Category: US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives

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

GULFPORT, Miss. — A Moss Point man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

According to court documents, on April 15, 2022, Anthony Loyd Parson, Jr., 37, fled on foot after making an erratic stop in a vehicle he was driving when Moss Point Police Department officers were attempting to conduct a traffic stop. Officers found outside Parson’s door a cell phone and a firearm with a serial number that had been removed. Parson had previous felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and a drive-by shooting.

Parson was indicted by a federal grand jury, and he pled guilty on Oct. 19, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Moss Point Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.

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

NEW ORLEANS ;— Keaton Manghane, 24, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced on Jan. 23 by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance, after previously pleading guilty to possessing a machinegun in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2) to 20 months’ imprisonment, to run consecutively to any sentence ultimately imposed on his unrelated pending charges in Tennessee. This term of imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

According to court documents, Manghane was carrying a loaded handgun equipped with a Glock auto-sear in his pocket, while walking on Bourbon Street around 2:00 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2023, Mardi Gras Day. The auto-sear device turned the semi-automatic firearm into a fully-automatic machinegun. After Manghane’s arrest, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) tested the firearm and confirmed that it functioned as a machinegun.

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 of Justice 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 ATF. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.

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

Grant County Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Methamphetamine and Firearms Charges

Louisville Field Division

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

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A Mason City, Iowa, man who pointed a shotgun at a woman and threatened to kill her, was sentenced today, Jan. 25, to 10 years in federal prison.

Joseph Fitzgerald, 64, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a Sept. 11, 2023, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and domestic misdemeanant.

Evidence in the case revealed that on Nov. 23, 2022, Fitzgerald pointed a shotgun at a woman he resided with, who was disabled, and threatened to kill her. The woman was able to call 911. When officers arrived on scene, Fitzgerald initially refused to let officers enter the home, but they were eventually able to make contact with the woman, who was still upset by the interaction. Fitzgerald has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for domestic violence, illegal drugs and burglary. Notably, Fitzgerald also had 8 driving while intoxicated convictions and 13 assault convictions. 

Fitzgerald was sentenced in Sioux City by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Fitzgerald is being held in U.S. Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Mason City, Iowa, Police Department and ATF, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Timmons. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 23-3009.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

WASHINGTON — Michael Stewart, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year (felony) and one count of possession with intent to distribute N, N-Dimethylpentylone (felony), announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division.

Stewart was sentenced to 46 months of incarceration followed by 3 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan. Stewart pled guilty to the offense on Oct. 25, 2023. He has been detained since Jan. 8, 2023.

According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 6, 2022, at approximately 4:30 p.m. officers responded to the Beacon Hotel located at 1615 Rhode Island Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. After placing Stewart under arrest, officers searched his hotel room and found a privately manufactured firearm (also known as a ghost gun) that did not have a serial number underneath the bed. The firearm had one 9-millimeter round in the chamber and an additional 24 rounds in an extended magazine capable of holding 31 rounds. DNA testing on this firearm tied Stewart to the firearm. Officers also recovered Stewart’s bookbag, which contained a scale, $2,232 in small denomination bills and 105.13 grams of N-Ethylpentylone. (N- Ethylpentylone is a Schedule 1 controlled substance and is a synthetic cathinone.) N-Ethylpentylone is often referred to as “boot” or  “molly.” During a search of Stewart at the courthouse by the U.S. Marshals, law enforcement recovered a yellow package from his person that contained 66.52 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone. (N, N-Dimethylpentylone is an isomer of N-Ethylpentylone. It is also a synthetic cathinone. It is also often referred to as “boot” or “molly.”)

On Dec. 7, 2022, officers were on routine patrol in the area of 5th and I Streets, Northwest, Washington, D.C. Officers arrested Stewart for publicly consuming marijuana. Officers recovered the following items from Stewart: a sandwich-sized bag containing 70.15 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone, a black digital scale, $191 in U.S. currency, a folded dollar bill with a white powdery substance inside, approximately .5 grams of fentanyl (including two light blue round tablets with an M-30 imprint on it and a small ziplock baggie of a light blue powder substance), and another clear plastic bag that contained 87.99 grams of N, N- Dimethylpentylone.

On Jan. 8, 2023, at approximately 2:35 a.m. officers observed Stewart in the area of 7th and T Streets, Northwest. After officers approached him, Stewart ran diagonally through an intersection with oncoming traffic from at least one direction. Stewart was subsequently apprehended, and officers recovered a black in color Ruger SR9C firearm from his person. The firearm was loaded with one round in the chamber and fifteen rounds in the magazine. The extended magazine in the firearm had a total capacity of 17 rounds. A records check revealed that the firearm was stolen from Atlanta, Georgia. Officers also recovered two folded $1 bills with white power inside, a scale, $435 in small denomination bills and 61.8 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone.

In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Kailimai, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from Project Safe Neighborhoods, both the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Renaud. Chief of Federal Major Crimes Melissa Jackson provided valuable assistance.

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

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Alexander M.M. Uballez, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced that Anthony Stephen and Whitney Bisetti appeared in federal court on an indictment charging them with one count each of firearms trafficking conspiracy and transfer of a firearm not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Stephen is charged with an additional count of transfer of a firearm not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Stephen, 34, and Bisetti, 22, both of Albuquerque, were released on conditions pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.

According to the indictment, between May 12 and Aug. 31, 2023, Stephen and Bisetti transferred a firearm to another person knowing that the use, carrying and possession of a firearm by the recipient would constitute a felony. On Aug. 9, 2023, Stephen and Bisetti transferred a rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches and an overall length less than 26 inches that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. On Aug. 31, 2023, Stephen transferred a rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches and an overall length less than 26 inches that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The transfers are alleged to have occurred while Stephen and Bisetti worked at the Shooter’s Den store in Albuquerque.

An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Stephen and Bisetti face up to 15 years in prison.

ATF investigated this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the U.S., using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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

WICHITA, Kan. — A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a man for allegedly discharging a firearm while robbing a business.

According to court documents, Clemente Garcia Jr, 35, of Wichita, was indicted on one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

Garcia is accused of firing a high caliber rifle while robbing a restaurant on South Seneca Street in Wichita, Kansas, in November 2022. 

The Wichita Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Chad Gibson, 50, of Wichita was indicted on one count of theft of government property. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.

Antonio Knight, 25, of Wichita is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deb Barnett and Ola Odeyemi are prosecuting the case.

Jason Moody, 50, of Coffeyville is charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. ATF is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting the case. 

Eric Saldana, 37, of Haysville was indicted on three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deb Barnett is prosecuting the case.

Clifton Weatherspoon, 31, of Wichita was indicted on two counts of possession of fentanyl with intention to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. FBI, Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deb Barnett and Ola Odeyemi are prosecuting the case.

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

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

NEW ORLEANS – Brandon Johnson, aka Brandon Smith, 32, of Jefferson Parish, pled guilty on Jan. 18 before U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier to counts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the indictment pending against him.

Count 1 charged Johnson with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 924(c). Count 2 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Count 3 charged him with possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and cocaine, in violation of Title 21 USC § 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Count 5 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Count 6 charged him with the illegal possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(o). Count 7 charged him with possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana, in violation of Title 21 USC § 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and (D). The sentencing will be held April 25.

Based on his guilty plea, Johnson will face the following sentences as to each count:

As to count 1, Johnson will face a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than five years up to a maximum of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any jail sentence imposed in connection with count 1 must be consecutive to any other count. He will also face up to five years of supervised release.

As to count 2, Johnson will face up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.

As to count 3, Johnson faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1 million fine and a term of supervised release of not less than three years up to life.

As to count 5, Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.

As to count 6, Johnson will face up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.

As to count 7, Johnson faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1 million fine and a term of supervised release of not less than three years up to life.

Additionally, as to each charged count, Johnson faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

On Feb. 21, 2021, Jefferson Parish Deputies stopped Johnson in his vehicle for a traffic violation and saw marijuana in his car. Deputies then searched Johnson and found additional drugs. They then searched his car, found MDMA pills and a gun and arrested him. A subsequent jail search of Johnson uncovered approximately 90 pieces of crack cocaine (approximately 12 grams) in his possession. 

While Johnson was out on bond after his arrest, Jefferson Parish narcotics detectives saw Johnson conducting hand to hand drug transactions and arrested him. A post-arrest search of Johnson, plus two vehicles in his possession and his two cell phones, revealed methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, a gun with a Glock switch as well as photos of Glock switches, drugs, money and guns.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.

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.

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

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – Eighty-two people have been indicted by a federal grand jury for a drug trafficking operation that distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in the Eastern Panhandle.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that an indictment was unsealed, charging individuals from Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia with drug trafficking. According to court documents, Gary Bernard Brown Jr., aka “Gee,” 38, of Baltimore, supplied others with large quantities of fentanyl capsules and powder for redistribution in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. The investigation yielded 10 kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, firearms and hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets.

“In a coordinated effort across three states, the FBI and our partners worked seamlessly to degrade the capabilities of a criminal enterprise that endangered the lives of our children and neighbors by pedaling illegal narcotics into our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Shanahan of the FBI-Pittsburgh Division. “Today, their illicit activities came to an end.”

After a large-scale arrest operation in the region, 11 of the 82 defendants are still at large. Investigators are searching for:

• Charles Delroy Singletary, 43, of Baltimore
• Jeffrey Lee Pullen, 52, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
• Benjamin Paul Knotts, 48, of Charles Town, West Virginia
• Haile Madalynn Speaks, 21, of Charles Town, West Virginia
• James Sanford, 39, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
• John Ernest LeCluse, 39, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
• Shelby Elizabeth Thompson, 29, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
• April Dawn Wentzell, 36, of Ranson, West Virginia
• Daniel Lee Corbin Jr., 35, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
• Kendall Axavier Baker, 31, of Winchester, Virginia
• David Lewis Pennington Jr., 20, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

If you have any information, call 1-877-926-8332 or go to www.usmarshals.gov.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

This case was a collaborative investigative effort that includes the FBI (Pittsburgh Field Division, Baltimore Field Division and Richmond Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia).

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

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

View the list of defendants.

View the indictment:
U.S. v. Brown et al. indictment

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

SHREVEPORT, La. — Joseph Chad Castillo, 36, of Converse, was sentenced today announced U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Castillo to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms.

Information introduced in court revealed that on Dec. 26, 2022, a deputy with the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office attempted to serve an arrest warrant at a residence in Converse. While the deputy was at the residence, a vehicle drove down the driveway and stopped and the rear seat passenger, later determined to be Castillo, fled into the woods. After a brief pursuit, law enforcement officers stopped and searched the vehicle and found a Remington Model 1100 shotgun and a Remington Model 7600 rifle, as well as Castillo’s cell phone in the backseat. The rifle had an obliterated serial number and Castillo had previously stolen it from a private residence.

Castillo has two prior felony convictions, one for attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2018 in Sabine Parish and another for possession of Schedule II CDS in Desoto Parish in 2017. He knew of his felony convictions and that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Castillo pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 16, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Justice Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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