Online Criminal Justice News

Orlando, Florida – Daniel Joseph Zirk (23, Spring Hill) has been arrested and charged by a federal criminal complaint with attempted bank robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Zirk made his initial appearance in federal court today and was detained.

Zirk’s alleged co-conspirators, John Armstrong, Jr. (30, North Fort Myers) and Tanya Legg (43, North Fort Myers) were arrested on October 7, 2019, on related charges. On October 16, 2019, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Armstrong with Hobbs Act robbery, attempted bank robbery, bank robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The indictment charges Legg with aiding and abetting a bank robbery, aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Zirk, Legg, and Armstrong each face up to life in federal prison.

According to allegation in the complaint against Zirk and indictment against Armstrong and Legg, on June 14, 2019, Armstrong used a firearm to rob a 7-11 store in North Fort Myers. During the robbery, Armstrong struck one of the store employees in the face with his firearm, causing a laceration to the bottom corner of her left eye.

On September 25, 2019, Armstrong and Zirk attempted to commit an armed robbery of a PNC Bank in Davenport. Zirk had carjacked a vehicle earlier that morning, holding the victim at gunpoint. Armstrong and Zirk later used the stolen vehicle as a getaway vehicle following the attempted PNC Bank robbery.

On September 26, 2019, Armstrong, Zirk, and Legg robbed a BB&T Bank in Altamonte Springs. Armstrong and Zirk used firearms to force bank employees to open the bank’s safe and then stole approximately $22,000 in cash. Legg assisted in purchasing items used to complete the BB&T robbery and then served as the getaway driver. Zirk and Armstrong wore ghost masks at each of the banks.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation 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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Altamonte Springs Police Department, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Punta Gorda Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Spokane, Washington Man Sentenced in Federal Court

Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Matthew Lee Lane, age 48 of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced following conviction after a six-day jury trial in June 2019, of one count of Distribution of Child Pornography, and one count of Possession of Child Pornography. United States District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Lane to a 210-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a life term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison. Judge Peterson also required Lane to register as a sex offender upon completion of his prison sentence.

According to evidence introduced at trial, Lane downloaded thousands of images of child pornography via the internet, and then shredded nearly all of them in an effort to elude law enforcement. But he also transmitted images of child pornography to an undercover FBI agent over a Peer-to-Peer network, which led to a federal search warrant at his residence in North Spokane. Significant indicia of child pornography were recovered from his digital devices, including not only log files indicating that he had downloaded and deleted thousands of child pornography files, but memes involving the kidnapping of children and other forms of sexual exploitation of children. Lane was a youth baseball umpire at the time he was engaging in child exploitation conduct online.

At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that Lane tried to shred all the evidence of his online child exploitation conduct, which demonstrated both consciousness of guilt and an effort to elude law enforcement. She specifically articulated the dangers of online child pornography, and the ways in which the victims are damaged by their images being traded on the Internet forever. In particular, Judge Peterson noted that Lane contributed to a market for additional abuse by engaging in the downloading and trading of child pornography images. Judge Peterson also noted Lane’s criminal history included a prior conviction for rape.

United States Attorney Hyslop said, “Child pornography victimizes the most innocent and vulnerable in our communities. By distributing child pornography, Matthew Lee Lane further victimized the children depicted in the horrifying images, and helped perpetuate the market for such images. This sentence should serve as a warning to people who may collect or trade child pornography, they will be actively pursued by federal, state and local law enforcement officers. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington will continue to aggressively prosecute child exploitation crimes that occur in the Eastern District of Washington.”

This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood (“PSC”), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The PSC Initiative has five major components:

· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;

· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;

· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;

· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and

· Community awareness and educational programs.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by David M. Herzog, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

BILILNGS – A former Billings massage parlor operator who admitted bringing a woman from Nevada to his business to provide commercial sexual activity was sentenced today to two years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Scot Donald Petrie, 62, of Billings, pleaded guilty in July to transportation of a person with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

“Mr. Petrie induced a woman to travel from Nevada to Billings so he could profit from her illegal commercial sexual activity. Such conduct exploits women and is a serious offense. This office will prosecute human traffickers to the full extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

Prosecutors said in court records that beginning in June 2014, Petrie helped operate King Spa and A-Spa, which permitted individuals to live at both locations to provide legitimate message services and illegal commercial sexual services. Petrie was aware of the operations and services being provided. King Spa temporarily closed in December 2018, and Petrie helped re-open the spa to provide the services.

In January, Petrie bought a bus ticket for a woman to travel from Las Vegas to Billings to live and work at A-Spa. Because of a missed connection, Petrie went to Butte to pick up the woman to transport her to Billings. The woman told law enforcement Petrie had contacted her while she was in Nevada and asked her to come to Montana. The woman said Petrie offered to pay for her bus ticket and gave her condoms when she arrived in Billings. The woman provided commercial sexual services, including intercourse, while staying at the spa, and paid Petrie half of her earnings.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 28, 2019 –Eric Swarbrick, 26, of Austin Texas, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court, to interstate stalking and sending interstate communications with the intent to threaten, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Swarbrick was charged in September 2018 and initially arrested in Travis County, Texas before being transferred to the Middle District of Tennessee.

In January 2018, Big Machine Label Group (“BMLG”) in Nashville, began receiving letters from Swarbrick expressing his desire for BMLG CEO Scott Borchetta to introduce him to Taylor Swift, who at the time was a client of BMLG. In one letter, Swarbrick acknowledged that he had been wandering around the offices of BMLG in the past. Over time, the letters became increasingly violent and sexual in nature, with at least 40 letters and emails having been received by BMLG.

On three occasions, Swarbrick drove from Texas to Nashville and personally delivered letters to BMLG, including on August 2, 2018. On that date, Swarbrick attempted to gain entrance into BMLG’s office but was detained by security guards and arrested by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. After being released from custody in Nashville, Swarbrick continued to send at least 13 threatening letters and emails before the end of August 2018. In many of the letters, Swarbrick expressed his desire to rape and kill Taylor Swift and in one letter, he stated he would kill himself in front of Borchetta and his staff.

Swarbrick is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal and will remain so until he is sentenced on March 6, 2020. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Siji Moore prosecuted the case.

Letters contained powder defendant purported to be anthrax or fentanyl

COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio inmate offered a guilty plea in federal court today to writing at least 15 threatening letters containing powder. In some of the letters, he claimed the powder was anthrax or fentanyl or threatened the use of explosive devices.

Sean Heisa, 36, was indicted by a grand jury in May 2019. He pleaded guilty today to making false information or hoaxes and mailing threatening communications.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Joseph M. Deters, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea offered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King.

According to court documents, from July 2017 to July 2018, Heisa mailed threatening letters while incarcerated to various officials throughout the state of Ohio.

Heisa mailed a letter to the city manager of Painesville in August 2017 and claimed powder contained within the envelope was anthrax.

In the letter, Heisa described several things that were going to happen: “#1 – You are going to have trouble breathing; #2- You are going to die; #3 – You are going to become a martyr for a cause and an organization far bigger than yourself.”

Likewise, Heisa mailed a second letter that month to a magistrate judge in Whitehall, again claiming the powder contained within the letter was anthrax.

Heisa also threatened via letter officials within the Coshocton Municipal Courthouse, Franklin County Common Pleas Court and then-Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine through threatened exposure to anthrax and the use of explosive devices.

Other letters threatened to injure recipients – including the former Ohio prisons director, the Columbus Dispatch, the Circleville Herald and The Ohio State University – by exposure to purported fentanyl.

For example, one letter to a Fairfield County Common Pleas Court judge who had presided over several hearings involving Heisa (involving robbery charges for which Heisa is now serving a combined 37-year sentence) stated: “This is enough Fentanyl to kill you and multiple coworker [sic]. You deserve a more painful death but this will do”

Heisa had access to what he believed to be fentanyl in prison and knew that if he could send enough fentanyl that it could kill someone, which is why he referenced it in many of his letters. Heisa chose to get high on the substance instead.

Heisa was charged by criminal complaint in December 2018 and arrested in January 2019.

Creating false information/hoaxes and mailing threatening communications are each federal crimes punishable by up to five years in prison

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight, who is prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – Edward Magruder, 49, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty yesterday to a federal narcotics charge for the unlawful possession and intent to distribute heroin. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office.

Magruder pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to the unlawful possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2020. The charges against Magruder arose from a law enforcement investigation that showed that he regularly traveled to New York City to obtain large amounts of heroin that he would later redistribute in Washington, D.C.

The investigation began in the summer of 2018. FBI agents learned through their investigation that, between December 2018 and May 31, 2019, Magruder traveled to New York from Washington, D.C. on at least seven separate occasions. On each trip, he stayed in New York for only a short period (a few hours) and then returned to Washington, D.C.

On June 7, 2019, FBI agents learned that Magruder had traveled from Washington, D.C. to New York via Greyhound bus. Agents observed him at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan at approximately 2:30 PM. They also observed him as he stood outside of the bus terminal for approximately one hour and made several calls using a flip phone. Magruder was carrying a bright blue backpack.

The following day, on June 8, 2019, Magruder departed the Port Authority Bus Terminal and began traveling towards Washington, D.C. He arrived at Union Station in Washington, D.C. at approximately 4:30 PM. He walked off the bus carrying the same bright blue backpack that he was observed with in New York. Agents approached Magruder, stopped him, and searched his backpack. At the bottom of the backpack, underneath several items of clothing, were two blocks of compressed tan powder, wrapped in duct tape and several plastic bags. Each block weighed approximately 600 grams. A chemist with the DEA Mid-Atlantic Laboratory examined the blocks. She concluded that together they weighed approximately 1,200 grams (1.2 kilograms), and that they consisted of a mixture and substance containing heroin. The estimated street value of the heroin is approximately $400,000. Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2020, and Magruder is expected to be sentenced to a term of 12 to 15 years of imprisonment.

In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Special Agent in Charge Dunham commended the work of the FBI agents involved in the arrest and prosecution of Magruder. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.

BOSTON – Two Colombian nationals were indicted today in federal court in Boston on drug trafficking charges.

Diego Sanchez, 34, and Ricardo Lopera Arteaga, 58, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Sanchez was also charged with two additional counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The defendants were previously charged by complaint and arrested on Oct. 9, 2019. They are both currently in federal custody.

According to court documents, Sanchez engaged in two sales of cocaine to a cooperating witness on Sept. 10 and 27, 2019 in East Boston. Sanchez and Lopera-Arteaga alsoconspired together to sell one kilogram of cocaine to that same cooperating witness. On Oct. 9, 2019, law enforcement agents observed both men meet and walk together towards a spot arranged for the drug transaction. Agents arrested both men a short time later and seized one kilogram of cocaine from Lopera-Arteaga.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine provides fora mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 yearsin prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charges of distribution of cocaine provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years 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 other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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.

OKLAHOMA CITY – VERNON WAYNE BROCK, 70, of Alva, has pleaded guilty to hiring someone to commit murder, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.

A federal grand jury indicted Brock on April 17, 2019, for using interstate commerce facilities to commit murder-for-hire during the first few days of April. According to an affidavit filed in the case, an individual from Kansas whom Brock was trying to hire to commit murder contacted the FBI and cooperated in the investigation. Law enforcement determined that Brock and the individual from Kansas were partners in Oklahoma vape shops and that Brock was upset with a former employee who refused to continue a sexual relationship with him. Brock wanted the individual from Kansas to arrange the murder of the former employee’s boyfriend in Oklahoma City in exchange for $5,000. He identified the boyfriend by sending a picture to the individual from Kansas and confirming "that’s the guy we want dead." Recorded conversations between Brock and the individual from Kansas included statements such as: "Are they going to thump her around a little bit? And do him? Cause that’s what I wanted."

FBI agents arrested Brock on the afternoon of April 3, with the assistance of the Woods County Sheriff’s Office, after Brock delivered a $5,000 check to the individual from Kansas at a café in Harper, Kansas. He has been in federal custody since that time.

Brock pleaded guilty this morning to the one-count indictment. He admitted he traveled in interstate commerce on April 1, 2019, and used facilities of interstate commerce—a cell phone and a pickup truck—with intent that murder be committed in exchange for payment.

At sentencing, Brock faces a potential penalty of ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing will take place in approximately 90 days.

This case is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation–Oklahoma City Field Office, Woodward Resident Agency. Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Altshuler and Jason Harley, the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on the most violent offenders and partners with local prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime. To enhance local effectiveness, the Western District of Oklahoma has emphasized prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence.

Reference is made to public filings for more information.

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Bridgeville, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Brianne Dean, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the GBK street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Dean and her co-conspirators distributed 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and 500 grams or more of powder cocaine in and around the area of the Greenway Projects.

Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for March 31, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 5 years and up to life in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s bond.

Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne M. Saadi are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly led the multi-agency investigation, which also included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, that led to the prosecution of Dean.

The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CLIFFORD BRODIE, also known as “Cliff G,” 23, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 168 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a violent street gang.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, the New Haven Police Department’s Shooting Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating numerous unsolved shootings that had occurred in New Haven and Hamden. Ballistic examination of recovered cartridge cases determined that three firearms were used in 18 shootings committed in or around New Haven in 2016. The investigation revealed that the firearms were possessed by members and associates of the Goodrich Street Boys (“GSB”), a New Haven street gang, and that GSB members also were involved in a number of other shootings in 2016, many of them retaliatory against rival gang members.

On August 3, 2017, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 13-count indictment charging Brodie and five other GSB members with racketeering, attempted murder, firearm and narcotics trafficking offenses. The indictment alleged that, between September 2015 and May 2016, GSB members and associates were involved in six gang-related shootings that caused injuries to five individuals.

Brodie previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and one count of brandishing of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In pleading guilty, Brodie admitted that he and other GSB members conspired to kill an individual who they believed had been disrespectful to a GSB member. On May 27, 2016, Brodie and other GSB members ambushed the individual and his friend as the pair were walking on a busy street in New Haven. The individual, who survived the attack, identified Brodie’s brother, Milton Westley, as an assailant. Westley first shot the victim in the stomach. After the victim collapsed to the ground, Westley stood over him and shot him in the head. Another GSB member shot the second victim in the hand as he attempted to shield his face. Brodie chased the second victim with his car in an attempt to drive over him and kill him.

The victim who was shot in the stomach and head continues to recover from his injuries. He was in a coma for several weeks and had to learn to walk and talk again. This victim had been shot at by GSB members twice prior to May 27, 2016.

Brodie also has admitted that was involved in the shootings of rival gang members in January and April 2016.

GSB members also shot at rival gang members on February 6, 2016, in a densely populated residential area; March 13, 2016, during a heavily attended St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown New Haven; and July 21, 2016, during which an innocent bystander was shot in the chest through her bedroom window.

GSB members also used social media to post pictures and videos of themselves with firearms, and used social media to threaten rivals, including individuals who might cooperate with law enforcement.

The investigation further revealed that Brodie and other GSB members were involved in the acquisition and distribution of heroin, cocaine and marijuana.

Brodie has been detained since his arrest on August 9, 2017.

Brodie is the fourth GSB member to be sentenced. On October 24, 2019, Michael Via, also known as “Mike Live,” was sentenced to 78 months in prison. On October 30, 2019, Michael Belle, also known as “MB,” was sentenced to 87 months in prison. On October 31, 2019, Milton Westley, also known as “Reese,” was sentenced to 156 months in prison. Two other GSB members have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Durham noted that federal prisoners are required to serve at least 85 percent of their prison term and are not eligible for parole.

U.S. Attorney Durham further noted that federal law prohibits any retaliation against a federal witness. If persons retaliate against a federal witness “because of attendance at or testimony in a criminal case, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense under this section shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in that case.” Because the maximum term charged in the case was life imprisonment, anyone who tampers with a federal witness in this case faces life imprisonment.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.

This investigation is being conducted by ATF and the New Haven Police Department. The FBI, Hamden Police Department and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office have provided critical assistance in the investigation.

An instrumental component of this investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.

This matter is being prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle, Rahul Kale and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.

PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that James Traband, 53, of Upland, Delaware County, PA was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release by United States District Judge Harvey A. Bartle for possession and distribution of child pornography.

In 2018, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office investigated Traband for trafficking in child pornography using his Facebook account. The investigation revealed that the defendant had created a fake profile for himself, posing as a 13-year old boy, to find and entice other minor boys into sexual activity online. He used real photos he had taken of a young boy who lived with him to lure other young boys into believing they were communicating with a boy of their same age. In reality, they were talking with Traband, a middle-aged convicted sex offender, who convinced them to engage in sexual chats and exchange sexually explicit images.

At the time he committed these offenses, Traband was a registered sex offender, having previously been convicted in Delaware County of child pornography offenses. He was also under court supervision.

The case was referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Traband was ultimately indicted and convicted of distributing and attempting to distribute child pornography and possession of child pornography.

“Traband’s days of exploiting and victimizing children online are over,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Child sexual exploitation is appallingly pervasive, and exacerbated by the easy availability of digital media and communications. This case serves as a message to all adults who care for children: please monitor what they do online. And as always, we stand ready with our federal partners to identify and prosecute these criminals.”

“Child exploitation is among the most heinous crimes we investigate. As a result of our partnership with the Criminal Investigation Division of the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, this unrepentant predator will no longer be able to harm children,” said Michael T. Harpster, special agent in charge of the Philadelphia Division. “The FBI and its law enforcement partners will never stop working to hunt down child predators and deliver justice on behalf of their victims.”

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.

Methamphetamine Seizure One of the Largest in History on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

JACKSON, MS—Aaron Whavers, 49, of Pass Christian, Mississippi, Gerald Jones, 64, of Mobile, Alabama, and Sharard Collier, 43, of Inglewood, California, were charged Tuesday, November 5, 2019, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

On Monday, November 4, 2019, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and Harrison County CNET agents conducted searches of Whavers’ residence on Firetower Road in Pass Christian, and also a tractor trailer truck parked at a truck stop on County Farm Road in Long Beach, Mississippi. Agents recovered approximately 51 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of heroin, a Glock .40 caliber pistol, and $30,000 from Whavers’ residence. Law enforcement also recovered approximately 63 pounds of methamphetamine from the tractor trailer truck parked at the truck stop in Long Beach. The estimated value of the recovered narcotics is more than $1 million.

Whavers, Jones, and Collier made their initial appearances on Monday, November 4, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John C. Gargiulo, Southern District of Mississippi, and were ordered to be held without bond pending a detention and preliminary hearing. The detention and preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 13, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Robert H. Walker in Gulfport. If convicted, Whavers, Jones, and Collier face sentences of up to life in federal prison and a fine of up to $10 million.

These arrests and seizures are the result of a joint investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Harrison County Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team, Harrison and Jackson County Sheriff’s Offices, and the South Mississippi Metropolitan Enforcement Team in Pascagoula. U.S. Border Patrol and the Jackson and Harrison County Sheriff’s Offices Canines assisted with the investigation.

The FBI Safe Streets Task Force is a Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area or HIDTA initiative, and receives funding from the Office of National Drug Control Policy in Washington, D.C. It is made up of special agents from the FBI and law enforcement officers from the Pascagoula, Moss Point, Gautier, and Ocean Springs Police Departments, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and U.S. Border Patrol.

These charges are merely an accusation, and all arrestees are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Texas man arrested and charged in September 2019, made his first appearance in federal court in Springfield today for kidnapping and stalking.

Sunil K. Akula, 30, was arraigned in federal court in Springfield today on charges of kidnapping and stalking. Akula was detained and transported to the District of Massachusetts after being arrested on Sept. 27, 2019.

According to charging documents, on Aug. 6, 2019, Akula traveled from his home in Texas to Agawam, Mass. to confront his wife, from whom he was living apart. A couple of days later, he physically assaulted his wife and forced her to leave her apartment, stating that he was taking her back to Texas. Akula held his wife’s phone, wallet, and computer, and forced her into his car with only the clothes she was wearing.

Akula allegedly then drove his wife south through many states, during which time he again assaulted her, forced her to send a resignation e-mail to her employer, and smashed her laptop and threw it on the side of the highway. Akula stopped at a Knox County, Tenn. hotel, where he again beat his wife. When Akula could not quiet his wife or stop her from crying loudly, Akula opened the door to leave the hotel room, where he was met and arrested by officers of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

The charge of kidnapping provides for a sentence of up to life prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of stalking provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Chicopee Police Chief William R. Jebb; Agawam Police Chief Eric Gillis; Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler; and Plano (Texas) Interim Police Chief Dan Curtis made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Chief of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

DAYTON – A Dayton man who was scheduled to stand trial today pleaded guilty to distributing carfentanil, fentanyl and heroin that resulted in at least one overdose death.

Myron D. Baker, 35, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts related to distributing opioids. Baker will face a mandatory minimum of 20 years up to life in prison for one count and a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison for one count.

According to court documents, beginning in at least January 2017, Baker conspired with others to obtain and distribute opioids in Gallipolis and Dayton for personal profit.

Baker, also known as “Science,” “Capo” or “Sci,” maintained a residence on Lexington Avenue in Dayton to store, package and distribute the drugs. He also maintained a video surveillance system at the residence for the protection of his drugs and money.

Baker and others distributed drugs in the Dayton area that resulted in a number of overdoses, at least one of which was fatal.

Specifically, in March 2017, two individuals bought what they thought was heroin from Baker and others in Trotwood. The substance actually contained carfentanil. Upon purchasing the drugs, the individuals drove to the parking lot of a Dayton area restaurant to use them. One individual snorted the drugs and the other used a syringe to inject the drugs. Both overdosed, and the person who injected the drugs could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead the following morning.

As part of his plea, Baker accepted responsibility for causing the death of one individual and serious bodily injury to at least two others who experienced nonfatal overdoses.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Joseph M. Deters, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl announced the plea entered into today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorneys Sheila G. Lafferty and Amy M. Smith are representing the United States in this case.

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Anthony Wayne Harrison, II, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to four months’ probation for distributing heroin, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Harrison, age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin” in July 2019. Harrison admitted to selling heroin in Berkeley County in July 2018.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

PORTLAND, Ore.—Rene Elene Griffin Nunn, 60, a resident of Vancouver, Washington pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. At the time of the offense, Nunn was a registered nurse at Adventist Medical Center in Portland.

According to court documents, in February 2018, Nunn drove from Vancouver to Portland with approximately 93 grams of heroin in her purse. Based on a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF), Nunn was located and arrested driving into Portland.

Nunn faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced on February 3, 2020 by U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez.

This case was investigated by the DEA and CCITF and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Missouri, men were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a series of armed robberies.

Clyde H. Jackson, Jr., 30, and Thomas E. Davis, 43, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough. Jackson was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison without parole. Davis was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison without parole.

Jackson pleaded guilty on July 9, 2019, to seven counts of robbery, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Davis pleaded guilty on July 1, 2019, to five counts of robbery and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Co-defendants Brion L. McDonald, 30, and Bianca C Seaton, 26, both of Kansas City, Missouri, have also pleaded guilty and await sentencing. McDonald will be sentenced on Nov. 25, 2019, and Seaton will be sentenced on Dec. 19, 2019.

The defendants were part of a group of individuals committing armed robberies in the Kansas City metropolitan area from October 2017 through March 2018. According to court documents, Jackson and Davis brandished knives and firearms during the robberies.

During one robbery, Davis cocked a firearm, pointed it at the neck of one of the victims, and said, “Hurry up and give us the money, or I’ll kill this [expletive] white lady.” During another robbery, Davis discharged a firearm because the clerk was not moving fast enough.

Jackson cocked a gun during one robbery, walked toward a customer, grabbed the customer, placed the gun to the back of the customer’s head, and pulled the customer around the counters to the checkout counter. During another robbery, Jackson pointed a firearm at a victim and ordered the victim to retrieve the money faster, stating, “Come on, do you want to die?” During each of the three knife-related robberies in which Jackson participated, he put a knife to the victim’s neck and made various demands related to obtaining money. According to court documents, Jackson has previously been associated with the 5-1 Gangster gang, a subset of the Crips street gang, and has tattoo of a “51” inscribed on his right arm.

Jackson and Davis admitted they were involved in the armed robberies of Family Dollar, 5242 Blue Ridge Blvd. in Kansas City, on Jan. 12, 2018; Dollar General Store, 8716 Blue Ridge Blvd. in Kansas City, on Jan. 20, 2018; Family Dollar, 9120 E. 35th Street South in Independence, Missouri, on Jan. 22, 2018; and Family Dollar, 3017 Prospect Ave. in Kansas City, on Jan. 26, 2018 (Davis discharged a firearm during this robbery).

Jackson, McDonald, and Seaton each admitted to being involved in the armed robbery of Pizza Hut, 7624 Wornall Road in Kansas City, on March 19, 2018.

Davis was also involved in the armed robbery of Dollar General Store, 9101 E. 63rd St. in Raytown, Missouri, on Oct. 25, 2017. Davis brandished a knife during that robbery.

Jackson admitted he also was involved in an attempted robbery of the Pizza Hut at 7624 Wornall Road on March 20, 2018, and of Dollar General, 5008 N.E. Parvin Road in Kansas City, on March 20, 2018. Jackson also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock .45-caliber pistol and various rounds of ammunition on March 23, 2018. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jackson has prior felony convictions for larceny and robbery.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, and the Raytown, Mo., Police Department.

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Sean Bernard Williams, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 51 months incarceration for his role in a major drug distribution operation that spanned two states, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Williams, also known as “Spook,” age 46, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone,” 22 counts of “Distribution of Oxycodone,” five counts of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Oxycodone,” and one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base” in September 2019. Williams admitted to distributing the drugs from 2013 to 2017 in Monongalia County and elsewhere.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, led the investigation. The Task Force consists of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office, Morgantown Police Department, the Star City Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia University Police Department, the Granville Police Department, and the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Minnesota couple with their roles in a sophisticated fraud scheme that primarily targeted elderly Americans.

According to court documents and allegations in the indictment, Chirag Janakbhai Choksi, 35, and his wife, Shachi Naishadh Majmudar, 35, were members of a criminal conspiracy who had members that impersonated law enforcement officials to trick and coerce victims into mailing and shipping cash to other conspiracy members by convincing the victims that it was in their best interests to do so.

These schemes generally start with “robocalls”, designed to create a sense of urgency with unsuspecting recipients. The messages typically tell the recipient that they have some sort of serious legal problem, and that if they do not immediately take a particular action demanded by the callers, then there will be drastic consequences, typically involving the arrest of the recipient, significant financial penalties, or cessation of government benefits. The fraudsters almost invariably instruct the call recipient that, in order to prevent these dire consequences, the recipients must pay money, by wire transfer or cash, to some purported government entity.

The conspiracy operated cells in multiple states, including New Jersey, California, Indiana, Texas, Illinois and Minnesota. In one particular alleged scheme, members of the conspiracy impersonated DEA agents and advised Victim 1 that a vehicle located near the southwest border contained cocaine and her bank information. The fraudsters then convinced Victim 1 to surrender half the cash in her bank accounts in good faith until a thorough investigation had been completed to clear her name of any criminal activity.

According to the indictment, Choksi used counterfeit driver’s licenses to identify himself when picking up cash shipments from victims, and then made multiple deposits of that cash into bank accounts controlled by conspiracy members. The indictment also alleges that Majmudar went to the online websites of FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service to track shipments of cash sent by victims, and made multiple deposits of victims’ cash into conspiracy-controlled bank accounts.

Choksi and Majmudar are both charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as one count of mail fraud. The maximum possible sentence for each of those charges is 20 years in prison. Choksi is also charged with aggravated identity theft, which provides for a mandatory minimum term of two years in prison that must run consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Greg Weber, Chief of Eden Prairie Police, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hood is 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. 3:19-cr-160.

SHERMAN, Texas - U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown announced today that 10 individuals have been arrested following a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking in the Eastern District of Texas.

On Oct. 30, 2019, a combined task force of federal, state and local law enforcement executed federal arrest warrants as the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force investigation in the North Texas Area. The investigation came about as a result of a Fairview, Texas overdose death in December, 2018.

The defendants are charged in the seven-count indictment with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances resulting in death and aiding and abetting; conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; accessory after the fact; misprision of a felony; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances and aiding and abetting; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Those arrested and named in the indictment are:

Gary Collin Bussell, 50, of Dallas;

Ben Westin, 28, of Carrollton, Texas;

Scott Perras, 27, of McKinney, Texas;

Frank Eric Dockery, 45, of Blue Ridge, Texas;

William Grant Allbrook, 32, of The Colony, Texas;

Austin Seymour, 24, of Dallas;

Lisa Young, 32, of Dallas;

George Wagner, III, 46, of Garland, Texas;

Gina Corwin, 51, of Dallas; and

Todd Shewmake, 34, of McKinney, Texas.

The defendants made initial appearances last week.

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s OCDETF Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the North Texas Strike Force is to target the region’s largest threats, with particular emphasis on heroin and synthetic opioids trafficking.

OCDETF 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. Today, 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.

This case is being investigated by the North Texas Strike Force. Strike Force members are the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations Division; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Dallas Police Department; Garland Police Department; Grand Prairie Police Department; Grapevine Police Department; Lancaster Police Department; Plano Police Department; Sherman Police Department; and Texas Department of Public Safety. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Third Suspect In “Ghost Mask” Bank Robberies Arrested

Youth Baseball Umpire Sentenced To Over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution and Receipt of Child Pornography

Former Billings massage parlor operator sentenced to prison for transporting woman for commercial sex

Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Interstate Stalking And Threatening CEO Of Big Machine Label Group Letters Targeted Taylor Swift

Inmate pleads guilty to mailing threats to former Ohio attorney general & prisons director, judges, newspapers

District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Narcotics Charge

Two Colombian Nationals Charged with Cocaine Trafficking

Alva Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Murder Plot

Bridgeville Woman Admits Guilt in Wiretap Investigation into Crack and Cocaine Trafficking in Pittsburgh’s West End

Another Member of Violent New Haven Gang Sentenced to Long Federal Prison Term

Previously-Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

Law Enforcement Arrests Three After Seizure of Approximately 114 Pounds of Methamphetamine and Two Pounds of Heroin on Mississippi Gulf Coast

Texas Man Charged with Kidnapping and Stalking Appears in Massachusetts Federal Court

Dayton man pleads guilty to distributing opioids that caused overdose death

Berkeley County man sentenced for drug trafficking

Former Portland Nurse Pleads Guilty to Heroin Trafficking

Two KC Men Sentenced for Armed Robberies

Detroit man sentenced for multiple drug charges

Minnesota Couple Charged with International Elder Fraud Scheme

North Texas Strike Force Arrests 10 Defendants Related to Collin County Overdose Death