Category: US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives

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

SHREVEPORT, La. — U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Juhntrayvious J. White, 20, of Shreveport, was sentenced today for illegally possessing a machine gun. U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced White to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.  

According to information presented in court, on Sept. 9, 2022, a Shreveport Police Department officer stopped White for a traffic violation on Hearne Avenue. As the officer approached the vehicle, White took off at a high rate of speed, reaching a speed of over 100 mph in a 40-mph zone. The car stopped and White fled from the scene on foot and escaped. Officers found an Anderson Arms AM-15 equipped with an auto sear and White’s cell phone in the vehicle. White was later apprehended by law enforcement officers and admitted that he obtained the auto sear and converted the Anderson Arms AM-15 into a machine gun.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.

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 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.

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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 Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jonathan A. Kobes has sentenced a Rapid City man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on Jan. 23.

Richard Neiss, 52, was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was also ordered to forfeit his interests in several firearms.

Neiss was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 6, 2023.

On June 29, 2022, Neiss was driving a vehicle in Rapid City, when he was stopped by law enforcement. Neiss was the sole occupant. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of six firearms, which Neiss is not allowed to possess due to having a felony conviction.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol and the South Dakota National Guard.

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.

Neiss was 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)

PIERRE, S.D. — U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on Jan. 3.

Jeremiah Iron Moccasin, 39, was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100 and forfeiture of the firearm.

Iron Moccasin was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 2, 2023.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 24, 2023, when Iron Moccasin was placed under arrest on a tribal warrant with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Once at the jail, Iron Moccasin and his backpack were searched. Officers recovered a small baggie of methamphetamine, two syringes with methamphetamine, and an Arminius HW7, GmbH .22 revolver. Iron Moccasin admitted to being a methamphetamine user for the last several years. This makes him a prohibited person.

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

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.

Iron Moccasin was 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)

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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