Category: Legal Issues

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Rutland, Vermont Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Maintaining Drug Premises

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 4, 2025, Daniel McSwiggan, 52, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 24 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 2-year term of supervised release. McSwiggan previously pleaded guilty to managing and controlling a residence and making the residence available for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing, storing, distributing, and using cocaine base, a Schedule II controlled substance.

According to court records, in late June and early July of 2024, McSwiggan rented and occupied a residence in Rutland, Vermont, where he used and allowed others to use cocaine base, and from which he and others distributed cocaine base. McSwiggan – a former practicing nurse at a local medical center, who had been terminated from that position in April 2024 – also possessed firearms at the residence. And in the early morning hours of June 24, 2024, McSwiggan shot a rifle in the direction of another suspected drug distributor as the man ran away from the residence. In executing a search warrant at the residence, law enforcement recovered a Savage Model 10 .308 caliber rifle, a Ruger 10/22 .22 caliber rifle, 282 rounds of ammunition, cocaine base, and drug paraphernalia.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Rutland Police Department, the Vermont State Police, and the Vermont Drug Task Force.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Smith. McSwiggan was represented by Jordan Handy, Esq.

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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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Seattle felon who threatened probation officer and then tried to purchase a firearm sentenced to 18 months in prison

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Seattle – A 40 -year-old Seattle resident with a history of making death threats and violently attacking a neighbor, was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for lying in his attempt to purchase a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Filmore Doyoon Kim attempted to purchase a firearm on February 13, 2025, just days after emailing a series of threats to his Washington State Department of Corrections Probation Officer. In sentencing Kim to the top of the guidelines range, U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, “The crime is extremely serious… repeatedly threating the life of a corrections officer and continuing to threaten others with violence. You are a danger to the public.”

According to records filed in the case, Kim was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2022, for burglary. In that case he broke into a neighbor’s apartment and beat the neighbor unconscious in front of the man’s 4-year-old child. Kim left a note for the neighbor written in blood threatening to kill him. Kim also has harassment convictions for threatening to kill apartment managers and others in various residences. While Kim was on probation for the burglary case, he sent threatening emails to the supervising probation officer threatening to kill him. Kim then went to a federal firearms licensed store and attempted to purchase a handgun. Kim lied on the form and claimed he had not been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in jail. When the background check revealed his conviction, the store refused to sell the gun and alerted law enforcement.

In asking for the top end 18-month sentence Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg wrote to the court that it was important to consider the attempt to buy the gun in the context of the threats. “Kim’s offense conduct was extremely serious. He intentionally subverted the background check laws designed to keep guns away from dangerous people – like himself. The larger context of Kim’s attempted firearm purchase – immediately after threatening to kill his supervising CCO and declaring, ‘Don’t forget I can buy gun’ – makes his offense conduct even more concerning.”

Judge King ordered Kim to be on supervised release for three years following his prison term.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

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New Jersey Company Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Restitution and Civil Penalty for Failing to Report Dangerous Air Conditioners

Source: United States Attorneys General

Royal Sovereign International Inc. (Royal Sovereign), a New Jersey corporation that sold office and home appliances, pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging it under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) with failing to report immediately to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) information concerning portable air conditioners allegedly linked to more than 40 fires and one death. Additionally, Royal Sovereign agreed to a civil settlement with the United States that included a $16,025,000 civil penalty, the maximum civil penalty authorized by the CPSA.

According to court documents, Royal Sovereign, which also did business as Royal Centurian Inc., imported and sold more than 33,000 defective air conditioners between 2008 and 2014. The air conditioners were defective due to a faulty drain motor that could electrically short and cause them to catch fire and burn uncontrollably. The company’s CEO, Takwan Lim, previously signed a settlement agreement with CPSC stemming from allegations that a related entity, Royal Sovereign Corporation, sold certain portable ceramic heaters that posed a fire risk. Royal Sovereign recalled the defective air conditioner models in 2021.

“It is critical for companies, corporate executives, and their employees to exercise strict compliance with their obligations under the Consumer Product Safety Act to safeguard the American public and recall hazardous products as soon as possible,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Companies cannot attempt to evade liability by delaying or avoiding reporting. When they do, they must be held accountable.”

“The criminal and civil resolutions in this matter show this Office’s commitment to protecting the public and holding companies accountable for violating their obligations under the Consumer Product Safety Act,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey.

“Royal Sovereign’s failure to report a deadly defect led to tragedy, including the death of a mother and serious injuries to her children,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman. “CPSC will not hesitate to use the full weight of its executive power to pursue violations of the law — including criminal penalties — and we thank our partners at DOJ for helping to bring this company to justice.”

In pleading guilty, Royal Sovereign admitted that, despite knowing of the defects from numerous consumer complaints and lawsuits, it willfully failed to report information about the air conditioners immediately to CPSC, as was its obligation under the CPSA. According to the information filed in the case, the company misled the CPSC in November 2010 by telling the agency that it was aware of only two fire incidents related to the air conditioners and that the products had been discontinued. In reality, the government alleged, the company was aware of at least 16 fires and continued to distribute the products anyway. According to the recall notice, a woman died in August 2016 from smoke inhalation and her two children were injured after their Royal Sovereign air conditioner caught fire. In connection with the guilty plea, Royal Sovereign is required to pay $395,786.48 in restitution to victims.

The civil settlement resolves allegations that Royal Sovereign failed to notify the CPSC “immediately,” as required by law, that its portable air conditioners contained a defect presenting a substantial product hazard and that the products created an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death.

Takwan Lim, the former CEO of the company, died in 2023. Royal Sovereign has permanently ceased all company operations related to the marketing, sale, or distribution of consumer products. In recognition of the company’s limited ability to pay, all but $100,000 of the civil penalty was suspended. The consent decree requires Royal Sovereign and certain individuals associated with it to notify the government and to develop internal controls and procedures designed to ensure timely, truthful, complete, and accurate reporting to CPSC as required by law before resuming the marketing, sale, or distribution of any consumer products.

Trial Attorney Ethan Carroll of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch (CPB) prosecuted the criminal case with the assistance of Renee McCune of CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel. CPB Trial Attorney David Crockett handled the civil settlement with the assistance of Patricia Vieira of CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey provided valuable assistance.

For more information about the products that were recalled, visit www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Royal-Sovereign-Recalls-Portable-Air-Conditioners-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-One-Death-Reported.

Victims who experienced bodily injury or damage, destruction, or loss of property caused by a fire involving a portable air conditioner made or distributed by Royal Sovereign International Inc., or Royal Centurian Inc., with a model number beginning with PAC-3012, ARP-3012, or ARP-3014, should contact the Department of Justice at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov by Sept. 5, if they have not previously received compensation and believe they are entitled to restitution.

For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch, visit the Branch’s website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

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Two Chinese Nationals Arrested on Complaint Alleging they Illegally Shipped to China Sensitive Microchips Used in AI Applications

Source: United States Attorneys General

Two Chinese nationals – one of them an illegal alien – have been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging they knowingly exported to China tens of millions of dollars’ worth of sensitive microchips used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Chuan Geng, 28, of Pasadena, and Shiwei Yang, 28, of El Monte, are charged with violating the Export Control Reform Act, a felony that carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Geng surrendered to federal authorities on Saturday. Yang was arrested earlier that day.

At their initial appearance late Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, a federal magistrate judge ordered Geng released on $250,000 bond and scheduled an Aug. 12 detention hearing for Yang. Arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 11. No pleas were taken Monday.

Geng is a lawful permanent resident. Yang is an illegal alien who overstayed her visa.

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, from October 2022 to July 2025, the defendants – through their El Monte-based company, ALX Solutions Inc. – knowingly and willfully exported from the United States to China sensitive technology, including graphic processing units (GPUs) – specialized computer parts used for modern computing – without first obtaining the required license or authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce. According to the complaint, ALX Solutions Inc. was founded shortly after the Commerce Department began requiring licenses for the advanced microchips that Yang and Geng are alleged to have illegally exported.

A review of export records, business records, and company websites indicates that a December 2024 shipment and at least 20 previous shipments by ALX Solutions involved exports from the U.S. to shipping and freight-forwarding companies in Singapore and Malaysia, which commonly are used as transshipment points to conceal illegal shipments to China.

ALX Solutions has not received payments from the entities to which they purportedly exported goods. Instead, ALX Solutions received numerous payments from companies based in Hong Kong and China, including a $1 million payment from a China-based company in January 2024.

For example, in December 2024, ALX Solutions sent a shipment that falsely labeled that it was sending GPUs subject to federal laws and regulations. In fact, the shipment contained GPUs that required a license for export to China. Neither the defendants nor their company applied for, nor did they obtain a license from the Commerce Department.

According to the complaint and public information, the chip – made by a manufacturer of high-performance AI chips – is the “most powerful GPU chip on the market,” and is “designed specifically for AI applications,” such as “to develop self-driving cars, medical diagnosis systems, and other AI-powered applications.”

Last week, law enforcement searched ALX Solutions’ office and seized the phones belonging to Geng and Yang that revealed incriminating communications between the defendants, including communications about shipping export-controlled chips to China through Malaysia to evade U.S. export laws.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and the FBI are investigating this matter.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin S. Scott, Joseph Guzman, and Jenna Long for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case with assistance from Trial Attorney Chantelle Dial of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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FBI Releases 2024 Reported Crimes in the Nation Statistics | Federal Bureau of Investigation

Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

The FBI released detailed data on over 14 million criminal offenses for 2024, reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program by participating law enforcement agencies. More than 16,000 state, county, city, university and college, and tribal agencies, covering a combined population of 95.6% United States population, submitted data to the UCR Program through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and the Summary Reporting System.  

The FBI’s crime statistics estimates, based on reported data, show a violent crime occurred, on average, every 25.9 seconds in 2024. The breakdown shows on average a murder occurred every 31.1 minutes and a rape occurred every 4.1 minutes. National violent crime decreased an estimated 4.5% in 2024 compared to 2023 estimates:

  • Murder and non-negligent manslaughter recorded a 2024 estimated nationwide decrease of 14.9% compared to the previous year.
  • In 2024, the estimated number of offenses in the revised rape category saw an estimated 5.2% decrease.
  • Aggravated assault figures decreased an estimated 3.0% in 2024.
  • Robbery showed an estimated decrease of 8.9% nationally.

In 2024, 16,419 agencies participated in the Hate Crime collection, population coverage of 95.1% of the U.S. population. Law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports involving 11,679 criminal incidents and 13,683 related offenses as being motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.

To publish a national trend, the FBI’s UCR Program used a dataset of reported hate crime incidents and reported zero incidents submitted by participating agencies reporting six or more common months of hate crime data to the FBI’s UCR Program for both 2023 and 2024. According to this dataset, reported hate crime incidents decreased 1.5 percent from 11,041 in 2023 to 10,873 in 2024.

“Reported Crimes in the Nation” is comprised of five parts—“Crime in the United States, 2024,” “NIBRS, 2024,” “Hate Crime Statistics, 2024,” Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 2024 assault tables, and “UCR Summary of Reported Crimes in the Nation, 2024.” The compilation’s name has been changed to best reflect the UCR Program’s products, which are based on data reported by participating law enforcement agencies to the FBI.

The violent crime estimate published as part of “Crime in the United States” comprises murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault offenses. For the first time, the 2013 through 2024 violent crime estimates are based on the rape offenses reported using the 2013 revised rape definition. The violent crime figures will still be based on the legacy rape definition for years 2005 to 2012. The revised rape definition (https://le.fbi.gov/cjis-division/cjis-link/ucr-program-changes-definition-of-rape) encompasses additional circumstances beyond the parameters of the legacy definition. In 2016, the FBI Director approved the recommendation to discontinue the reporting of rape data using the UCR legacy definition beginning in 2017. Since 2017, table one of the “Crime in the United States” was the only table using the legacy definition to publish the historic trend. This year’s change streamlines the publication of reported rape.

The complete analysis is located on the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.

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Summer Surge: U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force Delivers Justice with Major July Arrests

Source: US Marshals Service

Newark, NJ – The U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force is proud to announce the successful apprehension of several high-profile fugitives during the month of July, making a significant impact across multiple jurisdictions in the state of New Jersey.  

Throughout the month, U.S. Marshals-led task force teams across the state arrested over 158 wanted individuals, including suspects wanted for homicide, attempted murder, rape, bank robbery, and other violent offenses.  Notably, coordinated enforcement actions led to the arrests of the subjects below:  

Shaquan Landrum, 34, wanted out of Hillside for attempted murder and parole violations, arrested July 28 in Newark after shooting at law enforcement officers.

Jackson Nazaire, 29, wanted out of Rahway for an armed bank robbery, arrested July 23 in Elizabeth after barricading himself in a hotel with a weapon.

Chenal Dixon, 31, wanted out of Plainfield for Aggravated Sexual Assault, was arrested on July 25th in Newark after attempting to flee on foot.

Joshua Bethea, 27, wanted out of Essex County for murder and weapons offenses, arrested July 21 in Newark.

Keyona Tyler, 22, wanted out of Irvington for attempted murder, arrested July 25 in Hillside.

Phu Nguyen, 35, wanted out of Voorhees for armed bank robbery, arrested July 3 in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

Ebony Gee, 42, wanted out of Camden County for desecration of human remains, arrested July 14 in Philadelphia.

Jordan Glisson, 19, wanted out Asbury Park for Homicide, arrested July 14 in Newark.

These arrests highlight the relentless dedication and coordination of our deputies and task force partners,” said Juan Mattos Jr., U.S. Marshal for the District of New Jersey.  “We will continue to pursue justice and ensure that those who threaten our communities are held accountable.”

“This summer surge is an example of the U.S. Marshal Service’s unwavering resolve to track down the most dangerous fugitives,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba. “The clear success of this operation highlights law enforcement’s commitment to reducing violent crime and safeguarding our communities. I will always stand with the brave agents who serve to protect our country each and every day. My office will continue working with our partners to ensure that those who pose a threat to our state are brought to justice swiftly and effectively.”

The U.S. Marshals Service remains committed to its mission of tracking down the nation’s most dangerous fugitives and enhancing the safety of communities through collaboration with federal, state, and local partners.

The U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force is composed of individuals from the following agencies:

NJ State Police, NJ State Parole, NJ Department of Corrections, Port Authority Police Department, Passaic County Sheriff, Essex County Sheriff, Union County Sheriff, Mercer County Sheriff, Monmouth County Sheriff, Ocean County Sheriff, Burlington County Sheriff, Camden County Sheriff, Hudson County Sheriff, Gloucester County Sheriff, Salem County Sheriff, Atlantic County Sheriff, Somerset County Sheriff, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office,  Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Salem County Prosecutor’s Office,  Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Newark PD, Jersey City PD, Trenton PD, Camden Metro PD, Atlantic City PD, Asbury Park PD, Vineland PD, Pennsauken PD, Flemington PD, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

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New DNA Evidence Discovered in 60-Year Old Cold Case Murder of Young Girl

Source: US Marshals Service

Cleveland, OH – United States Marshal Pete Elliott announces new information in the cold case fugitive investigation into Lester Eubanks.  Since 2016 the United States Marshals Service (USMS) in the Northern District of Ohio has been on the hunt for Eubanks.  

On November 14, 1965, 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener was walking to the laundromat to help her family with laundry when she was brutally murdered by Lester Eubanks.  At that time, Eubanks was out on bond for an attempted rape which had occurred only three months prior.  Eubanks was convicted of Mary Ellen Deener’s murder but escaped from jail in 1973 and has been on the run since.  

Over the past several months, the USMS Cold Case Unit has worked closely with the Mansfield Police Department and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office in an attempt to extract DNA from the clothing worn by Eubanks on the night of the murder. Through meticulous work by the Medical Examiner’s Office under the direction of Dr. Nasir Butt, Eubanks’ DNA was able to be extracted and has been entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).  CODIS is a computer software program that operates local, state, and national databases of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence, and missing persons.

With this newly obtained evidence, the USMS Cold Case Unit is again seeking any information the public may have regarding Eubanks. Since the case was turned over to the USMS Cold Case Unit for investigation in 2016, the USMS has been diligently working on locating Eubanks, following up on hundreds of leads and conducting dozens of interviews, not only throughout the country but internationally as well.  On December 7, 2018, exactly 45 years after his escape, Eubanks was officially listed as a USMS Top 15 Most Wanted Fugitive with a reward available of up to $50,000 for information leading to his location.  

In addition to the positive recovery of Eubanks’ DNA, the USMS recently worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on an updated age progression photo of Eubanks.  An age progression photo was previously completed in August 2019 and over the past several months the USMS Cold Case Unit has worked alongside NCMEC on meticulously updating these pictures to show what Eubanks may look like now at age 81.

The last known sighting of Eubanks was in southern California in the 1970’s.  He was going by the alias of “Victor Young” and was known to be in the area of Gardena, South Central, Long Beach and North Hollywood. It is also believed that Eubanks was working as a janitor at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California in the late 80s or early 90s.  

A reward of up to $50,000 is available to anyone who provides information that leads to the location of Eubanks and the closure of this decades-long case.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “We will not rest until this case is closed. This new evidence is directly due to the perseverance of our two Cold Case Investigators who are continuously looking for new routes to pursue, and to the diligence of Dr. Nasir Butt and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s staff who took the time to re-examine old evidence and were able to extract Eubanks’ DNA that we believe will lead to his arrest.”

Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4-WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.  Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.  

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force Teams & Specialized Units– Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Lorain, Mansfield, Painesville, Toledo, Youngstown, Sex Offender Investigations, Missing Child Unit and Cold Case Unit.

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California Woman Who Fled Federal Bond Sentenced to 17 Years for Drug Trafficking

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Dana Diane Shay, 37, of Fountain Valley, California, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on two occasions in 2020, Shay delivered narcotics as part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that reached into South Carolina. On Nov. 25, 2020, Shay delivered 29 pounds of methamphetamine in Charlotte, North Carolina. Again, on Dec. 7, 2020, Shay delivered 50 pounds of methamphetamine and 45 pounds of marijuana in Charlotte. 

In December of 2020, Shay was arrested on federal drug trafficking charges and arraigned in Greenville and placed on bond. However, Shay cut off her ankle monitor and became a fugitive in August of 2021. Shay remained a fugitive until August 2024 when she was arrested out of state and transported back to South Carolina to face her federal charges. The court increased Shay’s sentence because she absconded.

United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Dana Shay to 204 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. The court also ordered a money judgment against Shay for $300,000.

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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sherriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case.

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Armed Felon Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Trafficking

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Daniel Mac Wentz, 46, of Blacksburg, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on April 19, 2024, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Wentz. In the car, Wentz had 88 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm pistol. The investigation revealed that Wentz was connected to a large drug trafficking ring in the Upstate.

Wentz had prior drug distribution charges, in addition to convictions for indecent exposure, assault and battery of an aggravated nature, assault with intent to kill, and multiple firearms charges.

United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Daniel Wentz to 120 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of court ordered supervision.

“This career criminal was part of a larger drug trafficking ring responsible for bringing substantial quantities of illegal drugs into the Upstate,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Getting these drugs off of our streets and holding offenders like this accountable makes our communities safer.”

“This sentencing demonstrates the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from the dangers of drug trafficking and armed criminals,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant who also oversees North and South Carolina. “Daniel Wentz’s extensive criminal history and his role in methamphetamine distribution posed a significant threat to public safety. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to dismantle criminal networks and hold offenders accountable.”

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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case.

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PENSACOLA MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF FIREARM BY CONVICTED FELON

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ralphael Roy Caldwell, 35, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after previously being found guilty by a jury of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon back in April. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from violent criminals requires close collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, like we saw in this case.  I am very appreciative of the outstanding work of the Pensacola Police Department and the ATF to get this criminal off our streets, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to keep our communities safe from violent criminals.”

Evidence admitted at trial established that during a traffic stop on September 10, 2024, the defendant had a loaded pistol in his waistband that he admitted to officers was his. He had previously been convicted of the felony offenses of principal to attempted home invasion robbery with a firearm and shooting into a building.

The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the Pensacola Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.