Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

BOSTON – A Malden man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to distributing fentanyl and using stolen identities to conduct transactions and obtain credit cards.

Derick Coulanges, a/k/a/ “Casa,” 28, pleaded guilty on Jan 5, 2024 to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; possession of five or more identification documents with intent to use them unlawfully; and use of and trafficking in unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud to obtain property valued over $1,000. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for April 12, 2024. Coulanges was charged by criminal complaint in July 2023. 

In January and February 2023, Coulanges was recorded selling a cooperating witness 50 grams of fentanyl in Coulanges’ Mercedes Benz. In the recordings, Coulanges also offered to procure counterfeit driver’s licenses to the cooperating witness that contained stolen personal identifying information (PII). Coulanges would go on to explain the manner in which a counterfeit driver’s license bearing stolen PII could be utilized to open bank accounts and obtain credit cards to purchase items. 

In March 2023, during a search of Coulanges’ Malden apartment which he had obtained using a drug customer’s stolen identity, approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine was located. A search of Coulanges’ Mercedes Benz revealed six driver’s licenses bearing stolen PII and one counterfeit license that bore Coulanges’ photograph but contained stolen PII of an individual from Ohio. A subsequent investigation revealed that the individuals associated with the driver’s licenses had been the victims of identity theft and had bank accounts and credit cards opened in their name. The counterfeit driver’s license bearing Coulanges’ photograph had been used to open bank accounts, apply for loans and obtain credit cards. Surveillance footage was located depicting Coulanges opening the accounts and then utilizing the fraudulently obtained credit cards to conduct transactions at various retailers, including at two jewelry stores where he purchased approximately $12,000 in jewelry.

The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of five or more identification documents with intent to use them unlawfully provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of use of unauthorized access devices to fraudulently obtain more than $1,000 provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

CONCORD – A Concord man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Ethan Lea, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On April 14, 2022, Lea pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

“Law enforcement will hold those that poison our communities with dangerous narcotics accountable,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to reduce the supply of fentanyl and methamphetamine in New Hampshire by incarcerating prolific drug dealers.”

“Today’s sentence is a win for the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the people of New Hampshire as we work together to remove dangerous drugs and criminals off the street,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

After a motor vehicle stop on June 13, 2021, law enforcement seized approximately 245 grams of methamphetamine and 71 grams of fentanyl from Lea’s car.  On July 30, 2021, Lea was caught again with large quantities of drugs and evidence of drug dealing in his car, including 448 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, and over $2,000 in cash. He later admitted to law enforcement that the drugs recovered from the car stops belonged to him, and that he intended to distribute them.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande prosecuted the case.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

The Salt Lake City Division of the FBI is releasing public service announcements in eight foreign languages to expand our reach within our diverse communities and encourage the reporting of hate crimes.

The PSA has been translated and recorded into: Arabic, Turkish, Urdu, Persian-Afghan (Dari), Persian-Iranian (Farsi), Pashto-Afghani, Somali, and Spanish.

One of the primary goals of this campaign is to connect with community members of various backgrounds, including those who may have challenges with literacy.

In the English PSA, Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha says recent events in our country and overseas have led to an increase in harassment and intimidation within some communities.

“We understand some people may be scared or hesitant to come forward to law enforcement for whatever reason, but I want to assure you the FBI is here to serve all communities and keep us all safe,” SAC Sinha says in the PSA.

The PSAs will be shared with various religious, civic, community organizations, and refugee service providers in Utah.

“Crimes motivated by hate and bigotry have no place in our society, and we won’t tolerate them,” said Sinha. “The FBI works with our law enforcement partners to ensure everyone, regardless of race, faith, sexual orientation, or disability, feels secure and protected.”

The PSAs were translated, recorded, and reviewed with assistance from linguists at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and FBI Field Offices in Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, San Diego, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Washington.

FBI Hate Crime Threat Response Guide

The FBI Hate Crime Threat Response Guide is a useful resource and describes how to respond to and report various types of hate crime threats (physical, verbal, phoned, electronic, and written or visual threats).

2022 Hate Crimes Statistics

Last fall, the FBI released its 2022 Hate Crime Report as part of its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

In Utah, 135 of 147 agencies voluntarily submitted data for this report. There were 104 incidents reported in 2022 and 153 reported victims, compared to 88 incidents reported and 119 reported victims in 2021. 131 of 146 agencies voluntarily submitted data in 2021.

In 2022, the top three bias categories in single-bias incidents were race/ethnicity/ancestry (43%), and sexual-orientation (34%), and religion (13%).

Additional data is available on the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.

FBI’s Role in Investigating Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. The FBI defines a hate crime as a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.

The FBI is the lead investigative agency for criminal violations of federal civil right statutes and works closely with local, state, tribal, and other federal law enforcement partners in many of these cases, even when federal charges are not pursued.

If you believe you are a victim or a witness of a hate crime, we encourage you to report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three men were sentenced on federal charges related to domestic violence.

Brian Michael Lewis, age 42, of Levels, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. According to court documents and statements made in court, Hampshire County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a domestic dispute at Lewis’s home. During a search of the home, officers found 8 firearms along with ammunition. Lewis cannot possess guns due to prior drug and larceny charges in Virginia.

Derik Wayne Bowers, age 44, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to 41 months for stalking. According to court documents, Bowers harassed and intimidated his ex-girlfriend in Berkeley County and used social media to attempt to undermine her online business. Despite being subject to a protective order, Bowers placed more than 800 phone calls to her during a 48-hour period and sent nearly 2,000 text messages in six months.

Rodney Allen Mayhew, age 43, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months for unlawful possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, while responding to a domestic violence call, officers recovered two pistols and a rifle in Mayhew’s bedroom. Mayhew is prohibited from possessing guns due to a prior conviction.

The Lewis case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI investigated the Bowers case. The Mayhew case was also investigated by the ATF, along with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the Bowers case on behalf of the government.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted the Mayhew and Lewis cases.

U.S. District Court Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Memphis, TN – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee participated in a United Against Hate outreach event bringing DOJ officials and FBI partners to community members to elevate effective strategies to prevent, report, and respond to hate crimes and incidents.

United Against Hate is a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to inform communities about hate crimes and reporting hate-related incidents. The Department launched the initiative in 2022 with the goal of building trust, opening lines of communication, and strengthening coordination between relevant partners and the community to help combat a growing number of hate and bias-related incidents since 2021.

This recent event took place on January 7 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in partnership with CasaLuz, a nonprofit organization that provides advocacy and resources to Hispanic/Latinx domestic violence victims in the Memphis area. The program featured U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz, Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Smith, Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Cornejo, and FBI Special Agent Jeremy Baker.

Below are photos from the event along with a video of U.S. Attorney Ritz’s opening remarks.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to host presentations throughout the Western District of Tennessee to help communities understand what hate crimes are, how federal agencies respond to hate crimes, and what people can do to help victims. Community organizations or leaders that wish to partner with the United States Attorney’s office to explore holding such an event in their community should contact the District at 901-544-4231.

Anyone who feels they have been the victim of a hate crime or may have witnessed a hate crime should immediately report the crime to state or local police by dialing 9-1-1, then quickly report the incident to the FBI at tips.FBI.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Next, please report the incident to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division at civilrights.justice.gov or by contacting the Civil Rights Coordinator in the Civil Division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 901-544-4231.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Defendant Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Over $40,000 From Oklahoma Veterans

OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, MICHAEL BRUCE COLLEY, 65, of Marlow, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On September 19, 2023, Colley was charged by Information with wire fraud. According to the Information, Colley worked as commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1192 in Duncan, Oklahoma. The VFW is a nonprofit, dedicated to veterans’ service and military and community service programs. The Information alleges Colley controlled the finances for the post, and made over 30 unauthorized withdrawals from VFW accounts, which he used to pay his own personal expenses. The withdrawals totaled more than $40,000 and many of these fraudulent withdrawals occurred at Oklahoma casinos.

Yesterday, Colley pleaded guilty to wire fraud. As part of his plea, Colley admitted that between January of 2019 and June of 2021, he defrauded the VFW Post 1192 of over $40,000. At sentencing, Colley faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City field office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly is prosecuting the case.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.