analysts involved in this operation. Their dedication resulted in the removal of massive amounts of narcotics from our community, the disruption of an extremely dangerous supply chain and undoubtedly saved numerous lives.”

The indictment charges conspiracy, possession, attempted possession and distribution of methamphetamine and heroin, as well as a money laundering conspiracy.  These are the nineteen defendants named in the grand jury indictment:

Alan GOMEZ MARENTES; 35, Los Angeles, California, and Tukwila, Washington

Juan Antonio GONZALEZ CARRILLO; 31, Gardena, California

Luis MAGANA RAMIREZ; 32, Fife, Washington

Jose Elias BARBOSA CEBALLOS; 35,  Port Orchard, Washington

Jose Daniel ESPINOZA; 33,  Renton, Washington

Estefhany COREA MENDOZA; 27,  Burien, Washington

Adrian IZAZAGA MARTINEZ; 29, Kent, Washington

Jorge MONDRAGON; 24, Kent, Washington

Benjamin FUENTES; 28, Renton, Washington

Luis ZAVALZA SANCHEZ; 31, Seattle, Washington

Alysha Marie JONES; 27, Shelton, Washington

Armando FIERRO PONCE; 26, Renton, Washington

Amanda MEYER; 35, Kent, Washington

Michael WOOD; 45, Port Orchard, Washington

Luis CASTILLO BARRAGAN; 32, Kent, Washington

Efrain LUNA RODRIGUEZ; 21, Maywood, California

Julian PINEDA CASILLAS; 33, Victorville, California

Blanca MEDINA; 36, Los Angeles, California, and Tukwila, Washington

Ruth GOMEZ MARENTES; 34, Kent, Washington

In all, fifteen search warrants were served in the Puget Sound region, and four were served today in California.  Today alone, agents seized: twenty pounds of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, 200 fentanyl pills, nine firearms, and more than $250,000 in cash.  Previously, during the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 100 pounds of meth, various quantities of cocaine, heroin, 1500 fentanyl pills, and six firearms.

This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Thurston County Narcotics Team (TNT), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  In addition, to the agencies listed above, these law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation and/or with arrests and search warrants executed today:  DEA Seattle Special Response Team, Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team, Valley SWAT, Pierce County SWAT, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, Bremerton Special Operations Group, King County SWAT, King County Sheriff’s Office Metro, Burien Police Department, Auburn Special Investigations Unit, FBI Seattle, FBI SWAT,  FBI Portland Tactical and TNET, which is comprised of Tacoma, Lakewood, Auburn, Kent, Bonney Lake and Puyallup Police Departments, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Department of Corrections.  The investigation was supported by the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and Marci Ellsworth.

Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy rooted in Mexico, spanning the continental United States, and settling in Hampton.

According to court documents, Donald Lee Southerland, 49, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, cocaine base and fentanyl. Over the course of approximately three to four years, Southerland is conservatively attributed with hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars in drug proceeds as well as over 63 kilograms of heroin and more than 43 kilograms of marijuana among other significant quantities of illicit substances. Southerland’s biggest heroin customer lived in Hampton.

The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Cookout. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 28 HIDTAs, which include approximately 18 percent of all counties in the United States and 66 percent of the U.S. population.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C.; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division; Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney Anton A. Bell made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Cross and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Hudson and Peter Osyf are prosecuting this 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. 4:19-cr-47.

Two Men Charged in Violent Kidnapping

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two men were charged in federal court today for kidnapping a woman who was rescued from her attackers at a Neosho, Missouri, hotel room.

Freddie Lewis Tilton, 47, of Joplin, Missouri, and Alvin Dale Boyer, 35, of Rogers, Arkansas, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo. Tilton was arrested at a Joplin residence today. He was taken into custody after shooting at Newton County Sheriff’s deputies who were executing a state search warrant in an unrelated case. Officers responded with tear gas and there were no injuries. 

Tilton has an initial court appearance on Wednesday, July 29. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. Boyer remains a fugitive.

Today’s federal criminal complaint alleges that Tilton and Boyer kidnapped the victim, identified in court documents as “S.T.,” on July 19, 2020.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, an employee at Boonslick Lodge in Neosho, Missouri, called police at approximately 11:50 p.m. on July 19, 2020, to report that a woman was being choked and dragged into a room. A police officer knocked on the door of the room, and S.T., bloody and injured, opened the door and ran out of the room. Tilton had climbed out the back window and escaped.

S.T. told investigators she had arrived at the hotel to meet Boyer (who had rented the room) but found Tilton waiting for her. S.T. had separated from Tilton and had an order of protection against him. When she found Tilton in the room, she said, she tried to leave but was dragged back in by Tilton. She had a Walther 9mm handgun in her waistband but lost it during the struggle. Tilton picked up the handgun and used it to strike her. At one point, S.T. made it to the door but was dragged back inside by Tilton. Tilton had the handgun with him when he climbed out the hotel room window. Tilton attempted to climb down a vertical rain gutter, the affidavit says, but fell to the ground as the guttering broke then ran away.

Officers searched the hotel room and found numerous indications that a violent, physical struggle
had taken place inside the room, according to the affidavit, in addition to blood on the room floor and door. Inside the hotel room, officers found a chair with rope and zip ties attached, more nylon rope and zip ties, duct tape, a pair of pliers, a blowtorch and lighter fluid, drop cloths, a Taurus 9mm handgun, and a Kimber .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle.

S.T. was transported to a hospital for treatment of her injuries.

The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge 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 the FBI, the Neosho, Mo., Police Department, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

19+ Year Prison Sentence For Florida Fugitive Caught Transporting Meth In Georgia

MACON, Ga. – A fugitive wanted for trafficking methamphetamine in Florida was sentenced to 235 months in prison today after he was caught by Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers transporting nearly three kilos of methamphetamine on I-75, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell sentenced Jeremy Taylor, 29, of Cottondale, Florida, to 235 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.

Taylor was pulled over by a GSP trooper on February 19, 2019, while driving on I-75 in Dooly County, Vienna, Georgia. Taylor presented a false identification at first, then later gave troopers his true name. Troopers discovered Taylor had warrants out for his arrest for trafficking methamphetamine from Bay County, Panama City, Florida, and a failure to appear on aggravated assault from Holmes County, Bonifay, Florida. During a legal search of the vehicle, troopers confiscated three shoeboxes containing three bags of methamphetamine, for a total of 2,435.85 grams after taking into account the purity.

“Methamphetamine suppliers who attempt to use Georgia as a supply line for trafficking drugs will be punished. We will fight the destructive distribution of narcotics and seek the maximum penalties for criminal drug dealers caught in the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to thank GSP and the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office for their work investigating the case, as well as GBI and DEA for their continued daily cooperation helping us bring drug traffickers to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office, GSP, GBI and DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ouzts prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.

Fairmont man admits to child pornography charge

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Keener, of Fairmont, West Virginia, has admitted to a child pornography charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
 
Keener, age 47, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Child Pornography.” Keener admitted to having child pornography in March 2019 in Marion County.

Keener faces not less than ten years and up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.

Gary Man Sentenced To 120 Months In Prison

Transportation of Minor with Intent to Engage In Criminal Sexual Activity

HAMMOND-Kristopher Meacham, 29, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Theresa L. Springmann following his plea of guilty to transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.    

Meacham was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victim of his offense.

According to documents in the case, Mr. Meacham met a 14 year-old girl from Chicago in January 2018 in Gary, Indiana.  The two communicated over social media, and during the communications Meacham told the girl he was 19 years old and arranged to meet her.  In March of 2018, he drove to Chicago, picked up the 14 year-old and drove her to his home in Gary where he engaged in sexual acts with the child until she escaped the following day and was recovered by police.

This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Northern District of Indiana Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill R. Koster.

West Carrolton man sentenced to 16 years in prison for receiving images of sexual abuse of children

DAYTON – Robert L. Hudson, 36, of West Carrolton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 192 months in prison for receiving child pornography.

According to court documents, Hudson used a Kik messenger account to receive and distribute child pornography files from others.

Hudson also used the online account to communicate with other users about child sexual exploitation.

In one such conversation, Hudson stated he had viewed child pornography with babies as young as six months old. Hudson also indicated in the conversation that he had engaged in sexual activities with a 12-year-old boy.

Hudson and the other user discussed options for finding and abusing young boys, including ways to “lure them in.”

Hudson was charged by criminal complaint in March 2019 and pleaded guilty in February 2020.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Laura Clemmens is representing the United States in this case.

South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Relating to a String of Armed Carjacking Offenses

Fired Shots at Vehicles During Attempted Carjackings; Defendant Expected to Be Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison

Baltimore, Maryland – Quention Price, age 27, of Columbia, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today to two federal carjacking charges; to discharging a weapon during a crime of violence; and to using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with a carjacking and attempted carjacking committed on June 15, 2019, in the Inner Harbor area of downtown Baltimore.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get guns out of the hands of violent criminals and off of our streets.  If you use a gun, you could face federal time, where there is no parole—ever.  Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”

According to his guilty plea, on the evening of June 15, 2019, Price stood in the middle of the street in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor region in front of a Honda Civic, forcing the vehicle to stop.  Price approached the driver’s side door, telling the driver to “open the door” while pulling on the door handle.  When the driver refused, Price became frustrated, walked to the front of the car, pulled out a handgun, and discharged two bullets in an attempt to take the vehicle.  One of the bullets went through the front windshield of the car and lodged in the empty front passenger seat.  The driver and his backseat passenger were able to get away in the car, successfully avoiding Price, who fled the scene.

As detailed in his plea agreement, while fleeing from the first carjacking, Price fired his weapon at a passing Subaru Outback station wagon.  The bullet went through the hood of the vehicle, just below the front windshield.  Price was then captured on surveillance video walking into the middle of Light Street where he approached multiple cars and brandished his gun while pulling on the car door handles.  At approximately 11:00 p.m. Price approached a BMW 325i, climbed onto the hood of the vehicle and began striking the windshield with his gun, cracking the glass and punching a hole, all while screaming at the driver to “get out of the car.”  Price then walked to the driver’s side, struck the driver in the face with the butt of his pistol through an open window, and pulled the victim out of the vehicle by her hair.  After the driver and passenger had exited the car, Price drove the BMW northbound on Light Street towards the Inner Harbor, crashing the car a few blocks away.  As a Baltimore Police officer responded, Price fell out of the car and moved toward the trunk, where he was immediately arrested.  Officers recovered the gun, a .357 revolver, from behind the BMW, where Price was found when police arrived on the scene.  The gun matched the description provided by the driver of the BMW and contained three spent shell casings in the cylinder, indicating that it had been fired three times.  The driver and passenger of the BMW were brought to the scene and identified Price as the carjacker.  Price was also subsequently heard on recorded jail calls admitting to carjacking vehicles and to firing his gun at the vehicles and their passengers.

Price and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Price will be sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for September 24, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Goldsticker, who is prosecuting the case.

Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Meth Trafficking

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on July 27, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Benjamin Big Eagle, a/k/a Benji Big Eagle, age 33, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $500 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Big Eagle was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2018.  He pled guilty on April 24, 2020.

The conviction stemmed from his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that started in 2012 and continued through 2017.  Big Eagle sold small amounts of methamphetamine on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations in South Dakota. 

This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.

Big Eagle was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Execution Rescheduled for Federal Inmate Convicted of Brutally Murdering a Grandmother and her Nine-Year-Old Granddaughter

Attorney General William P. Barr today directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to reschedule the execution of Lezmond Mitchell, a federal death-row inmate who was convicted more than 17 years ago of the brutal murders of a grandmother and her nine-year-old granddaughter.  The execution, initially scheduled for last December, is now scheduled to occur on August 26, 2020, at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.

In October 2001, Mitchell murdered Alyce Slim, a 63-year-old grandmother, and her nine-year-old granddaughter as part of a carjacking in Arizona.  After getting a ride from Slim in her pickup truck, Mitchell and an accomplice stabbed her 33 times and threw her body into the backseat beside her granddaughter.  Mitchell then drove the truck 30-40 miles into the mountains, ordered the girl “to lay down and die,” slit her throat twice, and crushed her head with rocks.  Mitchell and his accomplice proceeded to sever the heads and hands of the victims’ bodies and burn their clothes.  Mitchell later confessed to the murders.  In May 2003, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona found him guilty of numerous federal crimes — including first-degree murder, felony murder, and carjacking resulting in death — and he was sentenced to death.  His convictions and sentence were affirmed on appeal, and his claims for collateral relief were denied by every court that considered them.

Mitchell’s execution was initially scheduled for December 2019, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit entered a stay of execution while it resolved an additional appeal by Mitchell.  The court of appeals unanimously rejected Mitchell’s claim in April 2020 and denied his request for full-court rehearing earlier this month.  When the Ninth Circuit stay formally concludes, no legal impediments will bar the execution, and it can occur without further delay.

Operation Legend Expanded to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee

Today, the expansion of Operation Legend was announced in Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee. Operation Legend is a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The Operation was first launched on July 8 in Kansas City, Missouri, and expanded on July 22, 2020, to Chicago and Albuquerque.

Operation Legend is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The first federal arrest under Operation Legend was announced on July 20.

“The most basic responsibility of government is to protect the safety of our citizens,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Today, we have extended Operation Legend to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee, three cities that have seen disturbing increases in violent crime, particularly homicides. For decades, the Department of Justice has achieved significant success when utilizing our anti-violent crime task forces and federal law enforcement agents to enforce federal law and assist American cities that are experiencing upticks in violent crime. The Department of Justice’s assets will supplement local law enforcement efforts, as we work together to take the shooters and chronic violent criminals off of our streets.”

As part of Operation Legend, Attorney General Barr directed the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, and ATF to significantly increase resources into Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee in the coming weeks to help state and local officials fight high levels of violent crime, particularly gun violence. Cleveland is currently experiencing a significant increase in violent crime, with homicides currently up more than 13 percent and shootings up over 35 percent over 2019. Similarly, homicides are up in Detroit nearly 31 percent and shootings resulting in wounds are up over 53 percent. In Milwaukee, homicides are up 85 percent this year, and non-fatal shootings are up 64 percent.  

In Cleveland, the Department of Justice will supplement state and local law enforcement agencies by sending more than 25 federal investigators from the FBI, DEA, and ATF to the city. Under the leadership of Justin Herdman, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, these investigators will complement the work already underway by existing joint federal, state and local task forces focused on combating violent gangs, gun crime, and drug trafficking organizations.  

The Bureau of Justice Assistance will make available $1 million to support Operation Legend’s violent crime reduction efforts in Cleveland, and the COPS Office has also made almost $10 million available to the Cleveland Police Department to fund the hiring of 30 officers, five Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, and four Adult Parole Authority officers.

In Detroit, the Department of Justice will supplement state and local law enforcement agencies by sending approximately 42 federal agents from the FBI, DEA, and ATF to the city. An additional 10 Detroit ATF agents have been reassigned to work on violent gun crimes. Under the leadership of Matthew Schneider, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, these federal agents will work cooperatively with the Detroit Police Department to combat gun and gang violence, as they have been doing since December 2019. These additional resources include 11 new and permanent ATF Special Agents and five new and permanent FBI Special Agents who will focus on violent crime in the City of Detroit.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance will make available $1.4 million to support Operation Legend’s violent crime reduction efforts in Detroit, and the COPS Office has also made $2.4 million available to the Detroit Police Department to fund the hiring of 15 officers.

In Milwaukee, the Department of Justice will supplement state and local law enforcement agencies by sending more than 25 federal investigators from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service to the city. Under the leadership of Matthew Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, these investigators will complement the work already underway by existing joint federal, state and local task forces focused on combatting violent crime, including offenses involving firearms and violent drug trafficking organizations. 10 of those federal investigators are assigned to work in Milwaukee temporarily to provide immediate assistance, and the others will be assigned over the coming year to Milwaukee permanently to provide long-term assistance. 

The Bureau of Justice Assistance will make available $1.9 million in funding to support Operation Legend’s violent crime reduction efforts in Milwaukee, and the COPS Office has also made $10.2 million available to the Police Departments of Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, and Cudahy to fund the hiring of 29 officers. 

The Department has also provided assistance through the Joint Law Enforcement Operations (JLEO) fund to assist reimbursement of local law enforcement serving as federal task force officers with FBI, ATF, DEA, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Each city will receive $100,000 from ATF to help local agencies defray costs associated with installing or maintaining shot detection technology.

Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced To 60 Years For Sexually Exploiting Children

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Todd Joseph Simmerman (30, Titusville) to 60 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting two minors and committing the offenses while required to register as a sex offender. The court also ordered Simmerman to forfeit the electronic device he had used to commit the offenses.

Simmerman had pleaded guilty on January 27, 2020.

According to court documents, in 2013, Simmerman pleaded guilty to traveling to meet a child to engage in unlawful sexual conduct, after using a computer to lure a child, in violation of Florida law. As part of his sentence, he was required to register as a sex offender. Six months after completing his state sentence, Simmerman met a 15-year-old on Snapchat and enticed the child to engage in sexual activity. The child victim introduced Simmerman to a 15-year-old friend and Simmerman also preyed upon that child. Simmerman used his cellphone to record his sexually abusive encounters with both victims, which occurred over a period of about five months, until his arrest.

“This repeated child predator will spend the rest of his natural life in prison, thanks to HSI special agents and our partners at the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “While we cannot undo the damage of his horrible crimes, we hope that this sentence helps with the healing process for his victim.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.

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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.

Schenectady Man Arrested on Drug Charges

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daniel Scotsross, age 28, of Schenectady, New York, was arrested last week and charged with attempting to possess with the intent to distribute N-dimethyltryptamine (“DMT”), a hallucinogen similar to lysergic acid diethylamide (“LSD”), announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Scotsross appeared last week before United States Magistrate Daniel J. Stewart and was released pending further proceedings. The criminal complaint alleges that on July 22, 2020, Scotsross accepted a package addressed to him at his Schenectady residence that contained what he expected to be over ten kilograms of tree-bark laced with DMT. Thereafter, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Scotsross’s Schenectady residence, seizing quantities of DMT and LSD, and substances and equipment used to manufacture and process DMT and LSD for distribution. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The charge filed against Scotsross carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of three years to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with the assistance of the Schenectady Police Department, Albany County Sheriff’s Department, and the New York State Police Crime Scene Emergency Response Team, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.

Syracuse Man Sentenced on Drug Trafficking Charges

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Troy Jackson, age 43, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 46 months in prison for his conviction for participating in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett, Sheriff Eugene Conway, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and William J. Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County District Attorney.  The defendant was also ordered to serve a period of six years supervised release following his term of incarceration, and to forfeit to the government $7,000 in proceeds from his drug trafficking activity. 

Pursuant to his plea agreement in this case, Jackson admitted that during the summer of 2018, he repeatedly acquired multiple ounces of cocaine from his co-defendant Daitwaun Fair, which he (Jackson) then redistributed to others.  This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur.

Syracuse Man Sentenced to Nearly Eight Years in RICO Gang Case

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Rashawn Wynn, age 43, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 92 months in prison for violating the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) as part of the 110 Gang, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), and Chief Kenton Buckner, City of Syracuse Police Department.

In imposing sentence, Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. also ordered Wynn to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.  As part of his guilty plea, Wynn admitted that he was a member of the 110 Gang operating in the City of Syracuse.  Wynn further admitted that he repeatedly distributed crack cocaine in 110 Gang territory during 2017 and 2018, and that he was supplied crack cocaine by other 110 Gang members.  In imposing sentence, the Court found that the 110 Gang members regularly possessed and used firearms to facilitate their drug trafficking, and that the defendant was aware of such use.

Wynn was one of 14 defendants charged in the case for violating RICO based on their membership in the 110 Gang.  The other 13 men have all pled guilty or been convicted at trial.  Co-defendant Damani Prince was sentenced in October 2019 to serve six and one-half years in prison, to be followed by three years supervised release.  The remaining defendants in the case are awaiting sentencing.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Syracuse Police Department, and the Gang Violence Task Force, which consists of members of the Syracuse Police, the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New York State Police, the New York State Department of Corrections, the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicolas Commandeur and Kristen Grabowski.

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.

Former Saratoga Race Course Worker Sentenced to 65 Months for Methamphetamine Trafficking

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Francisco Alarcon Badillo, age 29 and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on Friday to 65 months in prison for selling crystal methamphetamine while employed as a worker at the Saratoga Race Course.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, New York Division, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Saratoga Springs Police Department Chief Shane Crooks.

In pleading guilty in January, Badillo admitted that he sold crystal methamphetamine from May 2019 to August 2019, while residing at and working on the grounds of the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.  Badillo admitted to hiding the drugs in various locations within the Race Course property, including his dorm room.  He admitted to selling more than 400 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the DEA and its Capital District Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Saratoga Springs Police Department, with assistance from the New York Racing Association.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.

Seattle Times Op-Ed: Calls to defund Seattle police are alarming and reckless

July 27, 2020

Courtesy of Brian T. Moran, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington

This op-ed originally appeared in the Seattle Times on July 27, 2020.

In the exercise of a fundamental right enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution, millions of people peacefully assembled in the streets, on social media, or engaged in other avenues of discourse to articulate their horror at the killing of George Floyd. They demanded that the time for change is long past due to address how we police communities and people of color. 

In Seattle, this moment of reflection has been underway since 2011, as the Department of Justice, the city of Seattle and community stakeholders have gone about the work of ensuring that Seattleites have a police department that, among other things, tracks and reviews its uses of force, incorporates community input into its policies and practices, and ensures that police contacts with individuals are constitutional. This work has been difficult, taken years, and required monitoring to ensure that SPD stays on track and that change becomes part of its culture. But it is working. 

Many aspects of the progress of the Seattle Police Department under the consent decree, including review of force and crisis intervention, will serve as a model for other departments across the country as they navigate their own reform efforts.

Disappointingly, some city council members have seized on this moment of reflection to push their agenda to “defund the police.” While there is no clear agreement of what “defunding the police” looks like in Seattle, a majority of the city council has committed to cutting 50% from the police department’s budget. The impact of this is anyone’s guess. Will timely rape kit testing fall prey to the budget ax? Will the internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force that pursues online sex predators make the cut? Will the gun crime intelligence initiatives that use science to aid the apprehension of violent criminals make the grade? And most important, who will bear the brunt of the cuts, the poor or the privileged? Apparently, for the council members advocating these irresponsible budget cuts, we have the following assurances — trust us; details to follow.

The lack of analysis by these city leaders and the magnitude of the consequences of this decision are both alarming and reckless. It’s like the man who jumps off a tall building and is asked as he passes the 10^th floor on the way to the ground, “How’s it going?” “So far, so good,” comes the answer. But make no mistake, the impact of this decision will be rapid and devastating. 

I am not so naive or inexperienced to believe that every police officer belongs on the job. I have prosecuted some who should not wear a badge. But I have also seen the very best in these public servants — the dedication and long hours it takes to solve the rape case of a frightened child; running toward danger when every human instinct is to flee; and putting oneself between battling domestic combatants, who then turn on the officer as a common enemy. While I have seen firsthand a few bad apples, I have wept at the funerals of far more who gave their lives to protect and serve their communities.

For a number of weeks the country watched while we engaged in an experiment called the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP). We saw the human impact of Seattle’s “hands off CHOP” policy play out in deadly fashion. Two young Black men were killed; crime rose 525%, according to Mayor Jenny Durkan; and 911 calls went unheeded or responses were greatly delayed. Put simply, CHOP quickly devolved into chaos because police were absent.

These council members now want the public to believe that scaling up the disastrous CHOP experiment to an entire police department, and across an entire city, will work. If you liked what you saw in the CHOP, then you’ll love a police department that is defunded by half. Nevertheless, Seattle’s leaders should take the advice we would all give the man contemplating jumping off that tall building — don’t jump.

USSC Studies Supervision Violations

Summary

Federal Probation and Supervised Release Violations presents data on 108,000 violation hearings that occurred between 2013 and 2017.  The report examines the prevalence, types, and locations of federal supervision violations as well as the characteristics of 82,000 violators.  The report also compares supervision violators to the population of federal offenders originally sentenced to probation or a sentence including a term of supervised release during the same time period.

 

Highlights

• Nationwide, the number of individuals under federal supervision remained relatively stable during the study period; however, half were concentrated in 21 of the 94 districts.
• The rate of violation hearings also remained relatively stable nationwide; however, the prevalence of violations varied considerably among the districts.
• Individuals who violated their conditions of supervision typically did so within the first two years.
• Supervision violators tended to have more serious original crimes and criminal histories than the overall federal offender population sentenced to supervision during the same time period.
• Drug offenses were the most common primary offense type for both groups.
• The majority of supervision violators were sentenced in accordance with the Chapter Seven Revocation Table.

Read the Report