Category: US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives

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

NEW ORLEANS, La. — Tyki Clayton, 21 of Lutcher, was sentenced on Feb. 21 by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to 36 months incarceration after he previously pled guilty to possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Judge Milazzo also ordered that Clayton be placed on supervised release for three years following his release from prison. Clayton was also ordered to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

According to court records, on March 28, 2022, Clayton was the passenger in a vehicle that did not come to a full stop at a stop sign. A St. James Parish deputy stopped the vehicle and saw Clayton in the front passenger seat reaching between his legs into a backpack.

The deputy learned that Clayton had an outstanding arrest warrant and detained him inside a police unit. Law enforcement discovered a Glock firearm equipped with an auto-sear, making it function as a machine gun, as well as a loaded gun magazine during a search of Clayton’s vehicle.

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 track 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.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.

Contact
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
U.S. Attorney’s office, Eastern District of Louisiana
U.S. Department of Justice

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

NEW ORLEANS, La. — U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on Feb. 8, 2024, Tevin Marcelin, 29, and Derrick Doughty, 32, both from New Orleans, were charged in a seven-count superseding indictment for violations of federal gun and drug laws.

In Count 1, Marcelin and Doughty are charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). If convicted of Count 1, Marcelin and Doughty face up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine and at least three years of supervised release. In Count 2, Marcelin and Doughty are charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). If convicted of Count 2, Marcelin and Doughty face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine and up to five years of supervised release. In Count 3, Marcelin is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). In Count 4, Doughty is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). If convicted of Counts 3 or 4, Marcelin or Doughty face up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.

In Count 5, Marcelin is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine and fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). If convicted of Count 5, Marcelin faces up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine and at least three years of supervised release. In Count 6, Marcelin is charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). If convicted of Count 6, Marcelin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine and up to five years of supervised release. In Count 7, Marcelin is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). If convicted of Count 7, Marcelin faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release. As to each charged count against either Marcelin or Doughty, they also face payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 

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.

The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

Contact
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
U.S. Department of Justice

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

Gulfport, Miss. —  An Ocean Springs man was sentenced to 211 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 1,231 grams of methamphetamine.

Dante Ladon Evans, 48, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.    

According to court documents, Evans was on supervised release when a probation officer went to his residence and discovered narcotics. Further investigation revealed that Evans was in possession of 1,231 grams of methamphetamine. 

Evans pled guilty on November 6, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. 

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

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.

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

MUSKOGEE, Okla. —The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Keaton Dwayne Tripp, 21, of Okmulgee was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a machine gun.

The charges arose from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Muskogee Police Department.

On May 11, 2023, Tripp entered a guilty plea in federal district court to one count of Possession of a Machine Gun.  According to investigators, on March 23, 2023, law enforcement responding to a reported home invasion apprehended Tripp and found him in possession of a pistol illegally modified for fully automatic firing.

“Converting firearms to fully automatic is an alarming trend which poses a tremendous threat to our communities,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Identifying and prosecuting persons unlawfully converting and/or knowingly possessing these illegal, extremely dangerous weapons is a focus of the Department of Justice.”

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Tripp will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.

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

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Jeffrey C. Boshek II, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced that Dominic Cruz De La O appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of an unregistered weapon made from a shotgun. De La O, 27, of Alamogordo, will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for Feb. 22, 2024.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 15, 2023, De La O allegedly shot and killed Alamogordo Police Officer Anthony Ferguson during a traffic stop with a modified 12-gauge shotgun. The barrel length of the shotgun was 16 inches, and the overall length was 25.5 inches. The shotgun stock had been removed and replaced with a pistol grip.

On July 26, 2023, ATF agents received information that Jonah Apodaca allegedly provided the modified shotgun to De La O. Apodaca, 32, of Alamogordo, appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of a firearm by a felon on Feb. 12, 2024. Apodaca will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

A criminal complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the current charges, De La O faces up to 10 years in prison and Apodaca faces 15 years in prison. De La O also faces state charges including first-degree murder, aggravated fleeing, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, and other lesser charges stemming from the July 15, 2023, death of Officer Ferguson. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Alamogordo Police Department, New Mexico State Police, and the Otero County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ry Ellison are prosecuting the case.

View Del La O’s Criminal Complaint

View Apodaca’s Criminal Complaint

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

TUCSON, Ariz. —Javier Alejandro Ramos-Velderrain, 23, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 21 months in prison. On October 23, 2023, a jury convicted Ramos-Velderrain of Making a False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm.

On November 4, 2020, U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped Luis Manuel Bray-Vasquez as he attempted to enter the Republic of Mexico at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales in an SUV. When told to turn off the engine, Bray-Vasquez, a U.S. Consulate employee, put the car in drive and attempted to flee into Mexico. Port officials were able to close the gates and stop the vehicle from escaping into Mexico and Bray-Vasquez was arrested. A search of the SUV revealed 15 firearms, including a Barrett BMG .50 caliber rifle, broken down and hidden in a blue bag. Bray-Vasquez was subsequently prosecuted and sentenced on August 24, 2021, by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps, to 46 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to smuggling goods from the United States (CR-21-00655-TUC-JGZ).

Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began an investigation into the source of the 15 firearms and traced the 12 firearms that had serial numbers. Based on the tracing, ATF discovered that Javier Alejandro Ramos-Velderrain purchased the Barrett BMG .50 caliber firearm from 2A Ballistic Solutions, a federal firearms licensee (FFL), just 22 days prior to it being intercepted at the border. When he purchased the Barrett rifle, Ramos-Velderrain filled out and certified under penalty of perjury the ATF Form 4473, the Firearms Transaction Record, which records the identifying information of the buyer when purchasing a firearm from an FFL. At the time, Ramos-Velderrain knowingly listed a false address as his residence. This delayed the investigation, as agents were unable to locate Ramos-Velderrain. When agents found him, Ramos-Velderrain stated that he sold the firearm for $7,000 to a person who responded to an internet sale advertisement. He was unable to provide any information as to whom and when he allegedly sold the firearm. The Barrett BMG .50 caliber rifle is one of the most highly powered firearms that can be purchased outside of the military as it has massive destructive power. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Serra M. Tsethlikai and Evan N. Wesley, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela W. Woolridge, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution of Luis Manuel Bray-Vasquez.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-03282-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-118_Ramos-Velderrain

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.

Contact

Public Affairs
Zach J. Stoebe
Telephone: (602) 514-7413
zachry.stoebe@usdoj.gov

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

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court today to 171 months in prison for committing six robberies in Columbus in September and October 2020.

Ronald Lee Jacobs, 46, was convicted following a jury trial in August 2023 of six counts of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

At the time of the robberies, Jacobs was under supervision with the State of Ohio after serving a nine-year sentence for aggravated robbery with a firearm specification.

According to court documents and trial testimony in his current case, Jacobs committed at least six recent robberies, including:

• Hampton Inn on South Hamilton Road on Sept. 5, 2020,
• Wing Snob on North High Street on Sept. 12, 2020,
• United Dairy Farmers on North High Street on Sept. 24, 2020,
• Shell Gas Station on South Hamilton Road on Sept. 30, 2020,
• Wing Snob on North High Street on Oct. 8, 2020, and
• Walgreens on East Livingston Avenue on Oct. 12, 2020. 

During the robberies, Jacobs typically wore either an inside-out gray sweatshirt or a dark sweatshirt, dark pants and used a blue bandana. Jacobs was employed at a glue factory and, during multiple robberies, had visible glue splatters on his clothing. He called off work for one robbery and left during his shift to commit another one of the robberies.

In jail calls, Jacobs discussed the firearms he used and said he committed the robberies because he was “broke” and needed to pay child support.

“There’s no excuse for committing dangerous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “There are numerous resources available to assist individuals who are returning to our communities from periods of incarceration. In this case, we are grateful that no one was seriously harmed or killed by Jacobs’s actions and his sentence reflects the fact that bad choices often have serious consequences.”

Jacobs was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in November 2020. In March 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jacobs and that indictment was superseded in September 2021.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.

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

CHICAGO — A federal judge today sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for detonating a pipe bomb at a suburban Chicago train station.

On Sept. 1, 2006, Thomas James Zajac placed a pipe bomb in a trash can at the BNSF Railway station in Hinsdale. The device exploded during the morning commute, injuring a station agent.

U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed the sentence during a hearing in federal court in Chicago. Judge Kennelly ordered that the sentence must be served after the completion of a federal sentence that Zajac is currently serving for bombing a public library in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2006.

Today’s sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Valuable assistance was provided by the Hinsdale Police Department, DuPage County, Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the BNSF Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. David Rojas, Brian Kerwin, and Andréa L. Campbell.

Evidence at Zajac’s federal trial in Chicago last year revealed that Zajac felt disrespected when a family member was arrested by Hinsdale Police in the year before the bombing. About a month after the bombing, Zajac sent an anonymous letter to the Hinsdale Police Department, stating that the police had “[expletive] with” the wrong person and that the writer had “fired a warning shot” last month. The letter indicated that police actions would “likely eventually lead to the death” of at least one person in Hinsdale, and that the writer wanted to see whether the department was “bright enough or possess[ed] the character to stop this death.”

Zajac, 70, formerly of Oakbrook Terrace, was convicted on all three counts against him, including one count of attempting to damage property with an explosive, one count of possessing an unregistered destructive device, and one count of willfully making a threat through the mail to kill or injure a person with an explosive.

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

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced three defendants convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Antoine Ray Thomas, 39, of San Francisco, California, was sentenced on Feb. 12 to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Antoine was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 500 grams of Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Tyrin Thomas, Jr., 28, of Sioux Falls, was sentenced on Feb. 5 to 27 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Tyrin was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 500 grams of Methamphetamine.

Lyric Christina Simon Tschetter, 26, also of Sioux Falls, was sentenced on Feb. 9 to 12 years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Lyric was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 400 grams of Fentanyl.

All three defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2022. Antoine Ray Thomas pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person on Nov. 8, 2023; Tyrin Thomas, Jr. pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine on Oct. 27, 2023; and Lyric Christina Simon Tschetter pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl on Nov. 21, 2023.

A fourth defendant, Stevie Thomas, was indicted in this conspiracy on Sept. 12, 2023, on the charges of Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or more of Fentanyl and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. He is currently set for trial in May of 2024.

These defendants were operating a large methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution organization in South Dakota. Their source was located in California who was supplied by sources in Mexico. This conspiracy involved fifty pounds of methamphetamine, hundreds of pills containing fentanyl, and several firearms and ammunition.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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 works 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.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Ebert and Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

All three defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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

RAPID CITY, S.D. — U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Second-Degree Murder, Robbery, Carjacking and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. The sentencing took place on Feb. 6.

JT Myore, 37, was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $400 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

JT Myore was also indicted for Carjacking, Robbery, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. He was found guilty of Robbery, Carjacking and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence following a jury trial in federal district court on Sept. 27, 2023. He was also indicted for Second-Degree Murder by a federal grand jury in August of 2021, and found guilty of Second-Degree Murder following a jury trial on Nov. 9, 2023.

In August of 2019, Myore and a co-defendant brandished firearms in order to carjack a Ford Freestyle from another male in Pine Ridge. In May of 2021, Myore and his co-defendants forcibly assaulted a male in Pine Ridge in order to steal his Toyota Celica. The male sustained a broken arm and cuts and contusions to his head and face.

In May of 2021, Myore was at a party at a residence just outside of Pine Ridge. He was intoxicated and a verbal confrontation ensued among some of the party-goers and the male victim. The victim attempted to walk away, but before he could get away, Myore stabbed him to death with a knife.

These cases were investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.

Myore was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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