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

An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging two defendants, Walter Stanzione and William Neogra, with wire fraud conspiracy for systematically defrauding the City of New York.  The defendants are charged with overbilling New York City agencies for more than a decade in connection with contracts to repair and maintain fire alarm systems.  Stanzione is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak, while Neogra is scheduled to be arraigned before Untied States Magistrate Judge Laura D. Hatcher in the District Court of Delaware.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the charges. 

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were hired to make sure that the fire alarm systems in hundreds of New York City buildings functioned safely and effectively,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “The defendants took this as an opportunity to steal and defraud, abusing and betraying their obligations.  This indictment demonstrates our Office’s commitment to holding accountable government contractors who fleece city agencies and taxpayers.”

DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “These defendants, as charged, overbilled City agencies for more than a decade, including the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Sanitation, by submitting fraudulent invoices reflecting inflated prices.  I thank our federal law enforcement partners for their commitment to protect the City’s resources and to hold accountable vendors who use their City contracts to engage in fraud.”

“Doing business with the city is a privilege Neogra and Stanzione allegedly abused for over a decade. Their alleged crimes milked the city of valuable resources. They got used to getting paid more for less, but today it caught up to them,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.  

“The defendants in this case took money out of the pockets of hard-working New Yorkers by allegedly overbilling the city with fake invoices and inflated prices.  This fraud affects all those taxpayers who trusted that the City was paying for services rendered.  The defendants are now being held responsible for their criminal acts and will face justice for their decades-long scheme.” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York.

As alleged in the indictment, the defendants exercised control over Fire Alarm Electrical Corp., a company that held numerous contracts with New York City agencies to repair and maintain fire alarm systems.  For more than a decade, Fire Alarm Electrical Corp. overbilled those agencies by submitting fraudulent invoices with dramatically inflated prices, including invoices that purported to be from legitimate retailers, which the defendants had altered and modified, as well as invoices from shell companies that the defendants owned and controlled.

The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  The defendants face maximum sentences of 20 years’ imprisonment.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Erik Paulsen and Michael Gibaldi are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendants:

WALTER STANZIONE
Age: 65
East Meadow, New York

WILLIAM NEOGRA
Age: 63
Millsboro, Delaware

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-482

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

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of SETH MARKIN in connection with his participation in a scheme to trade in stock of Pandion Therapeutics (“Pandion”) based on inside information that he misappropriated from his then-girlfriend, who was an attorney at a major law firm assigned to work on the acquisition of Pandion by Merck & Co. (“Merck”).  MARKIN was arrested in July 2022 and pled guilty to securities fraud based on insider trading before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Seth Markin, who had been accepted into the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a new agent trainee, chose to act as if the law did not apply to him when he misappropriated confidential information, traded based on that information, and tipped several friends and family members, resulting in millions of dollars of illegally obtained trading profits.  Markin knew his actions were wrong, deleted evidence of his crimes, and lied to try to cover up his scheme.  No one is above the law, and this Office’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the financial markets remains a priority.”

As alleged in the Indictment, other public court documents, and statements made during court proceedings:

In early 2021, SETH MARKIN and BRANDON WONG together made more than $1.4 million in illegal profits by trading in stock based on inside information that MARKIN stole from his then-girlfriend, who was at the time an attorney at a major law firm in Washington D.C. (the “Law Firm Associate”).  At the time, MARKIN had been accepted into the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) as a new agent trainee, and WONG was a systems analyst at an education company.  In February 2021, MARKIN secretly looked through the Law Firm Associate’s confidential work documents, without her permission, and learned that, in a matter of weeks, Merck, a publicly traded pharmaceutical company, was going to acquire Pandion, a publicly traded biotechnology company, for approximately three times the value of Pandion’s share price.  MARKIN immediately purchased Pandion stock on the basis of this material non-public information and also told several family members and friends to purchase Pandion’s stock, causing WONG, another friend, and several family members to do so, including Family Member-1, Family Member-2, Family Member-3, Family Member-4, and Friend-1.  In text messages, MARKIN assured WONG that he was “not uncertain” that when the “news drop[ped]” about Pandion, the price would “EXPLODE” and they would earn “triple gains.”  

WONG purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of Pandion shares based on the material non-public information he received from MARKIN.  In addition to his purchases of Pandion stock, WONG told at least seven other people to purchase Pandion shares, causing some of the people he tipped to purchase tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of Pandion stock, including Family Member-5, Friend-2, Friend-3, Friend-4, Friend-5, Friend-6, and Friend-7.

In total, MARKIN and WONG together caused at least 20 people to trade in Pandion stock based on the material non-public information that MARKIN misappropriated from his girlfriend, resulting in millions of dollars of illegally obtained trading profits.  To conceal their illegal insider trading scheme, MARKIN and WONG used an encrypted messaging application and deleted many of their text messages with each other.  They also agreed on a cover story that they could provide to law enforcement, namely, that if they were asked how they anticipated Pandion’s stock price increase, they could say they “read it on Stocktwit,” in reference to a social media platform for sharing stock ideas, and falsely say that the news was “publicly being announced there.”

After Merck’s acquisition of Pandion was announced publicly, and the Pandion stockholdings of MARKIN and WONG, and those whom they tipped, significantly increased in value, the defendants sold their shares of Pandion for significant profits.  With their illegal profits, the defendants and their tippees purchased luxury items and bought gifts for each other.  For example, WONG purchased for MARKIN a Rolex watch valued at approximately $40,000, a trip to Hawaii, and a meal at a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in New York that cost more than $1,000.  WONG also purchased a home in Florida.

Thereafter, MARKIN lied in order to hide his illegal insider trading.  In or about June 2021, after MARKIN and the Law Firm Associate had ended their relationship, and as MARKIN was preparing to begin training as a new agent at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, the Law Firm Associate called MARKIN to ask why MARKIN’s name had come up in an inquiry by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority into trading in Pandion stock.  In response, MARKIN lied to the Law Firm Associate and falsely claimed that he did not trade in Pandion stock.

MARKIN subsequently took steps to further conceal his criminal activity.  On November 18, 2021, Markin lied to FBI agents when he was interviewed about his Pandion trading.  That day, Special Agents from the FBI interviewed MARKIN in connection with an investigation they told him was being conducted by law enforcement in the Southern District of New York relating to insider trading in Pandion stock.  During the interview, MARKIN adhered to the fake cover story he and WONG had concocted and falsely told the agents (i) that he learned about Pandion on StockTwits, (ii) that he purchased the stock because of a recent earnings report and a new board member addition, and (iii) that he did not know that his former girlfriend worked on the Pandion transaction.

*                *                *

MARKIN, 32, of Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison. 

WONG, 40, of New York, New York, pled guilty on April 10, 2023, to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.

BRIAN WONG, 45, of Secaucus, New Jersey, pled guilty on November 10, 2022, to being an accessory after the fact to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud, which carries a maximum term of two and a half years in prison, and was sentenced on April 12, 2023, to three years’ probation with three months’ home confinement and forfeiture in the amount of $403,375.75. 

JONATHAN BECKER, 34, of Weehawken, New Jersey, pled guilty on September 20, 2023, to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.  MARKIN will be sentenced by Judge Ramos on March 13, 2024; WONG will be sentenced by Judge Ramos on January 26, 2024; and BECKER will be sentenced by Judge Ramos on December 19, 2023. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General.  Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed parallel civil actions.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher, Nicolas Roos, and Negar Tekeei are in charge of the prosecution.

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

NEWARK, N.J. – Five people have been charged for their respective roles in a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Essex County, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.

The original complaint was filed on Nov. 1, 2023, and on Nov. 9, 2023, a superseding complaint was filed charging certain defendants with gun offenses based on the recovery of multiple firearms during searches that occurred when the defendants were arrested.   

Fuquan Williams, 33; Dwight Dixon, 52; Nafee Patterson, 41; Jabriel Mason, 20; and Daqwuan Barkley, 29, all of Essex County, New Jersey, are charged by superseding complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Williams, Patterson, Mason, Barkley and Dixon made their initial court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court. Mason, Patterson, and Barkley have been ordered released on bail, while Williams, and Dixon remain detained pending trial.

Patterson is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and Williams is charged with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

The defendants are members of a drug trafficking organization that operated an open-air narcotics market in the area of Kent and Brenner streets in Newark. The drug trafficking organization is affiliated with, and the defendants are members and associates of, the Sex, Money, Murder subset of the Bloods street gang. When the defendants were arrested, law enforcement officers recovered multiple loaded firearms and additional quantities of narcotics.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Theodore N. Stephens, II; officers of the New Jersey State Department of Corrections; detectives of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé; and police officers and detectives of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief William C. Robinson, for their assistance with the investigation.

The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI).  The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark.  As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha C. Fasanello and Jason Goldberg of the Criminal Division in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

TRENTON, N.J. – A former airline corporate real estate director and former airline senior manager, as well as a former airline contractor, each admitted accepting bribes from a company in exchange for agreeing to assist the company obtain contracts from the airline, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Alok Saksena, 45, of Montclair, New Jersey, Anthony Rosalli, 44, of Burlington, New Jersey, and Lovella Rogan, 48, of Springfield, New Jersey each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court to informations that charged them with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.

“The defendants compromised their positions by accepting bribes in the form of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of home renovations, electronics, and jewelry. Commercial bribery of this kind corrupts the fairness of our economic system. We will hold to account those who unlawfully violate their duties to further their own economic interests.”

“Federal law requires an honest bidding process because if everyone in a position of authority demanded goods and services for their approval, the cost of doing business would be astronomical and untenable,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “These individuals admit to taking bribes in the form of home renovations, electronics and jewelry instead of money, thinking no one would notice. Greasing someone’s palm for a lucrative contract not only isn’t fair, but it’s also illegal.”

“The Port Authority thanks our federal partners for the collaborative work to ensure fairness within the myriad industries that operate out of our facilities and to bring these individuals to justice,” Port Authority Inspector General John Gay said. 

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Rosalli, Saksena, and Rogan all held positions with the airline that enabled them to influence which companies the airline would award certain contracts to at Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark Airport). The defendants conspired to receive bribes and kickbacks from a company that provided maintenance and construction services in exchange for helping that company obtain lucrative airline contracts at Newark Airport.

In September 2021, the maintenance and construction company bid on a contract to renovate restrooms at Newark Airport. The defendants sat on the selection committee and each of them voted to award the contract to the company. In exchange for the defendants’ help in obtaining the restroom renovation contract and with the expectation that they would use their positions to help the company obtain future contracts, the company agreed to pay for significant renovations at the defendants’ personal residences, including renovating and building bathrooms, renovating a deck, installing floors and sheetrock, and renovating a kitchen. The company gave the defendants valuable items, including electronics and jewelry. The total value of the bribes paid was approximately $539,000 to Saksena; approximately $276,000 to Rosalli; and approximately $409,000 to Rogan.

The defendants also conspired with an employee of the maintenance and construction company to fraudulently inflate change orders, which amended the contract’s scope of work, to recoup some of the bribe costs. With the defendants’ knowledge and consent, the company submitted change orders, which contained fraudulently high numbers, to obtain money not legitimately earned by the company so that the company could partially fund the bribe payments to the defendants.

The defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing for Saksena is scheduled for April 17, 2024. Sentencing for Rosalli and Rogan is scheduled for April 18, 2024.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy in Newark, investigators from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Gay, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Calle and Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna.

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

NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Rahjon Cox, aka “Tsu Surf,” 32, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to two counts of a superseding indictment that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, Cox was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in New Jersey and elsewhere. Cox held a leadership role within the enterprise. On March 18, 2017, Cox shot a firearm at a gang rival. On July 24, 2019, in Essex County, New Jersey, Cox, a convicted felon, knowingly possessed two loaded firearms.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Cox to three years of supervised release and fined him $15,000.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, as well as investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under Marshal Juan Mattos’ direction; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fragé, the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura’s direction, the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi, the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves, the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan, the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel, the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, for the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Unit.

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

           WASHINGTON – Two men from Louisiana have been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to their conduct during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their 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.

           Father and son, Willard Purkel Jr., 51, and Colby Purkel, 27, both of Covington, Louisiana, are charged with civil disorder, a felony, in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia. Additionally, both men are charged with misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

           The men were arrested today in Louisiana and will make their initial appearance in the Eastern District of Louisiana. 

           According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Willard and Colby Purkel went to the east side of the Capitol building and joined a crowd of rioters who forcibly entered the Capitol through the East Rotunda doors. At approximately 3:07 p.m., a group of rioters were attempting to enter the Capitol through these doors while another group was attempting to exit. Law enforcement authorities attempted to shut the doors to prevent the rioters’ entry. Willard and Colby Purkel are accused of attempting to enter the Capitol by pushing against the authorities who then sought to close the doors.

           At about 3:21 p.m., the East Rotunda doors were again opened as police tried to remove rioters from the building. As the doors were opened, the Purkels pushed their way into the building, streaming into the lobby outside the Rotunda. The Purkels then joined protestors to push against police officers attempting to prevent their entry into the Rotunda. Ultimately, the two men forced their way into the Rotunda. 

           Once inside the Rotunda, authorities surrounded the rioters and established control of the situation. Although the Purkels, along with other protestors, were escorted outside of the Capitol building the duo illegally remained on the Capitol grounds. While outside, Willard Purkel climbed atop an armored truck before walking with his son to the west side of the building. The Purkels and the rioters remained in this location as police attempted to clear the area. 

           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 Eastern District of Louisiana. 

           This case is being investigated by the FBI’s New Orleans and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.     

           In the 34 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,200 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

           A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Jeffrey Grant Cruikshank (43, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child sex abuse material after a prior conviction for possession of child sex abuse material. The court also ordered Cruikshank to forfeit a cellphone and GoPro camera that he had used to commit the offense. Cruikshank pleaded guilty on September 7, 2023.

According to court documents, the investigation began with CyberTips from multiple platforms. Ultimately agents found depictions of child sex abuse material on electronic devices that belonged to Cruikshank. They also found evidence of Cruikshank searching for child chat rooms. Cruikshank was previously convicted for similar behavior and is a registered sex offender.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.

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

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

            WASHINGTON – An Idaho man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges for 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.

            Theo Hanson, 54, of Nampa, Idaho, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder. In addition to the felonies, Hanson is charged with misdemeanor offenses of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a restricted area, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

            Hanson was arrested on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, by the FBI in Nampa, Idaho and will make his initial appearance today in the District of Idaho. 

            According to court documents, Hanson traveled from his home, then in San Diego, to Washington, D.C., and was present inside the Capitol building and on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. Court documents say that Hanson was identified on CCTV footage illegally entering the Capitol via the Senate Wing Door at approximately 2:22 p.m. and is seen making his way toward the Crypt.  

            At about 2:30 p.m., Hanson was observed outside of the Crypt on the east side of the building. Moments earlier, law enforcement authorities sought to close a series of security doors to prevent rioters from gaining access to additional areas of the building; however, rioters used trash cans and chairs to both obstruct the gate and assault officers. In CCTV footage, Hanson is seen standing underneath one of these security doors, waving his hands back and forth to prevent it from closing.

            Court documents say at approximately 2:37 p.m., Hanson was observed near the East Rotunda Doors. When he arrived, the doors were closed; however, other rioters soon forced them open as Hanson watched and applauded. Hanson was then seen assisting other rioters illegally entering the building. 

            At about 2:42 p.m., while he stood inside the East Rotunda Doors, Hanson repeatedly obstructed efforts by law enforcement to close the doors, which would have prevented rioters from further accessing the building. CCTV footage depicts authorities repeatedly attempting to close the doors while Hanson uses his body to keep them open. At about 2:44 p.m., a police officer again sought to close one of the doors; however, Hanson was seen moving forward and pushing the door back with his hand. Again, at 3:09 p.m., officers sought to close the doors, but Hanson pushed them open with his body. 

            An officer then attempted to move Hanson out of the building; however, in response, Hanson is seen placing his hand against an interior wall and moving against the wall to prevent his removal. Hanson remained near the East Rotunda Doors until he exited the Capitol at about 3:33 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 Southern District of California and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles, San Diego, and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, the Nampa Police Department, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 34 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,200 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

            A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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

            WASHINGTON – A Colorado man was sentenced today in the District of Columbia after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge stemming from his conduct 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.

            Klete Derik Keller, 41, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon to 36 months of probation and six months of home confinement. Keller pleaded guilty to one count of felony obstruction of Congress on Sept. 29, 2021.

            According to court documents, Keller, a former U.S. Olympic swimmer, traveled to Washington, D.C., from his home in Colorado to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, and to listen to former President Trump and others address the crowd. Keller wore a blue jacket with the American flag on the sleeve, an Olympic patch on the front, and “U.S.A.” in large white letters on one sleeve and across the back.

            After the rally, Keller marched to the U.S. Capitol building with thousands of others and at approximately 2:30 p.m., Keller breached the restricted Capitol grounds on the west side of the building and eventually climbed the stairs to the Upper West Side, passing by damaged scaffolding intended for the presidential Inauguration.

            At about 2:39 p.m., Keller breached the Capitol through the open Upper West Terrace Door on the west side of the building leading to the Rotunda—his phone up and appearance concealed by a beanie, sunglasses, and a bandana pulled over his face. Keller remained in the building and participated in the riot for nearly an hour. Throughout his time in the Capitol, Keller photographed and recorded his surroundings.

            By 2:41 p.m., Keller and a large mob of rioters made their way down the Senate Hallway connecting the Rotunda to the Senate Chamber. The mob began chanting at police officers in the area, shouting, “You serve us!” The rioters toward the front of the mob began pressing up against police. Keller joined the mob, moved forward and began leading chants of “F—Nancy Pelosi!” and “F— Chuck Schumer!”

            Following Keller’s chants, the mob of rioters began to push forward against the officers. Other rioters began chanting, “Our house!”, “F— McConnell!”, and “Push!” while advancing. Some rioters at the front physically engaged with the officers and used a stolen riot shield to push forward while others clad in military-grade tactical gear heaved forward and shouted, “Push! Push! Push! Get in there!” After minutes of using their collective weight to move forward, open-source video shows the rioters prevailed, successfully pushing the line of officers back.

            When the rioters began gaining ground toward the Senate Chamber, the officers deployed chemical-irritant spray over the mob. Many of them, including Keller, retreated to the Rotunda. Keller, however, still did not leave the building. By 2:51 p.m., Keller was recording his surroundings throughout the Rotunda and interacting with other rioters unlawfully in the Capitol and continued doing so for over ten minutes. At approximately 3:02 p.m., law enforcement officers entered the Rotunda, attempting to regain control of the area and clear rioters out of the building. Keller refused to leave.

            As officers began moving some of the rioters toward the east exit, Keller approached the officers in the center of the Rotunda and resisted the officers’ efforts to clear the building by repeatedly moving to the front of the line and leaning backwards into the line of officers. Court documents say that it took multiple officers to move Keller through the Rotunda and toward the exit. Police repeatedly attempted to remove Keller and the other rioters from the Rotunda. At one point as officers attempted to remove Keller, he ripped his elbow away from an Officer’s grasp and, shaking one of the officers off of him, Keller turned to face the officers and repeatedly yelled, “Take it easy!” and “Settle down!” He defiantly yelled, “Why do we have to leave?”

            Finally, at approximately 3:13 p.m., after multiple interactions with officers, Keller exited the Rotunda and entered the East Rotunda Lobby. He remained inside the Lobby for another 17 minutes, clapping and cheering on other rioters. At around 3:30 p.m., officers finally succeeded in ejecting Keller from the Capitol.

            Leaving the Capitol, court documents say that Keller was aware of the criminal nature of his actions. Keller threw his U.S.A. Olympic jacket in the trash can on the way back to his hotel. The government was never able to recover that jacket. Keller also took a hammer and smashed his phone into pieces soon after January 6. Despite multiple search warrants and other legal process, the government never recovered any of Keller’s photographs or videos he recorded in or around the Capitol.

            Keller was arrested on Jan. 14, 2021, by the FBI.

            This case was 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 District of Colorado.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Denver Field Offices, including the Colorado Springs Resident Agency. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 34 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,200 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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