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

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeffrey James Morris, age 36, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was charged today with wire fraud.

According to a federal criminal complaint, Morris is charged with fraudulently inducing an individual to provide him with funds to renovate the Scottish Rite Cathedral, a building located at the corner of Fourteenth and Byron Streets in East Wheeling. It is alleged that Morris, who is the managing member and majority owner of Roxby Development, LLC, caused an investor to provide him with $350,000 to rehabilitate the Cathedral but instead used the funds for other purposes. It is further alleged that Morris misrepresented work performed upon the Cathedral, the status of the historic tax credits, and the amount of rental income from a purported tenant.

The principal purpose of Roxby Development, LLC, was to acquire and develop real estate in the region, to include the Cathedral, the McClure House Hotel, and the Mount Carmel Monastery. The Roxby companies received a total of $6.9 million dollars from approximately twenty investors between October 2019 until July 2022.

“Jeffrey Morris made misrepresentations to people in Wheeling, West Virginia, and throughout the country in order to fund a fraudulent scheme,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “His arrest today brings an end to a ruse in which innocent investors were tricked into providing him with millions of dollars.”

According to Ihlenfeld, additional charges will be filed at a later date. Today’s charge and arrest were necessitated by Morris’s plan to travel outside of the United States next week. Morris appeared in federal court this afternoon where he surrendered his passport and then was released under terms and conditions imposed by the court.

U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-CI.

Morris is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

DES MOINES, IA – A Des Moines man was sentenced Wednesday, September 6, 2023, to six years in prison following his guilty plea to receipt of child pornography.

According to court documents, over the course of several months in 2022, Matthew John Marcalus, 55, used Instagram to communicate with a fifteen-year-old child. During these conversations, Marcalus engaged in sexually explicit chats, and solicited and received photos of the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Marcalus also sent the child photos of Marcalus’s genitals. Eventually, law enforcement became involved and communicated with Marcalus while posing as the fifteen-year-old child. Officers arrested Marcalus when he arrived at a location to meet the child.

Following his prison term, Marcalus must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Ankeny Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Leemkuil prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

            WASHINGTON — An Indiana man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Gregory Mijares, 41, of Crown Point, Indiana, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of civil disorder. Mijares is also charged with misdemeanor offenses of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in any restricted building or grounds.

            Mijares was arrested today in Crown Point, Indiana, and made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Indiana.

            According to court documents, Mijares traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest the election and attend a rally held that day in support of the former President on Jan. 6, 2021. Following the rally, Mijares began walking with the crowd toward the U.S. Capitol and entered the grounds, wearing a gas mask. Mijares eventually made his way to the Lower West Terrace as he pursued retreating police officers. As officers attempted to fall back into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, Mijares stood in their path and raised a flag over his head. Officers then attempted to remove Mijares from their path, and a physical altercation ensued between officers and Mijares.

            Capitol CCTV shows that Mijares was one of the first rioters to pursue police into the Tunnel, entering the archway at approximately 2:41 p.m. Body-worn camera footage and open-source video show Mijares as he approached a set of glass doors that police previously locked behind them as they moved further into the Tunnel. Moments later, rioters smashed one of the panes of glass in the doors. Mijares then held up his middle finger at officers before pulling open the now-broken door for others to push forward. Mijares then approached a second set of Tunnel doors just behind the first and pulled one open for his fellow rioters. Officers attempted to push Mijares back using a riot shield, and he responded by taking a step back and slamming his body into the shield.

            Other rioters then swarmed Mijares at the police line and began physically fighting officers as Mijares continued pushing against the riot shield. At some point, an officer struck Mijares with a baton while he was facing the shield wall. Mijares attempted to block the baton by raising his arms up in front of his head, eventually grabbing the baton.

            Mijares remained at the front of the line, pushing against police, until approximately 2:45 p.m. At approximately 2:52 p.m., Mijares exited the Tunnel only to reenter at about 3:11 p.m. Mijares then joined other rioters in a coordinated pushing “heave ho” effort against the police line for approximately several minutes.

            Between about 3:12 p.m. and 3:13 p.m., Mijares assisted other rioters in coordinating the passing of riot shields that had been taken from the police. Mijares then pushed further toward the front of the mob and engaged in another “heave ho” effort against the police line. After participating in this “heave ho,” Mijares made his way back to the Tunnel entranceway, where he exited at approximately 3:19 p.m.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis and Washington Field Offices, which identified Mijares as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #63 on its seeking infromation photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,146 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 398 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Matthew Morlee, 46, was sentenced on September 5, 2023, by Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough to 60 months and one day in prison for manufacturing methamphetamine and for possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug crime.

Morlee was indicted in September 2018 and pleaded guilty in May 2023. After his initial release on bond, Morlee’s bond was subsequently revoked, and he was detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service.

The statutory penalties for manufacturing a substance containing methamphetamine are up to 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. The penalties for possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug crime are up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.

This case was indicted as part of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force which included members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; Illinois State Police; Springfield Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Chatham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.

The case against Morlee 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.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

BUFFALO, NY – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that two brothers, Larry Jordan, 45, of Lancaster, NY, and Sutukh El a/k/a Curtis Jordan a/k/a Hugo Hurt a/k/a Hugo Hermes Hurtington, 41, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud for their participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. In addition, Jordan pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

 According to court documents, between April and September 2020, Jordan and El conspired to submit eight fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies they owned or controlled. Three of the applications were submitted to Evolve Bank & Trust and the other five were submitted to Lendio, a financial technology company based in Utah. The applications contained false statements about the 2019 payroll expenses of each company, which were used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. To corroborate the applications, Jordan and El submitted IRS forms, which had never been filed with the IRS, as well as fraudulent payroll registers that purported to identify the names, personal information, and salary of the employees identified on the PPP applications.

For example, a PPP loan application was submitted on behalf of 5 Stems Inc to Evolve. The application represented that in 2019, 5 Stems Inc had 194 employees and an average monthly payroll of $242,133.33. In truth, 5 Stems Inc had nine employees in 2019 and paid those employees a total of approximately $57,380 for all of 2019. Evolve approved the application and funded a $605,200 loan. The money was deposited into an account controlled by defendant El. Some of the money was used for the defendants’ own investments, as well as personal expenses and home improvements.

This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Kruly and Grace Carducci for the Western District of New York and Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 17, 2024, before Judge Sinatra.

# # # #

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

FBI Tech Tuesday: Construyendo Una Defensa Digital Contra “¡Ups, Número Equivocado!” Textos

EL PASO, TX—Todos hemos visto estos mensajes de texto. Los mensajes de texto dirigidos a otra persona aparecen en su teléfono, ya sea acerca de una reunión de negocios, una cita con el veterinario o una reunión amistosa. Respondes “Lo siento, número equivocado”. Y luego el desconocido continúa la conversación amistosa e intenta de establecer una amistad contigo a través de una conversación inocente.

Los estafadores detrás de los mensajes de texto falsos con números incorrectos cuentan con usted para continuar la conversación. Quieren explotar tu amabilidad. Una vez que hayan establecido una conexión, trabajarán para convertirse en amigos o incluso cultivar una relación romántica remota. Todo es un ardid, diseñado para que relaje su desconfianza para que sea más susceptible a caer en su estafa, como una inversión en criptomonedas o muchas otras dirigidas a las víctimas.

Aunque se hacen pasar por personas normales que ingresaron los números incorrectos en sus teléfonos, los estafadores que ejecutan estafas de texto de números incorrectos falsos utilizan tecnología extremadamente sofisticada para cometer sus delitos.

Protéjase no respondiendo a mensajes de texto desconocidos. No haga clic en ningún enlace en los mensajes ni responda con “STOP” si los mensajes dicen que puede hacer esto para evitar mensajes futuros. Bloquea el número de teléfono.

Si ha sido víctima de un delito en línea, haga un informe al FBI. Puede presentar un informe en línea en el Centro de Denuncias de Delitos en Internet del FBI en www.ic3.gov o llamar a la Oficina de Campo del FBI en El Paso al (915) 832-5000.

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

PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Westmoreland County, has been sentenced in federal court to 36 months’ imprisonment and four years’ supervised release on her conviction of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Nina Marie Barkley, age 36, of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the court, while Barkley was employed as a counselor at a drug treatment facility, she stole the personal identification information of a patient, identified in the Indictment as K.P., including K.P.’s Social Security number, date of birth, and home residence. Barkley then used K.P.’s personal identification information, without K.P.’s permission or authorization, to obtain loans from various financial institutions. The total losses associated with the fraud were over $60,000.

The court also was informed that, after Barkley was charged with the offenses in the Indictment, she continued to use K.P.’s personal identification information, without K.P.’s permission or authorization, and applied for government assistance through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (“ERAP”) in K.P.’s name. In addition, after being charged with the offenses in the Indictment, Barkley stole the personal identification information of another individual and used that information to attempt to obtain another line of credit.

Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Pennsylvania State Police and West Mifflin Police conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Barkley.

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

COLUMBUS, Ga. –A Columbus, Georgia, resident who admitted to possessing photos and videos of children being sexual abused was sentenced to serve ten years in federal prison for her crime.

Townes Ward Borum, 38, of Columbus, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Clay Land today after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Borum will also have to register as a sex offender for life upon her release from prison. Borum is not eligible for parole.

“This case serves as a harsh reminder of the length child predators will go to meet their needs at the cost of innocent and trusting lives,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “In collaboration with our law enforcement and community partners, we will seek justice on behalf of sexually exploited children and do everything within our power to hold predators accountable.”

“People like Borum, who sexually exploit children for monetary gain, do serious lasting harm and facilitate in the continued manufacturing and trading of child sexual abuse material,” said Rich Bilson, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Columbus office. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to find such predators and lock them up so they can do no further harm.”

“This case shows how low predators will go to profit from innocent lives. Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit remains committed to diligently investigating individuals who exploit our children,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey.

According to facts presented at court, GBI was contacted by law enforcement in New Jersey on May 20, 2022, with information that an adult female in the Middle District of Georgia was distributing nude photos of a young child to a man in their jurisdiction. The initial Cybertip leading to the New Jersey man came from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and a subsequent investigation found digital files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the man’s cell phone. The man told authorities that Borum was providing him with the CSAM material, and that they had been communicating on the Whisper app and by text message. The man said he paid Borum’s rent and other expenses in exchange for sexually explicit photos and videos of young children.

A search warrant was executed by GBI at Borum’s Columbus home on May 21, 2022. Borum’s cell phone was seized; it contained hundreds of images and videos of CSAM, including images of CSAM depicting prepubescent minors. Her phone also contained numerous messages between Borum and others discussing the exchange of child sexual abuse material for money. Agents also found online advertisements she created and posted to sell child sexual abuse material. Borum admitted to the facts in court.

The plea agreement in this case is sealed at the request of the Government for protection of minor victims.

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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

The case was investigated by GBI, FBI-Atlanta, FBI-Dallas and FBI-Los Angeles, with special assistance from the Bergen County, New Jersey, District Attorney’s Office and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case for the Government.

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

            WASHINGTON — A Georgia man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Michael Bradley, 49, of Forsyth, Georgia, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In addition to the felonies, Bradley is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

            Bradley was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Forsyth, and made his initial appearance today in the Middle District of Georgia before Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle.

            According to court documents, between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, an individual, later identified as Bradley, wearing a camouflage baseball cap, camouflage quilted jacket, and a pair of blue jeans, with a baton in a holster on his right hip, walked towards the U.S. Capitol and moved to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, where law enforcement officers were amassed.

            As Bradley walked with other protesters to the U.S. Capitol, he passed fencing and barricades that showed that the Capitol grounds were restricted. Bradley then ascended the building’s steps to the Lower West Terrace. Bradley made his way to the mouth of the Tunnel and watched as others in the crowd assaulted a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer.

            Court documents say that Bradley approached the Tunnel two times over a two-minute period with the intent of assaulting officers with his baton. At about 4:27 p.m., Bradley raised his baton and approached officers in the Tunnel in an apparent threat to strike them. However, he was sprayed with a chemical agent, which appeared to have caused him to temporarily retreat.

            Again, at approximately 4:28 p.m., CCTV and third-party video captured Bradley as he returned to the mouth of the Tunnel. This time, he swung at the officers with his baton in an apparent attempt to hit them. After swinging at the officers at least two times, Bradley moved to the side of the Tunnel.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Atlanta and Washington Field Offices, which identified Bradley as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #154 on its seeking inforamtion photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,146 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 398 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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

LUIS GARCIA, 25, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a racketeering charge stemming from his participation in a violent Bridgeport street gang.

Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence.  Garcia was a member of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gangs, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, and the PT Barnum gang.  O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers and others, sold narcotics, and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut and used the cars to commit crimes.

Text messages and social media posts reviewed during the investigation confirmed that Garcia possessed and sold narcotics and firearms, stole vehicles, and was involved in related violent criminal activity alongside other O.N.E. members and associates.

On August 9, 2018, O.N.E. members stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Newburgh, New York, and drove it back to Bridgeport.  In the following days, O.N.E. members conspired to use the car to kill East End gang members and their allies who they had learned through social media were at a deli on Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport.  Although that plan fell through, in the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, O.N.E. members drove the stolen Jeep to Stratford and Union Avenues in Bridgeport where they shot and killed Len Smith, 25, who they mistook for a rival East End group member, and shot and seriously wounded Smith’s female companion, both of whom were seated in a parked car.  After the shooting, O.N.E. members transported the Jeep to Indian Wells State Park in Shelton where they burned the vehicle in an effort to destroy evidence of the murder.

It is alleged that O.N.E. members committed other violent crimes, including murder.

Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  A sentencing date is not scheduled.

Garcia has been detained since his arrest on September 8, 2021.

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis and Tara E. Levens.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

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.

Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.  Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.  If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.