Category: Law

Auto Added by WPeMatico

Posted on

United States Recovers Approximately $2.5 Million of Cryptocurrency Involved in Fraudulent Confidence Schemes

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

            WASHINGTON – United States District Court Judge Amir H. Ali has ordered forfeiture of approximately $2.5 million worth of virtual currency involved in cryptocurrency confidence schemes to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Chief John Lynch of the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the San Diego Field Office.

            “Whether they are in our district’s streets or hiding behind a computer screen abroad, the United States will continue to hold fraudsters and grifters responsible, seize money they scam from hardworking Americans, and use our authority to compensate victims,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro.

            “Cryptocurrency confidence schemes defraud and manipulate vulnerable victims into losing devastating amounts of money,” said Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “We hope today’s announcement brings a measure of justice to the victims and serves as a reminder, the FBI will hold fraudsters accountable, no matter where they are located.”

            Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams, and fraud scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov.

            In this case and others, the United States of America utilizes asset forfeiture to punish and deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of property used in or acquired through illegal activities; to promote and enhance cooperation among federal and foreign law enforcement agencies; and most importantly, to recover assets that may be used to compensate victims. For more information, please visit https://www.justice.gov/afp.

            This matter was investigated by the FBI San Diego Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit provided valuable assistance. The Department of Justice would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.

           This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Blaylock Jr., Asset Forfeiture Coordinator, and Kevin Rosenberg, Acting Deputy Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia—along with Trial Attorney Stefanie Schwartz and Gaelin Bernstein from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice. Supervisory Paralegal Gina Torres provided valuable assistance.

Posted on

United States Recovers Approximately $2.5 Million of Cryptocurrency Involved in Fraudulent Confidence Schemes

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

            WASHINGTON – United States District Court Judge Amir H. Ali has ordered forfeiture of approximately $2.5 million worth of virtual currency involved in cryptocurrency confidence schemes to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Chief John Lynch of the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the San Diego Field Office.

            “Whether they are in our district’s streets or hiding behind a computer screen abroad, the United States will continue to hold fraudsters and grifters responsible, seize money they scam from hardworking Americans, and use our authority to compensate victims,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro.

            “Cryptocurrency confidence schemes defraud and manipulate vulnerable victims into losing devastating amounts of money,” said Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “We hope today’s announcement brings a measure of justice to the victims and serves as a reminder, the FBI will hold fraudsters accountable, no matter where they are located.”

            Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams, and fraud scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov.

            In this case and others, the United States of America utilizes asset forfeiture to punish and deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of property used in or acquired through illegal activities; to promote and enhance cooperation among federal and foreign law enforcement agencies; and most importantly, to recover assets that may be used to compensate victims. For more information, please visit https://www.justice.gov/afp.

            This matter was investigated by the FBI San Diego Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit provided valuable assistance. The Department of Justice would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.

           This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Blaylock Jr., Asset Forfeiture Coordinator, and Kevin Rosenberg, Acting Deputy Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia—along with Trial Attorney Stefanie Schwartz and Gaelin Bernstein from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice. Supervisory Paralegal Gina Torres provided valuable assistance.

Posted on

Utah Drug Trafficking Ringleader Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Career offender and previously convicted felon of drug-related crimes ordered by the court to forfeit over $300,000 in cash, three firearms and two vehicles

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Llobani Federico Figueroa, aka “Pablo,” 33, of Magna, Utah, was sentenced to 264 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to operating a continuing criminal enterprise in the District of Utah, which had ties to California and Mexico.

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., comes after Figueroa pleaded guilty on December 11, 2024, to continuing a criminal enterprise and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In addition to the sentence, Figueroa was ordered by the court to 10 years’ supervised release and forfeited over $300,961.00 in U.S. currency, three firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition, and two vehicles.

According to court documents and statements made at Llobani’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Figueroa, beginning at the age of 18, engaged in over a decade-long series of drug trafficking offenses. However, between at least December 2022 and August 2023, Llobani engaged in continuous drug trafficking. Specifically, according to court documents, Figueroa was the primary conduit among multiple Californian and Mexico-based sources of supply and broker/distributors in the District of Utah. Figueroa admitted that he regularly obtained methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. He then caused those controlled substances to be transported to Utah by courier, and he maintained various locations in which the controlled substances were stored and sold. His drug trafficking enterprise involved five or more people, including his co-defendants and others. See prior press release here: Utah Fugitive and Alleged Drug Trafficking Ringleader Among 28 Defendants Charged in Major Multi-Agency Operation.

Llobani further admitted his role in the drug trafficking organization was as a manager or supervisor and he recruited other participants and organized couriers to distribute controlled substances on his behalf. He then delegated other responsibilities to his coconspirators and admitted his organization could not have functioned without the involvement and assistance of these others.

In addition to Figueroa’s prior convictions, he is the subject of three pending criminal cases with the state of Utah. The pending charges include, but are not limited to, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a first degree felony; distribution of methamphetamine, a federal class A felony; and manslaughter, a second degree felony.

“As a decades-long drug-trafficker, Mr. Figueroa has been a threat and danger to the people of our state,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah. “His well-deserved decades-long sentence will serve as a reminder that those who peddle poison into our communities in violation of federal law for their own financial gain will face justice and forfeit their ill-gotten gains.”

“An individual struggling with substance abuse isn’t just a statistic. It’s someone’s son, daughter, a friend. Too many families have been devastated by an epidemic that Mr. Figueroa directly contributed to,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Drugs and violent crime go hand-in-hand. The FBI is committed to dismantling criminal organizations in our steadfast effort to keep our communities safe.”

“This operation exemplifies the dedication and skill of our street crimes unit,” said West Valley City Police Chief, Colleen Jacobs. “Their meticulous investigation was key in the arrest of a significant drug trafficker, and led to the dismantling of a major source of illicit drugs in our state. This success underscores our unwavering commitment to public safety and the relentless pursuit of those who endanger our neighborhoods.”

The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Safe Streets Violent Task Force and West Valley City Police Department.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

Posted on

Utah Drug Trafficking Ringleader Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Career offender and previously convicted felon of drug-related crimes ordered by the court to forfeit over $300,000 in cash, three firearms and two vehicles

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Llobani Federico Figueroa, aka “Pablo,” 33, of Magna, Utah, was sentenced to 264 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to operating a continuing criminal enterprise in the District of Utah, which had ties to California and Mexico.

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., comes after Figueroa pleaded guilty on December 11, 2024, to continuing a criminal enterprise and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In addition to the sentence, Figueroa was ordered by the court to 10 years’ supervised release and forfeited over $300,961.00 in U.S. currency, three firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition, and two vehicles.

According to court documents and statements made at Llobani’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Figueroa, beginning at the age of 18, engaged in over a decade-long series of drug trafficking offenses. However, between at least December 2022 and August 2023, Llobani engaged in continuous drug trafficking. Specifically, according to court documents, Figueroa was the primary conduit among multiple Californian and Mexico-based sources of supply and broker/distributors in the District of Utah. Figueroa admitted that he regularly obtained methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. He then caused those controlled substances to be transported to Utah by courier, and he maintained various locations in which the controlled substances were stored and sold. His drug trafficking enterprise involved five or more people, including his co-defendants and others. See prior press release here: Utah Fugitive and Alleged Drug Trafficking Ringleader Among 28 Defendants Charged in Major Multi-Agency Operation.

Llobani further admitted his role in the drug trafficking organization was as a manager or supervisor and he recruited other participants and organized couriers to distribute controlled substances on his behalf. He then delegated other responsibilities to his coconspirators and admitted his organization could not have functioned without the involvement and assistance of these others.

In addition to Figueroa’s prior convictions, he is the subject of three pending criminal cases with the state of Utah. The pending charges include, but are not limited to, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a first degree felony; distribution of methamphetamine, a federal class A felony; and manslaughter, a second degree felony.

“As a decades-long drug-trafficker, Mr. Figueroa has been a threat and danger to the people of our state,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah. “His well-deserved decades-long sentence will serve as a reminder that those who peddle poison into our communities in violation of federal law for their own financial gain will face justice and forfeit their ill-gotten gains.”

“An individual struggling with substance abuse isn’t just a statistic. It’s someone’s son, daughter, a friend. Too many families have been devastated by an epidemic that Mr. Figueroa directly contributed to,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Drugs and violent crime go hand-in-hand. The FBI is committed to dismantling criminal organizations in our steadfast effort to keep our communities safe.”

“This operation exemplifies the dedication and skill of our street crimes unit,” said West Valley City Police Chief, Colleen Jacobs. “Their meticulous investigation was key in the arrest of a significant drug trafficker, and led to the dismantling of a major source of illicit drugs in our state. This success underscores our unwavering commitment to public safety and the relentless pursuit of those who endanger our neighborhoods.”

The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Safe Streets Violent Task Force and West Valley City Police Department.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 
 

Posted on

Arkansas Drug Ring and Their California Suppliers Sentenced to a Combined 132 Years in Federal Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

EL DORADO – Fifteen members and associates of a South Arkansas drug trafficking organization, including two Los Angeles-area narcotics suppliers, have been sentenced to serve a combined 1,591 months in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.  The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings, which took place between August 7, 2024, and May 21, 2025, in the United States District Court at El Dorado, Arkansas.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

According to court records, between August 2021 and August 2022, Christopher Walters, age 45, of Magnolia, operated a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing kilograms of methamphetamine in and around Columbia County, Arkansas.  Walters sourced bulk methamphetamine from Michael Cummings, a 46-year-old Southern California business owner who doubled as an interstate narcotics supplier.  Cummings employed Robert Leonne Morris, age 47, of Los Angeles, to deliver methamphetamine and other drugs to Walters in Arkansas, at times by rail.  Walters then engaged numerous South Arkansas DTO members and associates in storing, transporting and distributing that methamphetamine, and attempting to do so, before sharing the substantial profits with Cummings.

On August 10, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its state and local partners executed search warrants at multiple Columbia County properties owned or controlled by DTO members and associates, including Walters.  In so doing, investigators found and seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, more than 15 firearms, including tactical rifles, and thousands of dollars in cash.

Between September 2022 and March 2023, a federal grand jury sitting in the Western District of Arkansas returned indictments charging 15 members and associates of Walters’ DTO, including Cummings and Morris, with a total of fifty (50) felony counts.  All 15 defendants pleaded guilty to one or more felony violations of the Controlled Substances Act, and have been sentenced as follows:

 

Defendant

Prison Term

Sentence Date
Christopher Walters, 45, of Magnolia, Arkansas

222 months

December 6, 2024
Michael Cummings, 46, of Los Angeles, California

162 months

March 21, 2025
Jvance Radford, 47, of Magnolia, Arkansas

144 months

August 22, 2024
Joseph Lowe, 38, of Magnolia, Arkansas

140 months

August 12, 2024
Robert Leonne Morris, 47, of Los Angeles, California

121 months

May 21, 2025
Lacadran D. Thomas, 37, of Magnolia, Arkansas

120 months

August 22, 2024
Marcus S. Jordan, 42, of Waldo, Arkansas

110 months

December 4, 2024
Hendrick Johnson, 27, of Magnolia, Arkansas

108 months

September 11, 2024
Dawnisha D. Jordan, 40, of Magnolia, Arkansas

98 months

August 7, 2024
John L. Grissom, 40, of Magnolia, Arkansas

97 months

August 7, 2024
Jarrod D. Wilson, 38, of Magnolia, Arkansas

78 months

March 20, 2025
Nyterious L. Sharp, 32, of Waldo, Arkansas

60 months

August 23, 2024
Antonio J. Johnson, 41, of Magnolia, Arkansas

54 months

August 22, 2024
Malaysia D. Benjamin, 36, of Los Angeles, California

41 months

December 5, 2024
Mario L. Meadows, 36, of Magnolia, Arkansas

36 months

May 21, 2025

 

In addition to his 162-month prison sentence, a $100,000 money judgment was also entered against Cummings, representing his profits from the year-long conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Arkansas.  That judgment is executable against Cummings’ assets in California and elsewhere. 

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the Magnolia Police Department, the 13th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Union County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Office, the El Dorado Police Department, the Arkansas State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.

The case was investigated and prosecuted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.

Posted on

Arkansas Drug Ring and Their California Suppliers Sentenced to a Combined 132 Years in Federal Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

EL DORADO – Fifteen members and associates of a South Arkansas drug trafficking organization, including two Los Angeles-area narcotics suppliers, have been sentenced to serve a combined 1,591 months in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.  The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings, which took place between August 7, 2024, and May 21, 2025, in the United States District Court at El Dorado, Arkansas.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

According to court records, between August 2021 and August 2022, Christopher Walters, age 45, of Magnolia, operated a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing kilograms of methamphetamine in and around Columbia County, Arkansas.  Walters sourced bulk methamphetamine from Michael Cummings, a 46-year-old Southern California business owner who doubled as an interstate narcotics supplier.  Cummings employed Robert Leonne Morris, age 47, of Los Angeles, to deliver methamphetamine and other drugs to Walters in Arkansas, at times by rail.  Walters then engaged numerous South Arkansas DTO members and associates in storing, transporting and distributing that methamphetamine, and attempting to do so, before sharing the substantial profits with Cummings.

On August 10, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its state and local partners executed search warrants at multiple Columbia County properties owned or controlled by DTO members and associates, including Walters.  In so doing, investigators found and seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, more than 15 firearms, including tactical rifles, and thousands of dollars in cash.

Between September 2022 and March 2023, a federal grand jury sitting in the Western District of Arkansas returned indictments charging 15 members and associates of Walters’ DTO, including Cummings and Morris, with a total of fifty (50) felony counts.  All 15 defendants pleaded guilty to one or more felony violations of the Controlled Substances Act, and have been sentenced as follows:

 

Defendant

Prison Term

Sentence Date
Christopher Walters, 45, of Magnolia, Arkansas

222 months

December 6, 2024
Michael Cummings, 46, of Los Angeles, California

162 months

March 21, 2025
Jvance Radford, 47, of Magnolia, Arkansas

144 months

August 22, 2024
Joseph Lowe, 38, of Magnolia, Arkansas

140 months

August 12, 2024
Robert Leonne Morris, 47, of Los Angeles, California

121 months

May 21, 2025
Lacadran D. Thomas, 37, of Magnolia, Arkansas

120 months

August 22, 2024
Marcus S. Jordan, 42, of Waldo, Arkansas

110 months

December 4, 2024
Hendrick Johnson, 27, of Magnolia, Arkansas

108 months

September 11, 2024
Dawnisha D. Jordan, 40, of Magnolia, Arkansas

98 months

August 7, 2024
John L. Grissom, 40, of Magnolia, Arkansas

97 months

August 7, 2024
Jarrod D. Wilson, 38, of Magnolia, Arkansas

78 months

March 20, 2025
Nyterious L. Sharp, 32, of Waldo, Arkansas

60 months

August 23, 2024
Antonio J. Johnson, 41, of Magnolia, Arkansas

54 months

August 22, 2024
Malaysia D. Benjamin, 36, of Los Angeles, California

41 months

December 5, 2024
Mario L. Meadows, 36, of Magnolia, Arkansas

36 months

May 21, 2025

 

In addition to his 162-month prison sentence, a $100,000 money judgment was also entered against Cummings, representing his profits from the year-long conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Arkansas.  That judgment is executable against Cummings’ assets in California and elsewhere. 

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the Magnolia Police Department, the 13th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Union County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Office, the El Dorado Police Department, the Arkansas State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.

The case was investigated and prosecuted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.

Posted on

Memphis Man Sentenced to Over Three Years of Federal Imprisonment for Possession of a Glock Switch

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Kalen Thompson, 25, to 40 months in federal prison for possession of a machine gun. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on September 15, 2023, detectives with the Memphis Police Department went to an address in Memphis looking for a robbery suspect. They encountered Thompson under the carport area in possession of a 9mm Glock pistol with a conversion device (“switch”) attached, which made the firearm fully automatic.  Officers ran the serial number of the weapon and determined Thompson had stolen the firearm in January 2023 and added the conversion device.

In February 2025, Thompson pled guilty to unlawful possession of a machine gun.  On May 22, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Thompson to 40 months of federal imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  

There is no parole in the federal system.

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.

This case was investigated by detectives with the Memphis Police Department and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

Posted on

Phoenix Woman Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Narcotics Trafficking and Bankruptcy Fraud

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

TUCSON, Ariz. – Betty Nora Anderson, 65, of Phoenix, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 100 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. Anderson previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Falsification of Records in a Bankruptcy Proceeding.

In September 2022, United States Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Anderson as she attempted to smuggle 4.54 kilograms of fentanyl and 13.42 kilograms of methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico in her vehicle. After her arrest, Anderson was permitted to reside in the community pending the disposition of her case; however, she absconded twice from court supervision, ultimately leading to her pre-trial incarceration.

In March 2023, while a fugitive from justice in the case, Anderson filed a petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona. Anderson’s petition contained false and misleading statements, which resulted in the discharge of debts that Anderson owed to her creditors. As part of her sentence in this case, Anderson was ordered to make restitution to those creditors in the amount of $52,358.00, the approximate total of her debt.         

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

United States Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations in Nogales, Arizona conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Lizano and Micah Schmit, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-02124-RM-JR
RELEASE NUMBER:     2025-082_Anderson

# # #

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Posted on

Lawton Couple Pleads Guilty for their Roles in Child Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

OKLAHOMA CITY – NIA HALL, 30, and JACKIE DUNCAN, 35, both of Lawton, have pleaded guilty for conspiring to commit sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. 

On January 21, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a three-count Indictment against Hall and Duncan, charging them with sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. According to public record, in May 2024, two juveniles ran away from a juvenile group home in Lawton, Oklahoma, and were entered into law enforcement databases as missing juveniles. One of the juveniles was located by officers with the Plano Police Department on July 16, 2024, at a motel in Collin County, Texas, where she disclosed that she and the other missing juvenile had been sex-trafficked. The juvenile told officers that after she and the other juvenile had fled the group home, they were approached by two people, later identified as Hall and Duncan, at a gas station. The juveniles began living with Hall and Duncan, who soon after transported the juveniles to various cities in Texas, where they performed sex acts for money, which Hall and Duncan kept. In return, the juveniles were provided food and shelter. The juvenile told authorities she had recently escaped Hall and Duncan’s car in the Dallas area. On September 30, 2024, the second juvenile was found and recovered in San Antonio, Texas.  She recounted a similar story of being sex-trafficked by Hall and Duncan in exchange for food and shelter. During the investigation, local and federal law enforcement reviewed sex advertisements associated with Hall. These advertisements contained photos of the juveniles. Hall and Duncan were arrested on December 16, 2024.

On May 19, 2025, Hall pleaded guilty to Count 3 of the Indictment, and admitted she knowingly worked with Duncan to recruit and transport the juveniles for purposes of commercial sex acts, and that she knew the victims were under the age of 18. Duncan pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment on April 30, 2025, and admitted he knowingly recruited two minors under the age of 18 to cause them to engage in commercial sex acts, and that he aided and abetted Hall to do the same. 

At sentencing, Hall and Duncan face up to life in federal prison, Duncan faces at least 10 years in federal prison, and both face fines of up to $250,000. 

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, FBI, Lawton Police Department, Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs Control, Fort Smith Police Department, Arkansas State Police, San Antonio Police Department, Plano Police Department, and Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Ganz and Brandon Hale are prosecuting the case.

This case is also the result of an investigation by the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force, which is led by HSI. The Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force is an implementation of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.  PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

Posted on

Norman Man Sentenced to Serve 25 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

OKLAHOMA CITY – JACOB EDWARD KAMOLZ, 39, of Norman, has been sentenced to serve 300 months in federal prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On September 17, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a four-count Indictment against Kamolz, charging him with production, attempted production, possession, and distribution of child pornography. According to public record, in August 2024, Kamolz connected with an FBI Online Covert Employee (OCE) who purported to be a juvenile on a social media messaging application. Over the course of several days, Kamolz sent child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the OCE and requested that they send CSAM in return. Public record further reflects that, after his arrest, the FBI determined Kamolz produced CSAM with a child using his cell phone.

On December 17, 2024, Kamolz pleaded guilty and admitted he used a minor to produce CSAM.

At the sentencing hearing on May 20, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Kamolz to serve 300 months in federal prison, followed by supervised release for life. In announcing his sentence, Judge Heaton emphasized the nature and circumstances of the offense.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz prosecuted the case.

This case is also part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.