GREENSBORO – A New York man was sentenced yesterday in Greensboro, North Carolina, to 35 years in prison after pleading to robbery, firearm, and intimidation charges related to an attempted murder stemming from conduct in the Middle District of North Carolina and the Southern District of New York, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
RYAN LEWIS LITTLE, age 40, of New York, was sentenced to a 420-month term of imprisonment and 5 years supervised release by the Honorable William L. Osteen, Jr., United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, LITTLE was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $56,970.75.
LITTLE pleaded guilty on May 10, 2024, to interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and retaliating against a witness by attempted murder, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1513(a)(1)(B), for conduct occurring in the MDNC. On June 20, 2024, he pleaded guilty to a separate charge for interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), for incidents occurring in the Southern District of New York.
According to court records, on April 8, 2022, at approximately 7:00 PM, Greensboro Police Department (GPD) officers responded to a report of attempted armed robbery at the Chemistry Nightclub Food Truck located in the parking lot of 2901 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC. The food truck employee reported that an armed man attempted to rob the food truck at gunpoint. Footage from the food truck’s surveillance cameras showed a man (later identified as LITTLE) walking up the steps of the food truck, pulling out a silver handgun, pointing it at the food truck employee and asking, “Where is the money?” The employee told LITTLE that there was no money. LITTLE then pushed the victim and ran from the food truck.
The Chemistry Nightclub Food Truck attempted robbery was one in a series of robberies that law enforcement officers had been investigating since March 2022. A witness, Victim-1, spoke with law enforcement as part of the ongoing investigation. In retaliation for speaking with the officers, on the morning of April 12, 2022, LITTLE shot Victim-1 in the face. He then fled North Carolina.
On April 20, 2022, at approximately 10:30 pm, New York Police Department (NYPD) officers arrived at the scene of a reported robbery at a restaurant. An employee stated that a man entered the restaurant, brandished a silver firearm partially concealed beneath a newspaper, and took approximately $1,500 from the cash register. The employee followed the suspect to a nearby park. While canvassing the area, officers saw LITTLE emerge from the bushes and attempt to flee the area. Officers chased him and he was apprehended moments later with approximately $1,100 cash on him. Officers traced the path LITTLE had fled and recovered a loaded silver pistol. After his arrest, a witness approached the NYPD officers and told them that shortly after robbing the restaurant LITTLE attempted to carjack him.
The case was investigated by the Greensboro Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, and Firearms, and New York Police Department. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole DuPré and Lindsey Freeman, SDNY Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Bodansky, and former MDNC Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Kroeger.
An Alabama man was arrested by the FBI this morning in Athens, Alabama, on charges related to the January hack of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
According to court documents, on or about Jan. 9, Eric Council Jr., 25, of Athens, allegedly conspired with others to take unauthorized control of the SEC’s X account and, in the name of SEC Chair Gary Gensler, prematurely announced the approval of bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds. Immediately following the false announcement, the price of bitcoin increased by more than $1,000 per bitcoin. Shortly after this unauthorized post, the SEC regained control over its X account and confirmed that the announcement was unauthorized and the result of a security breach. Following this corrective disclosure, the value of BTC decreased by more than $2,000 per bitcoin.
The conspirators gained control of the SEC’s X account through an unauthorized Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) swap, allegedly carried out by Council. A SIM swap refers to the process of fraudulently inducing a cell phone carrier to reassign a cell phone number from the legitimate subscriber or user’s SIM card to a SIM card controlled by a criminal actor. As part of the scheme, Council and the co-conspirators allegedly created a fraudulent identification document in the victim’s name, which Council used to impersonate the victim; took over the victim’s cellular telephone account; and accessed the online social media account linked to the victim’s cellular phone number for the purpose of accessing the SEC’s X account and generating the fraudulent post in the name of SEC Chairman Gensler.
“The indictment alleges that Eric Council Jr. unlawfully accessed the SEC’s account on X by using the stolen identity of a person who had access to the account to take over their cellphone number,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Council’s co-conspirators then allegedly used this unauthorized access to the X account to falsely announce that the SEC had approved listing bitcoin ETFs, which caused the price of bitcoin to rise by $1,000 and then fall by $2,000. Council’s indictment underscores the Criminal Division’s commitment to countering cybercrime, especially when it threatens the integrity of financial markets.”
“These SIM swapping schemes, where fraudsters trick service providers into giving them control of unsuspecting victims’ phones, can result in devastating financial losses to victims and leaks of sensitive personal and private information,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Here, the conspirators allegedly used their illegal access to a phone to manipulate financial markets. Through indictments like this, we will hold accountable those who commit these serious crimes.”
“The FBI works to identify, disrupt, and investigate cyber-enabled frauds, including SIM swapping,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David E. Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. “SIM swapping is a method bad actors exploit to illicitly access sensitive information of an individual or company, with the intent of perpetrating a crime. In this case, the unauthorized actor allegedly utilized SIM swapping to manipulate the global financial market. The FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners around the country and globe to hold accountable those who break U.S. laws.”
“This criminal indictment demonstrates our commitment to holding bad actors accountable for undermining the integrity of the financial markets,” said Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey of the SEC.
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment on Oct. 10 charging Council with one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office and SEC Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
For more information on SIM swapping, go to www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
An Alabama man was arrested by the FBI this morning in Athens, Alabama, on charges related to the January hack of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
According to court documents, on or about Jan. 9, Eric Council Jr., 25, of Athens, allegedly conspired with others to take unauthorized control of the SEC’s X account and, in the name of SEC Chair Gary Gensler, prematurely announced the approval of bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds. Immediately following the false announcement, the price of bitcoin increased by more than $1,000 per bitcoin. Shortly after this unauthorized post, the SEC regained control over its X account and confirmed that the announcement was unauthorized and the result of a security breach. Following this corrective disclosure, the value of BTC decreased by more than $2,000 per bitcoin.
The conspirators gained control of the SEC’s X account through an unauthorized Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) swap, allegedly carried out by Council. A SIM swap refers to the process of fraudulently inducing a cell phone carrier to reassign a cell phone number from the legitimate subscriber or user’s SIM card to a SIM card controlled by a criminal actor. As part of the scheme, Council and the co-conspirators allegedly created a fraudulent identification document in the victim’s name, which Council used to impersonate the victim; took over the victim’s cellular telephone account; and accessed the online social media account linked to the victim’s cellular phone number for the purpose of accessing the SEC’s X account and generating the fraudulent post in the name of SEC Chairman Gensler.
“The indictment alleges that Eric Council Jr. unlawfully accessed the SEC’s account on X by using the stolen identity of a person who had access to the account to take over their cellphone number,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Council’s co-conspirators then allegedly used this unauthorized access to the X account to falsely announce that the SEC had approved listing bitcoin ETFs, which caused the price of bitcoin to rise by $1,000 and then fall by $2,000. Council’s indictment underscores the Criminal Division’s commitment to countering cybercrime, especially when it threatens the integrity of financial markets.”
“These SIM swapping schemes, where fraudsters trick service providers into giving them control of unsuspecting victims’ phones, can result in devastating financial losses to victims and leaks of sensitive personal and private information,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Here, the conspirators allegedly used their illegal access to a phone to manipulate financial markets. Through indictments like this, we will hold accountable those who commit these serious crimes.”
“The FBI works to identify, disrupt, and investigate cyber-enabled frauds, including SIM swapping,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David E. Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. “SIM swapping is a method bad actors exploit to illicitly access sensitive information of an individual or company, with the intent of perpetrating a crime. In this case, the unauthorized actor allegedly utilized SIM swapping to manipulate the global financial market. The FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners around the country and globe to hold accountable those who break U.S. laws.”
“This criminal indictment demonstrates our commitment to holding bad actors accountable for undermining the integrity of the financial markets,” said Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey of the SEC.
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment on Oct. 10 charging Council with one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office and SEC Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Zachary A. Myers announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Tiffany J. Preston will lead the efforts of the Southern District of Indiana’s Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Preston has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of Indiana, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
U.S. Attorney Myers said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
U.S. Attorney Myers stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, DEO Preston will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 317-226-6333.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 317-595-4000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
United States Attorney Myers said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
Defendant Pled Guilty to Assaulting Officers with Insecticide and Members of the News Media
WASHINGTON – A New York man pleaded guilty today to two assault charges – one felony and one misdemeanor – related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. 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.
Peter G. Moloney, 60, of Bayport, New York, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, and impeding certain officers and a misdemeanor charge of assault by striking before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols. Judge Nichols will sentence Moloney on Feb. 11, 2025.
According to court documents, Moloney attended the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., on the Ellipse. Moloney traveled from his home in Bayport, New York, and brought with him certain items, including a bicycle helmet, protective eyewear, hard-knuckled gloves, a face mask, and a can of “Black Flag Wasp, Hornet, & Yellow Jacket Killer” aerosol spray.
After the rally, Moloney walked toward the U.S. Capitol building via the Maryland Walkway, put on his gear, and was part of the first group to enter the restricted permitter. Moloney was one of the first to line up against a line of U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Officers on the West Plaza. Court documents say that as tensions rose, Moloney pulled the can of wasp spray from his backpack and kept it in close proximity.
According to the court records, on multiple occasions, Moloney held the can of wasp spray in his hands, aimed it at police, and sprayed the officers—causing the spray to make contact with the officer’s hands, arms, bodies, and heads.
In addition to the assault on police officers, on two separate occasions, Moloney admitted to assaulting two individuals that he believed were members of the news media. On one occasion, Moloney walked up behind the victim while the victim’s back was turned and holding a camera. Moloney then swung his arm down onto the victim’s hand, grabbed the camera, and yanked it back in an attempt to pull the camera out of the victim’s hands. This act caused the victim to stumble on a flight of stairs.
The FBI arrested Moloney on June 7, 2023, in New York.
As a result of the plea, Moloney has agreed to pay restitution both to the victim for the repairs to his camera and to the Architect of the Capitol for the damage to the U.S. Capitol that day.
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 New York.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office (Long Island Resident Agency) and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Moloney as #199 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division.
In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 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.
DETROIT – United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Patrick Martin will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Martin has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Michigan, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Ison said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
United States Attorney Ison stated that: “Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Martin will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (313)226-9168.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (313)965-2323.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
United States Attorney Ison said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Vanessa Waldref announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Frieda Zimmerman will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Zimmerman has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Washington, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Waldref said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
United States Attorney Waldref stated that: “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to this right can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Zimmerman will be on duty in this District on election day. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (509) 353-2767.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (509) 458-8100.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
United States Attorney Waldref said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over ballot drop boxes, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –
Discreetly Revised Data Shows Violent Crime Has Increased Under This Administration Despite Misleading Claims From Democrats
Washington, October 17, 2024
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) intentionally misled the American people into believing violent crime decreased under the Biden-Harris Administration. A discreetly revised FBI 2022 annual crime data report proves violent crimes have increased under the Biden-Harris Administration. A previously reported 2.1 percent decrease in violent crimes has now been altered to show a 4.5 percent increase. This Administration has continuously touted these false numbers to argue violent crime has declined, and the latest revision proves otherwise. While violent crime surges across the country due to Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies, failed bail reform, open borders, and defund the police movement, House Republicans are committed to law and order.
MAKE NO MISTAKE: This revision further proves Americans are less safe under the Biden-Harris Administration. It’s time to restore the safety and security of every American.
THE BIDEN-HARRIS CRIME CRISIS:
New reporting has uncovered that the FBI secretly updated its crime data to show instead of a 2.1 percent drop in violent crime in 2022, it was actually a 4.5 percent increase.
The FBI made no mention of this 6.6 percentage point revision in its press release.
The new data includes thousands more murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults than previously reported.
The updated data for 2022 shows that there were 80,029 more violent crimes than in 2021 – including an additional 1,699 murders, 7,780 rapes, 33,459 robberies, and 37,091 aggravated assaults.
Carl Moody, a professor at the College of William & Mary who specializes in studying crime: “There were no revisions from 2004 to 2015, and from 2016 to 2020, there were small changes of less than one percentage point. The huge changes in 2021 and 2022, especially without an explanation, make it difficult to trust the FBI data.”
There are now questions as to whether the recently released 2023 FBI crime statistics are legitimate due to the massive 2022 revision.
Another problem with this FBI crime data is its reliance on reported crimes, as most crimes go unreported.
An alternative measure of crime that also accounts for unreported crimes, the National Crime Victimization Survey, shows that crime is even higher than FBI data suggests – with violent crime up 37 percent since Harris and Biden took office.
The FBI is not the only government agency to see massive revisions under this Administration – the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently admitted that 818,000 jobs that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden claim to have “created” don’t actually exist.
Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio
Rubio Urges Domestic Terrorism Investigation of Pro-Hamas Group
Oct 17, 2024 | Press Releases
Unity of Fields, a self-proclaimed pro-Hamas, anti-American “direct action network,” promotes acts of militant violence and propaganda against supporters of Israel. The pro-terrorist beliefs and actions of this group, including encouraging attacks on buildings and individuals, prompt a thorough investigation.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General Merrick Garland urging a full investigation into Unity of Fields for acts of domestic terrorism before additional harm or actions jeopardize the United States or its citizens.
“Unity of Fields runs counter to any of the beliefs and rights which underpin our country’s constitutional system and endangers citizens. As such, I look forward to your prompt investigation into Unity of Fields as you hold them accountable to the fullest extent under the law.”
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Attorney General Garland:
I write with concern about the increasing violence promoted by groups such as Unity of Fields, formerly Palestine Action U.S., which explicitly support Palestinian terrorism and other anti-Israel, anti-American, and antisemitic terrorist organizations. I request that you immediately open a domestic terrorism investigation into Unity of Fields and utilize all resources available to hold this group accountable under the law.
As you may know, Unity of Fields is an “anti-Zionist ‘direct action network’” focused on promoting acts of violence and protest against individuals or organizations that the group considers supportive of Israel, Zionism, or American imperialism. Prior to August 2024, the organization was called Palestine Action U.S. and served as a chapter for the United Kingdom-based Palestine Action. In an article originally published in May 2024, Unity of Fields highlighted several beliefs that underpin their movement. Specifically, the group calls for increased escalation in its activities, including no longer disavowing any action in pursuit of its Marxist, anti-Zionist, anti-American agenda, building up militancy infrastructure, and adherence to the belief that the “revolution will come within our lifetimes” as they “will make sure of it.”
Further, the group encourages the study of revolutionary material in preparation for continued action against the United States and Israel. Specifically, Unity of Fields promotes the writings of Palestinian revolutionary and suspected terrorist Bassel Al-Araj, Mao Zedong’s On Guerilla Warfare, the United States Army Counterinsurgency Manuel as well as numerous other works focused around promoting and conducting insurgencies. The ultimate purpose of the group and its readings is “to open a new front against the US Empire [and] to build the international popular cradle of resistance.”
Unsurprisingly, Unity of Fields’ efforts have contributed to a recent trend in increasing violence and vandalism against private property and individuals. On their X account, Unity of Fields promoted and encouraged violence in the name of Palestine and anti-Zionism, including a recent attack on the CCNY Advanced Science Research Center and individuals adhering to the belief that “Zionists don’t deserve to live,” even while claiming their organization “doesn’t do actions.”
Under 18 U.S. Code § 2331, “domestic terrorism” is defined as any activity which “involves acts dangerous to human life that are in violation of the criminal laws” and includes the intent “to intimidate or coerce a civilian population” or “to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.” Further, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) developed various terms and methodologies for investigating domestic terrorism threats and plots. Specifically, the FBI views a domestic terrorism plot “as a combination of criminal activity and planning that collectively reflect steps toward criminal action in furtherance of a domestic ideological goal.” A historical view of the Palestinian Resistance Movement demonstrates that violence has become a crucial element of the movement, especially between 1970 and 1973. This is seen among various terrorist spokes of the movement: Hamas, the PLFP, and the Islamic Jihad. Unity of Fields have been outspoken in transitioning into a militant propaganda organization and have cited Houthi Ansar Allah saying, “[t]he meaning of the unity of the fields is that we are all one hand, one leadership, one direction, one goal, and one approach, and any attack on any of the components of the Axis [including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Houthis, and various Shi’ite groups in Iraq and Syria] is considered a direct attack on us.”
When comparing Unity of Fields’ own statements and actions to existing government standards for investigating these threats, I believe Unity of Fields should be investigated for any violations of the law before additional harm or actions jeopardizes the United States or its citizens. By rejecting nonviolent means and fully embracing revolutionary and insurgent related tactics as a means of pursuing its hateful beliefs, Unity of Fields runs counter to any of the beliefs and rights which underpin our country’s constitutional system, and endangers citizens. As such, I look forward to your prompt investigation into Unity of Fields as you hold them accountable to the fullest extent under the law.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)
Miami Herald
Op-ed: Mario Díaz-Balart, Debbie Wasserman Schultz
October 17, 2024
Read the full op-ed here:
As co-chairs of the Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus, we write to highlight the vital role that the Jewish and Latino communities both play in our nation and South Florida, which we have the honor of representing, but also to the American identity as a whole. Within the framework of Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the close partnership that exists between both of our communities and urge cooperation to address the common challenges that make this partnership so crucial.
Immigration has played a pivotal role in America’s social fabric. Our families and many of our constituents escaped repressive regimes, whether in Cuba, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, or Venezuela, to pursue life in a land with freedom and opportunity. Latinos and Jews have contributed greatly to American business, culture, science, sports, public service enhancing every aspect of our diverse society.
And while we’re proud of the success we’ve achieved as Americans, we haven’t forgotten our roots, including those still struggling for freedom and opportunity. We are proud diaspora communities with strong ties to our ancestral lands. Shared values of family, faith, and respect for human rights have united our communities and animated Jewish and Latino leadership from the civil rights movement to the fight for a fair and lawful immigration system. These close bonds to our nations of origin position our communities to play a crucial role in driving the United States’ pursuit of justice at home and abroad.
We still have work to do.
Here in the U.S., we are committed to working to ensure that our communities are safe from anti-Jewish and anti-Latino hate. As members of Congress, we’ve worked on bipartisan legislation to combat such hate, including the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer NO HATE Act, which became law in 2021. This important legislation provides grants to state and local governments to enforce hate laws, and to keep more accurate records on hate crimes.
According to surveys, 87% of American Jews have observed increased antisemitism in the U.S. since the Oct. 7 attacks. Both antisemitic and anti-Latino/Hispanic hate crimes reached record highs in 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) 2023 Hate Crimes Statistics Report found that hate crimes against Jews increased a staggering 63% year over year, while those targeting Latinos surged by 10.7% last year as well. We’ve seen the horrific damage that can be inflicted by individuals radicalized by hateful conspiracy theories, from the murderous rampage that killed eleven Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh to the vicious attack against Latinos at an El Paso Walmart that killed 23 people.
Additionally, we must work together to bring home the hostages held by the foreign terrorist organization Hamas, a proxy of the terrorist state of Iran. It is unconscionable that a year later, nearly 100 hostages remain in brutal Hamas captivity. Some of these hostages are both Israeli and Latino— holding dual citizenship from countries like Argentina and Colombia. We call on Hamas to release them now.
In Latin America, the democratic opposition movements in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua continue to be persecuted by brutal, authoritarian regimes.
In Cuba, courageous activists demand human rights and democratic change, but many of the July 11, 2021 protesters remain imprisoned.
In Venezuela, despite all available evidence pointing to the election victory by the opposition, Maduro refuses to face the truth. We strongly condemn the Maduro regime’s actions to subvert Venezuela’s once-democratic institutions, which has resulted in nearly eight million Venezuelans being forced into exile—many of whom have resettled in our communities.
In Nicaragua, religious freedom has been quashed, with clergy forced into exile in unprecedented numbers, including the forced exit of the entirety of Mother Theresa’s order in Nicaragua.
We also roundly denounce these regimes’ shameful persecution, antisemitism, and delegitimization of their small Jewish communities, sentiments that are unfortunately reflected by other leftist governments in the region like Colombia.
Additionally, Russia and Iran, which support transnational repression and amplify racist and antisemitic extremism to sew divisions, have made our world a more dangerous place.
That’s why our communities must continue working in partnership and solidarity to combat hate, promote freedom and oppose dictators and violent organizations that defy our values. We’ll keep building bridges between Jewish and Latino Americans because we believe they can help guide our nation toward a just future.
Within the framework of Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s celebrate our common bonds while continuing to look out for one another.
Mario Díaz-Balart is a U.S. representative for Florida’s 26th Congressional District, a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations and chairman of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee. Debbie Wasserman Schultz represents Florida’s 25th Congressional District and is ranking member on the House Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.
Headline: Every announcement and trailer from Xbox partners at Oct. 17 event
We got our first look at gameplay from The Lake House, the second expansion coming for Alan Wake 2 – and it looks like the Remedy Connected Universe is getting more connected than ever. Putting us in the shoes of an agent from the Federal Bureau of Control, we’ll be exploring an Overlap in the titular Lake House, filled with mysteries, a mysterious living painting, and the horrors it’s birthing. It’ll be fascinating to see how this bridges the gaps between Alan’s story and the events of Control.
The doors of the Lake House will open on Xbox Series X|S from October 22 – and you can find out more about how this expansion takes us in an even darker direction than the main game on Xbox Wire.
Animal Well Reveals Its Mysteries on Xbox Today
Xbox Series X|S
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This gorgeous mystery-platformer is rightfully seen as one of the biggest surprises of the year, blending pixel-perfect traversal with a gorgeous, inscrutable world packed with secrets. Taking elements from classic Metroidvanias and blowing them out into a world packed with unique puzzles, Animal Well gets deeper the closer you look. We’re delighted to say that it arrives on Xbox today.
Blindfire Is a First-Person Shooter Set Entirely in the Dark – and It’s Available in Game Preview Today
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (through Xbox Game Preview)
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The most important tool in an FPS isn’t your gun – it’s your eyes. So what happens in an FPS set entirely in inky-black arenas? Blindfire is here to answer that question. This fascinating new idea from Double Eleven got a world premiere and shadow drop during Partner Preview, showing off how you’ll need to use tools, traps, and echolocation to seek out your targets in this fast-paced shooter.
You don’t need to wait to find out how it all works – Blindfire is available today on Xbox Series X|S and PC through the Xbox Game Preview program. Find out how the team came up with such a unique idea, exclusively on Xbox Wire.
Cronos: The New Dawn Is a Mind-Bending Survival Horror from Bloober Team
Xbox Series X|S
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Bloober Team (The Medium, Blair Witch, Layers of Fear) brought us this world premiere of a fascinating new game that takes us in a new direction for the studio. A third-person survival horror set across two distinct time periods, Cronos: The New Dawn introduced itself with an enticingly strange trailer involving a game of chess, a very big spacesuit, and some horrifying creatures.
The game itself will place us in both 1980s Communist Poland, and a futuristic wasteland following a pandemic known only as The Change. A glimpse of gameplay showed us quite how spooky this is going to get – we can’t wait to see more before it arrives in 2025.
Edens Zero Brings Anime Action to Xbox in 2025
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC
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Based on the Hiro Mashima manga and the anime series of the same name, Edens Zero is a third-person action game that saw its world premiere during the show. Set in the unique sci-fi universe of the manga, you’ll take hero Shiki Granbell across the universe in search of the cosmic entity, Mother – gathering new characters, each with their own abilities, as you go. Edens Zero will be released in 2025.
Eternal Strands Casts Its Unique Magic on Game Pass
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass
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This systemic action-RPG from a team of developers who’ve worked on Dragon Age, Assassin’s Creed and more already had our attention. With a unique magic system that allows you to combine spells (freezing a flying dragon’s wings so it falls to the ground, anyone?), in-depth crafting systems, and titanic, climbable bosses, it’s a beautiful combination already. But add to that mix that it’s coming to Game Pass on day one? It just makes the wait for its release in early 2025 so much harder.
FBC: Firebreak – the Co-op Control Spin-off – Gets a Gameplay Reveal
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass
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Remedy is known for its single-player masterpieces, but it’s going in a different direction with FBC: Firebreak. We brought you a world-first look at this spin-off from the beloved Control – a first-person, multiplayer, PvE game, placing you in the ranks of the Federal Bureau of Control’s agents. Take on the horrors of the Oldest House, using a variety of appropriately weird weaponry, in this exciting co-op experience. FBC: Firebreak arrives in 2025, and it’s coming day one to Game Pass. Find out more about how Remedy made its first ever multiplayer game on Xbox Wire.
The Legend of Baboo Is a Brutal Action-Adventure (With an Adorable Dog)
Xbox Series X|S
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In a world premiere, we were introduced to The Legend of Baboo, an action-adventure set across a magical island, sending a child hero,Sepehr into the fray with only their wits, weapons, and an absolutely gorgeous dog called Baboo to protect them. And yes, you did see the dog being used as a mount.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Shows Off Its Naval Battles, and Gets a New Release Date
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC
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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was an unexpected surprise from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio – and we’re delighted to say it’s arriving even earlier than expected, on February 21, 2025. Featuring ex-yakuza Goro Majima getting wrapped up in an adventure on the high seas, it’s a truly over-the-top follow-up to this year’s Infinite Wealth.
In a new trailer, we got to see the game’s exhilarating naval battles for the first time, with you taking the helm of a ship in pirate-ridden waters, before boarding to take on treasure-seeking rivals in all-out brawls. We even got a glimpse of battles in the Pirate Coliseum of a secret island hideout, Madlantis. Learn more about the naval battles, exclusively on Xbox Wire.
Mistfall Hunter Mixes Soulslikes and Extraction Games
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC
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A fascinating mixture of Soulslike combat and extraction-action mechanics, Mistfall Hunter got a world premiere in today’s show. Showing off a wealth of approaches – from beefy warriors to spell-packed mages, this will pit you against monsters and men in a mysterious new fantasy world. Coming to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, you can apply for an upcoming closed beta now – and you can find out more about this unique proposition in an exclusive article on Xbox Wire.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire Brings Cartoon Chaos to Xbox
Xbox Series X|S
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Blending old-school FPS gameplay with even older-school cartoon looks, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a truly unique proposition. You’ll be investigating crimes in a world of cartoon animals, and taking down criminals with a variety of adorable-but-deadly weaponry, all set amid a noir-inspired, jazz-infused world. We’re delighted to say that Mouse: P.I. For Hire is coming in 2025.
Phasmophobia Introduces Co-op Terror to Xbox This Month
Xbox Series X|S
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Regarded as one of the scariest games of recent years, we’re excited to announce that Phasmophobia makes its Xbox debut on October 29. Casting you and a group of friends as ghost hunters, you’ll set off on missions to haunted locations to investigate, draw out, and survive ghostly encounters. Use a variety of tools to discover exactly what it is you’re dealing with, then get out alive. But be warned, not only can your team hear you over comms, so can the ghosts…
Subnautica 2 Enters Early Access in 2025 – Explore the Deep in Optional Co-Op
Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC (through Xbox Game Preview), or play it day one with Game Pass
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The acclaimed underwater survival-crafting game Subnautica taught us to love, fear, and explore the deep oceans of an alien world, and its sequel will get an -Early Access release on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC through the Game Preview program. This world premiere trailer gave us a sense of how beautiful and terrifying this will be – and also confirmed that a much-requested co-op mode is coming in the sequel. Subnautica 2 will launch into Xbox Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC in 2025. Find out more, exclusively on Xbox Wire.
Wheel World Is Pedalling Onto Game Pass
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass
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Previously known as Ghost Bike, we got a new trailer and a new name for this beautiful, relaxing, bike-loving exploration-racing game. Wheel World sees you retrieving and fixing the last of the Ghost Bikes, which can travel between the worlds of the living and the dead. Mixing open world exploration as you repair and upgrade your bike with the treasures you find, and races set across the map, it’s a game designed to be taken at your own pace – all set to an original soundtrack from artists on the Italians Do It Better music label. Wheel World will arrive day one on Game Pass when it launches in early 2025.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Offers a Fresh Look at Its Story and Bosses
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass
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After a reveal at Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year, we got a new look at Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Offering new hints to its dark fantasy storyline set in the late Ming Dynasty, the new trailer showed us a lot of action, including against multiple bosses – from a horrifying, centipede-like monster, to a woman who can transform into what appears to be a living scarf made from the skin of an arctic fox. It’s shaping up to be quite the journey. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers arrives in 2025.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Austin Hakes will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Hakes will serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of Michigan, overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In addition, U.S. Attorney Totten announced a hotline, 616-808-2140, and website for members of the public to make a complaint or share information related to voting rights concerns.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
United States Attorney Totten stated: “Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who have the right to vote can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”
To respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Hakes will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
United States Attorney Totten said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
BOSTON – A Lowell man has been arrested for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Jorge Manuel “Manny” Huertas, 46, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Huertas will make his initial appearance in federal court in Boston later today.
According to the charging document, Huertas distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine to a confidential source. Search warrants were conducted this morning at Huertas’s residence and the residences of his associates.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine carries a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years, at least four years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $5,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell Police Department and the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Joseph Anthony Santopietro (46, Orlando) with receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Santopietro faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison on the receipt count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment on the possession count.
According to the indictment, Santopietro received child sexual abuse material in November 2023. He was then found in possession of child sexual abuse material on September 18, 2024.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
TUCSON, Ariz. –Pablo Martinez, Jr., 36, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 25 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Martinez, Jr. pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder on April 15, 2024.
On September 26, 2019, Martinez murdered the six-year-old victim by holding the victim’s face under the running bathtub faucet for between five to ten minutes, while giving the victim a bath. The victim inhaled water that caused liquid thermal burns, resulting in his death. The victim was an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Indian Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances M. Kreamer Hope and Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-2617-TUC-SHR RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-140_Martinez, Jr.
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZfor the latest news.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
ASHLAND, Ky. – A former Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice employee, Nathaniel K. Lumpkins, 33, of Elkfork, Ky., was sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, on Tuesday, for one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
Lumpkins was employed at Woodsbend Youth Development Center, a Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice facility located in West Liberty, Ky., and worked as a Youth Worker, responsible for the custody, care, and control of the juveniles housed there. As he admitted in his plea agreement, on January 23, 2019, Lumpkins violated the civil rights of a fifteen-year-old at Woodsbend, when he used unreasonable force on the victim. When the victim was already compliant, on the ground, and being held by three other adult Youth Workers, Lumpkins began twisting the victim’s hand back onto his wrist and pushing his body weight repeatedly down onto the youth’s wrist and arm. While doing this, Lumpkins broke the victim’s arm, and admitted in his plea agreement that he did so out of anger and not for any legitimate purpose. Lumpkins later slammed the victim’s already-broken arm into a concrete wall, again out of anger with no legitimate purpose. Then, Lumpkins wrote and signed an incident report that included false information, in an attempt to cover up his unlawful use of force.
Under federal law, Lumpkins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announce the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Internal Investigations Branch of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Dembo is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
ASHLAND, Ky. – A Flatwoods, Ky., man, Skyler Allen Mullins, 23, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 35 years in prison, for attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on May 4, 2022, law enforcement discovered that Mullins was using a social media application to exchange sexually explicit images of children. Law enforcement interviewed Mullins and he admitted to attempting to create videos of himself sexually assaulting a minor known to him. Mullins also admitted using social media platforms to exchange materials and links to images and video of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
In total, Mullins possessed over 600 images or videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Under federal law, Mullins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 30 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 46 months in prison for a 2020 assault with the intent to steal a motor vehicle within the Navajo Nation.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on May 17, 2020, Daryl Levi, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and others assaulted John Doe in Shiprock, NM, with the intent of taking his motor vehicle. As a result of the assault, John Doe was wounded.
Upon his release from prison, Levi will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Samuel A. Hurtado are prosecuting the case.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
The FBI Atlanta Division is warning the public that verified social media accounts are being hijacked by cybercriminals for the purposes of spreading scams and malicious software. Cybercriminals are targeting established social media accounts with large followings. By successfully taking over these accounts through targeted phishing or social engineering techniques, the cybercriminals broaden the reach of their fraudulent campaigns to vast amounts of followers. The campaigns become more effective because the followers trust the verified accounts.
Cybercriminals are taking advantage of these hijacked accounts to spread cryptocurrency scams. Cryptocurrency “giveaway” scams often include links to malicious websites that steal the victim’s wallet information. Cybercriminals are also using hijacked accounts to post links to free software downloads, which ultimately link to malware. This info-stealing malware takes the victim’s usernames, passwords, and cookies, enabling the cybercriminals to compromise other accounts.
For followers of social media, here are tips to protect yourself from scams and malware shared online:
Do not assume verified influencers or creators are always in full control of their posts. Pay attention to red flags such as a post seeming out of the ordinary or too good to be true.
Take extra caution when the post uses a sense of urgency to click a link or visit a website for things like cryptocurrency giveaways or free software downloads.
If you are concerned about a website link, look up the website’s registration information by searching for its “WHOIS” data. Proceed with caution if the site was registered recently and from an overseas country such as Russia.
For social media influencers or creators, here are tips to keep your accounts from being hijacked:
Use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Be skeptical of emails claiming to be from social media companies asking you to relogin with your account credentials. Apply this same skepticism when receiving e-mails about collaboration opportunities that ask you to click suspicious links.
Monitor the login activity and connected devices to your account.
Anyone who is a victim of an account takeover or Internet scam should report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at http://www.ic3.gov.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LISA SCHIFF, a Manhattan-based art advisor focused on contemporary art, pled guilty before United States District Judge J. Paul Oetken to one count of wire fraud for perpetrating a multi-year scheme in which she defrauded the clients of her art advisory business of approximately $6.5 million in connection with the purchase and sale of approximately 55 artworks. SCHIFF will be sentenced by Judge Oetken on January 17, 2025, at 10:30 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Lisa Schiff breached the trust of her art advisory clients by lying to them and diverting millions of dollars her clients had entrusted to her. Instead of using client funds as promised, Schiff used the stolen money to fund a lavish lifestyle. Today’s guilty plea serves as a reminder that the Southern District of New York will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who engage in fraud wherever we may find them, including the art market.”
According to the Information, plea agreement, and statements made in court:
From 2018 through May 2023, SCHIFF engaged in a scheme to defraud clients of her art advisory business, Schiff Fine Art (“SFA”) by diverting her clients’ funds—profits from the sale of her clients’ artworks or payments they made to purchase artwork—to pay her own personal and business expenses. SCHIFF advised clients regarding the purchase and sale of artworks and bought and sold artworks on behalf of clients in exchange for a commission. In her role as an art advisor, SCHIFF acted as an intermediary between art galleries and auction houses, and her clients, who were art collectors. Typically, when SCHIFF’s clients bought or sold artworks, payments were routed through SCHIFF’s business, SFA. In addition, when SCHIFF sold artworks on behalf of a client, she often had custody or control of the artworks to coordinate the sale. At times, SCHIFF, through SFA, also sold artwork on consignment on behalf of artists and other galleries.
Starting in about 2018, SCHIFF began defrauding her clients in two ways: (1) not remitting payments to her clients when she sold their artwork while not disclosing to her clients that their artworks had, in fact, been sold; and (2) not purchasing artworks on behalf of clients despite representing to her clients that she would purchase certain artworks on their behalf using their funds. Instead of using client funds as promised, SCHIFF diverted her clients’ money to pay her business and personal expenses. SCHIFF lied to her clients and galleries in furtherance of her fraud scheme. For example, when defrauding clients in connection with selling their artwork, SCHIFF at times lied to clients, claiming she had not sold the artwork, or the buyer was delayed in making the payment and SCHIFF still had custody of the artwork when, in fact, SCHIFF had sold the artwork, received payment from the buyer, and delivered the artwork to the buyer. When defrauding clients in connection with purchasing artwork on their behalf, SCHIFF lied to galleries from which she was supposed to purchase artwork on behalf clients, blaming delays in payment on clients when, in fact, clients had already paid SCHIFF for the purchase of the artwork but she had diverted the funds for her own use. Over several years, SCHIFF defrauded at least twelve clients, one artist, the estate of another artist, and one gallery, collectively, of at least approximately $6.5 million. During her fraud, SCHIFF lived lavishly and incurred substantial debts, which she paid in part using her victims’ diverted funds.
In about May 2023, SCHIFF could no longer conceal her scheme due to mounting debts. SCHIFF confessed to several clients that she had stolen their money.
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SCHIFF, 54, a Manhattan resident, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. Under the terms of her plea agreement, SCHIFF agreed to forfeit approximately $6.4 million.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team and the FBI/New York Police Department’s Joint Major Theft Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Ong and Cecilia Vogel are in charge of the prosecution.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)
Welcome to Ahead of the Threat, the FBI’s new podcast miniseries that brings together an FBI cyber executive and a private sector chief information security officer. Join Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, and Jamil Farschi, a strategic engagement advisor for the FBI who also works as an executive vice president and CISO of Equifax, as they discuss emerging cyber threats and the enduring importance of cybersecurity fundamentals. Featuring distinguished guests from the business world and government, Ahead of the Threat will confront some of the biggest questions in cyber: How will emerging technology impact corporate America? How can corporate boards be structured for cyber resilience? What does the FBI think about generative artificial intelligence? Listen to new episodes biweekly and stay Ahead of the Threat.
The Justice Department today announced the filing of murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, 39, also known as Vikas, and Amanat, in connection with his role in directing a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City. Yadav is charged in a second superseding indictment unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Yadav’s alleged co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, 53, was previously charged and extradited to the United States on the charges contained in the first superseding indictment. Yadav remains at large.
“The Justice Department will be relentless in holding accountable any person — regardless of their position or proximity to power — who seeks to harm and silence American citizens,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As alleged, last year, we foiled an attempt by Vikash Yadav, an Indian government employee, and his co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, to assassinate an American citizen on U.S. soil. Today’s charges demonstrate that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to target and endanger Americans and to undermine the rights to which every U.S. citizen is entitled.”
“The defendant, an Indian government employee, allegedly conspired with a criminal associate and attempted to assassinate a U.S. citizen on American soil for exercising their First Amendment rights,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will not tolerate acts of violence or other efforts to retaliate against those residing in the U.S. for exercising their constitutionally protected rights. We are committed to working with our partners to detect, disrupt, and hold accountable foreign nationals or others who seek to engage in such acts of transnational repression.”
“Today’s charges are a grave example of the increase in lethal plotting and other forms of violent transnational repression targeting diaspora communities in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “To the governments around the world who may be considering such criminal activity and to the communities they would target, let there be no doubt that the Department of Justice is committed to disrupting and exposing these plots and to holding the wrongful actors accountable no matter who they are or where they reside.”
“DEA foiled this assassination attempt last year and has continued to trace this case back to an employee of the Indian government whom we charge was an orchestrator of this intricate murder-for-hire scheme. DEA did not relent, and today’s indictment names Vikash Yadav as an alleged mastermind,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “We charge that Yadav, an employee of the Indian government, used his position of authority and access to confidential information to direct the attempted assassination of an outspoken critic of the Indian government here on U.S. soil. This case was led by the DEA New York Division’s Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of DEA, the New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department, and is a true testament to the tenacity and determination of our team.”
“Last year, this office charged Nikhil Gupta for conspiring to assassinate a U.S. citizen of Indian origin on U.S. soil,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “But, as alleged, Gupta did not work alone. Today, we announce charges against an Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, who orchestrated the plot from India and directed Gupta to hire a hitman to murder the victim. The right to exercise free speech is foundational to our democracy, and predicated on the notion that we can do so without fear of violence or reprisal, including from beyond our borders. Let this case be a warning to all those who would seek to harm and silence U.S. citizens: we will hold you accountable, no matter who and where you are.”
As alleged in the second superseding indictment and other public court documents, in 2023, Yadav, working together with others, including Gupta, in India, and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on U.S. soil an attorney and political activist who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City (the victim). The victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the victim and his separatist organization from India.
During times relevant to the second superseding indictment, Yadav was employed by the Government of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which houses Indian’s foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing. Yadav has described his position as a “senior field officer” with responsibilities in “security management” and “intelligence.” Yadav also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer[] training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” Yadav is a citizen and resident of India, and he directed the plot to assassinate the Victim from India.
In or about May 2023, Yadav recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of the victim in the United States. Gupta is an Indian national who resided in India and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with Yadav and others. At Yadav’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source (the CS) working with the DEA, for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the victim in New York City. The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the UC). Yadav subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by Gupta, to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the victim. On or about June 9, 2023, Yadav and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. Yadav’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan.
In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, Yadav provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers associated with the victim, and details about the victim’s day-to-day conduct, which Gupta then passed to the UC. Yadav directed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta accomplished by forwarding to Yadav, among other things, surveillance photographs of the victim. Gupta directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but Gupta also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of the Indian Prime Minister’s official state visit to the United States, which was scheduled to begin on or about June 20, 2023.
On or about June 18, 2023, approximately two days before the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to the United States, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the victim, and, like the victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, 2023, Yadav sent Gupta a news article about the victim and messaged Gupta, “[i]t’s [a] priority now.”
Yadav and Gupta of India have been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA New York Division and the FBI New York Field Office’s Counterintelligence Division are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the DEA Special Operations Division, DEA Vienna Country Office, FBI Prague Country Office, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorney A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The RCMP and FBI worked together for over a year to target a Mexican Cartel-linked criminal network. This network has been moving large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine from Central and South America via the United States to Canada and overseas. It also has been commissioning murders across North America, and laundering significant proceeds of crime.
Enforcement action against the network began in Mexico earlier this month and continued this week with targeted arrests in Colombia, the United States, and Canada. These efforts are ongoing.
The alleged leader of the network, Canadian Ryan Wedding, remains at large. He is wanted by the United States and Canada on separate charges.
As part of FBI Operation GIANT SLALOM, US authorities indicted 16 people, including 10 Canadians, for a range of serious charges including drug trafficking, murder, conspiracy to murder and continuing a criminal enterprise.
Four Canadians were arrested in Ontario this week by local Canadian law enforcement at the request of United States authorities, pending extradition. They were:
Hardeep Ratte
Gurpreet Singh
Rakhim Ibragimov
Malik Cunningham
Three Canadian individuals were also arrested in the US:
Nahim Jorge Bonilla
Ranjit Singh Rowal
Iqbal Singh Virk
A ninth Canadian, Andrew Clark, was arrested in Mexico by local authorities earlier this month as part of efforts against this network.
A tenth Canadian, Gennadii Bilonog, remains at large.
Along with the indictments, law enforcement seized over one tonne of drugs and collected evidence on numerous homicides and conspiracies to commit murder.
RCMP Federal Policing worked closely with the FBI during the investigation and acted as a crucial link to Canadian law enforcement, including Niagara Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police.
This successful collaboration between the RCMP, the FBI, police in Canada, and overseas highlights the RCMP’s continued international and domestic efforts to reduce the harm to Canadians caused by global drug trafficking and violent crime. It is one example of the tireless work we do here in Canada and around the world everyday with our partners to tackle the threats we face and prevent transnational crime from hurting everyday Canadians and our allies. Our global efforts are yielding results that keep Canadians safe.
As the world becomes more interconnected, organized crime groups continue to evolve and expand internationally. Through collaborative efforts with the FBI, we have disrupted a major organized crime group. The actions taken during this operation will have positive impacts on the safety and security of our communities and citizens.
Organized crime extends beyond borders and is constantly developing new ways to thwart the law. Partnerships, such as the one with the FBI, allow the RCMP to join forces to disrupt criminal activity.
Appeal to the public
Any member of the public with information on the whereabouts of Gennadii Bilonog is asked to call their local Police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477
Do you have information on the illegal activities of individuals or groups of individuals? Contact the RCMP or your local police department.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
MIAMI – On Oct. 15, Lakeisha Black a/k/a/ “Lakeisha Pierce,” pled guilty in federal court in Fort Lauderdale to conspiracy to make false statements to the Small Business Administration in connection with myriad fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
From July 2020 through June 2021, Black charged between $2,000 and $6,000 to prepare fraudulent PPP loans for at least 14 other individuals, including three former Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who all previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy in separate cases and have been sentenced. In total, Black is responsible for over $400,000 in fraudulent PPP loans.
The sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith. Black faces up to 5 years in prison for the conspiracy. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office; Sheriff Gregory Tony of Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FRB-OIG, DCIS, BSO, and FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Latoya C. Brown and Trevor C. Jones are prosecuting it.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – GEOURVON SEARS (“SEARS”), age 27, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on October 10, 2024 before Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Tapentadol, and Marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D), and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, on June 6, 2024, New Orleans Police Department officers executed a search warrant at SEARS’s residence and recovered his backpack, containing methamphetamine, tapentadol, and marijuana, that SEARS intended to sell. Officers also recovered two loaded firearms—a Romarm/Cugir Model Mini Draco semi-automatic pistol and a Norinco Model SKS rifle—that SEARS possessed, in furtherance of his possession with intent to distribute those controlled substances.
As to his drug trafficking conviction, SEARS faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
WASHINGTON – This morning, six people were arrested on charges connected to a wide-ranging conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, cocaine, and methamphetamine, in the Potomac Gardens Housing Project in Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office.
Arrested were Robert Hunt, 40, Garrett Isley, 42, Maurice Tutt, 50, Vera Jackson, 74, all of Washington, D.C., Michael Augment, 36, of Lorton, Virginia, and Lawrence Smith, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia. Each made their initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“This is the latest federal indictment charging a D.C.-based crew with narcotics and firearms offenses” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Drug trafficking operations, like the one alleged in the indictment, not only peddle poison, but they are also magnets for gun violence. We will continue to aggressively prosecute these crews that are undermining community safety.”
“Fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine have no place in our community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “Today’s arrests stem from a yearslong investigation by the FBI and our law enforcement partners and mark a step forward in our efforts to reduce drug trafficking in the nation’s capital.”
The multi-agency law enforcement operation included members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), District of Columbia Housing Authority Police, Virginia State Police, and Fairfax County and City police departments.
According to the indictment, between January and October of 2024, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in and around the District of Columbia. It is further alleged that Hunt unlawfully distributed fentanyl and carried a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking. Isley is charged with unlawful possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine.
The indictment arises from a long-term investigation by the FBI, MPD, and the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) into drug and firearms trafficking in Potomac Gardens. In December 2023, MCPD learned that defendant Hunt regularly was selling fentanyl from an apartment in the housing complex. An undercover officer (UC) purchased narcotics, in particular fentanyl, from Hunt. Hunt initially used “runners” to deliver the narcotics to the UC. However, after a few buys, Hunt began to deal directly with the undercover officer. From approximately January 2024 through September 2024, the UC purchased approximately 215.87 grams of fentanyl powder and approximately 2,950 fentanyl pills from Hunt. The UC also purchased a .357 “ghost gun” from Hunt.
Through a court-authorized wiretap on Hunt’s phone, agents learned of several of his co-conspirators and the roles they each played. Agents also placed a camera outside Hunt’s apartment and outside the apartment of one of his supplier’s, defendant Isley. Through a wiretap on Isley’s phone, agents learned of additional members of the conspiracy. MPD stopped Isley in a traffic stop on June 19, 2024, during which they recovered 468 blue, suspected fentanyl pills, about 37.4 grams of cocaine base, approximately 24.5 grams of cocaine, and about 60 grams of methamphetamine and other narcotics.
On October 16, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at various stash houses and residences of the co-conspirators. Agents recovered five firearms, approximately $31,000 in cash, approximately 500 grams of suspected fentanyl and smaller amounts of other narcotics, two money counters, and additional drug paraphernalia.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA Washington Field Office, District of Columbia Housing Authority Police, Virginia State Police, and Fairfax County and City police departments.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland and the Eastern District in Virginia in helping to coordinate search warrants and arrests.
An indictment 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 (c)
GALVESTON, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for sending obscene photos and messages to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown convicted George Jimenez April 23 following a one-day trial earlier that month. Prior to trial, Jimenez pleaded guilty to two counts of transfer of obscene material to a minor.
Judge Brown has now sentenced Jimenez to 24o and 120 months for the coercion and enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 240-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard additional information including testimony from four victims detailing how Jimenez’s actions affected them. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the reprehensibility of Jimenez’s conduct and the need for a severe sentence to deter and prevent future criminal conduct. Jimenez was further ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Jimenez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Today’s sentence should be a deterrence to individuals who commit serious online crimes against minors, even when there has been no physical contact,” said Hamdani. “Jimenez preyed on vulnerable victims who were unaware they were communicating with an adult male.”
In April 2019, law enforcement discovered Jimenez had sent pictures of his genitals to a 13-year-old girl and other contacts in his phone. Five were the minors’ 12 and 13-year-old classmates.
Authorities executed a federal search warrant and discovered Jimenez was using the TextNow application to disguise himself as a teenage boy to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors.
From March until April 2019, Jimenez engaged in those communications, including sending at least five pictures of his genitals to the 13-year-old child. In approximately 17 communications, Jimenez asked the minor victim for pictures of either her breasts, buttocks or genital area.
In a text exchange, the minor shared information with Jimenez that she shaved her genital region. Jimenez then sent messages asking to see images of it.
At the time of the trial, the defense attempted to convince the court the messages he sent to the minor did not arise to the level of attempting to persuade the minor to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. He did not believe those claims and found Jimenez guilty as charged. In his ruling, the court stated, “these requests were direct, specific and unambiguous. They were not shrouded in innuendo or bashfulness. Simply put, there is no question that Jimenez repeatedly asked [the minor] to take and send him pictures of her genitals and pubic area.”
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen M. Lansden and Sherin S. Daniel prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Bismarck – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on October 17, 2024, Melody Walker-White Twin, age 33 from Fort Yates, ND, made her initial appearance and was arraigned in federal court. The United States District Court for the District of North Dakota unsealed an Indictment revealing that a federal grand jury indicted Walker-White Twin for Arson and Destruction of Government Property, arising from a October 9, 2024 incident in Bismarck.
The Indictment in this case is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Indictment alleges that on or about September 15, 2024, Walker-White Twin damaged or attempted to damage the United States Post Office located in Selfridge, North Dakota. Specifically, Walker-White Twin used rocks to break windows out of the Post Office. It also alleges that between September 15 and 16, 2024, Walker-White Twin damaged or attempted to damage the United States Post Office located in Selfridge, North Dakota by means of fire. The Post Office was a total loss with only the vault remaining.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Investigative Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandi Sasse Russell.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson announced that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Steven Briden will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Briden has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and in that capacity, is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming elections, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Briden will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached at 918-703-7832 or by email at Steven.Briden@usdoj.gov
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 405-290-3700.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
Defendant Arranged to Sexually Abuse a Six-Year-Old Girl in D.C.
WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 36, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Scott pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 28, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, in May 2024, Scott began communicating via an encrypted messaging application with a man he met on a fetish website. Scott believed the man to be a pedophile who was sexually abusing his six-year-old daughter. Unbeknownst to Scott, the man was an undercover officer with the MPD–FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Over the next several days, Scott engaged in graphic conversations about sexually abusing the child. On June 5, 2024, Scott arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. He traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C., and was arrested. Scott has remained in custody since his arrest.
Scott faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In addition, Scott will be required to register as a sex offender following any prison term.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.