FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 22, 2023
Man Convicted of Torture and Exporting Weapons Parts and Related Services to Iraq

A federal jury convicted a Pennsylvania man on May 19 for numerous crimes, including the torture of an Estonian citizen in 2015 in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, in connection with the operation of an illegal weapons manufacturing plant in Kurdistan.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ross Roggio, 54, of Stroudsburg, arranged for Kurdish soldiers to abduct and detain the victim at a Kurdish military compound where Roggio suffocated the victim with a belt, threatened to cut off one of his fingers, and directed Kurdish soldiers to repeatedly beat, tase, choke, and otherwise physically and mentally abuse the victim over a 39-day period. The victim was employed at a weapons factory that Roggio was developing in the Kurdistan region of Iraq that was intended to manufacture M4 automatic rifles and Glock 9mm pistols.

In connection with the weapons factory project, which included Roggio providing training to foreign persons in the operation, assembly, and manufacturing of the M4 automatic rifle, Roggio also illegally exported firearm parts that were controlled for export by the Departments of State and Commerce.

“Roggio brutally tortured another human being to prevent interference with his illegal activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the courage of the victim and other witnesses, the hard work of U.S. law enforcement, and the assistance of Estonian authorities, he will now be held accountable for his cruelty.”

“Today’s guilty verdict demonstrates that Roggio’s brutal acts of directing and participating in the torture of an employee over the course of 39 days by Kurdish soldiers could not avoid justice,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “We thank all the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly to address these acts that occurred in Iraq.”

“Today’s milestone conviction is the result of the extraordinary courage of the victim, who came forward after the defendant inflicted unspeakable pain on him for more than a month,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Torture is among the most heinous crimes the FBI investigates, and together with our partners at the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, we will relentlessly pursue justice.”

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is firmly dedicated to pursuing those who commit human rights violations, like Roggio, to ensure perpetrators face justice for their atrocities,” said Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Tae D. Johnson of ICE. “Our investigators will continue to work tirelessly with government partners so these horrendous acts do not go without consequence.”

“The illegal export of firearms parts and tools from the United States often goes hand in hand with other criminal activities, such as the charge of torture on which the jury voted to convict the defendant,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office. “I commend our law enforcement colleagues for their dedication to bringing justice in this case.”

Roggio was convicted of torture, conspiracy to commit torture, conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, exporting weapons parts and services to Iraq without the approval of the Department of State, exporting weapons tools to Iraq without the approval of the Department of Commerce, smuggling goods, wire fraud, and money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23 and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Roggio is the second defendant to be convicted of torture since the federal torture statute went into effect in 1994.

The FBI and HSI investigated the torture and were joined in investigating the export control violations related to the firearms manufacturing equipment by the Department of Commerce’s BIS Office of Export Enforcement.

Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley for the Middle District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. The Estonian Internal Security Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Pennsylvania State Police also provided valuable assistance.

Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the ICE online tip form.

Topic(s): National SecurityComponent(s): Criminal DivisionCriminal – Human Rights and Special Prosecution SectionFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)National Security Division (NSD)USAO – Pennsylvania, MiddlePress Release Number: 23-587

Updated May 22, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced for Racketeering Conspiracy and Murders

A Maryland man was sentenced today to 28 years in prison for his part in a racketeering conspiracy, including two murders, related to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

According to court documents, from at least August 2018 through July 2021, Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, aka Freddy, aka Magic, aka Miclo, aka Delinquente, 25, of Adelphi, was a member of MS-13, a transnational criminal enterprise and one of the largest street gangs in the United States that is composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Sanchez was a member and associate of Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (WLS), an MS-13 clique operating primarily in Adelphi.

As part of the conspiracy, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the gang as well as against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.

On Feb. 23, 2020, at the direction of an MS-13 leader, Sanchez and co-defendant Hernan Yanes-Rivera, aka Recio, shot and killed a former WLS member (Victim-1), in retaliation for the victim’s suspected cooperation with law enforcement. As a result of his participation in the murder, Sanchez was promoted within the hierarchy of MS-13.

On Aug. 8, 2020, Sanchez and several WLS members agreed to murder another individual (described in the indictment as Victim 4), who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. After driving to a wooded area in Prince George’s County, Maryland, WLS leader Brayan Alexander Torres, aka Spooky, called Victim 4 and told him to come to the wooded area to participate in a disciplinary beating of Sanchez, even though the gang intended to murder Victim 4. When Victim 4 arrived, Sanchez and another MS-13 member shot Victim 4. Sanchez then stabbed Victim 4 with a knife.

To prevent the discovery of DNA or other evidence and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, Torres called other WLS members, including Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, aka Terrible, and ordered them to bring shovels to the wooded area, where they dug a hole and buried Victim 4’s body.

Sanchez also participated in money laundering by transferring gang funds to MS-13 members and associates in El Salvador.

Sanchez, Torres, Yanes-Rivera, and Rivas Rodriguez all previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. By the terms of their plea agreements, Torres faces 28 years in prison, Yanes-Rivera faces 22 years in prison, and Rivas Rodriguez faces 16 years in prison. Torres is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31, Yanes-Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, and Rivas Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department made the announcement.

The FBI, HSI, and Prince George’s County Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Montgomery County Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Trial Attorneys Brendan Woods and Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo for the District of Maryland 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is 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 to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Topic(s): Project Safe NeighborhoodsViolent CrimeComponent(s): Criminal DivisionCriminal – Organized Crime and Gang SectionFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task ForcesUSAO – MarylandPress Release Number: 23-581

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Pennsylvania Rental Property Owners and Operators

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Timothy Britton, the owner and operator of rental properties in the Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, area and Britton Enterprises LLC, doing business as “Tim’s Apartments,” which operates the rental properties, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, alleges that Timothy Britton has sexually harassed female tenants since at least 2016. According to the complaint, Britton made repeated and unwelcome sexual comments to female tenants, touched female tenants’ bodies without their permission, requested sexual contact, offered reduced or free rent in exchange for sexual contact and took retaliatory actions against female tenants who refused his sexual advances.

“In this day and age, no one should have to endure sexual harassment to keep a roof over their head,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit makes clear that the Justice Department stands ready to hold accountable those landlords and housing providers who unlawfully harass and retaliate against tenants. We encourage survivors to speak out when their rights are violated so that we can vindicate their fair housing rights and secure the relief they deserve.”

“The complaint alleges that Mr. Britton has violated federal fair housing laws through acts of sexual harassment and retaliation,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “The harm caused by this type of unlawful behavior is compounded when committed by someone who has control over the place where individuals have the right to feel the most safe – in their homes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting vulnerable members of our community and holding individuals accountable who prey upon them.”

“It is unacceptable and illegal to subject tenants to sexual harassment and retaliation; it must stop. Tenants deserve a safe place to call home,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria L. McCain of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD will continue to work with the Justice Department to hold housing providers accountable and work toward justice for those whose civil rights have been violated.”

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination.

Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by Timothy Britton or Britton Enterprises, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the housing discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291, select 1 for English, and select option number 2, then option number 2 to leave a message. Individuals may also e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov or submit a report online. Reports also may be made by contacting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.

The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The department’s initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the Department of Justice has filed 32 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $10.8 million for victims of such harassment.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.

Attachment(s): Download Complaint.pdfTopic(s): Civil RightsFair HousingComponent(s): Civil Rights DivisionCivil Rights – Housing and Civil Enforcement SectionPress Release Number: 23-580

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
Man Charged for Alleged Participation in $45M CoinDeal Investment Fraud Scheme Involving Over 10,000 Victims

A Nevada man has been charged for his alleged participation in CoinDeal, an investment fraud scheme that defrauded more than 10,000 victims of over $45 million.

Bryan Lee, 57, of Las Vegas, will make his initial appearance in federal court today in Las Vegas.

According to court documents, Lee allegedly conspired with Neil Chandran and others to defraud investors in companies that Chandran controlled. The companies operated under the banner of “ViRSE,” and included Free Vi Lab, Studio Vi Inc., ViDelivery Inc., ViMarket Inc., and Skalex USA Inc., among others. The companies were supposedly developing virtual-world technologies, including their own cryptocurrency, for use in a metaverse. Chandran allegedly misled investors by falsely promising extremely high returns on the premise that his companies were about to be acquired by a consortium of wealthy buyers. As further alleged, Lee was the nominee owner and director of ViMarket, and took direction from Chandran for how to disburse investor funds received into ViMarket’s bank accounts. Lee and Chandran allegedly misappropriated millions of dollars of investor funds and spent it on luxury cars and real estate.

Lee is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy, two counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. If convicted, Lee faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy counts, and up to 10 years in prison for each count of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.

Chandran was arrested in June 2022 and charged for his alleged role in the scheme. Michael Glaspie, who fraudulently marketed the investment with Chandran’s companies under the name “CoinDeal,” pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in February 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Steven A. Russell for the District of Nebraska, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case with significant assistance provided by the FBI Las Vegas and Omaha Field Offices.

Assistant Chief William E. Johnston and Trial Attorney Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Kleine for the District of Nebraska are prosecuting the case. Senior Policy Advisor Darrin McCullough of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture.

All investor victims of this fraud are encouraged to visit the webpage www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-neil-chandran-united-states-v-michael-glaspie to identify themselves as potential victims and obtain more information on their rights as victims, including the opportunity to submit a victim impact statement.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Attachment(s): Download Superseding IndictmentTopic(s): CybercrimeFinancial FraudSecurities, Commodities, & Investment FraudComponent(s): Criminal DivisionCriminal – Criminal Fraud SectionCriminal – Money Laundering and Asset Recovery SectionFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)USAO – NebraskaPress Release Number: 23-579

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Role in International Human Smuggling and Cocaine Distribution Scheme

Honduran national pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a scheme to illegally bring Honduran nationals to, and to distribute cocaine in, the United States.

According to court documents, Darrell Martinez, 41, and six co-conspirators schemed to bring Honduran nationals and cocaine from Honduras to the United States. In February 2022, Martinez and his co-conspirators attempted to illegally bring 23 Honduran nationals and at least 24 kilograms of cocaine from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, by boat. At some point, the vessel developed engine trouble in the Gulf of Mexico. Martinez and his co-conspirators then chartered a boat and attempted to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Coast Guard located the vessel adrift approximately 95 miles off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana, and towed it to shore.

Martinez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 14 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

On March 30, Josue Flores-Villeda, Martinez’s co-conspirator, pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Special Agent in Charge David Denton of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.

HSI Houma, Louisiana, is investigating the case, with assistance from HSI Pittsburgh, HSI Atlanta, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, the North Huntington Township Police, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

Acting Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carter Guice and Ben Myers for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.

The investigation is being conducted under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico and the Northern Triangle Countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by HRSP and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from the DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners.

The investigation is also supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

Topic(s): Drug TraffickingHuman SmugglingComponent(s): Criminal DivisionCriminal – Human Rights and Special Prosecution SectionOrganized Crime Drug Enforcement Task ForcesUSAO – Louisiana, EasternPress Release Number: 23-578

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
Justice Department Statements on District Court Ruling Enjoining American Airlines and JetBlue’s Northeast Alliance

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division issued the following statements today regarding the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts’s ruling in favor of the Justice Department and the Attorneys General of six states and the District of Columbia in their civil antitrust lawsuit to stop the Northeast Alliance between American Airlines and JetBlue:

“Today’s decision is a win for Americans who rely on competition between airlines to travel affordably,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to protect competition and enforce our antitrust laws in the heavily consolidated airline industry and across every industry.”

“We are pleased with the court’s decision. The outcome of this litigation recognizes the value of competition in the airline industry,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are grateful to our state law enforcement partners and the dedicated and talented Antitrust Division staff that investigated and tried this important case.”

The court’s decision follows a multi-week trial that began in September 2022. The Justice Department sued to stop American Airlines and JetBlue from continuing the Northeast Alliance. The Northeast Alliance is a series of agreements between American Airlines and JetBlue through which the two airlines have consolidated their operations in Boston and New York City. The court ruled that JetBlue and American Airlines’ decision to stop competing in Boston and New York, where they are major players, violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act because it increased fares and reduced choice for American travelers in many domestic markets for scheduled air passenger service.

Topic(s): AntitrustComponent(s): Antitrust DivisionOffice of the Attorney GeneralPress Release Number: 23-586

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
Justice Department Hosts Ukrainian Prosecutors for Training on Investigating and Prosecuting Environmental Crimes

This week, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s (ENRD) Environmental Crimes Section hosted eight guests from the Ukraine Prosecutor General’s Office for a series of training and study sessions relating to the investigation and prosecution of environmental crimes, including environmental crimes committed in the wake of Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine.

“This training on investigating and prosecuting environmental crimes is just one part of our efforts to hold accountable under law those who bear responsibility for the Russian regime’s brutal crimes,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will work with our Ukrainian partners to hold the Russian regime accountable for the atrocities it is committing in the course of its unjust war in Ukraine.”

The study visit began on Monday and concluded on Wednesday. Attorney General Garland welcomed the group on Wednesday, as the study visit is a part of a broader collaboration between the Justice Department and the Ukraine Prosecutor General’s Office. The two departments entered into a Memorandum of Understanding when the Attorney General and Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin met in Washington in September 2022. The Department and Prosecutor General’s Office committed to cooperate on investigations and prosecutions related to potential war crimes and related criminal offenses committed following or during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Pursuant to that agreement, ENRD has been providing requested assistance to Ukraine as it explores several avenues to hold Russia accountable for the environmental toll of its invasion. During the training, U.S. and Ukrainian prosecutors and experts provided overviews of Ukrainian and U.S. environmental crime statutes and enforcement programs, shared investigative techniques, considered a number of relevant case studies and identified additional areas for collaboration.

Joining ENRD for the training were personnel from the Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team, which is based in the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard. Support was also provided by the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA), which is funded by the U.S. State Department, the European Union, and the Government of the United Kingdom.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland with members of the Ukraine Prosecutor General’s Office

Topic(s): Environmental JusticeComponent(s): Environment and Natural Resources DivisionOffice of the Attorney GeneralPress Release Number: 23-585

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
Louisiana Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Conspiracy to Commit Forced Labor and Transporting a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity

A Louisiana man was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for conspiracy to commit forced labor and transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The defendant was also required to pay restitution of $979,800 to the victims.

Between June 2016 and May 2019, Darnell Fulton, 39, of Pineville, used violence, sexual abuse, withholding of food, degradation and intimidation to coerce multiple minors to work for his brownie baking business and provide him the profits. The defendant required the victims to travel to as many as 20 to 30 locations a day, such as plazas, car dealerships, law firms, restaurants and parking lots, to sell brownies. The victims worked late into the night either selling or baking the brownies and sold them during the day. In fact, the victims typically worked seven days a week with very few breaks and had to meet a daily sales quota the defendant set. The defendant regularly assaulted the victims because he was not satisfied with their daily work performance, especially if they did not meet his projected sales daily quota. For example, the defendant frequently required the victims to stay in a push up or plank position for hours, and he often whipped them with a belt if they got out of proper form. The defendant also made the minor victims perform sexual acts with him and transported them across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity with him.

“Forced labor, especially when it involves sexual abuse of children, violence, and mental and physical anguish, is heinous conduct that has no place in our society today. The defendant mercilessly exploited children for his own financial gain and personal gratification, and we will not tolerate it,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentence demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to standing up for the survivors of forced labor schemes. We will not only pursue and prosecute human and child traffickers, but also seek restitution and use those funds to help survivors rebuild and reclaim their lives.”

“The defendant’s actions in this case were deplorable and despicable,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “Forced labor is a form of modern day slavery and we have a duty to protect the most vulnerable of our society. He had no hesitation in torturing and demoralizing these victims, his own children. We are grateful for this sentence and hope that the victims can begin the healing process. This defendant is a danger to society, has no regard for human life, and we believe it is appropriate that he will be spending a long time in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.”

“Mr. Fulton’s guilty plea and the sentencing today should be of great comfort to the victims of his depravity,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “We thank our partners, the Alexandria Police Department, United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division for their assistance in this case. We will continue the work of rooting out those who seek to target minors for their own bizarre obsessions.”

Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Brown and Special Agent in Charge Williams made the announcement.

The FBI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Alexandria Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Maryam Zhuravitsky of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at https://www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Topic(s): Civil RightsHuman TraffickingComponent(s): Civil Rights DivisionCivil Rights – Criminal SectionPress Release Number: 23-584

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
Scrap Metal Reseller Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Corporate Tax Return

A Texas businessman pleaded guilty today to filing a false 2015 corporate tax return for his company.

According to court documents, Martin Skolnik owned and operated Houston-based Spartan Metals Inc. (Spartan), a company that bought and resold scrap metal, for more than 30 years. On several occasions between 2014 and 2017, Skolnik directed customers to wire payments to his personal bank account rather than to Spartan’s business bank account. Skolnik intentionally did not record these payments as income in Spartan’s QuickBooks records, which he then provided to his accountant, willfully causing the accountant to prepare false corporate tax returns. As a result, Spartan’s corporate tax returns underreported more than $2.3 million of gross income for tax years 2014 through 2017.

Skolnik is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 24 and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return, as well as a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

Topic(s): TaxComponent(s): Tax DivisionUSAO – Texas, SouthernPress Release Number: 23-583

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr.’s Trip to Kenya

On May 15 to 18, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to deliver remarks at the first colloquium bringing together 20 African countries to collaborate on pretrial detention issues. The colloquium was sponsored by the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT), the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, and several other partners. He met with OPDAT’s Resident Legal Advisors in the region, numerous foreign law enforcement officials, and U.S. Embassy Nairobi staff to build closer partnerships and further the department’s mission to advance the rule of law and combat transnational crime.

AAG Polite delivers remarks at the Africa Regional Colloquium.

On Tuesday, AAG Polite had separate bilateral meetings with the Honorable Chief Justice of the Kenya Supreme Court Martha Koome and Kenya Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji. He also met with Idrissa Nibilma Bado, Chief Judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court of Burkina Faso; Justice Peter Kekemeke, High Court Judge and Chairman of the Remand Decongestion Committee of Federal Republic of Nigeria; Hafid Bahaddou, Chief, Division de la coopération judiciaire internationale, Ministère public of Morocco; and Augustin Yao Kouame, Senior Judge and Director of Civil and Criminal Affairs for the Ministry of Justice of Cote d’Ivoire. AAG Polite thanked foreign officials for their ongoing cooperation and affirmed continued support in extradition matters and mutual legal assistance requests.

AAG Polite stands with participants and other speakers at the Africa Regional Colloquium in Nairobi.

On Wednesday, he met with U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman, Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Dillard, and embassy personnel from OPDAT, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He also had brief meetings with Senior State Attorney Judith Mwakyusa of Tanzania; Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe of Ghana Court of Appeals; Dr. Moustapha Fall, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Justice of Senegal, as well as Julien Nguan Ndour, Director of Human Rights at the Ministry of Justice of Senegal; and Ibrahim Boukary Sally, President, Judgement Chamber for cases of Terrorism and Transnational Crime of Niger.

AAG Polite and U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman.

In his meetings, AAG Polite discussed enhancing cooperation in the fight against transnational crime, including narcotics trafficking, financial fraud schemes, corruption, child sexual exploitation, and counterterrorism.

“Today, more than ever before, the security of each state increasingly depends on the security of all states – and we in the justice sector must therefore supplement national vigilance with international cooperation,” said AAG Polite. “I am committed to furthering our bilateral law enforcement relationships in Africa.”

On Thursday, AAG Polite visited Nairobi National Park with DEA personnel and met members of Kenyan law enforcement. He learned about environmental sustainability and wildlife trafficking and conservation. He concluded his visit by attending a working lunch organized by Kenyan Director of Public Prosecution Haji, along with Directors of Public Prosecution from Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, and Uganda.

AAG Polite at Nairobi National Park with Criminal Division and DEA personnel and Kenyan law enforcement.

AAG Polite is committed to enhancing cooperation between the United States and our judicial and law enforcement counterparts in the region.

Component(s): Criminal DivisionCriminal – Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance & TrainingDrug Enforcement Administration (DEA)Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)Press Release Number: 23-582

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 18, 2023
New York Construction Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Filing False Return

Did Not Report Nearly $6.1 Million in Business Gross Receipts

A New York man pleaded guilty today to filing a false corporate tax return for his construction business.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Pawel A. Bartoszek of Lake Grove, New York, owned and operated a construction company, Mega State Inc. From 2015 through 2017, Bartoszek cashed checks he received from Mega State clients for services rendered rather than deposit them in the company’s bank account. As a result, Bartoszek concealed approximately $6.1 million in business income from his tax return preparer and caused the tax returns for Mega State submitted to the IRS to falsely understate its gross income.

Bartoszek is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 26, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Ann M. Cherry and Catriona Coppler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

Topic(s): TaxComponent(s): Tax DivisionUSAO – New York, EasternPress Release Number: 23-577

Updated May 18, 2023Original Article

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Good evening, everyone. I am honored to be here tonight to present the Act To Change Allied Organization of the Year award to AAPI Youth Rising. This award recognizes the organization’s leadership and continued efforts in advancing the rights and well-being of AAPI youth across the country.

This work could not be more timely or more urgent. One of our highest priorities at the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department has been to confront the rising tide of hate directed at the AAPI community. We have prosecuted those who have committed hate crimes, including securing a 25-year prison sentence for the man who attacked an Asian-American family with a knife at a Sam’s Club in Midland, Texas, because he blamed them for the COVID-19 pandemic. We also prosecuted a man who recently pled guilty after threatening to injure an Asian-American doctor in Maryland who had been a vocal proponent of the COVID-19 vaccine. And just last week, we charged a Nevada man with 98 counts of federal hate crimes and other offenses tied to the murder of one person and attempted murder of 44 others, following the shooting and attempted bombing at the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Southern California in May 2022.

We have also confronted hate incidents, including by securing a settlement agreement that requires the Davis School District in Utah to undertake significant reforms to address and prevent harassment reported by AAPI and Black students, including racist insults and bullying.

But we cannot prosecute or litigate our way to a fully inclusive and just society. It takes work from all of us. And AAPI Youth Rising is truly leading the way.

Although a young organization, AAPI Youth Rising has been at the forefront of social justice and advocacy. Two years ago, they organized the first AAPI Youth Rising Rally. Over 1,000 people attended that rally, which featured over a dozen young leaders who spoke out against anti-Asian hate and xenophobia. Through their efforts, they have been a voice for AAPI youth and raised awareness of the bullying and hate affecting the community.

The organization has also created a model curriculum, One Day of AAPI History, that promotes the teaching of Asian American studies. It has grown rapidly, expanding to nearly 80 Chapters in 25 states. Last year, AAPI Youth Rising was recognized by the American Girl company for their advocacy around AAPI representation, which helped lead to the first Asian-American Girl of the Year doll. They were also honored at President Biden’s “United We Stand” Summit at the White House and appeared as subject matter experts before the Health Equity Subcommittee of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Founder and Executive Director Mina Fedor was not only last year’s recipient of Act To Change’s “Changemaker of the Year” Award but also a Finalist for Time Magazine’s 2022 Kid of the Year Award.

The impact of AAPI Youth Rising's work can be seen in the positive change they have brought across the country. Their work has been an inspiration to us all, and I am proud to present this award. Please join me in congratulating AAPI Youth Rising in recognition of their work and continued efforts on behalf of the community – I welcome to the podium Mina, Charlee, Cooper, Kobi, Ethan, Collin, Mimi, Max and Johanna.

Speaker: Assistant Attorney General Kristen ClarkeTopic(s): Civil RightsComponent(s): Civil Rights Division

Updated May 19, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Justice Department Secures Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Missouri Landlord

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement from a St. Louis, Missouri landlord, who has agreed to pay $110,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that he violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) when he sexually harassed multiple female tenants.

Under the agreement, subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Nedzad Ukejnovic is required to pay $85,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the harassment and $20,000 to compensate the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing Opportunity Council for resources it expended responding to the reported harassment. The defendant is also required to pay a $5,000 civil penalty to the United States.

“Far too often landlords sexually harass and prey on those who are most vulnerable and it is unacceptable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce fair housing laws to hold those who engage in unlawful conduct to account.”

“Multiple tenants complained that Mr. Ukejnovic subjected them to vulgar and disgusting demands for sex, offering to reduce rent or security deposits if they complied,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office takes allegations like these seriously and seeks to hold all civil rights violators accountable whether civilly or criminally. This agreement not only provides for monetary compensation, but it also prohibits him from contacting these tenants, bars him from his properties when a lease is in effect and requires him to hire an independent property manager to prevent further violations of the civil rights laws. All of these are measures that will help protect current and future tenants.”

“It is abhorrent that a landlord would subject his tenants to sexual harassment and retaliation, robbing them of a safe place to call home,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria L. McCain of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “This settlement sends a strong message that sexual harassment in housing is illegal and that those who violate the Fair Housing Act will be held accountable. HUD applauds today’s action and remains committed to working with DOJ to enforce our nation’s fair housing laws.”

In addition, the consent order requires the defendant to retain an independent property manager to manage his rental properties for the duration of the order, obtain fair housing training and implement non-discrimination policies and complaint procedures to prevent sexual harassment at his properties in the future.

The lawsuit, filed in September 2022, alleged that the defendant subjected multiple female tenants to harassment that included making unwelcome sexual advances, offering to reduce rent or security deposits in exchange for engaging in sex acts, requesting sexually explicit photos, staring at female tenants’ bodies in a sexual way, subjecting female tenants to unwelcome sexual touching, and visiting and entering female tenants’ homes for no legitimate purpose.

The matter was referred to the Justice Department after HUD received two separate complaints alleging that the defendant had violated the Fair Housing Act. The complainants – a former female tenant and the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing Opportunity Council, a non-profit organization that helped the tenant file a complaint with HUD and engaged in outreach and education efforts following defendant’s harassment of the tenant – chose to have the matter decided in federal court after HUD investigated their complaints and issued a charge of discrimination. Upon receiving the referral the Justice Department investigated further and identified additional female tenants whom the defendant sexually harassed.

The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 31 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $10.8 million for victims of such harassment.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting people from sexual misconduct. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online. Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.

Topic(s): Civil RightsFair HousingComponent(s): Civil Rights DivisionCivil Rights – Housing and Civil Enforcement SectionPress Release Number: 23-576

Updated May 18, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Readout of Justice Department Leadership’s Meeting with Civil Rights Groups to Discuss Key Issues

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division met with civil rights organizations yesterday at the Justice Department.

Department leadership heard from attending organizations on an array of topics including hate crimes and reporting, educational equity, voting rights, implementation of Executive Order 14074 on policing and criminal justice issues, and reproductive rights.

Some of the Department’s recent work on critical issues includes publishing a Dear Colleague letter on the imposition and enforcement of fines and fees on adults and youth by state and local courts and juvenile justice agencies and the release of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the safety of our communities while advancing thoughtful, evidence-informed initiatives and reforms throughout the criminal justice system, as put forth in the Department's Strategic Plan.

The meeting comes in advance of the three-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd and the one-year anniversary of the May 2022 Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing, and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety.

Department leadership pledged to continue robust civil rights enforcement in line with the Attorney General’s commitment to a department-wide approach to civil rights and to thoughtfully engaging communities on the issues that impact them.

Topic(s): Civil RightsComponent(s): Civil Rights DivisionOffice of the Associate Attorney GeneralOffice of the Attorney GeneralOffice of the Deputy Attorney GeneralPress Release Number: 23-757

Updated May 18, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Judge Imposes Eight Consecutive Life Sentences Plus 260 Years in Prison for ISIS-Inspired 2017 Murder of Eight Victims and Attempted Murder of 18 Others in NYC Truck Attack

Sayfullo Saipov, 34, of Uzbekistan, was sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences, two concurrent life sentences, and a consecutive sentence of 260 years in prison for carrying out a terrorist attack on Oct. 31, 2017, in the name of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), in which Saipov used a truck to murder eight victims and injure many more on a bike path in lower Manhattan.

On Jan. 26, a jury convicted Saipov of all 28 counts in the indictment, which charged Saipov with murder for the purpose of gaining entrance to a racketeering enterprise (ISIS); assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder for the purpose of gaining entrance to a racketeering enterprise (ISIS); providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ISIS) resulting in death; and damage and destruction to a motor vehicle resulting in death. On March 13, 2023, the same jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on whether Saipov should be sentenced to death, resulting in a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

“Today’s sentence means that Sayfullo Saipov will spend the rest of his life in federal prison for brutally murdering eight innocent victims during his carefully calculated ISIS terrorist attack,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department of Justice honors the victims, their families, and the survivors of this horrific attack. We will continue to vigorously defend the American people from threats of terrorism and will work tirelessly to bring those who perpetrate terrorist attacks to justice.”

“Although it has been more than five years since Sayfullo Saipov carried out this horrific, senseless attack in the name of ISIS, the FBI never relented in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their loved ones,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “This case demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who commit acts of violence inspired by terrorist groups.”

“In March 2023, a jury determined that Sayfullo Saipov would spend the rest of his life in prison for his heinous crimes. Today, the court issued the maximum possible penalty on each count of conviction and ordered that eight of Saipov’s life sentences along with 260 years in prison will run consecutively to the other sentences imposed,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “These eight life sentences account for the eight lives Saipov stole when he committed his vicious ISIS attack. The 260 years in prison constitutes the maximum penalty for the 18 attempted murders Saipov cruelly committed, which included the attempted murders of four children. More than just holding Saipov accountable for his depraved crimes, the proceedings today gave further voice to the victims. More than 20 victims and family members addressed the Court and confronted Saipov. They bravely and boldly shared their pain and devastation. While we cannot make these victims whole after what Saipov stole from them, this office along with our partners in the Department of Justice and the FBI are proud to have served the victims and sought justice on their behalf.”

As set forth in public documents in the case and statements made during court proceedings:

On Halloween afternoon in 2017, Saipov used a 6,000-pound truck to strike more than 20 innocent people on the Hudson River Bike Path in lower Manhattan. Saipov killed eight of his victims and critically injured many others, including a 14-year-old child. Saipov’s surviving victims suffered amputations, serious brain injuries, life-altering physical injuries, and significant psychological trauma. Saipov committed his attack after years of devotion to the brutal terrorist organization ISIS and after months of careful planning. In the weeks before his attack, for example, Saipov rented a truck to practice maneuvering it so that he could hit as many people as possible. Saipov brought a note to the attack with the ISIS flag and rallying cry written on it. After his attack, while in custody at a hospital, Saipov told the FBI that he committed the attack in response to calls from the leader of ISIS and that he was proud of what he had done. Saipov smiled when describing his attack and sought to hang the ISIS flag in his hospital room.

After the attack, ISIS praised Saipov as an Islamic State soldier and called his attack one of the most prominent attacks in the United States. In the years since his attack, Saipov continued to demonstrate his devotion to ISIS, including though statements in court, recorded telephone calls, and writings seized from his prison cell. In prison, Saipov also made statements confirming his continued belief that enemies of ISIS should be eliminated and threatening to cut the heads off of corrections officers. At the liability and sentencing phases of trial, many of Saipov’s victims and their family members bravely described the terror he caused and the pain and suffering they continue to endure.

While the jury determined that Saipov would be sentenced to life in prison on six counts of conviction, Judge Broderick sentenced Saipov to the statutory maximum penalty on each count of conviction and ordered that Saipov’s sentences on the counts of conviction charging him with murder and attempted murder of particular victims would run consecutively to all other sentences imposed. In total, Saipov was sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences, 260 years in prison to run consecutively, and two additional life sentences to run concurrently to each other and to all other sentences imposed. The judge will issue an order concerning restitution to victims at a later date.

More than 20 victims and family members delivered emotional and powerful victim impact statements at Saipov’s sentencing.

The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies investigated the case. The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section and Organized Crime and Gang Section provided valuable assistance, as did the Justice Department’s Office of Enforcement Operations and Office of International Affairs.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda L. Houle, Jason A. Richman, Alexander Li, and Andrew Dember for the Southern District of New York, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Daniel Sitko, and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Trial Attorney Michael Warbel of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section prosecuted the case.

Topic(s): CounterterrorismComponent(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)National Security Division (NSD)Office of the Attorney GeneralUSAO – New York, SouthernPress Release Number: 23-574

Updated May 17, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Gangster Disciple Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Firebombing and Drug Distribution

All 12 Charged Gang Members Have Pleaded Guilty

A member of the Gangster Disciples gang pleaded guilty today to a racketeering conspiracy involving his firebombing of a prison guard’s house and the distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

Today’s plea marks the 12th and final conviction in the Northern District of Mississippi case against five members of the Gangster Disciples and seven members of the Simon City Royals, a gang aligned with the Gangster Disciples.

According to court documents, Darrell Steele, 49, of Meridian, Mississippi, was a member of the Gangster Disciples. Acting on the orders of high-ranking Gangster Disciples leaders, Steele and other gang members manufactured firebombs to bomb the home of a prison guard who was interfering with the gang’s illegal drug operation within Mississippi state prisons. On or about Sept. 11, 2019, Steele threw a firebomb into the home where the guard lived with his wife and young children. The firebomb malfunctioned, and the guard and his family escaped unharmed.

Steele pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 16 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The other 11 defendants in the case have already been sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment:

In a related case, the Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi are currently prosecuting another 21 members and associates of the Simon City Royals. According to court documents, the Gangster Disciples and Simon City Royals were allied under the “Folk Nation Alliance.” Within the Mississippi state prison system and throughout the state of Mississippi, the Gangster Disciples and Simon City Royals worked together to conduct fraud, narcotics trafficking, and other criminal moneymaking schemes, and committed several acts of violence, including assaults and attempted murders.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the ATF New Orleans Field Division made the announcement.

The ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, FBI Jackson Field Office, Mississippi Department of Corrections, and local law enforcement agencies across multiple states are investigating the cases.

Trial Attorney Brendan Woods of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Stringfellow for the Northern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.

Topic(s): Violent CrimeComponent(s): Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)Criminal DivisionCriminal – Organized Crime and Gang SectionDrug Enforcement Administration (DEA)Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)USAO – Mississippi, NorthernU.S. Marshals ServicePress Release Number: 23-573

Updated May 17, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Justice Department Leadership Honors Service and Sacrifice of Nation’s Law Enforcement for Police Week

In recognition of National Police Week, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta joined law enforcement partners to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to our nation.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which May 15 falls as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week is a collaborative effort of many organizations dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of America’s law enforcement community. This year, memorial events ran May 9 – 20.

Today, Attorney General Garland delivered remarks at the 2021-2022 Medal of Valor ceremony hosted by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., at the White House. The Medal of Valor is awarded to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect others from harm. The Deputy and Associate Attorneys General also attended the ceremony.

In his remarks, Attorney General Garland said, “Every day, in communities across the country, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency services officers are asked to respond to our most difficult moments. And every day, without hesitation, you answer that call. You are on the frontlines of our nation’s most pressing public safety challenges. And you are the Justice Department’s indispensable partners in our shared work to keep communities safe. From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of the entire Justice Department – thank you.”

Earlier this week, Attorney General Garland delivered the keynote address at the Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, sponsored by the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police and the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary, on the west front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., honoring the officers who recently made the ultimate sacrifice and paying tribute to all the fallen. Deputy Attorney General Monaco and Associate Attorney General Gupta attended the service.

Last week, Attorney General Garland, Deputy Attorney General Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Gupta visited the National Law Enforcement Memorial and laid a wreath in honor of the men and women who have died in the line of duty. To recognize not only Justice Department employees who died in the line of duty but also their surviving family members and friends, Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Monaco attended memorial services for the Justice Department’s four law enforcement components: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Deputy Attorney General Monaco also delivered remarks at a memorial service to honor fallen federal correctional officers from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), during National Correctional Officers Week, which ran May 7 – May 13.

The Department’s leadership also convened a gathering of 10 law enforcement associations with whom they regularly meet, the four heads of the Justice Department’s law enforcement components, and representatives from other federal agencies to discuss the implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, recruitment and retention of law enforcement, improving access to behavioral health services, and responding to people in crisis. Joined virtually by Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona and in-person by the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Andrea Palm, the discussion focused on whole of government approach federal agencies are taking to combat gun violence and violent crime.

Over the weekend, Attorney General Garland attended the annual candlelight vigil honoring the officers who lost their lives in 2022. Attorney General Garland and other high-ranking government officials, along with officials from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, read the names of the fallen.

According to the FBI’s recent release of statistics, 118 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2022. So far in 2023, 22 law enforcement officers have lost their lives in the line of duty.

A full list of the events attended on behalf of the Department include:

• National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Wreath Laying

• FBI Memorial Service

• ATF Memorial Service

• DEA Memorial Service

• USMS Memorial Service

• BOP Memorial Service

• Law Enforcement Quarterly Meeting and Reception with partners

• National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 35th Annual Candlelight Vigil

• National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service

• Medal of Valor Awards Ceremony

Component(s): Office of the Associate Attorney GeneralOffice of the Attorney GeneralOffice of the Deputy Attorney GeneralPress Release Number: 23-572

Updated May 17, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Readout of Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta’s Meeting with Members of European Parliament to Discuss Women’s Rights

Today, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta participated in a meeting with a delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), alongside attendees from the White House Gender Policy Council and the U.S. Department of State. The convening, which featured representatives from Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany and Spain, was hosted by the State Department.

During the discussion, the Associate Attorney General highlighted how the Justice Department has collaborated with its federal partners to protect reproductive rights and counter gender-based violence. The group discussed how, under Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, the Justice Department established the Reproductive Rights Task Force, chaired by Associate Attorney General Gupta, as a whole-of-department effort to safeguard federal protections of reproductive rights in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

Today’s meeting takes place during National Women’s Health Week, which is observed May 14 – 20, and continues the department’s engagement with our international allies on gender-related issues. In early March, the Associate Attorney General hosted a delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). Moving forward, the department remains committed to working closely with our international allies to safeguard and strengthen the rights of all women.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta (right) with Director Margaret Pollack of the Office for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration’s Office of Multilateral and External Coordination at the U.S. State Department (far left); Senior Advisor Varina Winder for the U.S. State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues (left center); and Director Jennifer Klein of the White House Gender Policy Council (right center) as they discuss relevant issues with members of the European Parliament.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta speaks with representatives from the European Parliament, U.S. Department of State and White House Gender Policy Council.

Topic(s): Civil RightsComponent(s): Office of the Associate Attorney GeneralPress Release Number: 23-571

Updated May 17, 2023Original Article

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Good afternoon. I am joined by Philip R. Sellinger, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. We are here today to announce that the Department of Justice and Cumberland County, New Jersey, have agreed to a consent decree that outlines remedies to resolve our investigation of the Cumberland County Jail in Bridgeton.

The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office opened a pattern or practice investigation of the Cumberland County Jail, under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. We launched the investigation after a spate of six tragic suicides by incarcerated persons who had used opioids prior to their admission to the jail but who were denied medication-assisted treatment (MAT) when they came to the facility. Medication-assisted treatment is the use of medications, in combination with behavioral therapy and counseling, to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). It is an effective, evidence-based treatment that has become a best practice in prisons and jails across the country.

After a thorough investigation, the Justice Department issued a findings report in 2021 concluding that there was reasonable cause to believe that Cumberland County’s failure to provide MAT to incarcerated people with opioid use disorder, together with its failure to provide adequate mental health and suicide prevention measures, was a pattern or practice that violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. Failure to provide such treatment forces incarcerated people with opioid use disorder to suffer painful symptoms of withdrawal; discourages participation in other types of treatment; and increases mortality after discharge. MAT is not merely safe for use in prisons and jails – it is associated with a decline in illicit drug use and a reduction in disciplinary problems.

Since the release of our findings report, we have been engaged in discussions with Cumberland County about the remedies necessary to address these findings. The proposed consent decree is the product of those discussions. The consent decree resolves the department’s claims by ensuring that Cumberland County provides MAT, where clinically appropriate, to incarcerated people experiencing unmedicated opiate withdrawal, and that the County offers adequate mental health care and suicide prevention measures to those at risk of self-harm. The agreement requires the screening and assessment of opioid withdrawal and suicide risk, provision of MAT and mental health care under individualized treatment plans, and adequate supervision and suicide prevention methods.

The agreement stands as a model for other facilities across the county that are confronting high numbers of people with OUD. The agreement calls for an independent monitor, which the parties will jointly select and propose to the court. The independent monitor will assess compliance with the consent decree and issue public reports every six months.

Nearly two million people currently are confined in our nation’s prisons and jails. There are simply too many people incarcerated today who have mental illness and substance use disorders. The Civil Rights Division has long fought to protect the right of incarcerated people to receive treatment for their serious medical and mental health needs. Our work protects some of the most vulnerable people in society, who do not leave their rights at the jailhouse door. Our investigations have been successful at identifying not only systemic constitutional violations, but also the root causes of such violations – so that the causes can be fixed and the violations remedied.

This consent decree follows our work in Virginia, where we are enforcing an agreement that ensures medical and mental health care and appropriate housing for people with serious mental illness incarcerated at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail. In Massachusetts, our agreement with the State Department of Correction ensures that people experiencing mental health crisis are not simply locked away in restrictive housing, but instead receive the services they need.

The Cumberland County Jail consent decree also marks a significant milestone in furtherance of the division’s commitment to protect the civil rights of people with opioid use disorders. The Civil Rights Division, together with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country, have prioritized efforts to combat discrimination against people with opioid use disorders under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The law is clear – people receiving treatment for opioid use disorders are generally considered to have a disability under the ADA. Cutting off treatment for such a disability may constitute discrimination against these individuals in violation of the ADA. Jails and prisons cannot have policies prohibiting the continuation of medications that individuals have already been prescribed to treat opioid use disorder. For example, the Civil Rights Division has worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts in a number of ADA enforcement matters that includes the Worchester County Jail, a review that resulted in the first agreement between the Department of Justice and a correctional facility regarding MAT in the entire country. The department also has enforced the ADA’s requirement to provide MAT to incarcerated people in matters in Rhode Island (Wyatt Detention Facility) and Kentucky (Fayette County Detention Center).

The Constitution safeguards the inherent dignity and recognizes the intrinsic worth of every human being. Individuals do not lose that protection in jails. All people are entitled to receive adequate medical and mental health care, and that includes those in jails and prisons. To be adequate, this care must include access to life-saving medications, treatment for opioid use disorder and protection from the risk of self-harm and suicide.

We recognize Cumberland County for working collaboratively with the Justice Department to ensure that the constitutional rights of people detained at the Cumberland County Jail are protected.

I will now turn it over to Philip R. Sellinger, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, who will discuss the specific details about the agreement for his remarks.

Speaker: Assistant Attorney General Kristen ClarkeTopic(s): Civil RightsComponent(s): Civil Rights Division

Updated May 17, 2023Original Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Federal Court Permanently Shuts Down New York Tax Preparer

A federal court in the Eastern District of New York has permanently enjoined a tax return preparer and her Brooklyn-based business from preparing federal tax returns for others and from owning, operating, or working for any tax return preparation business in the future.

The civil complaint filed in the case alleged that Melida Portorreal, through her tax return preparation company, International Travel Multi & Tax Corp., prepared fraudulent federal income tax returns for others. According to the complaint, Portorreal prepared and filed fraudulent federal tax returns for others that included the following schemes:

• reporting false filing statuses, including, in at least one instance, using one customer’s name and social security number to qualify another customer for Head of Household filing status without either customer’s knowledge or consent;
• fabricating erroneous itemized deductions to reduce taxable income, including false student loan interest deductions, false educator expense deductions, and false employee business expense deductions;
• fabricating business expenses; and
• claiming non-deductible expenses on customers’ tax returns in order to obtain entitlement to the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit.

The complaint alleges the IRS estimated that Portorreal filed returns due for the 2018, 2019, and 2020 tax years that caused losses to the United States exceeding $1 million in each year.

According to the court’s order, Portorreal and her company consented to entry of the injunction, which permits the United States to conduct post-judgment discovery to monitor compliance with the injunction. The order requires that they (1) send notice of the injunction to each person for whom Portorreal and her company prepared federal tax returns, amended tax returns, or claims for refund from February 25, 2021 through May 31 2022, and (2) post an electronic copy of the injunction on any business social media profile currently maintained or created over the next five years.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

Shady tax return preparers remain a concern of the IRS, which recently warned taxpayers about unscrupulous tax return preparers are part of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen series. Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.

In the past decade, the Department of Justice Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

Topic(s): TaxComponent(s): Tax DivisionUSAO – New York, EasternPress Release Number: 23-569

Updated May 17, 2023Original Article