Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Celaya, 30, of Phoenix, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to eight months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. On May 15, 2024, Celaya pleaded guilty to making a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm.
On January 19, 2023, Celaya purchased two firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in Tempe. Celaya completed the Firearms Transaction Record, known as ATF Form 4473, and stated that he was the actual purchaser. However, Celaya knew he was purchasing the firearms on behalf of Jamie Tran. After Celaya submitted the ATF Form 4473 to the FFL, he purchased and left with the two firearms. Subsequently, Celaya provided the firearms to Tran. On February 15, 2023, and February 16, 2023, Tran used the firearms to shoot two Jewish community members in California, offenses charged as hate crimes in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Case Number 2:23-CR-00098-GW. Celaya had no prior criminal history and there was no evidence to show that Celaya was aware of Tran’s intentions or beliefs.
This case was 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01456-PHX-MTL RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-149_Celaya
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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: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Failure to Appear. The sentencing took place on August 5, 2024.
Ethan Blue Bird, age 35, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Blue Bird was indicted for failure to appear in April of 2023 and later, in January of 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. He pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024.
From January of 2021 through April of 2023, Blue Bird was involved in a conspiracy with several others in the distribution of methamphetamine on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. As part of the conspiracy, Blue Bird was responsible for distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. On April 24, 2022, Blue Bird was found in possession of a firearm. He admitted to law enforcement to being a daily user of methamphetamine. Following his initial indictment, Blue Bird was released on bond conditions. On March 28, 2023, Blue Bird failed to appear for the jury trial previously scheduled relating to the firearm offense.
These cases were investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Dilges and Kirk Albertson prosecuted the cases.
Blue Bird was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Keith Wyatt Underwood, age 32, of Haskell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for one count of Robbery in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Haskell Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 10, 2023, Underwood pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 24, 2022, Underwood was discovered by a property owner stealing copper cables from a Muskogee County property. Underwood then pulled a revolver on the resident before driving away with the stolen cables. The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, Senior District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Underwood will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.
Governor Kathy Hochul today highlighted $23.5 million in state public safety investments in the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County for law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations, including $2.5 million in new funding to establish diversion programs to strengthen services and connect justice-involved young people with education and employment opportunities. At the same time, Governor Hochul detailed the state’s record-level, $3.2 million investment through the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative, $3.2 million in technology and equipment funding for county law enforcement agencies, and $2 million in second-year funding through Project RISE to support community-based organizations addressing the impact of gun violence and providing youth opportunities.
“Public safety is my number one priority, and we are doubling down our efforts to keep residents of Syracuse and Onondaga County safe by giving more support to law enforcement, bolstering gun violence prevention initiatives and expanding youth diversion programs,” Governor Hochul said. “By utilizing a multi-pronged approach centered around local needs, we are working to rein in criminal activity and create safer neighborhoods and communities.”
After meeting with local elected and community leaders, Governor Hochul detailed the state’s investment in the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County, administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). They then identified solutions to address a spike in property crime involving teenagers that is driving an overall increase in crime in Syracuse through the first nine months of the year as compared to the same time in 2023.
The City of Syracuse will receive $1.5 million in new funding to establish a new program dedicated to providing justice-system involved youth with structured classes to develop skills, support to navigate the education and justice systems, and internships and other resources with the goal of avoiding further criminal justice system involvement.
In addition, Governor Hochul will dedicate an additional $1 million to enhance youth justice alternatives and diversion programs and services within the Onondaga County Probation Department. This investment will be paired with dedicated technical assistance from DCJS to help build the capacity of local government and community-based organizations to intervene in the lives of these young people, change their thinking and behavior, and promote positive development.
Public safety is my number one priority, and we are doubling down our efforts to keep residents of Syracuse and Onondaga County safe by giving more support to law enforcement, bolstering gun violence prevention initiatives and expanding youth diversion programs.”
Governor Kathy Hochul
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “We have made tremendous progress in driving down gun violence and violent crime in New York State, but communities across the state each have their own unique challenges. Governor Hochul has made it a priority to ensure that DCJS has a record amount of resources available to help our local law enforcement and community partners develop comprehensive strategies and programs to address community-specific spikes in crime rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. We create stronger, safer neighborhoods by listening to, learning from, and investing in our local partners.”
These two new investments are integral to Governor Hochul’s comprehensive plan to improve public safety, address spikes in crime and further drive down gun violence by recognizing the importance of a multifaceted approach to the problem. By engaging, supporting and funding local law enforcement agencies and community partners; leveraging technology and data; and implementing evidence-based strategies, the state can help localities address their unique crime problems while healing and strengthening neighborhoods and families.
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “The New York State Police is committed to assisting our law enforcement partners in fighting against the widespread criminality in Syracuse and Onondaga County. I appreciate Governor Hochul’s leadership on this public safety mission, and for providing the necessary resources to reduce crime and gun violence to build safer communities.”
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said, “Syracuse can’t do this work alone; our community must collaborate to address issues of juveniles involved in the Justice system. We’re focused on the balance of holding people accountable, but recognizing that young people need greater support. Diversionary and intervention programs are critical to providing support, giving our youth access to the resources they need, and providing them the skills to be successful in life. Once again, when we’ve asked Governor Hochul to provide assistance for our community, she’s delivered, and I thank her for her attention to the needs of Syracuse.”
These initiatives in the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County include:
Project RISE (Respond, Invest, Sustain, Empower): $2 million to 11 community-based organizations in Syracuse that provide mental health services, crisis intervention, mentoring, and vocational training and employment, financial literacy, and conflict resolution, among other services to youth and families at risk or impacted by violence. This is the second year that Syracuse has received funding through the initiative, which engages with community stakeholders to identify and support smaller, grassroots organizations doing life-changing work that haven’t had the administrative capacity to receive state funding. Project RISE will fund three lead organizations – the Center for Community Alternatives and Hillside Children’s Center ($500,000 each) and On Point for College ($1 million) – that will share that funding with eight smaller organizations: Rise Above Poverty, Image Initiative, Fearless Queens, Project SAVE, Diversify NY, Half Hood Half Holistic, Good Life Youth Foundation and Klink Kids.
Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative and the Central New York Crime Analysis Center: $3.2 million to the Onondaga County GIVE partners, the Syracuse Police Department and county district attorney’s office, probation department, and sheriff’s office, and $1.1 million to support the Crime Analysis Center, one of 11 in network funded and supported by the state in partnership with local law enforcement agencies.
The Syracuse Police Department is one of 28 departments in 21 counties receiving nearly $36 million through GIVE, which requires agencies to use evidence-based strategies to reduce shootings and other violent crime. Last year alone, staff at the Central New York Crime Analysis Center provided investigative support in real-time and handled 12,443 service requests, providing data, information and investigative leads that allowed law enforcement to solve homicides, car and retail theft rings, and remove illegal guns from county streets. All told, the state invests $18 million to support the Crime Analysis Center Network.
These investments are producing results: Shooting incidents involving injury in Syracuse declined 29 percent when comparing the first nine months of 2024 to the same time last year, and 44 percent when compared to the five-year average (2019-2024). Violent crime in Syracuse decreased 5 percent from January – August 2024, as compared to the same eight months last year; this is the most recent data available.
SNUG Street Outreach Program: Nearly $2.3 million to Syracuse Community Connections, and Upstate Medical Center to fund outreach workers, hospital responders, social workers and case managers who are credible messengers and work to reduce shootings and save lives. SNUG uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by the violence. Syracuse is one of 14 communities across the state to participate in the program. The state’s investment in SNUG totals $20.3 million this year.
Law Enforcement Technology and Equipment (LETECH): Nearly $3.2 million to14 police agencies in Onondaga County for new technology and equipment to prevent and solve crimes and improve public safety. This funding supports a variety of equipment and technology, such as license plate readers, mobile and fixed camera systems, computer-aided dispatch systems, software, unmanned aerial vehicles, gunshot detection devices and smart equipment for patrol vehicles and police officers.
Statewide Targeted Reductions in Intimate Violence (STRIVE) initiative: Nearly $1.9 million to Onondaga County. New York City and Onondaga and 19 other counties outside of the five boroughs are sharing a record-level, $35 million to strengthen the public safety response to intimate partner abuse and domestic violence and better support survivors. Modeled after GIVE, STRIVE requires law enforcement and community partners in each county to use evidence-based strategies and ensure that community members and programs that serve victims and survivors are actively involved in strategy selection and implementation. One or more of the following strategies must be used: domestic violence high-risk team model, lethality assessment program, or intimate partner violence intervention.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services provides critical support to all facets of the State’s criminal justice system, including, but not limited to: training law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals; analyzing statewide crime and program data; providing research support; and managing criminal justice grant funding. Follow DCJS on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
COLUMBIA, S.C. —A federal jury in Columbia has convicted Kelsey Antonio McCallum, 27, of Sumter, of illegally trafficking firearms.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that McCallum and his sister, Daeja Hodge, conspired to purchase firearms and resale those firearms for profit. At least 13 times from 2020-2022, McCallum made false statements to acquire firearms at dealers in Columbia, Sumter, and the Upstate. McCallum also purchased firearms from Georgia. During each purchase, McCallum falsely stated that the firearms were intended for his personal use, knowing that he intended to sell them. McCallum would then illegally transport the firearms to Maryland and sell them there. McCallum and Hodge acquired over 100 firearms during this scheme. Most of those firearms ended up in the hands of felons prohibited from possessing firearms or at crime scenes in the Baltimore area. A few firearms were also sold in North Carolina. At trial, the Government introduced more than 30 firearms and ammunition found by law enforcement in the Baltimore area.
Hodge pleaded guilty to her role in the offense prior to McCallum’s trial.
McCallum faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will sentence McCallum after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in South Carolina and Maryland, investigated the case along with assistance from numerous local agencies in South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, and North Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Taylor and William K. Witherspoon are prosecuting the case.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19)
Washington, D.C. – House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) led 20 of his Texas Republican colleagues in filing an amicus brief in opposition to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) new rule targeting the private transactions of firearms.
“The Biden-Harris administration has made a habit of infringing on the Constitutional rights of the American People, this time taking direct aim at the 2nd Amendment,” said Chairman Arrington. “Instead of keeping the ATF within the limits of its jurisdiction to enforce the law, this administration is criminalizing firearms sales/trades between law-abiding citizens. I’m proud to have led 20 of my fellow Texas Republicans in filing an amicus brief to rein-in the ATF and safeguard our 2nd Amendment rights.”
“Agencies must operate within the limits set by the Constitution and by statute,”said Eric Heigis, attorney at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for the American Future. “By regulating firearm transactions everywhere—even private, intrastate exchanges—ATF’s final rule goes beyond the Gun Control Act’s scope. It also likely violates the Constitution’s limited, enumerated powers. We are proud to represent the amici in this case and look forward to the court vacating this flawed rule.”
Background:
Texas v. ATF challenges the ATF’s Final Rule titled Definition of “Engaged in the Business” as a Dealer in Firearms, which misinterpreted the definition of “firearms dealer” under federal law.
Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, individuals “engaged in the business” of selling firearms are required to obtain a federal firearms license and conduct background checks on buyers.
But the ATF issued a rule that wrongfully expanded the definition of those “engaged in the business,” requiring individual firearms transferors to prove they are not engaged in the business of selling firearms.
Texas, joined by other states, and the Gun Owners of America, filed a lawsuit arguing that this rule oversteps ATF’s statutory authority, infringing on the rights of private gun owners and impeding lawful gun sales.
Chairman Arrington’s amicus brief supports Texas’ assertion that the rule unlawfully extends federal regulatory power over private sales.
Arrington was joined by Reps. Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Brian Babin (TX-36), Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), Keith Self (TX-03), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Pete Sessions (TX-17), Randy Weber (TX-14), Chip Roy (TX-21), Roger Williams (TX-25), Jake Ellzey (TX-06), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Morgan Luttrell (TX-08), Michael Cloud (TX-27), August Pfluger (TX-11), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Lance Gooden (TX-05), Michael Burgess (TX-26), and Wesley Hunt (TX-38).
Six highly regarded CFA members have been named as this year’s Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) recipients, in recognition of their outstanding service to CFA and their communities.
The AFSM is the highest award for a member of an Australian fire service and as part of the Australia Day honours list, is awarded yearly to a select group of dedicated fire service members.
The six members have been recognised for their exceptional bravery, expertise, and leadership, leading their regions through major fire and flood emergencies such as Black Saturday, the 2019/20 bushfire season, and more recently the 2024 Grampians bushfire, all while imparting modern and innovative knowledge towards CFA’s fleet, training and equipment to enhance capabilities.
The 2025 CFA Australian Fire Service Medal recipients are:
Known for her proactive, solutions-focused approach, Diana Billingsley is willing to roll her sleeves up to help drive positive change and support volunteer training and development. Over her 20 years as a firefighter with Boolarra Fire Brigade, Diana has attended more than 200 incidents and was a crew leader during the 2009 Black Saturday and 2019/20 bushfires. She is now the Deputy Group Officer and Group Training Officer for the Merton Group.
Fiona Burns has served CFA for more than 21 years at Launching Place and Hillcrest brigades and is currently the Group Officer of Yarra Valley Group. Fiona has distinguished herself as an extremely capable and highly sought after member of incident management teams as a planning officer during large and prolonged, multi-agency campaign fires in 2013, 2019-20 and again in 2024 in Gippsland and the Grampians.
For more than 30 years, Mark King has exemplified the spirit of CFA with Yallourn North Fire Brigade. Mark currently serves as the brigade’s secretary, a role he took on after stepping down as Captain in June 2023 following nearly 17 years in leadership. Mark has held several additional critical leadership roles, including strike team leader, sector commander, divisional commander and health team leader.
As a valued member of the firefighting community, Tim Smith has dedicated more than 42 years of volunteer service to Hurstbridge Fire Brigade, holding various leadership positions including Lieutenant and Captain during his tenure. As CFA’s Manager Fleet Operations, Tim has been instrumental in modernising and maintaining the CFA fleet, with his innovative approach and expertise significantly enhancing operational capability, safety and performance.
Lisa Hicks has been a highly respected, dedicated member of CFA for more than 49 years, with 30 of those supporting incident control centres as a crew leader and public information officer. Lisa has served in a range of brigade roles for Narre Warren North, Pakenham Upper and the Cardinia group. From operational firefighter, to secretary, community safety coordinator, general firefighter assessor and full time Brigade Administrative Support Officer at District 8.
Mark Gunning’s more than four decades of remarkable service to CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria and the broader fire and emergency services spans frontline response, incident management, fire operations, flood response and crisis leadership – all of which have had a lasting impact on the safety, wellbeing and recovery of communities across the state. His guidance has been pivotal during Black Saturday, the Black Summer bushfires, 2011 and 2022 Victorian Floods, the Victorian COVID-19 Response and most recently the 2024 Grampians bushfires.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan congratulated the six highly respected CFA AFSM recipients for their invaluable service during their many decades of service.
“CFA is incredibly proud of its volunteers and staff, and it is great to see our members recognised with the highest fire service medal in the country,” Jason said.
“We are fortunate as an organisation to have so many incredible people who devote a large part of their life to the protection of lives and property in their communities, and I thank them for their dedication.”
CFA would also like to recognise AFSM recipient and Fire Rescue Victoria Senior Station Officer Benjamin Schmidt, who has also contributed significantly to CFA and Victoria’s fire services.
Another three former and current CFA members were awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), Gwendoline Blandthorn, Neville Seymour and John Wheal.
Mark Gunning’s more than four decades of service to CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria and the broader fire and emergency services is testament to his commitment to the protection and wellbeing of all Victorians.
Mark has been recognised for his dedication and contribution with an Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) in today’s Australia Day Honours.
With more than 44 years of firefighting and emergency management service under his belt, Mark Gunning AFSM has been a driving force in the protection of communities throughout Victoria and beyond.His remarkable contributions span frontline response, incident management, fire operations, flood response and crisis leadership – all of which have had a lasting impact on the safety, wellbeing and recovery of communities across Victoria.
Although he stems from a family of CFA volunteers, Mark said he was inspired to join Mortlake Fire Brigade in 1980 as a teenager after working on different farms in the area and getting a taste for firefighting.
“Back in those days you would work on people’s farms during the day and proactively burn with local landowners to reduce fire risk during the evening,” Mark said. “That experience, together with that family connection, very much shaped me and encouraged my long-term involvement in CFA and broader emergency services.”
Mark attended when the largest Victorian Ash Wednesday fires erupted at Ballangeich-Cudgee on 16 February 1983 and a move to North Geelong Brigade (now Corio) in 1985 saw him on the frontline during the Little River fire. He credits this experience for further teaching him important skills and knowledge about firefighting and fire behaviour.
“Ash Wednesday had a huge impact on me as a volunteer, especially being local to the area and knowing so many of the people who had been affected,” Mark said.
In 1988, Mark joined CFA as a career firefighter, working in various locations across the state including Hamilton, Dandenong, Bairnsdale, Casterton and Horsham as well as CFA’s Fiskville training ground and CFA headquarters. During this time, he has contributed significantly as an operational leader, working his way through the ranks to his current role as Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Regional Commander based in West Region, seconded to CFA from Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV).
A respected figure in the emergency management community, Mark’s innovative and inspirational leadership has been pivotal during major emergencies such as the 2009 bushfires, St Patrick’s Day peat fires, Black Summer bushfires 2019-20, the 2011 and 2022 Victorian Floods, and the Victorian COVID-19 response.
Mark is well known for his commitment to ensuring communities are not only protected during emergencies and supported in their recovery but are better prepared for future fires and other emergencies. Most recently he was an Incident Controller at Horsham Incident Control Centre, managing response to the Grampians complex fires which started in December 2024 and burned for three weeks. Mark’s leadership has also extended beyond Victoria’s borders, and he has provided invaluable support during operations in New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.
“Out of all the fires and events I’ve experienced, the Linton fire, Black Saturday and the St Patrick’s Day peat fires of 2018 have all stayed with me for different reasons,” he said.
“The fire at Linton on 2 December 1998 was my worst day at CFA. You never want to be in the position where you have to look someone in the eye and tell them their child is not coming home.
“Black Saturday and the peat fires, in particular, highlighted how important those connections with our communities are in times of emergency.
“You spend weeks building relationships with members of communities; you get to know them and their lives, and they start to see you as one of their own. I took what I learned at those fires about working with communities into the approach to the recent Grampians fires.”
In addition to the Australian Fire Service Medal announced today, Mark has received the National Medal (two clasps) and a National Emergency Medal and clasps for his roles on Black Saturday and for the 2019-20 Bushfires. He is also a Life Member of CFA.
“I am humbled to receive an AFSM in today’s honours,” Mark said. “It’s just nice to know that someone thought that much of me to nominate me.
“Working in the emergency services is a privilege in many ways. We are there helping people on their worst day. But the challenges you face, you can’t do on your own, and that’s when fellow agencies whether local, interstate or international are there to support you. The value of teamwork in our sector is the best thing you can take away.”
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Albert Ayala (34, Orlando) to 14 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Ayala entered a guilty plea on May 21, 2024.
According to court records, Ayala was driving a vehicle on I-4 when his girlfriend, the sole passenger in the vehicle, was ejected from the car. The woman was struck by multiple vehicles, causing her death. Ayala continued driving and crashed the vehicle at the base of an I-4 exit. Ayala then fled the scene on foot, leaving behind a pistol and 11 rounds of ammunition in the vehicle. Ayala’s DNA was located on the firearm and airbag that had deployed during the crash. Prior to possessing the firearm, Ayala had been convicted of 10 felonies. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
“We’re proud to have helped put this heartless suspect behind bars for a long time,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff.
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.
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a St. Francois County man who stole firearms and other items from a farm and home store in Potosi, Missouri to 77 months in prison.
Judge Autrey also ordered Gregory Snyder, 46, to pay $11,484 in restitution for the stolen items.
On Sept. 19, 2021, Snyder hid in the store, emerging after closing time. He stole power tools, camping gear and 13 guns, including eight rifles and five shotguns. Snyder loaded the guns and some of the other stolen goods in his car, and then took them to a river in eastern Washington County. He returned early the next morning for more, but by then, Potosi Police Department officers had spotted evidence of the burglary. They stopped and questioned Snyder, who no longer had the stolen goods in his car. They arrested Snyder later that day.
Snyder, of Bismarck, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and possession of body armor by a violent felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Potosi Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Nino Przulj prosecuted the case.
Two of the shotguns have been recovered. Anyone with information about the rest of the stolen firearms is asked to contact the ATF at 314-768-3120 or online at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips or the Potosi Police at 573-438-5468.
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.
Gun ownership in the United States is widespread and cuts across all sorts of cultural divides – including race, class and political ideology. Like all mass experiences in American life, owning a gun can mean very different things to different people.
One thing that American gun owners tend to agree on, no matter their differences, is that guns are for personal protection. In a 2023 Pew survey, 72% of gun owners reported that they owned a firearm at least in part for protection, and 81% of gun owners reported that owning a gun helped them to feel safer. This perspective contrasts to that of gun owners in other developed economies, who generally report that guns are more dangerous than safe and that they own a gun for some other reason.
I’m a psychologist who studies contemporary society. In the lab, my colleagues and I have been investigating this feeling of safety that American gun owners report. We’re trying to get a more complete sense of just what people are using their firearms to protect against. Our research suggests it goes much deeper than physical threats.
By combining social-scientific research on firearms ownership with a raft of interviews we’ve conducted, we’ve developed a theory that gun owners aren’t just protecting against the specific threat of physical violence. Owners are also using a gun to protect their psychological selves. Owning a gun helps them feel more in control of the world around them and more able to live meaningful, purposeful lives that connect to the people and communities they care for.
This sort of protection may be especially appealing to those who think that the normal institutions of society – such as the police or the government – are either unable or unwilling to keep them safe. They feel they need to take protection into their own hands.
Gun owners may end up perceiving the world as a more dangerous place, institutions as more uncaring or incompetent, and their own private actions as all the more important for securing their lives and their livelihoods.
How gun owners feel during daily life
What does this cycle of protection and threat look like in everyday life? My colleagues and I recently ran a study to investigate. We’re still undergoing peer review, so our work is not final yet.
We recruited a group of over 150 firearms owners who told us that they regularly carry their guns, along with over 100 demographically matched Americans who have never owned a gun. Over two weeks, our research team texted the participants at two random times each day, asking them to fill out a survey telling us what they were doing and how they were feeling.
To get a sense of how guns change the psychological landscape of their owners, we divided our gun-carrying group into two. When we texted one half of the group, before we asked any other questions, we simply asked whether they had their gun accessible and why they’d made that decision. For the other half of our gun-owning participants, and for our non-gun-owning control group, firearms and firearm carrying never came up.
When subtly reminded of guns in general – regardless of whether their gun was accessible – our participants reported feeling more safe and in control and that their lives were more meaningful. Thanks to our random-assignment procedure, we can be pretty confident that it was thinking about guns, as opposed to any differences in the underlying groups themselves, that caused this particular increase in psychological well-being.
About half of the times that we texted, the gun owners told us that they had a gun accessible at that moment. When a gun was handy, our participants told us that they were feeling more vigilant and anxious, and that their immediate situation was more chaotic. This result didn’t seem to be driven by owners choosing to have guns available when they were putting themselves into objectively more dangerous situations: We found the same pattern when we looked just at moments when our participants were sitting at home, watching television.
Raising fear and promising rescue
Contemporary American gun ownership may have conflicting messages embedded within it. First, a gun is a thing you can use to bolster your fundamental psychological needs to feel safe, to feel in control and to feel like you matter and belong. Second, having a gun focuses your attention on the dangers of the world.
By both fueling a sense of danger and holding out the promise of rescuing you from the fear, messaging around guns may end up locking some owners into a sort of doom loop.
My collaborators and I are currently exploring whether stressing other parts of gun ownership may help owners to move beyond this negative spiral. For instance, while owners often talk about “danger,” they also talk frequently about “responsibility.”
Being a responsible gun owner is central to many owners’ identities. In one study, 97% of owners reported that they were “more responsible than the average gun owner,” and 23% rated themselves as being in the top 1% of responsibility overall. This, of course, is statistically impossible.
To more fully understand the many ways responsible firearm ownership can look, we are in the process of interviewing gun owners from all around the state of Wisconsin, a notably diverse state when it comes to gun ownership. We’re tapping into as many of the ways of owning a gun as we can, talking with protective owners, hunters, sport shooters, collectors, folks in urban areas, folks in rural areas, men, women, young people, old people, liberals, conservatives, and, of course, trying to capture the complex ways that race shapes ownership.
Who do gun owners feel they are responsible for? What kinds of actions do they think responsible owners take?
We hope to learn more about the many different ways that people conceptualize what a gun can do for them. American gun cultures are complex and distinct things. By exploring the worldviews that support firearm ownership, we can better understand what it means to live in the U.S. today.
Nick Buttrick receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
BOSTON – Nine men have been arrested for fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking.
Ernesto Arberty Mendez Herrera, 43, of Roxbury; Ricky Junior Rodriguez Reynoso, 24, of Boston; Cristofel Baez Guerrero, 25, of Dorchester; Luis Castillo, 24, of Dorchester; Yomerli Mendez Arias, 22, of Lawrence; Estarling Perez Almonte, 28, of Roslindale; Raidyn Hernandez Montero, 24, of Dorchester; Ricardo Canela Soto, 20, of Dorchester; and Waldo Lara Arias, 19, of Boston are charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. All nine defendants made their initial appearances in federal court in Boston and Bangor, Maine on Oct. 29, 2024.
According to the charging documents, the defendants were part of a drug trafficking operation that regularly transported fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine from areas in Boston, Lawrence and Malden, Mass. to locations in Waldo County, Maine. It is alleged that the defendants distributed the narcotics in Maine and then return to Massachusetts with the narcotics proceeds. During the course of the investigation, approximately 10 kilograms of fentanyl and multiple firearms were seized.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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 and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, Maine State Police; Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; Waldo, Maine County Sherriff’s Office; Boston Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hassink of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) will introduce a bill tomorrow to prevent people with violent misdemeanors from owning or buying a firearm. The Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act prevents guns from falling into the hands of people with high-risk behaviors such as stalking, violent hate crimes, and domestic violence.
“I’ve introduced the Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act every Congress because dangerous individuals shouldn’t be able to easily access firearms,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02), Vice Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. “If someone has a history of violent behaviors, it’s simply common sense to prevent that person from buying or owning a gun. Whenever a gun is present in a high-risk situation – whether that be a domestic violence emergency or hate crime – it instantly escalates the chances of injury or death. We should prevent a gun from entering the situation in the first place.”
According to Everytown for Gun Safety, states with similar laws have seen an 18% reduction in all homicides.
The Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act implements the following:
Prohibits people convicted of a violent misdemeanor offense from purchasing or possessing firearms for a period of five years from the date of conviction.
Juveniles convicted of violent crimes are prohibited from purchasing a firearm until they reach the age of 25.
Individuals specifically convicted of stalking are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.
The Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act has been endorsed by several nationwide gun violence prevention organizations: Brady, Community Justice, Everytown for Gun Safety, GIFFORDS, March for Our Lives, and 97Percent.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Richard L. Edwards Jr., 49, as the sole defendant. Edwards was arrested on August 9, 2024, by the City of McKeesport Police Department related to this charge.
According to the Indictment, on or about August 9, 2024, Edwards, who was previously convicted of a felony, was found to be in possession of a Ruger Security-9 semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson SD40 VE semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, and one Winchester 1300 20-gauge shotgun, as well as 20-gauge ammunition, .357 Magnum ammunition, 38 Special ammunition, and 40 caliber ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Westmoreland County Adult Probation, the City of McKeesport Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man has been charged by criminal complaint with assault resulting in serious bodily injury after allegedly attacking a friend with a beer bottle, leaving the victim with severe facial injuries.
According to the criminal complaint, on January 5, 2024, Lewis Michael Bigmouth, 27, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, allegedly assaulted another enrolled tribal member on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, striking the victim multiple times in the face with a beer bottle. The victim suffered severe injuries, including a partial amputation of his nose requiring multiple reconstructive surgeries.
Bigmouth appeared before a federal judge and will remain in custody pending trial, which is has not been set.
If convicted, Bigmouth faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Joni Autrey Stahl and Kirk Williams are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A Fort Worth man on a deferred adjudication for dealing the heroin that killed a 21-year-old in 2013 has been charged with federal gun crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District Leigha Simonton.
Brennan Trainor Rodriguez, 33, was charged Wednesday in a two-count indictment alleging illegal possession of a machinegun and illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment.
According to court records, Mr. Rodriguez was charged on June 7, 2013, with injecting heroin into a 21-year-old man who suffered a fatal overdose. He admitted to causing the man’s death and was placed on 10 years of deferred adjudication beginning on Nov. 26, 2014. Conditions of his community supervision prohibited him from possessing firearms. (Until the deferred adjudication period concludes, Mr. Rodriguez is still considered under indictment.)
On Aug. 6. 2024, law enforcement responded to a domestic disturbance call from Mr. Rodriguez’s former girlfriend, who told police that the defendant had been stalking and harassing her since their breakup. She also reported that Mr. Rodriguez frequently shot guns, including one that fired fully automatic.
The following week, Mr. Rodriguez was arrested for stalking. In searching his home, law enforcement found nine firearms, including a Smith & Wesson rifle equipped with a machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a “switch” or “auto sear.”
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Rodriguez is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted of the gun crimes, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rodriguez’s state court cases remain pending.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division – Fort Worth Resident Agency and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen is prosecuting the case.
SAN ANTONIO – A New Braunfels man pleaded guilty in a federal court in San Antonio to one count of attempt to receive firearm to use to commit a felony.
According to court documents, Cameron Darrick Peterson, 20, began planning mass shootings since November 2022. On Jan. 4, 2024, Peterson attempted to purchase a 12-gauge shotgun from a New Braunfels pawn shop. He completed the required background check and was denied due to his age and the type of firearm he was attempting to purchase. On May 31, he attempted to purchase an assault weapon-style 12-gauge shotgun from the pawn shop and was denied a second time.
FBI agents obtained an arrest warrant on June 5, and Peterson was immediately taken into custody by the New Braunfels Police Department. During a search of his home, FBI agents found and seized an altered .22 caliber long rifle with a sawed-off buttstock and six magazines loaded with 60 rounds.
On June 6, as part of a federal search warrant, agents reviewed Peterson’s Instagram account, revealing statements Peterson had made about plans to attack a gas station. Also on June 6, Peterson was recorded from jail instructing a witness to hide or destroy a videotape he had made in which he surveilled a grocery store to plan a future attack.
On June 10, another search of Peterson’s home revealed a box that contained 11 aerosol containers and other ingredients to manufacture destructive devices. One of the containers was determined that it could be readily made operational and was categorized as an Improvised Explosive Device. The IED was not registered in the National Firearms Registry, nor could it be due to Peterson’s age.
Peterson is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025 and faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, San Antonio Fire Department, New Braunfels Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Eric Yuen are prosecuting the case.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jadyn Howard Loman (21, Naples) has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Loman faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Loman has also agreed to forfeit the firearms and ammunition used to facilitate the offenses.
According to court documents, deputies from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Loman after he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of 20th Place Southwest and 41st Street Southwest in Naples, Florida. A subsequent chase ensued with Loman exceeding speeds of 100 miles per hour in his vehicle before crashing. He then fled the crash scene on foot before being apprehended. Inside his vehicle, deputies found 2 handguns, ammunition, and various baggies containing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
MIAMI– A felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 144 months in prison, following a shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall (The Gardens Mall) on Valentine’s Day.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed an upward variance in sentencing Devon Jamal Graham, 29, to 144 months in prison. Graham previously pled guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance containing fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Kamarcio Mitchell, 29, a second man who was arrested following the shooting at The Gardens Mall, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Cannon in Fort Pierce, Fla. Mitchell previously pled guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On Feb. 14, both Mitchell and Graham were at The Gardens Mall, both separately in possession of a firearm. Mitchell was on the second level of The Gardens Mall near a retail store. Mitchell followed Graham onto the escalator and was manipulating an object under his shirt. Mitchell was then fired upon by Graham and shot. Mitchell fled the mall to the parking lot, leaving a trail of blood. A loaded firearm that had been disassembled was found in the parking lot by police, near the blood trail. Mitchell was later treated for his injury at a local hospital. Upon his later arrest on a federal warrant, authorities discovered Mitchell in possession of a distribution quantity of fentanyl after he unsuccessfully tried to toss the drugs.
Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle Graham used to travel to the mall, along with a bag containing 35 capsules with a mixture containing fentanyl and a pill bottle with approximately 16 grams of cocaine.
The recovered firearms had previously travelled in interstate commerce.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service, Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office announced the sentencing.
The Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit – Palm Beach County provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John McMillan and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80022.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jacob James McCord, 31, of Tulsa, for Eluding a Law Enforcement Officer in Indian Country and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Judge Frizzell ordered McCord to 120 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in November 2023, McCord was driving a vehicle with fraudulent tags when Sand Springs Police officers attempted to pull him over. Instead of pulling over, McCord led several officers on a pursuit where he endangered the lives of others when he drove over 120 mph. McCord crashed into another vehicle, injuring one person. He was finally stopped and arrested once his vehicle became inoperable. During a search of the vehicle, officers found several loaded firearms.
Court records show that while McCord was on bond in state court for the November incident, he was pulled over again in December 2023. When officers asked if he had a firearm on him, McCord said no. When officers searched McCord, they found a loaded stolen handgun inside his jacket.
McCord is a citizen of the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sand Springs Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Feb. 28, 2024, Israel Maleek Mangram, 23, failed to maintain his lane while driving on Interstate 95. A Trooper with Virginia State Police ran the information on the vehicle and learned that the owner had a suspended driver’s license. The Trooper could not see the driver, so he initiated a traffic stop to investigate. Mangram pulled the vehicle onto the right shoulder of the interstate but did not stop. Mangram returned to the travel lanes of the interstate and increased his speed to over 100 mph. After a high-speed chase, Mangram lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a single-family home.
Mangram tried to climb out of the passenger-side window. The Trooper approached Mangram, who was lying next to the passenger-side of the SUV and ordered Mangram to show his hands. Lying next to Mangram was a handgun. Mangram was convicted of robbery on Aug. 5, 2020. As a previously convicted felon, Mangram cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Mangram is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2025, and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-109.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Keith Demetrius Anderson, age 53, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for Interference with Commerce by Robbery, and with Use of a Firearm during a Violent Crime.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on or about January 9, 2024, Anderson entered the Vape It Smoke Shop in Dauphin County, pointed a handgun at a store employee, directed the employee to provide the money from the drawer, and obtained approximately $300.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Swatara Township Police Department, and the Harrisburg City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Cristian Ponce (32, Orlando) to 20 years’ imprisonment following his role in a fatal, drug-related shooting. Ponce entered a guilty plea on February 13, 2024.
According to court documents, on November 2, 2022, at approximately 2 p.m., a drug-related shooting occurred at the Oak Ridge Shopping Plaza in Orlando. Ponce and S.H. had arrived at the shopping plaza in a gray SUV to sell drugs to addicts who congregated there. They had cocaine and fentanyl packaged for individual sale and two loaded firearms in the vehicle. Video surveillance footage shows that when the SUV arrived in the plaza, an individual approached the front passenger side of the vehicle and Ponce gave him a small bag of cocaine. At almost the same time, E.E. and another associate approached the SUV and gunshots were fired into and from the SUV. E.E. was shot, ran a short distance, and fell to the ground. S.H. was also shot. The SUV reversed uncontrollably, flipped over, and crashed in the rear of the plaza. Ponce assisted S.H. out of the SUV and fled before law enforcement arrived. The confrontation was an alleged turf battle over who could sell drugs in the shopping plaza. Both E.E. and S.H. died from their wounds.
During the following week, Ponce continued to sell drugs. On November 8, 2022, law enforcement observed vehicles and individuals visit Ponce’s residence for short periods of time, consistent with drug dealing. During that time Ponce also sent and received text messages to conduct his drug business.
On November 11, 2022, at Ponce’s residence in Orlando, law enforcement executed a search warrant related to the shooting. As officers approached the residence, they observed Ponce seated in a vehicle in the driveway with co-defendant Rodney Hernandez. Ponce again had cocaine packaged for individual sale and two loaded firearms inside the vehicle.
Hernandez previously pleaded guilty for his role in this case. He was sentenced in June 2024 to seven years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Stoia.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Demetrius Terrell Burns, 32, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base. Burns admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2024 Burns received fentanyl from a supplier in Beckley that he used to supply Tilford Joe Bradley Jr., a co-defendant. Burns admitted that on April 12, 2024, he told Bradley by phone that he had received a shipment of “raw” fentanyl. Burns further admitted that he offered to sell Bradley $1,800 worth of raw fentanyl, and they discussed adding cutting agent to the fentanyl to make a larger profit when it was sold. Burns also admitted that he knew Bradley intended to redistribute these drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.
Burns is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Burns is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. Burns is also among four defendants who have pleaded guilty. The charges against Bradley and the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ramiz Duka, 61, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was convicted today at trial of conspiracy to commit arson.
The facts at trial established that Duka recruited two men into a conspiracy to set fire to a warehouse located at 1388 Bridgewater Road in Bensalem, Pa., paying them $15,000 to do so. Over the course of several weeks, the three co-conspirators met and planned the arson.
On December 10, 2022, one of the men recruited to the conspiracy by Duka set fire to the building. During fire suppression operations, one firefighter was seriously injured when a ladder collapsed. Damages from the fire totaled nearly $6 million.
At sentencing, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of five years of imprisonment, and a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bensalem Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz. Special thanks to the Bensalem Township Fire Rescue and the volunteer firefighter companies in and around Bensalem who responded to the fire.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in the deaths of three persons.
Luis Manuel Morales, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On May 8, 2024, Morales pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Morales admitted that he was a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, of Kansas City, Mo. On occasion, Draggoo also served as a source of supply of fentanyl pills for Morales. Morales also introduced Draggoo to additional sources of fentanyl pills.
Morales sold at least 1,764 pills to Draggoo over 15 separate transactions from Jan. 17 to Oct. 29, 2022, for which he was paid $2,320 through Cash App and an additional amount in cash. Morales also purchased at least 100 fentanyl pills from Draggoo during this time period, for which he paid $750. In total, those 1,864 pills contained approximately 205 grams of fentanyl.
Morales and Draggoo conspired to conceal and disguise the nature of the transfer of funds through Cash App by referring to the payments as “rent,” “food clothes,” “clothes,” “food and beer,” “food,” “apt rent,” “reimbursement for mechanic,” and “reimbursement car payment.”
Morales was on probation at the time that he was supplying Dragoo with fentanyl pills, following his guilty plea in state court to attempted armed robbery after he and another person robbed a victim at gunpoint.
Morales is the first defendant in this case to be sentenced. On Oct. 16, 2024, Draggoo pleaded guilty to his role in the fentanyl conspiracy and to three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Five additional defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On October 30, 2024, following a three-day trial in the United States District Court in Greeneville, Tennessee, a jury convicted Charles Nile Mixon, 48, of Bristol, Virginia, of Carjacking in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 2119; Using and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii); Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in violation of 18. U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and Possession of a Stolen Firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(j).
Sentencing is set for March 6, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. before the Honorable Clifton L Corker, United States District Judge, in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Mixon faces a minimum mandatory sentence of twenty-two years in federal prison.
According to witnesses, court documents, and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of May 24, 2023, Mixon carjacked a victim at gunpoint in the parking lot of a Taco Bell restaurant in Bristol, Tennessee. Mixon forced the victim to give him the keys to the vehicle and then briefly held the victim at gunpoint inside the car. As Mixon fled the restaurant’s parking lot with the victim in the passenger seat, the victim jumped from the moving car to escape. Within minutes, the Bristol Tennessee Police Department located Mixon in the stolen car just as he arrived at the Tennessee/Virginia state line and attempted to stop him. Mixon refused to stop and fled into Virginia. Evidence showed that he later dropped the victim’s car at a gas station in Kingsport, Tennessee, before stealing an unattended vehicle at the gas station.
On May 25, 2023, Mixon woke up a relative to inform them that he had taken the relatives’ firearm and used it to carjack the victim at the Taco Bell. The relative contacted law enforcement who responded. Mixon fled, but was arrested after a brief chase from Bristol, Virginia, into Bristol, Tennessee. A search of Mixon at the time of his arrest recovered the stolen firearm.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Bristol Tennessee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”).
Senior Officer Jared Patrick with the Bristol Tennessee Police Department led the investigation, along with Special Agent Jamie Jenkins of ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys B. Todd Martin and Emily Swecker represented the United States.
This case was brought as 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 communicates, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Derik Carothers, 29, pleaded guilty to Count Four of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about October 20, 2019, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Carothers possessed numerous firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Carothers was previously convicted on November 7, 2013, in the Cambria County Court of Common Pleas of burglary and carrying a firearm without a license, and, on March 20, 2017, of carrying a firearm without a license. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Carothers.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
GREENVILLE, Miss. – Dennis Vernandale Phillips, 42, was sentenced today to over 15 years in prison for his possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the controlled substance.
The investigation began when law enforcement purchased over 30 grams of methamphetamine from Phillips using a confidential informant. During a subsequent search of Phillips’ residence in Preston, Mississippi, officers located methamphetamine, two firearms, and other narcotics. In total, Phillips’ conduct involved over a kilogram of methamphetamine that impacted the Choctaw Indian Reservation in Winston, Kemper, and Neshoba counties.
On October 30, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Phillips to 188 months imprisonment followed by a 48-month term of supervised release for possessing the methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
“Meth indiscriminately kills children, men and women and it ravages our communities, including the Choctaw Indian Reservation,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “This prosecution and sentence are the result of outstanding cooperation between our federal law enforcement partners and the tribal police to achieve a straightforward goal – to reduce the supply of illicit drugs while seeing to it that those who poison communities with narcotics are held to account.”
Phillips’ drug distribution was a threat to the community,” said Whitney Woodruff, Regional Agent in Charge of the Southeast Region for the Division of Drug Enforcement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. “He was poisoning Indian Country for his personal gain and now he will pay the price. I am proud of our partnerships with the other law enforcement agencies involved.”
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case in partnership with the Choctaw Police Criminal Investigations Division, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Howell Addison prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to committing firearm and drug trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Tylon Cousin, 38, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine on February 3, 2023, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for February 26, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $2,250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Mercer County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cousin.
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 of Justice 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.
