Category: Justice

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the recipients of the Sixth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing, recognizing the exceptional work of 19 law enforcement officers and deputies from 15 jurisdictions across the country.

The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, and Tribal sworn rank-and-file officers, deputies, and troopers for exceptional efforts in community policing. The awarded individuals have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations, or innovations in community policing. This year, the Department received nominations for almost 200 individual officers, deputies, and troopers. Nominations came from 49 states, representing state, local, campus, sheriff, and other agency types.

“Every day, law enforcement officers across the country are asked to respond to some of the most difficult, most dangerous, and most traumatic moments that our communities face,” said Attorney General Garland. “Today’s awardees exemplify the very best of the noble profession of policing.”

The work being honored this year ranges from individuals who created and run creative programs geared to marginalized youth and senior citizens; officers whose diligent and dedicated efforts solved cold cases after many years; and law enforcement who peacefully resolved situations that could have resulted in great harm to others, were it not for their heroic efforts.

The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing is made possible through the Department’s work with national law enforcement stakeholder groups, who play a vital role in the review process. The various components throughout the Department also play a critical role, providing the review process with a depth of knowledge and experience that is inherent across the Department. The result is this annual awards program, which allows the Department to highlight a group of officers whose commitment to their communities is obvious through their exceptional efforts.   

A list of award winners can be found here. Complete information on the Sixth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing can be found here.

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

Four members of the Oath Keepers were sentenced this week on seditious conspiracy and other charges for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Roberto Minuta, 39, of Prosper, Texas, was sentenced June 1 to 54 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release.

Edward Vallejo, 64, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced on June 1 to 36 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release, including the first 12 months to be served on home confinement.

David Moerschel, 45, of Punta Gorda, Florida, was sentenced on June 2 to 36 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release.

Joseph Hackett, 53, of Sarasota, Florida, was sentenced on June 2 to 42 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release.

The four defendants were found guilty of seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to prevent Members of Congress from discharging their official duties on Jan. 23, following a seven-week trial. Hackett was also found guilty of destruction of evidence.

According to the evidence, in the months leading up to Jan. 6, the defendants and their co-conspirators plotted to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power, including by amassing an armed “quick reaction force” on the outskirts of the District of Columbia. Beginning in late December 2020, via encrypted and private communications applications, the defendants and various co-conspirators coordinated and planned to travel to Washington, D.C., on or around Jan. 6, 2021, the date of the certification of the electoral college vote. The defendants made plans to bring weapons to the area to support the operation. The co-conspirators then traveled across the country to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in early January 2021, with paramilitary gear and supplies including firearms, tactical vests with plates, helmets, and radio equipment.

The defendants conspired through a variety of manners and means, including: organizing into teams that were prepared and willing to use force and to transport firearms and ammunition into Washington, D.C.; recruiting members and affiliates to participate in the conspiracy; organizing trainings to teach and learn paramilitary combat tactics; bringing and contributing paramilitary gear, weapons, and supplies – including knives, camouflaged combat uniforms, tactical vests with plates, helmets, eye protection and radio equipment – to the Capitol grounds; breaching and attempting to take control of the Capitol grounds and building on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the electoral college vote; using force against law enforcement officers while inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; continuing to plot, after Jan. 6, 2021, to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power and using websites, social media, text messaging and encrypted messaging applications to communicate with co-conspirators and others.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department’s National Security and Criminal Divisions. Valuable assistance was provided by numerous U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the FBI’s New York, Dallas, Tampa and Phoenix Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Secret Service.

In the 28 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

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

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

A Wisconsin man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for sex trafficking multiple minors in the Philippines.

According to court documents, Donald A. Stenson, 67, of West Allis, traveled to the Philippines on multiple occasions starting in 2007 and repeatedly engaged in sexual activity with minors there. Between 2016 and 2019, Stenson lured five minor victims between the ages of approximately 11 and 17 into commercial sex arrangements, engaging in sexual activity with the victims and then providing them with money and gifts.

A search of Stenson’s electronic devices uncovered multiple images and videos of the minor victims, including a video depicting Stenson engaging in sex acts with a minor. The search also uncovered sexually explicit messages with minors and messages in which Stenson discussed engaging in sex acts with the minor victims with John Burgdorff, 66, of West Allis. Burgdorff traveled with Stenson to the Philippines, and Stenson encouraged the victims to meet with Burgdorff, who then also engaged them in commercial sexual activity.

Stenson was identified based on a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Stenson and Burgdorff were both arrested at Burgdorff’s residence in West Allis and charged as co-defendants in connection with their sex trafficking of these minor victims. Burgdorff was sentenced in November 2022 to two and a half years in prison for engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in a foreign place.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago made the announcement.

HSI Milwaukee, HSI’s Manila Transnational Criminal Investigation Unit, HSI Bangkok, and Philippine authorities investigated the case.

Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan J. Paulson and Abbey M. Marzick for the Eastern District of Wisconsin prosecuted the case, with assistance from CEOS Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon. 

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – Four members of the Oath Keepers were sentenced this week on seditious conspiracy and other charges for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Roberto Minuta, 39, of Prosper, Texas; Joseph Hackett, 53, of Sarasota, Florida; David Moerschel, 45, of Punta Gorda, Florida; and Edward Vallejo, 64, of Phoenix, Arizona, were sentenced in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta.

            Minuta was sentenced June 1, 2023, to 54 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. 

            Vallejo was sentenced on June 1, 2023, to 36 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release (including the first 12 months to be served on home confinement). 

            Moerschel was sentenced on June 2, 2023, to 36 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. 

            Hackett was sentenced on June 2, 2023, to 42 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.

            The four defendants were found guilty on January 23, 2023, of seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy to prevent Members of Congress from discharging their official duties. Hackett was also found guilty of destruction of evidence. The verdicts followed a seven week trial.

            According to the evidence, in the months leading up to January 6, the defendants and their co-conspirators plotted to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power, including by amassing an armed “quick reaction force” on the outskirts of the District of Columbia. Beginning in late December 2020, via encrypted and private communications applications, the defendants and various co-conspirators coordinated and planned to travel to Washington, D.C., on or around Jan. 6, 2021, the date of the certification of the electoral college vote. The defendants made plans to bring weapons to the area to support the operation. The co-conspirators then traveled across the country to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in early January 2021, with paramilitary gear and supplies including firearms, tactical vests with plates, helmets, and radio equipment.

            The defendants conspired through a variety of manners and means, including: organizing into teams that were prepared and willing to use force and to transport firearms and ammunition into Washington, D.C.; recruiting members and affiliates to participate in the conspiracy; organizing trainings to teach and learn paramilitary combat tactics; bringing and contributing paramilitary gear, weapons, and supplies – including knives, camouflaged combat uniforms, tactical vests with plates, helmets, eye protection, and radio equipment – to the Capitol grounds; breaching and attempting to take control of the Capitol grounds and building on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the electoral college vote; using force against law enforcement officers while inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; continuing to plot, after Jan. 6, 2021, to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power; and using websites, social media, text messaging and encrypted messaging applications to communicate with co-conspirators and others.

            The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Criminal Division. Valuable assistance was provided by numerous U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the FBI’s New York, Dallas, Tampa, and Phoenix Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service.

            In the 28 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

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

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

A Florida man was sentenced yesterday to two years and eight months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to harbor aliens and induce them to remain in the United States.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between November 2010 and October 2020, Batyr Myatiev owned and operated several Key West labor staffing companies, including Best Results Total Services, Inc, Ameri Hosp LLC, and Golden Sands Management, LLC, that facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in hotels, bars, and restaurants operating in Key West and elsewhere who were not authorized to work in the United States. Myatiev encouraged workers to enter the United States illegally and induced them to remain in the country, in violation of immigration laws. Myatiev’s labor staffing companies paid alien workers without withholding federal income and employment taxes from their wages and did not report said wages to the IRS.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore ordered Myatiev to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $6,869,869.80 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Nicholas J. Schilling, Jr., Matthew C. Hicks, and Wilson Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Chris Clark for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – Richard Nduba, 39, of Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for firing multiple shots at a man in August 2022 in Northwest Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Nduba was convicted on March 22, 2023, following a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Erik Christian ordered 36 months of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on August 10, 2022, the defendant argued with with the victim, a friend, outside the Walmart on 99 H Street NW around 7:00pm. After the argument, the victim, who is wheelchair bound, went to the 800 block of 1^st street NW next to the Walmart’s loading dock area to speak on the phone. The defendant circled the block in his rental SUV until he found the victim. Upon finding the victim, the defendant lowered his window, pointed a black handgun at the victim, and shot at the victim twice. The defendant stopped shooting only after the victim acted as if he had been hit and played dead in his wheelchair. Both shots, however, missed the victim. A bullet hole was later discovered in Walmart’s loading dock door, next to where the victim had been sitting at the time of the shooting.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.  It was investigated, prosecuted. and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Omeed Assefi and Colin Cloherty of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Nielsen and Kathleen Kern, Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.

Source: United States Attorneys General 9

CONCORD – A Franklin man has been charged in connection with threatening to kill a United States Senator, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Brian Landry, 66, was charged with threatening to assault, kidnap or murder a United States official in connection with the official’s performance of official duties.  Landry will make an initial appearance in federal court today in Concord at 2:30pm. 

According to the charging documents, Landry called a district field office of a United States Senator and left a voicemail on May 17, 2023, stating:

“Hey stupid. I’m a veteran sniper.  And unless you change your ways, I got my scope pointed in your direction and I’m coming to get you.  You’re a dead man walking, you piece of f***ing sh**.”

Investigators identified the phone call as coming from a number associated with Landry.  When they interviewed Landry, he admitted to having called the Senator’s office but did not initially recall exactly what he said in the voicemail.

The charge provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Capitol Police led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, and the Franklin and the Manchester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON — An Ohio man was found guilty of assaulting law enforcement officers related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Kenneth Joseph Owen Thomas, 41, of East Liverpool, Ohio, was found guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia of four counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; and engaging in physical violence on Capitol grounds. U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 6, 2023.

            Thomas was on the Upper West Terrace at 3:30 p.m. standing in front of a line of police officers who were preventing the rioters from advancing further towards the Capitol.  When the crowd surged forward against the police line, Thomas twice charged the line of police officers, striking two Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers with his hands and shoving them. Thomas’ assaults against these two MPD officers were captured on police body worn cameras (BWC) and in many open-source videos from the scene.

            Then, approximately an hour later  in a different part of the Upper West Terrace, Thomas was captured on MPD BWC footage advancing toward a line of law enforcement and pushing against their shields.. At 4:26 p.m., officers began to advance to dispel the crowd of rioters from the steps. Thomas turned toward rioters and ordered them to “hold the line” against advancing officers, repeating this statement fifteen times as he locked arms with the other rioters and pushed against the officers. Then, at 4:28 p.m., again as officers attempted to clear the Upper West Terrace, Thomas rushed to the head of the line of rioters and twice threw himself into an MPD officer while yelling to the rioters “hold the fucking line.” In subsequent interviews, law enforcement officers confirmed the attack and stated Thomas “was one of the first to come in and start hitting [and] pushing officers on the line.”

            The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, who identified Thomas as #214 on their seeking information photos, as well as the MPD, with significant assistance provided by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office.

            In the first 28 months since Jan. 6, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol breach, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.  

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

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to assault on a member of Congress and two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer stemming from an incident on February 9, 2023, in the District of Columbia.  U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 15, 2023.

            According to Hamlin’s admissions in court, he willfully assaulted a member of the House of Representatives, causing personal injury. Hamlin also admitted that he assaulted a detective and a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department that same day.

            The charge of assault on a member of Congress carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The charge of assault on a law enforcement officer carries a statutory maximum sentence of six months in prison. The court will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other factors. Because the defendant pleaded to all the counts charged in the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement, both the defendant and the government retain the right to make legal arguments at the time of sentencing.

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Schneider.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment today against an Oregon man on charges related to his actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 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.

            Jared Wise, 49, of Bend, Oregon, was indicted for civil disorder; and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, both felonies; along with four misdemeanors which were contained in the original criminal complaint: knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; uttering loud, threatening, or abusive language, or engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct, in any of the Capitol Buildings; parading, demonstrating, or picketing in any of the Capitol Buildings..

            According to court documents, footage from U.S. Capitol CCTV and Metropolitan Police Department  body-worn camera depicts Wise inside and on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. At approximately 2:23 p.m., Wise entered the U.S. Capitol building through the Senate Wing Door. After entering, Wise clapped his hands and raised his arms in triumph. Wise walked through the Crypt and past the Memorial Door, ultimately returning and exiting through a window adjacent to the Senate Wing Door at approximately 2:32 p.m. While inside the U.S. Capitol building, Wise is seen wearing a blue jacket and a dark facemask and carrying a dark backpack.

            A review of MPD body-worn camera footage reveals Wise engaging with police officers. At approximately 4:21 p.m., on the Upper West Terrace, Wise tells MPD officers, “You guys are disgusting. I’m former—I’m former law enforcement. You’re disgusting. You are the Nazi. You are the Gestapo. You can’t see it. . . . Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!” When violence against law enforcement began in front of Wise, including officers being knocked to the ground directly in front of him, Wise turned in the direction of the violence and shouted, “Yeah, fuck them! Yeah, kill ‘em!” A few seconds later, as assaults continued, he shouted in the direction of the rioters attacking the police line, “Kill ‘em! Kill ‘em! Kill ‘em!”

            Wise was employed as  a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 2004 through 2017.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office with valuable assistance from the Portland and Washington Field Offices, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 28 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.  Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

            An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.