CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cameron Drake Newsome, 25, of Williamson, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Newsome must also pay $7,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 1, 2019, Newsome used a cell phone to take two photographs of an approximately 3-year-old child in Williamson while the child was naked from the waist down and with the child’s genitals as the focal point of the images. Newsome admitted to taking the photographs and to storing them on an online file storage account. By storing those images in the online file storage account, Newsome transported the images in and affecting interstate commerce via the internet. Newsome further admitted that he stored numerous other images and videos in his online file storage accounts depicting minors, including prepubescent children, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-111.
In 2021, the World Bank shut down one of its flagship projects: the Doing Business index, a global ranking system that measured how easy it was to start and run a business in 190 countries.
It followed an independent investigation that found World Bank officials had manipulated the rankings to favor powerful countries, including China and Saudi Arabia. The scandal raised serious concerns about the use of global benchmarks to shape development policy.
Now, the Bank is trying again. In October 2024, it launched its newest flagship report, Business Ready. The 2025 spring meeting of the World Bank and its sister institution, the International Monetary Fund, mark the first time the report will be formally presented to delegates as part of the institutions’ high-level agenda.
Nicknamed B-READY, the report aims to evaluate business environments through more transparent data. This time, the annual assessment has a broader ambition: to go beyond laws and efficiency and also measure social inclusion, environmental sustainability and public service delivery.
As experts on international organizations, law and development, we have given B-READY a closer look. While we appreciate that a global assessment of the economic health of countries through data collection and participation of private stakeholders is a worthwhile endeavor, we worry that the World Bank’s latest effort risks recreating many of the same flaws that plagued its predecessor.
From Doing Business to doing what?
To understand what’s at stake, it’s worth recalling what the Doing Business index measured. From 2003 to 2021, the flagship report was used by governments, investors and World Bank officials alike to assess the business environment of any given country. It ranked countries based on how easy it was to start and run a business in 190 economies.
In prioritizing that as its marker, the index often celebrated reforms that stripped away labor protections, environmental safeguards and corporate taxes in the name of greater “efficiency” of common law versus civil law jurisdictions.
As economist Joseph E. Stiglitz argued in 2021, from its creation, the Doing Business index reflected the values of the so-called Washington Consensus − a development model rooted in deregulation, privatization and market liberalization.
Critics warned for years that the Doing Business index encouraged a global “race to the bottom.” Countries competed to improve their rankings, often by adopting symbolic legal reforms with little real impact.
In some cases, internal data manipulation at the World Bank penalized governments that did not appear sufficiently business-friendly. These structural flaws − and the political pressures behind them − ultimately led to the project’s demise in 2021.
What is B-READY?
B-READY is the World Bank’s attempt to regain credibility after the Doing Business scandal. In recent years, there has been both internal and external pressure to create a successor − and B-READY responds to that demand while aiming to fix the methodological flaws.
In theory, while it retains a focus on the business environment, B-READY shifts away from a narrow deregulatory logic and instead seeks to capture how regulations interact with infrastructure, services and equity considerations.
B-READY, which in the pilot stage covers a mix of 50 countries, does not rank countries with a single score. Rather, it provides more accurate data across 10 topics grouped into three pillars: regulatory framework, public services and operational efficiency. The report also introduces new themes such as digital access, environmental sustainability and gender equity.
On the surface, this looks like progress. But a criticism of B-READY is that in practice, the changes offer only a more fragmented ranking system — one that is harder to interpret and still shaped by the same investor driven macroeconomic assumptions.
In our view, the framework continues to reflect a narrow view of what constitutes a healthy legal and economic system, not just for investors but for society as a whole.
Labor flexibility over labor rights
A key concern is how B-READY handles labor standards. The report relies on two main data sources: expert consultations and firm-level surveys.
For assessing labor and social security regulations, the World Bank consults lawyers with expertise in each country. But when it comes to how these laws function in practice, the report relies on surveys that ask businesses whether labor costs, dismissal protections and public services are “burdens.”
This approach captures the employer’s perspective, but leaves out workers’ experiences and the real impact on labor rights. In some cases, the scoring system even rewards weaker protections. For example, countries are encouraged to have a minimum-wage law on the books − but are penalized if the wage is “too high” relative to gross domestic product per capita. This creates pressure to keep wages low in order to appear competitive. And while that might be good news for international companies seeking to reduce their labor costs, it isn’t necessarily good for the local workforce or a country’s economic well-being.
According to the International Trade Union Confederation, this approach risks encouraging symbolic reforms while doing little to protect workers. Georgia, for example, ranks near the top of the B-READY labor assessment, despite not having updated its minimum wage since 1999 and setting it below the subsistence level.
This reflects a deeper problem, we believe. B-READY treats the legal system primarily as a means to attract investment, not as a framework for public accountability. It assumes that making life easier for businesses will automatically benefit everyone. But that assumption risks ignoring the people most affected by these laws and institutions − workers, communities and civil society groups.
Be … better?
B-READY introduces greater transparency and public data − and that, for sure, is a step up from its predecessor. But in our opinion it still reflects a narrow view of what a “good” legal system looks like: one that might deliver efficiency for firms but not necessarily justice or equity for society.
Whether B-Ready becomes a tool for meaningful reform − or just another scoreboard for deregulation − will depend on the World Bank’s willingness to confront its long-standing biases and listen to its critics.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Isaiah McCoy, 38, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was convicted yesterday of multiple counts of sex trafficking by a federal jury in the District of Hawaii. Specifically, the jury convicted McCoy of four counts of sex trafficking three adults and one minor, two counts of obstructing a sex trafficking investigation, seven counts of interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises, and one count of interstate travel for prostitution purposes.
“This successful conviction represents this Justice Department’s commitment to putting those who prey on the innocent behind bars,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Human trafficking — which flourished under the prior administration — is a scourge on our country that the Trump Administration will eradicate.”
“Today’s conviction vindicates the rights of multiple women and girls who the defendant terrorized over several years within the District of Hawaii,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant specifically targeted each victim’s unique vulnerabilities and used false promises, brute physical force, and psychological manipulation to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex for his own profit. There is no place in a civilized society for the defendant’s atrocious conduct, and the Justice Department is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”
“The conviction of Mr. McCoy is a testament to HSI’s zero tolerance for those who engage in sex trafficking in Hawaii,” said Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Hawaii. “McCoy is a predator who left countless victims in his path while he sought to enrich himself at their expense. HSI will aggressively pursue those, like McCoy, who seek to exploit vulnerable women and girls and mute their voices while believing they will not be held accountable.”
The evidence presented at the 12-day trial demonstrated that McCoy compelled victims to commit hundreds of commercial sex acts between 2019 and 2021. McCoy made promises of a romantic relationship, a luxurious lifestyle, and financial security to women and girls struggling with low self-esteem, a difficult upbringing, or financial trouble. McCoy’s promises ended up hollow and false, designed to provide him with the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. McCoy’s feigned romantic interest and claimed wealth led him to emotionally manipulate his victims.
After luring the victims into his orbit with his false promises, McCoy turned violent and abusive if the victims did not provide him with enough money or otherwise violated one of his many rules. The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that some of McCoy’s rules included requiring the victims to call him “Daddy” or “Zeus,” requiring the victims to share their cell phone location, and requiring the victims to provide him an update on the amount of money earned through commercial sex work. McCoy required his victims to work all hours of the day and night even when they were sick, hungry, or did not want to engage in commercial sex acts. If not, McCoy would physically assault his victims and leave them battered and bruised.
Evidence presented in court detailed the extensive violence to which McCoy subjected his victims. For example, McCoy repeatedly burned one of the victims with cigar butts when she did not provide him with enough money. On other occasions, McCoy threw victims to the ground before repeatedly stomping on their head, stomach, or hands with his feet. McCoy even smashed a victim’s head against a car door before carrying her unconscious body through a hotel lobby and into an elevator. McCoy inflicted violence against multiple victims that caused them to seek treatment at local hospitals. All of McCoy’s actions contributed to the creation of a climate of fear where the victims felt they had no way out because McCoy promised them that he had eyes and ears everywhere monitoring the victims’ every move.
McCoy required the victims to turn over all the proceeds from his commercial sex business to himself because he felt that the money belonged to him. McCoy then spent the money on high-end designer shoes, belts, clothing, and other accessories. In contrast, although McCoy would intermittently buy designer items for the victims as “rewards,” the victims were ultimately left with nothing.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18. McCoy faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI investigated the case, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Maryam Zhuravitsky and Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
April 23, 2025
After serving seven House terms and five Senate terms, Durbin says, “I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch.”
CHICAGO – In a video message shared with Illinois voters today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he will not seek re-election in 2026.
“The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy. I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term,” Durbin said in the video.
“The people of Illinois have honored me with this responsibility longer than anyone elected to the Senate in our state’s history. I am truly grateful,” Durbin said. “Right now, the challenges facing our country are historic and unprecedented. The threats to our democracy and way of life are very real, and I can assure you that I will do everything in my power to fight for Illinois and the future of our country every day of my remaining time in the Senate.”
Durbin concluded, “To the Illinoisans who gave this kid from East St. Louis a chance to serve: Thank you for supporting me—through words and actions—over the years. Now that I have this announcement behind me, I need to get back to work.”
Senator Durbin is the 47th U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois, the state’s senior Senator, and the longest serving, popularly elected Senator from Illinois. Durbin also serves as the Senate Democratic Whip, the second highest ranking position among Senate Democrats. Durbin has been elected to this leadership post by his Democratic colleagues every two years since 2005 and is the longest serving Whip for either party.
Senator Durbin served as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee for the 117th and 118th Congresses. During his time as Chair, the committee held 145 full committee hearings, 88 subcommittee hearings, and 86 executive business meetings; advanced 373 executive and judicial nominees out of the committee; and reported 56 bills out of the committee. The Senate also confirmed a record 235 judges, including Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Senator Durbin has given more than half of his life to House and Senate Congressional service, having first been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, representing the Springfield-based 20th congressional district. After serving seven House terms, Durbin was elected to the U.S. Senate on November 5, 1996, and re-elected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. Durbin fills the seat left vacant by the retirement of his long-time friend and mentor, U.S. Senator Paul Simon.
A video summary of Durbin’s accomplishments as a member of the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate can be foundhere. Below is a list of some of Durbin’s top legislative accomplishments throughout his career.
Judicial Confirmations. During his time as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senate Democrats confirmed 235 judges to lifetime positions. This included the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. Of the confirmations, two-thirds were women, two-thirds were people of color, and two-fifths were women of color.
Curbing Tobacco and E-Cigarette Use. As a Congressman, Durbin was the primary author of legislation that ended smoking on airplanes. Since, he has continued to work to reduce tobacco use—especially by young people—by leading the passage of legislation to increase the tobacco purchase age to 21, pressing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, and repeatedly calling on the FDA to better enforce laws regulating unauthorized e-cigarettes.
Dream Act/DACA. Beginning in 2001, Durbin introduced the Dream Act to give young immigrants the chance to earn U.S. citizenship. He has introduced the legislation every Congress since. Durbin has spoken on the Senate Floor 147 times to tell the stories of these young people. In 2012, Durbin worked with President Obama to establish the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to allow these young people to gain temporary status. As of September 2024, roughly 530,000 people had active DACA status.
Criminal Justice Reform. Durbin’s Fair Sentencing Act, enacted in 2010, reduced the federal sentencing disparity for crack/powder cocaine offenses. In 2019, Durbin led bipartisan efforts to enact the First Step Act, the most significant criminal justice reform legislation in a generation. More than 40,000 people had been released under the First Step Act as of January 2024, with a recidivism rate of only 9.7 percent. Durbin continues to work to further these efforts through his Safer Detention Act, Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act, and Smarter Sentencing Act.
Infrastructure Investments. Durbin has made strengthening Illinois’ role as a transportation hub a top priority. He has led efforts to secure funding to relieve congestion on Illinois’ roads; modernize O’Hare International Airport; expand air service downstate; improve and expand passenger rail service—including Amtrak, CTA, and Metra; modernize locks and dams; and improve pedestrian safety. Since the return of earmarks from Fiscal Year 2022 – Fiscal Year 2024 alone, Durbin secured $548.1 million for Illinois projects.
Health Care Shortages. Durbin has led efforts to expand health care access, especially in rural areas. Durbin’s bipartisan SIREN Act, first enacted in 2018, provides grants to rural fire and EMS agencies. He secured $1 billion for the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps in the American Rescue Plan to recruit more doctors, nurses, dentists, and behavioral health providers. Durbin has also worked to expand oral health care access through Medicaid.
Medical & Scientific Research. Through Durbin’s American Cures and American Innovation Acts, and his America Grows Act, he has led efforts to secure increased funding—with the goal of five percent real growth—for federal medical and scientific research funding, including through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DoD), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other agencies. Durbin’s efforts resulted in a 60 percent funding increase for NIH over the past decade.
Support for the Baltics. Durbin was a strong supporter of the accession of Poland and the Baltics into NATO. He has been a steadfast Senate champion of the NATO alliance. And he has worked to provide further security support through his bipartisan Baltic Security Initiative Act and by securing funding for Baltic security through defense appropriations.
College Affordability. In 2013, Durbin helped negotiate the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act to lower interest rates on federal student loans. Durbin’s Open Textbooks Pilot program has resulted in more than $250 million in estimated savings for students. Durbin also led efforts to hold fraudulent for-profit colleges accountable and has pushed the Education Department to discharge the student loans of borrowers who attended these predatory schools.
Gun Violence Prevention. Durbin has prioritized addressing childhood trauma to break the cycle of violence, including through his Chicago HEAL Initiative and his Trauma Support in Schools grant program with Senator Capito. In 2023, the 10 HEAL hospitals provided 4,403 students with employment/training opportunities and provided 2,614 victims of violence with trauma-informed case management. Durbin is working to further these efforts through his bipartisan RISE from Trauma Act.
Consumer Protection. In 2008, Durbin first introduced legislation to create an agency focused on consumer protection, which eventually was added to Dodd-Frank and resulted in the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Dodd-Frank also included the Durbin swipe fee amendment to cap debit card swipe fees, estimated to have saved consumers $6 billion in the first year after implementation. Durbin has continued to work to protect consumers through his bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act—and more recently, legislation to protect consumers from crypto ATM fraud and to bring transparency to airline rewards programs.
Protecting the Environment. Durbin has led efforts to protect the Great Lakes, including through Army Corps projects like Brandon Road, securing funding for Chicago shoreline restoration, supporting the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and introducing legislation to prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets into waterways. Durbin has worked to reduce emissions and chemical discharges, including to reduce ethylene oxide emissions and more recently, legislation to phase out non-essential uses of PFAS. Durbin has also secured significant funding for electric vehicle production and charging infrastructure in Illinois.
Veterans Care. Durbin’s Veteran Servicemember Caregiver Support Act led to a new, national program at the VA, enacted in 2010, to provide financial assistance, health care, and counseling to family caregivers of disabled veterans. In 2023, the VA provided services to more than 74,000 caregivers participating in the program. Durbin also led the effort to establish the Lovell Federal Health Care Facility in North Chicago.
Defense Funding. Durbin served as Chairman/Vice Chairman of Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee from the 113th-116th Congresses. As a leader and member of that subcommittee, Durbin secured funding for a range of small defense contractors in Illinois, strengthened manufacturing at Rock Island Arsenal and capabilities at Scott Air Force Base, and led efforts to increase service member pay. Durbin also led the effort to bring a DoD Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute to Illinois (MxD) and has worked to address DoD’s PFAS releases to protect service members and their families.
Durbin was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, to his father, William Durbin, and his Lithuanian-born mother, Ona (Kutkaite) Durbin. He is married to Loretta Schaefer Durbin. Their family consists of three children—Christine, Paul, and Jennifer—as well as six grandchildren.
Today, an indictment was unsealed in the District of Columbia charging eWorldTrade LLC (eWorldTrade), a U.S. company, with conspiracy to distribute synthetic opioids for unlawful importation into the United States. Law enforcement authorities also seized eWorldTrade’s website domain, which was allegedly used to operate an online business-to-business marketplace that facilitated the distribution of synthetic opioids such as isotonitazene and carfentanyl, both significantly more potent than fentanyl.
According to the indictment, from March 2024 through March 2025, eWorldTrade conspired with others to distribute isotonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance, and carfentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, knowing that the controlled substances would be imported into the United States.
eWorldTrade is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for unlawful importation into the United States. If convicted, the company faces a maximum fine of $50,000,000.
On the same day of the unsealing of the indictment, law enforcement authorities seized eWorldTrade’s website and shut down its operation. The website now displays the following warning messages to the public.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville Office made the announcement.
The HSI Knoxville Office, in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Chattanooga Office, investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section is prosecuting the case. Former Trial Attorney Ann Daniels and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee provided valuable support.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has released its latest annual report. The 2024 Internet Crime Report combines information from 859,532 complaints of suspected internet crime and details reported losses exceeding $16 billion—a 33% increase in losses from 2023.
The top three cyber crimes, by number of complaints reported by victims in 2024, were phishing/spoofing, extortion, and personal data breaches. Victims of investment fraud, specifically those involving cryptocurrency, reported the most losses—totaling over $6.5 billion.
According to the 2024 report, the most complaints were received from California, Texas, and Florida. As a group, people over the age of 60 suffered the most losses at nearly $5 billion and submitted the greatest number of complaints.
“Reporting is one of the first and most important steps in fighting crime so law enforcement can use this information to combat a variety of frauds and scams,” said FBI Director, Kash Patel. “The IC3, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is only as successful as the reports it receives; that’s why it’s imperative that the public immediately report suspected cyber-enabled criminal activity to the FBI.”
To promote public awareness, the IC3 produces an annual report to aggregate and highlight the data provided by the general public. The quality of the data is a direct reflection of the information the public provides through the IC3 website. The IC3 standardizes the data by categorizing each complaint and analyzes the data to identify and forecast trends in internet crime. The annual report helps the FBI develop effective relationships with industry partners and share information for investigative and intelligence purposes for law enforcement and public awareness.
The IC3, which was established in May 2000, houses nine million complaints from the public in its database and continues to encourage anyone who thinks they’ve been the victim of a cyber-enabled crime, regardless of dollar loss, to file a complaint through the IC3 website. The more comprehensive complaints the FBI receives, the more effective it will be in helping law enforcement gain a more accurate picture of the extent and nature of internet-facilitated crimes.
The FBI recommends that everyone frequently review consumer and industry alerts published by the IC3. If you or your business are a victim of an internet crime, immediately notify all financial institutions involved in the relevant transactions, submit a complaint to www.ic3.gov, contact your nearest FBI field office, and contact local law enforcement.
Learn more about the history of IC3 by listening to this previously released FBI podcast episode: Inside the FBI: IC3 Turns 20.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man admitted robbing a St. Louis bank in 2024 and trying to rob the same bank three months later.
Isaac Perry, 39, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery. He admitted entering a bank on Loughborough Avenue in south St. Louis on June 25, 2024, and handing a note to a bank employee. The note read, “I nee[d] you to hand over 10,000 in cash if not it aint gone end good please.” Perry drew a red heart around the word “please.” He left the bank with about $340.
On Oct. 3, 2024, Perry returned, and again handed a note to a bank employee. The note said, “This is a stick up I need you to give me 6,000 dollars in all hundreds in make it quick.” The note had another heart. The bank employee told Perry that she had activated an alarm and police were on the way. Perry fled the bank but was identified in photos of the robbery that were released to the public.
Perry is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole Frankenberg is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department 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) (video statements)
Tony Mattivi, director of the Kansas City Bureau of Investigation, describes the role of FBI Kansas City’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
More at: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/celebrating-45-years-of-fbi-joint-terrorism-task-forces
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)
Retired Special Agent Dana Kreeger, who served on the Kansas City Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), describes the role of the JTTF.
More at: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/celebrating-45-years-of-fbi-joint-terrorism-task-forces
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)
Vince Kingston, a detective of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department and a task force officer on the FBI Kansas City Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), describes the role of the JTTF.
More at: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/celebrating-45-years-of-fbi-joint-terrorism-task-forces
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)
Special Agent Jake Foiles, supervisor of the FBI Kansas City Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) discusses the role of the JTTF.
More at: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/celebrating-45-years-of-fbi-joint-terrorism-task-forces
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)
Barry Berglund, a retired detective of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and a task force officer on the FBI Kansas City Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), describes the role of the JTTF.
More at: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/celebrating-45-years-of-fbi-joint-terrorism-task-forces
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Today, an indictment was unsealed in the District of Columbia charging eWorldTrade LLC (eWorldTrade), a U.S. company, with conspiracy to distribute synthetic opioids for unlawful importation into the United States. Law enforcement authorities also seized eWorldTrade’s website domain, which was allegedly used to operate an online business-to-business marketplace that facilitated the distribution of synthetic opioids such as isotonitazene and carfentanyl, both significantly more potent than fentanyl.
According to the indictment, from March 2024 through March 2025, eWorldTrade conspired with others to distribute isotonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance, and carfentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, knowing that the controlled substances would be imported into the United States.
eWorldTrade is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for unlawful importation into the United States. If convicted, the company faces a maximum fine of $50,000,000.
On the same day of the unsealing of the indictment, law enforcement authorities seized eWorldTrade’s website and shut down its operation. The website now displays the following warning messages to the public.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville Office made the announcement.
The HSI Knoxville Office, in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Chattanooga Office, investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section is prosecuting the case. Former Trial Attorney Ann Daniels and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee provided valuable support.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Mexico has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Daniel Alejandro Benzor Mora, 31, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on March 19, 2025, Benzor Mora was found in western Pennsylvania after having been removed from the United States on or about January 3, 2024.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Arrested Several Times on Local Charges, Including Assault, Gun Possession
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Melvin Gutierrez-Almonte, 42, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced this morning by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to 15 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Gutierrez-Almonte was charged by indictment in September of last year and pleaded guilty to the charge against him in January. He admitted to illegally entering the United States in April 2023, crossing from Mexico into Arizona.
According to immigration records, the defendant had been removed from the United States on four prior occasions — on or about March 1, 2011, September 27, 2016, March 20, 2018, and September 1, 2020 — and had not sought permission to reenter. He has three previous illegal reentry convictions, all in the District of Puerto Rico.
As detailed in court filings, on May 18, 2024, Gutierrez-Almonte was arrested by West New York Township Police in Hudson County, New Jersey, and charged with simple assault and receiving stolen property. The case remains active and there is currently a detainer.
Then, on July 10, 2024, Gutierrez-Almonte was arrested by Philadelphia Police and charged under the name “Conjeo Almonet” with aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of a crime, and simple assault.
The next day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials received a biometric notification of the Philadelphia arrest.
Gutierrez-Almonte was subsequently charged by federal criminal complaint with illegal reentry, and on September 3, 2024, an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officer arrested him, following the defendant’s release from Philadelphia custody.
“Melvin Gutierrez-Almonte is a serial violator of our country’s sovereignty. He has entered the United States illegally and been removed multiple times already,” U.S. Attorney Metcalf said. “Not only has he flouted our immigration laws, he has also been arrested several times for assault, gun possession, and more. He is a great example of how certain immigrants repeatedly disrespect our laws. Anyone who wants to come to this country must do so legally, and anyone who wants to stay must honor the obligations of our laws.”
“Ensuring the safety of our communities is at the core of our mission at ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. This individual’s repeated unlawful reentry and criminal activity posed a significant risk to public safety,” said ICE ERO Philadelphia Acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “By apprehending, prosecuting, and removing those who threaten our neighborhoods, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the well-being of law-abiding residents. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uphold our nation’s immigration laws and keep our communities safe.”
The case was investigated by ICE ERO and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti.
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Heladio Ruchon Rocha-Tellez, 31, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after removal and was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 22, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on December 19, 2023, local law enforcement responded to a burglary in progress at a Beaumont laundry mat. When officers arrived, they encountered Rocha-Tellez hiding behind the counter of the laundry mat with a large amount of cash hanging out of his pocket. A check of immigration records revealed that Rocha-Tellez was a Mexican national who had been previously removed from the United States in 2015 and twice in 2022.
In addition to the immigration charges, Rocha-Tellez was convicted of a state burglary charge in Jefferson County court and sentenced to 12 months in prison on November 19, 2024. Judge Crone ordered that the sentences run consecutively, and Rocha-Tellez will begin his federal prison sentence after completing his state sentence.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman with the cooperation of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County man was sentenced today for his role in four robberies and two shootings in Jersey City, New Jersey, which took place the same night, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Rodney Williams, 33, of Jersey City, New Jersey pleaded guilty in December 2024 before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Williams to 5 years of supervised release. Williams’ co-defendant, Siobhan Chandler, was sentenced on April 25, 2024 to 12 years’ imprisonment followed by 5 years’ supervised release for her role.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On the evening of November 14, 2021, Williams and Chandler committed multiple armed robberies and two shootings in Jersey City. The criminal activity began when Williams, acting alone, robbed a store while he pointed his gun at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed money to Williams who then fled.
A short time later, Williams, now with Chandler, robbed a gas station, where Williams pointed his gun at two attendants and demanded money. When the attendants did not immediately comply, Williams shot one of the attendants in the chest. Williams and Chandler then fled.
Williams and Chandler later entered another store, and Williams again pointed his gun at a clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed money to Williams and he and Chandler fled.
Williams and Chandler then entered a nearby restaurant, and Williams again pointed his gun at the cashier and demanded money. When the cashier did not immediately comply, Williams shot the cashier in the chest. The cashier then handed money to Williams, after which Williams and Chandler fled.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Kearns, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s sentence. She also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shontae D. Gray and Eli Jacobs of the Criminal Division in Newark.
###
Defense counsel: John C. Whipple, Esq. and Adam M. Elewa, Esq.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)
Rep. Larsen Statement on Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks
Washington, April 23, 2025
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement on ongoing peace talks between Ukraine and Russia:
“In word and in action, the U.S. must continue to stand up for the young democracy in Ukraine. I don’t care what President Trump says – Putin started this war and the crisis is not over until Ukraine’s borders are restored and Ukrainians have the freedom to choose their own leaders and future. I will continue to advocate for aid to Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s war of aggression, and continue to welcome and support Ukrainian families in Northwest Washington and across the U.S.
“The Trump administration’s offer to recognize Crimea as Russian territory is just the latest example of Trump rolling over for Putin. Rewarding Russia for invading a neighbor by providing formal recognition and sanctions relief invites further aggression.
“I commend President Zelenskyy for standing up against Russian aggression and continuing to fight for a free Ukraine. American interests are clear – standing with our allies and partners, not with Russia.”
A federal judge in Oregon yesterday sentenced the two companies responsible for the operation of the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, and their president, for hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations. Collectively, they were ordered to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines. In addition, the court ordered the companies to serve five years of probation and the companies’ president, Georgia Baxter-Krause, of Deschutes, Oregon, to serve 90 days in prison and one year of supervised release.
Both companies — J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership (collectively J.H. Baxter) — previously pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act’s regulations for hazardous air pollutants. Georgia Baxter-Krause previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal statute governing hazardous waste management.
“On more than 100 different days, J.H. Baxter knowingly and illegally boiled off hazardous waste, emitting the discharge into the air,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “J.H. Baxter’s President, Georgia Baxter-Krause, then made false statements about the unlawful practice. Protecting the public’s health is among our highest priorities, and we will prosecute those who violate environmental laws.”
“The J.H. Baxter companies knowingly mishandled hazardous waste and repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act by venting hazardous substances directly into the air, right across the street from people’s homes. The company president then lied to cover up these crimes,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s sentencing highlights the significant penalties that Congress has provided for illegally treating or disposing of hazardous waste as well as the Agency’s continued efforts to ensure that Americans have clean air, land, and water.”
“The defendant companies boiled hazardous waste into our community’s air instead of properly dealing with it and Georgia Baxter-Krause lied when confronted about it,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the Eugene and Medford Branches of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who put Oregonians at risk in violation of federal law.”
According to court documents, J.H. Baxter used hazardous chemicals to treat and preserve wood at its Eugene facility. The wastewater from the wood preserving processes was hazardous waste.
To properly treat wastewater from its wood treatment process, J.H. Baxter operated a legal wastewater treatment unit to treat and evaporate the waste. For years, however, when J.H. Baxter had too much water on site, including process wastewater and precipitation, J.H. Baxter’s employees at the facility would transfer hazardous process wastewater to an available wood treatment retort to “boil it off,” greatly reducing its volume. J.H. Baxter would then remove the remaining waste from the retort, label it as hazardous waste and ship it offsite for disposal.
J.H. Baxter did not have a permit to treat its hazardous waste in this manner, as required by RCRA. Additionally, J.H. Baxter’s facility was subject to certain Clean Air Act emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, which required it to minimize air pollution emissions. However, during the illegal treatment, employees were directed to open all vents on the retorts, allowing discharge to the surrounding air.
After Oregon inspectors discovered this activity, they requested information about the companies’ practice of boiling off hazardous wastewater. On two separate occasions, Georgia Baxter-Krause gave false information in response, which included information about the dates the practice took place and which retorts were used.
The investigation determined that Georgia Baxter-Krause knew J.H. Baxter maintained detailed daily production logs for each retort. From approximately January to October 2019, J.H. Baxter boiled off hazardous process wastewater in its wood treatment retorts on 136 known days. Georgia Baxter-Krause was also aware that during this time J.H. Baxter used four of its five retorts to boil off wastewater.
This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, EPAs Pacific Northwest (Region 10) office, and the Oregon State Police.
This case was an Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF) investigation. ECTF is an initiative in the District of Oregon that identifies, investigates, and prosecutes significant environmental, public lands, and wildlife crimes. ECTF leverages the resources and effort of federal, state and local regulatory agencies and law enforcement to protect human health, safeguard natural resources and wildlife and hold violators accountable.
Trial Attorneys Rachel Roberts and Stephen J. Foster of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren for the District of Oregon and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla G. Perrin prosecuted the case.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
Mercadys A. Perkins is the first defendant sentenced from trafficking organization
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Mercadys A. Perkins, 32, Weston, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Perkins pleaded guilty to this charge on January 21, 2025.
In early 2024, investigators with the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force began investigating a group of individuals who were distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Marathon County area. Perkins was identified as a distributor for the group.
In March and April of 2024, Perkins sold methamphetamine three times to an informant, the largest sale being 230 grams. On April 16, 2024, task force officers executed a search warrant at Perkins’s residence in Weston. Officers found over 300 grams of methamphetamine, over $2,000 in cash, drug ledgers, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia during the search. Perkins later admitted to trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine.
Further investigation revealed that between February 18, 2024, and April 12, 2024, a co-conspirator provided Perkins and another individual approximately 16 pounds of methamphetamine and 6 ounces of cocaine intended for further distribution.
At the time of these events, Perkins was serving a term of state probation for a methamphetamine possession conviction and was out on bond on four open state cases, three of which involved methamphetamine trafficking. Her state probation was revoked, and she was sentenced to 2 years in state prison, which she is currently serving. Judge Conley ordered the federal sentence to run concurrently with the remainder of Perkins’ state prison sentence.
At sentencing, Judge Conley said Perkins participated with her co-defendants to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine in an around Marathon County. He said he weighed this serious conduct against some mitigating factors including her profound drug addiction.
Three others were charged in connection with this drug trafficking conspiracy. Co-defendants Joshua Lake, Jessica Colby, and Dustin Brunker have all pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming weeks.
The charge against Perkins was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Wausau Police Department and the Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)
Trahan Nominates Third District Students to Service Academies
Lowell, April 23, 2025
LOWELL, MA – Yesterday, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) hosted a ceremony to nominate students from across the Third District to United States Service Academies. The event was held at Dracut’s Harvey J. Gagnon Harmony Hall. “It’s one of my greatest honors and most serious responsibilities to nominate outstanding young men and women from our district to our nation’s service academies,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “These students are driven by something bigger than themselves – by a desire to serve, to lead, and to contribute to the common good. Their commitment to country and community inspires hope for the future of our armed forces and our nation.” This year, Trahan nominated students from across the Third District to the United States Military Academy at West Point, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Nominees include: West Point:
Savannah Liles, Littleton, Littleton High School Gavin Datta, Acton, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School Harold Nerrow, Concord, Concord-Carlisle High School, Villanova University Samuel Richenburg, Haverhill, St. John’s Prep Tait O’Koniewski, Lawrence, Austin Preparatory School Hieu-Shawn Phan, Methuen, Northeastern University – Liberty Battalion Army ROTC Private First Class Pearl Kalungi, Lowell, United States Army Thomas Collins, Tyngsborough, Tyngsborough High School Raily Romano Hidalgo, Haverhill, Haverhill High School
Naval Academy:
Thomas Livens, Carlisle, Lawrence Academy Lincoln Green, Concord, Concord-Carlisle High School Yazmin Jenkins, Lowell, Greater Lowell Technical High School John James Rubera, Haverhill, Haverhill High School Eliot Hong, Billerica, Shawsheen Valley Technical High School
Air Force Academy:
Charles Stone, Concord, Concord-Carlisle High School Darro Sieu, Billerica, Billerica Memorial High School
Merchant Marine Academy:
Gunnar Lyons, Concord, Concord-Carlisle High School
The student nominees were interviewed and recommended by volunteer members of Trahan’s Service Academy Board, which is composed of academy alumni, veterans, and community leaders. Current board members include:
Pat Wojtas: A United States Air Force veteran, Pat was the first woman in Massachusetts to be commissioned to the Air Force through the ROTC program at UMass Amherst. She is currently a member of the Chelmsford Select Board. Leanne Collazo: A retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and West Point graduate, Suzanne was a UH-60 pilot and Battalion Commander. John Moses: A United States Army veteran, John has been an active member of the Afghan Evac community since the start of evacuation in August 2021. He is currently a member of the Chelmsford School Committee. Harold Naughton Jr.: A Major in the United States Army Reserve, Harold previously represented the 12th Worcester District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. David Cote: A United States Marine Corps veteran and graduate of the United States Naval Academy, David leads The Summit Project, a veteran-focused nonprofit that sustains the memories of post-September 11th servicemembers who were killed in action. In 2011, he was named the Military Times Marine of the Year. Paulette Joyce: A retired Westford teacher, Paulette advocates for veterans following the passing of her husband, United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Fred Joyce.
More information on the military service academy nomination process can be found HERE. ###
A federal judge in Oregon yesterday sentenced the two companies responsible for the operation of the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, and their president, for hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations. Collectively, they were ordered to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines. In addition, the court ordered the companies to serve five years of probation and the companies’ president, Georgia Baxter-Krause, of Deschutes, Oregon, to serve 90 days in prison and one year of supervised release.
Both companies — J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership (collectively J.H. Baxter) — previously pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act’s regulations for hazardous air pollutants. Georgia Baxter-Krause previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal statute governing hazardous waste management.
“On more than 100 different days, J.H. Baxter knowingly and illegally boiled off hazardous waste, emitting the discharge into the air,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “J.H. Baxter’s President, Georgia Baxter-Krause, then made false statements about the unlawful practice. Protecting the public’s health is among our highest priorities, and we will prosecute those who violate environmental laws.”
“The J.H. Baxter companies knowingly mishandled hazardous waste and repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act by venting hazardous substances directly into the air, right across the street from people’s homes. The company president then lied to cover up these crimes,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s sentencing highlights the significant penalties that Congress has provided for illegally treating or disposing of hazardous waste as well as the Agency’s continued efforts to ensure that Americans have clean air, land, and water.”
“The defendant companies boiled hazardous waste into our community’s air instead of properly dealing with it and Georgia Baxter-Krause lied when confronted about it,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the Eugene and Medford Branches of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who put Oregonians at risk in violation of federal law.”
According to court documents, J.H. Baxter used hazardous chemicals to treat and preserve wood at its Eugene facility. The wastewater from the wood preserving processes was hazardous waste.
To properly treat wastewater from its wood treatment process, J.H. Baxter operated a legal wastewater treatment unit to treat and evaporate the waste. For years, however, when J.H. Baxter had too much water on site, including process wastewater and precipitation, J.H. Baxter’s employees at the facility would transfer hazardous process wastewater to an available wood treatment retort to “boil it off,” greatly reducing its volume. J.H. Baxter would then remove the remaining waste from the retort, label it as hazardous waste and ship it offsite for disposal.
J.H. Baxter did not have a permit to treat its hazardous waste in this manner, as required by RCRA. Additionally, J.H. Baxter’s facility was subject to certain Clean Air Act emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, which required it to minimize air pollution emissions. However, during the illegal treatment, employees were directed to open all vents on the retorts, allowing discharge to the surrounding air.
After Oregon inspectors discovered this activity, they requested information about the companies’ practice of boiling off hazardous wastewater. On two separate occasions, Georgia Baxter-Krause gave false information in response, which included information about the dates the practice took place and which retorts were used.
The investigation determined that Georgia Baxter-Krause knew J.H. Baxter maintained detailed daily production logs for each retort. From approximately January to October 2019, J.H. Baxter boiled off hazardous process wastewater in its wood treatment retorts on 136 known days. Georgia Baxter-Krause was also aware that during this time J.H. Baxter used four of its five retorts to boil off wastewater.
This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, EPAs Pacific Northwest (Region 10) office, and the Oregon State Police.
This case was an Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF) investigation. ECTF is an initiative in the District of Oregon that identifies, investigates, and prosecutes significant environmental, public lands, and wildlife crimes. ECTF leverages the resources and effort of federal, state and local regulatory agencies and law enforcement to protect human health, safeguard natural resources and wildlife and hold violators accountable.
Trial Attorneys Rachel Roberts and Stephen J. Foster of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren for the District of Oregon and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla G. Perrin prosecuted the case.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that earlier today, after a five-week trial before Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss, a federal jury convicted Serhat Gumrukcu, 42, of Los Angeles, California, of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Gumrukcu remains in jail pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Gumrukcu has been held in custody since his arrest in May of 2022.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Gumrukcu solicited the murder of Gregory Davis due to Davis’s threats of legal action related to Gumrukcu’s role in a failed oil commodities transaction. Gumrukcu’s conviction for wire fraud stemmed from his fraudulent activities in relation to this failed oil deal. Gumrukcu was particularly motivated to silence Davis due to his negotiations of a multi-million-dollar biotech merger involving Gumrukcu’s alleged discovery of a cure for HIV. Gumrukcu relied on his close friend, Berk Eratay, to arrange through a second intermediary, Aaron Ethridge, the hiring of a hitman to kill Davis. Ethridge recruited Jerry Banks for the hitman role, who on January 6, 2018, posed as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, and abducted Davis from his Danville, Vermont home. On January 7, 2018, Davis’s deceased body was located in a snowbank a short distance from his home. Investigators quickly discovered emails and messaging indicating the tension between Gumrukcu and Davis over the failed oil deal, resulting in Gumrukcu being interviewed twice by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Gumrukcu made false statements during each interview. Cellphone location information, purchase records, banking documentation, emails, and messaging discovered during the investigation led to the identification of the four conspirators who caused the kidnapping and death of Davis.
Based on the jury’s verdict, Gumrukcu faces a statutorily mandated sentence of life imprisonment.
“Serhat Gumrukcu tried to hide his role in the murder of Greg Davis by paying one man to pay another man to pay the hitman, who shot and killed Greg Davis on a January night in Vermont. Uncovering Gumrukcu’s responsibility for this murder involved years of determined investigation by the men and women of Vermont’s United States Attorney’s Office, working closely with the FBI and the Vermont State Police,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “Holding Gumrukcu responsible for this murder also required the work of an extraordinarily talented trial team, consisting of Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Van de Graaf and Zachary Stendig, with tremendous courtroom support from Erin Thompson-Moran and Karen Arena-Leene.” Drescher also thanked the numerous law enforcement entities across the country who worked to identify Banks as the hired hitman, Ethridge and Eratay as middlemen, and Gumrukcu as the financier and benefactor of the murder scheme.
FBI Special Agent in Charge, Craig L. Tremaroli stated, “Serhat Gumrukcu is a ruthless criminal whose greed drove him to order the death of his own business partner. Today, our thoughts are with Gregory Davis’s family. We are proud to have brought them justice and are incredibly grateful to our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, and all our law enforcement partners across the country who assisted with this complex investigation.”
“We join our federal partners in thanking the members of the jury for their careful deliberations and verdict convicting Serhat Gumrukcu of all charges,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police. “The jury’s determination of guilt reflects the diligent police work and the copious evidence collected during what would become one of the most sweeping, comprehensive and complex investigations in Vermont State Police history. Starting on the day more than seven years ago that Gregory Davis’s body was discovered on a snowy, remote road in Barnet, the state police, along with our investigative partners including the FBI, focused on identifying those responsible for his senseless killing and bringing them to justice. We hope that with today’s verdict, Mr. Davis’s family may be able to find a small measure of comfort knowing the person who bore ultimate responsibility has been held accountable.”
At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul J. Van de Graaf and Zachary Stendig represented the government, with supported from Karen Arena-Leene and Erin Thompson-Moran. Gumrukcu was represented by Susan K. Marcus, Esq., and Ethan A. Balogh, Esq.
BOSTON – A Honduran national residing in Woburn, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Saul Arce, 38, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Arce was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 20, 2025.
According to the charging document, Arce was deported from the United States on May 15, 2013. It is alleged that sometime after his May 2013 removal, Arce illegally reentered the United States without permission.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on April 22, 2025, to 252 months of incarceration, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, on his conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor, and production and receipt of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Shayne A. Clapper, 31.
According to information presented to the Court, in January 2023 through February 2023, Clapper initiated a sexual relationship with a minor known to him. Clapper provided the minor with a cell phone that he used to communicate with the minor, including requesting and receiving nude images from the minor. Clapper also induced the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Ellwood City Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Clapper.
This case was 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.
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man who was employed as a New Jersey high school teacher, admitted to producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Michael Hamilton, 53, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to one count of producing child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Hamilton admitted to meeting a minor victim and engaging in sexual conduct with that victim, which Hamilton recorded on video. Law enforcement seized a copy of that video during the search of his home in October 2023. Hamilton also admitted to receiving and possessing sexually explicit messages, pictures, and videos of two other minor victims.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Habba also thanked the Springfield Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.
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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The government is represented by Rebecca Sussman and Robert Taj Moore of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Former banker Russell Lucius Laffitte, 54, of Estill, has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; wire fraud; bank fraud; and three counts of misapplication of bank funds.
“Russell Laffitte and Alex Murdaugh abused their positions of power to victimize people who trusted them,” said Ben Garner, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division. “As of today, both have pleaded guilty and accepted responsibility for their crimes in federal court. We appreciate the exhaustive work of our partners at the FBI, SLED, and South Carolina Attorney General’s Office to ensure justice for Laffitte and Murdaugh’s victims.”
Laffitte was an officer and executive at Palmetto State Bank in Hampton, South Carolina. His co-conspirator, Alex Murdaugh, was a personal injury attorney at a law firm in Hampton.
As part of his guilty plea, Laffitte admitted that he agreed to serve as conservator and personal representative for several of Murdaugh’s clients, knowing that he would personally profit from doing so. Beginning in 2011, Laffitte began extending himself and Murdaugh loans from conservator accounts Laffitte was charged with managing. Laffitte did not disclose the loans to the conservatees, despite owing them a fiduciary duty.
Around that time, Murdaugh devised a scheme to obtain money belonging to his clients. In furtherance of the scheme, Murdaugh directed law firm employees to make clients’ checks payable to Palmetto State Bank. The checks were drawn on the law firm’s client trust account, identified the clients on the memo lines, and corresponded to amounts set forth in the clients’ disbursement sheets.
As to two of Murdaugh’s clients, Laffitte—their conservator—saw their disbursement sheets and knew that the bank was supposed to receive their settlement funds. Murdaugh presented the clients’ checks to Laffitte and directed that they be used for Murdaugh’s personal benefit, including to pay off loans Laffitte had extended from conservator accounts. Laffitte negotiated nine separate transactions for Murdaugh’s benefit, knowing that the funds belonged to the clients.
Laffitte also aided and abetted the structuring of transactions from a second check belonging to one of the clients, disbursing the funds at Murdaugh’s direction and for Murdaugh’s personal benefit.
As to a third client of Murdaugh’s, Laffitte negotiated 12 separate transactions, disbursing $1,325,000 in client settlement funds for Murdaugh’s benefit. Despite knowing they were client funds, Laffitte allowed Murdaugh to use the funds to repay Murdaugh’s personal loans, repay loans Laffitte extended from a conservator account, purchase vehicles and equipment, and receive cash back. Laffitte also deposited some of the funds into Murdaugh’s personal account.
Laffitte received $75,000 in conservator fees and $35,000 in personal representative fees from these three clients. He intentionally failed to report this income on his tax returns, knowing that he could hide the income because the fee checks were drafted to Palmetto State Bank rather than to him personally. Laffitte also structured transactions to avoid reporting requirements and intentionally failed to file suspicious activity reports.
In 2015, Laffitte misapplied bank funds by extending over $284,000 from a line of credit that was supposed to be for farming to repay Murdaugh’s remaining loans from the conservatorship.
Laffitte also misapplied bank funds on two other occasions. In July 2021, he extended Murdaugh a $750,000 loan for the stated purpose of beach house renovations. But Laffitte authorized a $350,000 wire transfer to an attorney and then transferred $400,000 of “loan proceeds” to Murdaugh’s account to cover over $367,000 in overdraft, knowing that these funds had nothing to do with beach house renovations.
In October 2021, the law firm uncovered that Murdaugh had stolen from clients. Laffitte knew he had negotiated stolen checks at Murdaugh’s direction despite knowing the funds did not belong to Murdaugh. Laffitte then paid the law firm $680,000 in bank funds without the knowledge or consent of the full bank Board of Directors or Executive Committee in an attempt to settle the matter with the law firm.
A federal jury previously convicted Laffitte of these same six charges in 2022. His conviction was overturned by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in late 2024.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Laffitte agrees to pay $3,555,884.80 in criminal restitution before sentencing. Laffitte also agrees that his guilty plea prohibits him from controlling or participating in the conduct of any federally insured bank or credit union, and he cannot serve as a director or officer of any such bank or credit union without permission.
If Laffitte complies with the plea agreement’s terms, the parties agree that the appropriate sentence is five years in prison, and the Government agrees not to file any additional related charges against Laffitte.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty plea and will impose a sentence at a later date.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse, Kathleen Stoughton, and Winston Holliday are prosecuting this case.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
TYLER, Texas – A Houston man has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Julius Lawan Lockett, Jr., 30, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank theft and was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $243,540.85 and forfeiture of $79,850 by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on April 17, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Lockett conspired with others to burglarize ATMs (automated teller machines) in the Smith County area. On March 28, 2021, Lockett and Jermone Christopher Mayes, Jr., drove from Houston to Tyler to steal U.S. currency from ATMs in the area. Using a Ford F-250 truck which had been stolen in Smith County, they attached chains to the truck and to an ATM at Chase Bank at South Southwest Loop 323 in Tyler. The ATM was pulled open and approximately $159,700 was stolen.
On January 29, 2025, Mayes was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Tyler Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan R. Jackson.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
TEXARKANA, Texas – A federal inmate man has been sentenced to additional time in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Jimmy Barrientos, 38, of Grand Prairie, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in prison and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III, on April 15, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Barrientos, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Texarkana, instructed Catherine Gamez to bring methamphetamine with her during prisoner visitation. On September 25, 2022, Gamez brought a portion of a condom containing approximately 20 grams of actual methamphetamine into the federal prison when she came to visit Barrientos. Once Gamez entered the visitation room, she hid the condom containing methamphetamine in the soap dispenser in the restroom of the visitation room at the prison. FCI personnel recovered the condom from the soap dispenser and provided it to federal law enforcement. Gamez pleaded guilty to the same offense in 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Texarkana Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Noble.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Police accountability reforms to enter Parliament
Police officers will be given greater confidence to carry out their roles, with reforms to the systems that hold them to account set to enter Parliament.
Getty Images
The government will table an amendment to the flagship Crime and Policing Bill later this week to provide a presumption of anonymity for firearms officers who are subject to a criminal trial following a shooting.
This will apply during court proceedings and in media reporting up until the point of conviction.
Improving policing systems is a crucial part of making our streets safer under the Plan for Change, and this move addresses specific concerns raised during the accountability review about the risks firearms officers face from criminal gangs and will protect them and their families against any such threat.
Three measures to improve the timeliness and appropriateness of investigations into police use of force and the rights of victims will also be also included in the bill:
Aligning the threshold for referrals by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) of officers to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to that used by police when referring cases involving members of the public. This is to avoid the system being clogged up with cases, allowing greater focus and swifter resolution of those that are referred.
Speeding up processes by allowing the IOPC to send cases to the CPS where there is sufficient evidence, prior to their final investigation report.
Putting the IOPC victims’ right to review policy on a statutory footing to ensure the voices of victims and their families are heard.
This is a crucial step in delivering measures set out by the Home Secretary to parliament in October, in which she set out a package of reforms to rebuild confidence for police officers and communities. The measures are designed to tackle unacceptable delays and confusion in the system, to ensure that the complexity of specialist operations is considered at an early stage, and that the highest standards within policing are upheld and maintained.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
The proud British tradition of policing by consent depends on mutual bonds of trust between the police and the communities they serve. That’s why we have set out an ambitious package of measures to rebuild both public trust in policing and the confidence of police officers in their vital work to keep the public safe.
Police officers in specialist roles who make split-second decisions to keep the public safe must have the confidence to carry out their duties, knowing that the systems which hold them to account for their decisions are fair.
Too often those processes have involved unacceptable delays and confusion, which has been damaging both for the police and the public. These changes will help to boost confidence that the system will work swiftly and effectively for all those involved.
The accountability review found that the current system for holding police officers to account is not commanding the confidence of either the public or the police, with misconduct proceedings too often plagued by delays stretching for years, which is damaging for complainants, police officers and police forces alike.
Alongside the changes being made in the Crime and Policing Bill, the Director for Public Prosecutions has already completed a review of CPS guidance and processes in relation to charging police officers for offences committed in the course of their duties. Revised guidance provides greater clarity for prosecutors, ensuring the dynamic and fast-changing nature of specialist policing decisions are taken into account when charging decisions are made.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said:
The progress that has been made on vital accountability reform should be welcomed. In particular, I am very pleased to see that the previous commitment on anonymity for firearms officers subject to criminal trials is going to be introduced as an amendment to legislation going through Parliament.
We know further reform is needed if officers are to have full confidence in the system that holds them to account but alongside our policing partners we are working positively and constructively with the government and that work will continue.
Lead of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Operations Coordination Committee and the Senior Responsible Officer for the accountability review, Chief Constable BJ Harrington, said:
We welcome today’s announcement. These are positive changes which will ensure that the public interest is served, and that police officers and staff will have the confidence to protect the public and uphold the law.
Everyone in policing expects to be held to account for their actions and use of powers. However, too often we hear of the devastating, and often disproportionate, impact on officers, staff and their families after they have stepped forward with courage and professionalism on behalf of the public.
Whether it’s an issue concerning use of force, death following contact with the police, police driving or where officers are alleged to have broken the law, it is important that the accountability mechanism is swift, balanced, and fair. This in turn will give our people the confidence to fulfil their duties, and the public confidence in their professionalism and decision making.
We remain determined to get police accountability right and we will support government to improve the current accountability system to ensure community support, and importantly, to give police officers and staff the knowledge that where they act, to do the right things for the right reasons, they have the support to do their job of tackling crime and protecting the public.
This comes as the government has today set out further reforms to rebuild public confidence in policing, including new regulations to ensure police chiefs can automatically sack officers who fail background checks, allowing them to root out those who are unfit to serve.