Source: United States Attorneys General 7

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Vishesh Aragam Guruprasad, age 31, of Boyds, Maryland yesterday to 42 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for a drug distribution conspiracy involving the purchase and sale of drugs through darkweb marketplaces, and money laundering. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) – Washington Field Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”) Washington, D.C. Field Office; Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, between at least July 2016 and February 2019, Aragam conspired to distribute and possessed with the intent to distribute over two kilograms of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as MDMA.  Specifically, Aragam admitted that he bought and sold illegal narcotics, including MDMA and marijuana, on various darkweb marketplaces.  For example, between July 15, 2016 and June 13, 2017, Aragam sold over two kilograms of MDMA on one darkweb marketplace and from October 2018 to April 2019, Aragam completed over 1,000 transactions selling MDMA, heroin, or marijuana through another darkweb marketplace.  Aragam’s darkweb customers paid for the narcotics in Bitcoin, which the darkweb marketplace would maintain until Aragam transferred to Bitcoin to a virtual currency wallet Aragam maintained.  Aragam used a virtual currency exchange to broker the exchange of Bitcoin to cash.

Aragam admitted that he obtained distribution quantities of MDMA from the United Kingdom, which he sold to drug customers throughout the United States over the darkweb.  Aragam had the MDMA shipped from the United Kingdom to the post office boxes of co-conspirators, who would then deliver the drugs to Aragam.  As detailed in the plea agreement, Aragam also sold drugs from his residence.

As stated in his plea agreement, Aragam routed the proceeds from his sale of illegal narcotics through several accounts and converted the proceeds from Bitcoins to U.S. dollars to conceal the nature and source of the proceeds.  For example, on June 30, 2017, Aragam transferred 18 Bitcoins from a darkweb marketplace to his virtual currency account at Exchange A, and a few days later, exchanged the 18 Bitcoins into U.S. dollars.  Aragam transferred $41,822.05, the value of the 18 Bitcoins as of that date, to Aragam’s virtual wallet spend account at his bank, then, in a series of transactions, moved the money into other accounts Aragam controlled.

A search warrant executed at Aragam’s residence on April 4, 2019, recovered four rifles and a shotgun, more than 1,100 rounds of ammunition, 92.83 grams of MDMA, marijuana, and one gram of a mixture containing phenylethyl and fentanyl.

This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, HSI, the IRS-CI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the ATF, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Sarma and Leah B. Grossi, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Source: United States Attorneys General 7

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Daniel Velcu, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 34 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.  As part of his sentence, Velcu will be required to pay $1,313,499.79 in restitution.

The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Serra of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Mid-Atlantic Region; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Terry Sult of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.

According to his guilty plea, beginning in June 2018 to October 2020, Velcu and his co-conspirators conspired to steal checks from the U.S. mail intended for religious institutions and deposit the illegally obtained funds into multiple fraudulent bank accounts at various victim financial institutions.  Conspirators, including Velcu, conducted the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes of churches and other religious institutions and removing the mail, specifically targeting donation checks.

As part of the scheme to defraud, Velcu and other co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions, often in fictitious names, with the aid of co-conspirator Diape Seck, who was an employee at one of the victim financial institutions.  Velcu used false names and accompanying fraudulent identity documents containing his photograph to open accounts and receive ATM cards and account information, in addition to using accounts opened by Seck.  Velcu and others deposited stolen checks into the fraudulently opened bank accounts and into bank accounts held in his own or a family member’s identity.  Velcu and co-conspirators then withdrew cash from the fraudulent bank accounts through ATMs and spent the illegally obtained proceeds using debit cards associated with the bank accounts. 

During the course of the conspiracy, Velcu personally deposited at least 70 stolen checks, totaling at least $40,357.50 and those accounts received at least $48,987.44 from approximately 101 stolen checks.  Information found on Velcu’s cellular phone revealed that eight additional accounts in the name of Velcu or a family member received at least $82,872.65 from approximately 145 stolen checks

On October 9, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Velcu’s residence and storage unit in Baltimore and recovered approximately $87,064 is cash, assorted gold coins and jewelry, all of which are being forfeited as proceeds of the conspiracy.  Law enforcement also seized fraudulent French identity documents containing photographs of Velcu and a false name.

Five other conspirators previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and were sentenced to up to five years in federal prison.  Former bank employee Seck was convicted after trial.  Seck faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; bank fraud; making false entries in bank records; and receipt of a bribe or reward by a bank employee.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Seck on June 2, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Source: United States Attorneys General 7

BANGOR, Maine: A former Aroostook County resident pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Andrew Adams, 31, along with others, trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. His participation in the conspiracy resulted in contacts with local law enforcement that led to the seizure of drugs, firearms, drug paraphernalia and other items.

Adams faces up to 20 years imprisonment. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle, and Houlton police departments. U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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.

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Source: United States Attorneys General 7

PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possession of child sexual abuse materials.

According to court records, in September 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at the Biddeford residence of Jeffrey Gray, 61, following reports that he had shared child sexual abuse material over a peer-to-peer file sharing network. Investigators seized eight electronic devices, and based on material recovered from those devices, executed a second search warrant in November 2022, recovering three additional devices. A forensic examination of the devices revealed hundreds of child sexual abuse images and videos. Victims depicted in the material recovered included an infant approximately 3-6 months old being sexually abused by an adult man. Gray has a previous conviction in Rockingham (New Hampshire) Superior Court in 2012 for aggravated felonious sexual assault.

Gray faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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Source: United States Attorneys General 7

PORTLAND, Maine: A Rockport man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to a bank fraud scheme in which he filed nine fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and received over $1 million in fraud proceeds.

According to court records, Mark X. Haley II, 42, filed fraudulent PPP loan applications at two banks for businesses he controlled. Haley listed false employee and payroll information on each application and submitted fraudulent documents to support the false information to the banks. These documents included false federal employment tax returns, fake timesheets and falsified bank records. As a result of the scheme, Haley fraudulently obtained $1,010,581 in PPP funds. He used some of the funds to make a down payment on a sailboat.

Haley faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. He also faces up to five years of supervised release. Haley will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations investigated the case.

“While many legitimate businesses used PPP loans to keep their businesses afloat, Mark Haley, motivated by personal greed, set his sails on a scheme to obtain lavish luxuries,” said Joleen Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS- Criminal Investigation’s Boston Field Office. “Today’s plea should serve as a stark reminder that criminals, such as Haley, will be held accountable for their misdeeds.”

Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.

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Source: United States Attorneys General 7

PORTLAND, Maine: A Falmouth man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for federal program fraud and wire fraud.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Joshua Cory Frances, 46, to five years in prison and two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $87,351 in restitution and to forfeit a 27-foot Boston Whaler boat, two marine outboard engines and a trailer. Frances pleaded guilty on October 27, 2021.

According to court records, Frances was the Commander of Maine Task Force One (MTF1), which was overseen by the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and funded from grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and through Maine Medical Center (MMC). Comprised primarily of physician assistants and emergency medical technicians, MTF1 augmented emergency medical service personnel for specific events in Maine and northern New England.

In 2015 and 2016, Frances converted to his own use property under the care of MTF1 and MMC, including a 44-foot sailing vessel, a 27-foot Boston Whaler boat and two marine outboard engines. Frances also falsely represented himself to be an employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and a member of law enforcement to the Defense Logistics Agency and other victims to improperly obtain over $150,000 worth of property, some of which he later converted to his own use.

“The DHS Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice individuals who fraudulently claim affiliation with DHS for personal gain. This sentence should send a clear message that these fraudsters will be held accountable,” said Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General of DHS.

“The sentencing announced today is the result of a joint investigative effort to seek justice against an individual who defrauded government programs,” stated Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the investigative arm of the Department of Defense (DoD), Office of Inspector General. “The fraudulent conduct in this case undermined the integrity of the DoD’s disposition services program, which is designed to transfer excess DoD property to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that make honest representations to the United States.”

DHS-OIG investigated the case with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Maine Attorney General’s Office, Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the Falmouth Police Department. Valuable support was provided by the FBI, MEMA, the Towns of Falmouth and Brunswick, FEMA and MMC.

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Source: United States Attorneys General 10

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5, 2023 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.  Responding to the unacceptable levels of violence that have led to the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) is a priority of the Department of Justice every day.

The department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort that takes many forms.  One year ago today, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco joined Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to launch the Not Invisible Act Commission, a joint Commission established by the Not Invisible Act with an essential mission—to reduce violence against American Indians and Alaska Natives.  In February, they welcomed the first in-person plenary meeting of the Not Invisible Act Commission.  Since then, the department’s representatives on the commission—who are department leaders and subject matter experts—have participated in the Commission’s field hearings, which will continue through the summer.  Later this year, the Commission will deliver recommendations for addressing the MMIP crisis to the Attorney General and the Secretary.  In addition to supporting the Not Invisible Act Commission, the department remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis.

“The Justice Department is marshalling the full strength of its resources to confront the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has devastated the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.  “Addressing this crisis requires a whole-of-government approach, and we are grateful for the partnership of Tribal and other law enforcement agencies across the nation that are working alongside the Justice Department to help reduce crime and support victims in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.”

“Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day calls on our nation to pause and honor the loved ones who have gone missing or who have been the victims of violent crime,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco.  “Acknowledging the many American Indian and Alaska Native people who have suffered, and continue to suffer, from the pain of a missing loved one or of violent crime serves as an important reminder of the urgency and importance of the department’s work to respond to the crisis of missing or murdered indigenous persons.  The Justice Department—including our dedicated agents, analysts, and prosecutors—remains steadfast in our pledge to work as partners with Tribal governments in preventing and responding to the violence that has disproportionately harmed Tribal communities.”   

“The Justice Department is committed to using every resource at its disposal to combat the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Crisis,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.  “In addition to our core law-enforcement work, we are providing grant funding and guidance to help Tribes develop response plans for missing-persons cases, partner effectively with local law enforcement, and provide resources for victims of crime.”

“Crime in Indian Country, particularly when it involves violent crime, domestic violence, kidnapping, abduction, or murder, is best addressed with swift and effective action through a coordinated law enforcement response,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester from the Western District of Oklahoma. “These cases and investigations are a priority for my Office, and we remain committed to work with our local, state, Tribal and federal law enforcement partners agencies to resolve jurisdictional complexities and coordinate efforts so that criminal offenders are held accountable, and victims receive justice.”

Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases

In July 2022, Deputy Attorney General Monaco issued a memorandum reiterating that it is a priority of the Department of Justice to address the disproportionately high rates of violence experienced by American Indians and Alaska Natives, and relatedly, the high rates of indigenous persons reported missing.  The memorandum directed each United States Attorney with Indian country jurisdiction — along with their law enforcement partners at DOJ — to update and develop new plans for addressing public safety in Indian country.

With respect to missing Indigenous persons, just a few weeks ago the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma (USAO-WDOK) issued MMIP Investigative Guidelines, pursuant to Savanna’s Act, which will serve as a roadmap for handling these cases.  The USAO-WDOK also created a new position of Senior Counsel for Tribal Relations and selected Arvo Q. Mikkanen, an experienced Assistant U.S. Attorney with extensive experience prosecuting cases arising in Indian country, to serve in this role.  The creation of this position further heightens the USAO-WDOK’s commitment to criminal justice issues, particularly those affecting the 21 tribes with lands located in the Western District of Oklahoma.

The USAO-WDOK will also work more closely with Tribal justice partners following the passage of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act in 2022.  As a result of that law’s passage, Tribal justice systems are now able, with expanded special criminal jurisdiction, to prosecute non-Indian perpetrators of sexual assault, child abuse, stalking, sex trafficking, and assaults on Tribal law enforcement officers, unlike before.  Further, the USAO-WDOK has a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney—who is dually appointed as a prosecutor with the Chickasaw Nation—embedded in its office to further streamline its response and enhance coordination.

Recently, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the USAO-WDOK, along with various other state agencies participated in the “Missing in Oklahoma 2023” event on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the University of Central Oklahoma Forensic Science Institute in Edmond.  Many families and friends of missing persons attended the event providing DNA and reporting additional information to be added to NamUs.  Next year, the Missing in Oklahoma event will be held on April 27, 2024, at the same location.

Publication of Updated Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance

In October 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued revised Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance.  The revised guidelines, which were updated for the first time in a decade, address when and how department employees work with victims and witnesses of crime to ensure that their voices are heard and that they are protected during criminal justice proceedings. For the first time the guidelines include cultural and linguistic considerations for victims from American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

National Native American Outreach Services Liaison

Last year, the department announced the creation of a new National Native American Outreach Services Liaison.  Since that announcement, the Liaison has begun to help amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families across the department as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. In the coming months, the Liaison will meet with survivors and family members of MMIP to learn more about the current challenges in MMIP cases and to make recommendations about the department’s continued response.

Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and Respond to the MMIP Crisis

In July 2022, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior submitted a report pursuant to Sections 2 and 4(a) of Executive Order 14053, which called for “coordinated and comprehensive Federal law enforcement strategy to prevent and respond to violence against Native Americans, including to address missing or murdered indigenous people where the federal government has jurisdiction.”  The report was published late last year and is available on the department website here.

Guide for Tribal Community Response Plans for Missing Persons Cases

In December 2022, the department published a Guide to Developing a Tribal Community Response Plan for Missing Persons Cases.  This Guide is a resource for Tribes interested in developing a plan to respond to missing person cases that is tailored to the specific needs, resources, and culture of Tribal communities.

Launch of the COPS Office Tribal MOU/MOA Resource Library

On Monday of this week, the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) published its Tribal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)/Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Sample Resource Library.  This library provides users with the resources to research and successfully draft agreements that will help agencies develop and solidify partnerships to address missing or murdered Indigenous persons cases.

Expanded Scope of the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Grant Program

The department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) expanded the scope of allowable activities under its Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside (TVSSA) grant program to permit Tribal communities to pay for costs related to generating awareness of individual missing persons cases involving American Indians and Alaska Native persons, supporting private search efforts for missing American Indians and Alaska Native persons in certain circumstances, and supporting efforts to coordinate the Tribal, state, and federal response to MMIP cases.

Government-to-Government Tribal Consultation on Violence Against Women

In September 2022, the department’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) held the 17th Annual OVW Government-to Government Tribal Consultation on Violence Against Women in Anchorage, Alaska.  OVW is responsible for conducting annual government-to-government consultations with the leaders of all Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments on behalf of the Attorney General.  The 2022 Tribal consultation report is available here.

National Institute of Justice Study of MMIP Cases in New Mexico

Last year, the department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded a study that will provide vital information regarding the prevalence and context of cases of MMIP in New Mexico and, importantly, will inform long-term data collection, analysis, and reporting strategies on MMIP cases.  These improvements will support data-driven decision-making regarding MMIP in New Mexico moving forward.

Additional Department of Justice Resources

For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.

Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.

Source: United States Attorneys General 7

BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child sexual abuse materials.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kevin MacVicar, 31, to 84 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution. MacVicar pleaded guilty on August 12, 2022.

According to court records, between about February 2015 and February 2021, MacVicar possessed child pornography on his cell phone and electronic storage devices. He had obtained the images and videos from the internet, including by participating in online forums dedicated to child sexual abuse material. Some of the images depicted children under 12.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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Source: United States Attorneys General 10

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two criminal indictments were unsealed in federal court today following the arrest of a U.S. Postal Carrier and a co-conspirator for their involvement in an extensive mail theft scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

Kiara Padgett, 28, of Waxhaw, N.C., is charged with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and 10 counts of mail theft by a postal employee. A separate indictment charges Terrell Alexander Hager Jr., 23, of Charlotte, with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and seven counts of possession of stolen mail.

According to allegations contained in Padgett’s indictment, Padgett was employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier with a postal route in West Charlotte. From August 2021 to November 2022, Padgett allegedly used her position as a postal carrier to steal incoming and outgoing checks of businesses and individuals, which she then sold to other individuals located in Charlotte and Maryland. The indictment alleges that the total face value of the checks Padgett stole was more than $8.3 million. The indictment further alleges that between August 2021 and June 2022, Padgett received payments for her role in the scheme totaling at least $13,698.

The indictment filed against Hager alleges that, between August 2021 and November 2022, Hager and his co-conspirators obtained stolen checks from Padgett. The co-conspirators allegedly deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts Hager and others controlled, and then made cash withdrawals before the financial institutions detected the fraud. Over the course of the scheme, Hager and his co-conspirators allegedly deposited more than $27,000 in stolen checks and money orders. Hager also allegedly posted online for sale over 400 stolen checks totaling over $7.3 million. The checks posted by Hager were allegedly stolen from Padgett’s postal route in West Charlotte. According to today’s court proceedings, Hager was on probation with the state of North Carolina when he committed the fraud.

Padgett was released on bond following her court hearing. If convicted, Padgett faces a maximum prison term of 30 years and a $1 million fine for the bank fraud conspiracy charge, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the 10 counts of theft of mail by a postal employee.

Hager remains in federal custody. If convicted, he is facing a maximum prison term of 30 years and a $1 million fine for the charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the seven charges of possession of stolen mail.

The details contained in this indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The USPIS, USPS-OIG, and CMPD investigated the case. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny G. Sugar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

Source: United States Attorneys General 7

PORTLAND, Maine:  A New York man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for transporting a Maine teenager across state lines with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Tyler Streeter, 28, to six years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

According to court records, in late 2020, Streeter contacted a 16-year-old girl on Instagram and TikTok and began a months-long interaction with her online. At the time, Streeter resided in Norwich, New York, and the victim lived in Maine. Streeter groomed the victim by repeatedly telling her that she was attractive and that he loved her and wanted to marry her. He also sent graphic messages in which he expressed his interest in having sex with her. In April 2021, Streeter traveled to Maine with the intent to pick up the victim and take her back to New York. The victim’s father unsuccessfully attempted to stop Streeter and the girl from leaving, and an AMBER alert was issued. The victim was recovered from a residence in Syracuse, New York and returned to Maine the following day.

Street is a registered sex offender following a 2017 conviction in New York for sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Online enticement is increasing: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported an alarming 97.5% increase in online enticement reports between 2019 and 2020. “Online enticement” involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a child via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction. This type of victimization takes place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. Learn more about online enticement, including red flags and risk factors, at https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/onlineenticement.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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