Category: FBI

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

SAVANNAH, GA:  As part of a coordinated nationwide effort to fight COVID-19 fraud, the Southern District of Georgia has taken action against individuals who illegally obtained nearly $11 million in funds intended to help struggling small businesses during the global pandemic.

As announced by U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg, and in conjunction with the Justice Department’s nationwide effort, the Southern District of Georgia conducted more than 20 enforcement actions from May through July 2023, involving a total of $10.9 million in alleged COVID-19 relief fraud.

“Funding through the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided more than more than $650 billion to assist small businesses navigating the financial challenges of the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Unfortunately, fraudsters tapped into this program for their own profit, and this nationwide effort seeks to hold them accountable for their widespread fraud.”

The CARES act provided small business assistance primarily with grants and forgivable loans available through the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) or Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). The Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with its law enforcement partners, conducted multiple enforcement actions during the May-June period including:

• Kamario Thomas, 42, of Augusta, Ga., was sentenced to 38 months in prison for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering. Thomas submitted more than 60 fraudulent loan applications for pandemic relief and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks for his fraud. Thomas was ordered to pay full restitution in the amount of $4,546,945. 
• Bernard Okojie, 41, of McDonough, Ga., was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering after a three-day jury trial. As detailed during trial, Okojie used information for non-existent companies to file more than 20 fraudulent loan applications for pandemic relief aid, causing losses in excess of $3.5 million. He awaits sentencing. 
• Jacqueline Somesso, 55, of Savannah, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for Bank Fraud and Misprision of a felony. Somesso submitted a fake pandemic relief loan application resulting in losses of $570,736.87. She was ordered to pay restitution in this amount and to forfeit a money judgment in that amount. The Court also entered a consent order forfeiting her interest in a certificate of deposit of $350,236.54 and a bank account of $3,520.91, both containing fraud money seized from her during the investigation. 
• Kyle Waldron, 58, of Douglas, Ga., received service of a civil forfeiture complaint arising from his filing of numerous fraudulent loans applications for pandemic relief aid. The complaint seeks forfeiture of $326,461.33, the amount of fraud money seized from his bank account. 
• A civil forfeiture complaint was filed and continues to be litigated concerning an Atlanta condominium on Peachtree Road Northwest. This property, valued at $328,000, was purchased with money obtained fraudulently through pandemic relief loans. 

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

These cases were investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

The enforcement actions were prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson, Jennifer A. Stanley, Ryan C. Grover, Lindsay Berman-Hansell, J. Bishop Ravenel, Alex Hamner, Marcella Mateo, David H. Estes, and Senior Litigation Counsel Jennifer G. Solari.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

ATLANTA – John Crittenden, a professor of environmental engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the former director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, has pleaded guilty to tax fraud for lying on his tax returns by overstating his charitable deductions.

“Charitable giving is a virtue. But Crittenden avoided paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes by lying about his charitable deductions to perpetrate a tax fraud scheme involving Chinese nationals,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Because of his actions Crittenden will no longer be employed by the university and will also be required to pay all taxes owed.”

“Crittenden’s guilty plea is the result of the determination and hard work of federal investigators and prosecutors who aggressively pursue allegations of tax fraud,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is determined to root out and prosecute anyone who would try to undermine the tax return system.”

“No matter the scheme or amount, do not falsify your tax returns,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman.  “We have an incredible team of talented, intelligent agents trained to investigate these tax fraud schemes.  Crittenden not only has to make amends by paying his owed taxes, but he also faces jail time, fines, and penalties for his decisions.  This guilty plea is evidence that fraud does not pay.”            

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: John Crittenden’s academic research focused on scalable water treatment systems and technologies. Crittenden had deep ties to China, in part due to his position at Georgia Tech and his research.

While employed at Georgia Tech and living in the United States, Crittenden partnered with a Chinese national, Duo Li, to operate several companies in China, including Beijing Keruiduo Environmental, Beijing Crittenden Environmental Technology Company, and Kunshan Techfirst. These companies, as well as individuals associated with Duo Li, wired hundreds of thousands of dollars either directly to the charitable donation arm of Georgia Tech, the Georgia Institute of Technology Foundation (GTF), or to Crittenden’s Bank of America account, after which he “donated” the funds to GTF. When the funds arrived at GTF, they were earmarked for Crittenden’s use at Georgia Tech. Regardless of how the funds reached GTF, Crittenden improperly and falsely claimed the transfers to GTF as charitable deductions on his tax returns without recognizing any of the transfers as income.

Crittenden also received transfers to his Bank of America account from Chinese nationals who were participating in post-doctoral research at Georgia Tech or their family members. Crittenden then “donated” these funds to GTF and improperly and falsely took a charitable deduction on his tax returns, while not recognizing any of the funds as income. Neither Georgia Tech nor GTF were aware that Crittenden was conducting this tax fraud scheme.

As part of the plea agreement, prior to sentencing, Crittenden must resign from all positions of employment at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, pay all taxes owed for tax years 2011 through 2021, and fully cooperate with the Examination Division of the Internal Revenue Service in making a complete and accurate determination of all taxes, penalties, and interest that Crittenden owes.

Sentencing for Crittenden, 73, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled for January 16, 2024, at 10:00 am before U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May. Crittenden pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with making a false statement on a tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).

This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal is prosecuting the case.

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

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

CLEVELAND – Akil Larry Joseph, 32, and Alexa Marie Logan, 31, both of Homestead, Florida, were each sentenced on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Donald C. Nugent to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of cyberstalking and one count of interstate communications with intent to extort.

According to court documents, from November 2021 to July 2022, Joseph and Logan sent numerous threatening communications, via email and telephone, to multiple victims in the Northern District of Ohio, including an FBI agent, with the intent to obtain money from the victims. Over the course of an approximately two-year period, multiple communications sent by the couple, primarily via email, came to contain increasingly harassing and aggressive language, rhetoric, and tone.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Joyce and Peter E. Daly.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

MACON, Ga. – A Fort Valley, Georgia, resident involved in two separate drug trafficking organizations and a multi-state dog fighting operation based in Middle Georgia was sentenced to serve more than 15 years in prison today, the final defendant of 21 co-conspirators resulting from two Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations.

Armard Davis aka “Black Jack,” 43, of Fort Valley, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 190 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III in Case No. 5:21-CR-3 after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture. His sentence holds him accountable for his criminal conduct spanning both investigations.  Davis and his co-conspirators will not be eligible for parole.

“Coupling armed drug distribution with the cruel abuse of animals makes an already horrible situation even worse; the significant sentences in this case send the message that such conduct is unwelcome in Middle Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “The tremendous collective effort put forth by many law enforcement agencies helped bring these defendants to justice and shut down a dangerous criminal organization.”

“Dogfighting is a brutal crime often tied with drug trafficking organizations, as seen in this case,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “These crimes destroy lives and place enormous burdens on communities. We appreciate the collaborative and extensive effort shared by federal, state and local law enforcement entities to investigate and prosecute this case.”

“These defendants posed a significant threat to the quality of life in our communities. The dismantling of these criminal organizations makes our communities a safer place today,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.

“The barbaric practice of pitting animals against each other in a fight to the death has no place in this country,” said Special Agent in Charge Miles Davis of the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General.  “The outstanding work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners who investigated this case and the prosecutors of the U.S. Department of Justice made it possible to bring this individual of a major animal fighting venture to justice.  USDA-OIG has made animal fighting a high priority in order to demonstrate that these inhumane acts of cruelty to animals will not be tolerated.”

Investigations

According to court documents, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in the distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine and organized dog fighting based out of Roberta, Georgia, which extended into North Georgia, Florida and Alabama from May 2019 until Feb. 2020. In Feb. 2020, law enforcement executed 15 residential search warrants and seized more than 150 dogs that were being used for organized dog-fighting.

Many of the rescued dogs had scarring and visible injuries such as broken legs and open bleeding wounds, all consistent with dog fighting. Agents seized scales, weighted collars, heavy chains, ground stakes, miscellaneous pedigrees and medical supplies to treat injuries the animals sustained from dog fighting activities. In addition, law enforcement recovered firearms and illegal drugs during the course of this extensive investigation. In total, the criminal organizations are being held accountable for the distribution of approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine and 179 grams of methamphetamine.

Ten co-conspirators sentenced in case 5:21-CR-3:

Lekey Davis aka “Kee Boo,” 47, of Talbotton, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 210 months of imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base;

Christopher Raines aka “Binky,” 52, of Talbotton, was sentenced to serve 135 months of imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release and pay a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base;

Jarvis Lockett aka “J-Rock,” 43, of Warner Robins, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and cocaine distribution;

Derrick Owens aka “Doomie,” 39, of Woodland, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine;

Jason Carter, 41, of Phoenix City, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 97 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine;

Vernon Vegas, 51, of Suwanee, Georgia, was sentenced to serve the maximum 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and pay a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture;

Shaquille Bentley, 29, of Roberta, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 48 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to use of a communication facility;

Shelley Johnson aka “Gold Mouth,” 41, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 37 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture;

Rodrick Walton aka “Rodrie Walton,” 43, of Shiloh, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 24 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture; and

Bryanna Holmes, 27, of Fort Valley, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 36 months of probation after pleading guilty to use of a communication facility.

Eight co-conspirators also sentenced in related case 5:21-CR-3:

Antoine Riley aka “Bear,” 46, of Warner Robins, was sentenced as a career offender to serve 180 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release to run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed in a pending case in Taylor County, Georgia, Superior Court after pleading guilty to distribution of cocaine base;

Brittany Smith, 30, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;

Antonio Raines, 39, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of cocaine base;

Emanuel Ivey, 37, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve 87 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of cocaine base;

Joseph Day, 50, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of cocaine base;

Desmond Griffin, 30, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of cocaine base;

Obie Wright, 68, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of cocaine base; and

Latanya Williams, 41, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve three years of probation after pleading guilty to making false statements.

Two more co-conspirators sentenced from other related cases 5:21-CR-39 and 5:21-CR-40 respectively:

Lee Anthony Benney, 56, of Reynolds, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 21 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture; and

Reginald Crimes, 40, of Preston, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 24 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture.

For more information about these cases, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/remaining-defendants-middle-georgia-armed-drug-trafficking-organization-sentenced; https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/12th-defendant-sentenced-dog-fighting-drug-distribution-ring; and https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/doj-announces-arrests-middle-georgia-drug-conspiracy-and-dog-fighting-ring.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The dog-fighting and drug conspiracy case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Merriweather County Sheriff’s Office, the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Byron Police Department and the Fort Valley Police Department. Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and Senior Trial Attorney Banu Rangarajan with the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.

The methamphetamine distribution case was investigated by DEA, FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), USMS, the Monroe County Sherriff’s Office, the Bibb County Sherriff’s Office and the Warner Robins Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim prosecuted the case.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

            WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on five offenses, including a felony, committed during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Alexander Sheppard, 24, of Powell, Ohio, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates to serve 19 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release. Sheppard also was ordered to pay $3,170 in restitution and fines.

            Sheppard was found guilty in January of obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, entering and remaining in a restricted grounds or building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

            Sheppard originally had been scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2023. Sheppard had claimed the siege of the U.S. Capitol was a “false flag” operation planned by or involving the government, “federal agitators,” and Antifa.

            According to evidence introduced at trial, Sheppard was among the first rioters to enter the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and joined others in overrunning multiple police lines established to stop the mob’s spread. Inside the Crypt, he and fellow rioters were captured on video as they pushed through a police line designed to prevent the mob from moving towards the House Chamber where members of Congress were present. He then recorded a video of himself proudly proclaiming: “I’m here with some goddamn heroes, and we just shut down Congress! They called an emergency session, they said we’re too scared, they’ve shut down Congress. Let’s fucking go!”

            Additional video showed Sheppard running to the Speaker’s Lobby doors and screaming at the U.S. Capitol Police officers who stood guard there while House members and staff prepared to evacuate behind them. Sheppard captured video of fleeing members of congress and looked on as other rioters violently punched out the windows of the doors— just inches away from the officers’ heads. Sheppard left only after witnessing another rioter get shot by law enforcement after attempting to climb through the broken windows of the same doors.

            In the days following the breach, Sheppard posted threatening statements on social media directed towards the Vice President. On Jan. 9, 2021, Sheppard posted on Parler, “[w]e shouldn’t hang Mike Pence. Firing squad!”

            FBI agents arrested Sheppard on Feb. 22, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.  

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati and Washington Field Offices. Police from Columbus provided cooperation and assistance in the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

            In the 31 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,106 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Rodney Devon Jones (28, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the carjacking offense, and a minimum mandatory term of 7 years, up to life, imprisonment on the firearm offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on September 28, 2021, Jones and two others committed a carjacking in the parking garage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa. Jones and the two other men jumped out of a stolen Toyota, pointed guns at the victim, and stole his wallet and jewelry. They demanded that the victim identify his car. The victim pointed out an Alfa Romeo. One of the men then used the victim’s car keys to drive off in the Alfa Romeo and the others followed in the Toyota. Two days later, officers from the Orlando Police Department arrested Jones after they found him in the stolen Toyota. The officers recovered a firearm with Jones’s DNA on it near the Toyota.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole Police Department, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the Middle District of Florida’s Safe Trails Task Force. The Safe Trails Task Force is a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Seminole Police Department, and other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement that work to combat the growth of crime in Indian Country. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

This case is also 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Melvin Padilla, the Chief of the Bedford Police Department, announced the arrest of JOHN LORD.  LORD is charged with persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing a 15-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity.  LORD was presented yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them.  As this arrest shows, we will use every tool available to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those who sexually exploit children.” 

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Lord’s alleged actions, enticing a vulnerable member of our society – a child – for sexual activity, are abhorrent.  The FBI takes the alleged crime very seriously, we are tireless in our efforts to investigate and hold accountable any person who harms a child.”

Bedford Police Chief Melvin Padilla said: “The safety and security of our residents is our primary focus, and thanks to the diligent work of our officers and the cooperation and assistance from our federal partners, the defendant was quickly identified and apprehended.”

According to the Complaint filed on August 31, 2023, in White Plains federal court:[1]

On or about August 30, 2023, LORD persuaded and enticed a 15-year-old minor (“Victim-1”), who he had met and communicated with on an online application, to engage in sexual activity with him. 

On August 30, 2023, LORD sent text messages to Victim-1 asking to meet to engage in sexual activity.  Hours later, LORD was discovered with Victim-1 in a wooded area in Katonah, New York.  LORD was naked from the waist down with his penis exposed.  Victim-1 was in his underwear.  When approached, LORD grabbed his underwear and fled.

Later that evening, LORD was apprehended and arrested by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Bedford Police Department.  LORD was interviewed by Bedford Police and admitted that he engaged in sexual activity with Victim-1 on August 30, 2023, as well as on prior occasions.  On August 30, 2023, LORD was charged in Bedford, New York, with Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree. 

Mr. Williams stated that the investigation is ongoing.  Mr. Williams requests that any individuals who may have encountered JOHN LORD or whose children may have had any communications with LORD to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.  

*                *                *

LORD, 40, of Sedona, Arizona, is charged with one count of coercion and enticement, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. 

The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, the Bedford Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office in connection with this investigation.  He added that the investigation is ongoing.          

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaun E. Werbelow is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Emmanuel Dourthe (24, Deltona) and Brendan Wells (27, Tampa) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. For each of the controlled substance charges, if convicted, each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. If convicted of the firearm offense, each faces a minimum mandatory of 5 years, and up to life, in federal prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed.

According to the indictment, between February 6 and 14, 2023, Dourthe and Wells conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, 40 grams or more or a mixture containing fentanyl, and a mixture containing cocaine. The indictment further alleges that Dourthe and Wells possessed these substances with the intent to distribute them. Dourthe and Wells possessed a firearm during their commission of their drug offenses.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.          

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office, issued the following statement:

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offer their diverse student body a unique academic and cultural experience built on pride, resilience, and unity.  HBCUs and their students strengthen our communities.  We are incredibly fortunate to have HBCUs throughout the country, including here in South Florida.

HBCUs were created in the 1800s to provide educational opportunities for Black students who were excluded and unwelcome from attending existing colleges and universities.  HBCUs across our great nation are venerable institutions where students thrive and should always be safe from harm.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the FBI stand ready to investigate and prosecute allegations of a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.  We are united in our efforts to protect the safety and security of our South Florida students, visitors, and residents.  As Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated last month, “The Justice Department will never stop working to protect everyone in our country from unlawful acts of hate.”

We encourage the community to report all suspected hate crimes to the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) and tips.fbi.gov.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Keanu Marcel Upshaw was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Upshaw, 22, of Shiprock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on April 6, 2023.

According to court documents, on Sept. 16, 2021, following a night of drinking, Upshaw lost control of the vehicle he was driving as he was attempting to take another drink of alcohol, causing it to crash and ejecting both Upshaw and his passenger from the vehicle. Upshaw’s passenger died from their injuries as a result of the crash. A blood draw taken about two hours after the accident showed that Upshaw’s blood alcohol concentration was .18, which is more than twice the legal limit in New Mexico. Accident reconstruction showed that Upshaw was going somewhere between 69 mph to 80 mph in a 55 mph zone when he lost control of the vehicle.

Upon his release from prison, Upshaw will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

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