| 7de7ff91-2cfd-4b45-8ee7-f49ba633237b | https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/sex-trafficker-teen-girls-sentenced-over-12-years-prison | Human Trafficking; Project Safe Childhood | USAO - California, Eastern | 1440011447 | 1448919244 | 1439870400.0 | | Sex Trafficker of Teen Girls Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison | <p>FRESNO, Calif. — Michael Anthony Andrade, 34, of Fresno, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii to 12 years and seven months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Andrade’s co-defendant Javier Solis is scheduled to be sentenced August 24, 2015.</p>
<p>According to court documents, Andrade and Solis forced two girls, ages 15 and 17, to perform sex acts for money first in Fresno and then in San Luis Obispo. In addition, the 15‑year-old girl was taken to a tattoo parlor in Fresno where the defendants’ nicknames were tattooed on her, one name on each shoulder. </p>
<p>Court documents further reflect the 17-year-old, a runaway, spoke with Fresno Police officers on October 24, 2013, after her mother brought her home from San Luis Obispo. While being interviewed, she told officers about the 15-year-old who was still in San Luis Obispo under the control of the defendants as well as the motel where she was staying. In response, the San Luis Obispo Police Department was contacted, and officers were able to successfully remove her from that location.</p>
<p>“Collaboration, such as occurred here between federal, state, and local agencies, is the key to stopping human trafficking networks. We are pleased with the guilty pleas and the message that this tough sentence sends to anyone involved in sex trafficking of minors. We will continue to be vigilant to seek out and take down the perpetrators of human trafficking by using the collaboration of our anti-human trafficking task force,” stated Dan Dow, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney.</p>
<p>This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fresno Police Department, the San Luis Obispo Police Department and the San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Frye and Mia Giacomazzi are prosecuting the case.</p>
<p>This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit <strong><em>www.usdoj.gov/psc</em></strong>. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.</p> | True | False |
| 3f9624dd-a811-45b2-ac5d-aa4379444282 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/chicago-man-charged-sex-trafficking-16-year-old-girl-who-was-allegedly-murdered | Human Trafficking | USAO - Illinois, Northern | 1498072153 | 1498073417 | 1498017600.0 | Joseph Hazley, 33, of Chicago, is charged with sex trafficking for allegedly arranging a Christmas Eve sex encounter for a 16-year-old girl that ended in the child’s murder. | Chicago Man Charged with the Sex Trafficking of a 16-Year-Old Girl Who Was Allegedly Murdered by a Customer | <p><span><span><span><span><span>CHICAGO — A Chicago man was arrested today on a federal sex trafficking charge for allegedly arranging a commercial sex encounter for a 16-year-old girl that ended in the child’s murder in a south suburban garage on Christmas Eve.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span>JOSEPH HAZLEY, 33, </span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span><span>posted the girl’s information in commercial sex advertisements on Backpage.com, and arranged multiple meetings in December 2016 for her to engage in prostitution, </span></span></span><span><span><span>according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago</span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span><span>. Hazley drove the girl to several meetings in the Chicago area</span></span></span><span><span><span>, including an encounter in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve in a garage in south suburban Markham</span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span><span>, the complaint states. During this encounter, the customer allegedly murdered the girl.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span lang="EN"><span><span>Hazley was arrested this morning at his home in Chicago. </span></span></span><span><span><span>The complaint charges </span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span><span>him with one count of sex trafficking. The charge is punishable by a minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span lang="EN"><span><span>Hazley made an initial court appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel G. Martin in Chicago. Judge Martin ordered Hazley to remain in federal custody until a detention hearing on June 23, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. </span></span></span> </span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span>The complaint was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; </span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span><span>Michael J. Anderson, </span></span></span><span><span><span>Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart; and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson. Substantial assistance was provided by the Markham Police Department and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span>The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher V. Parente</span></span></span><span><span><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span lang="EN"><span><span>According to the complaint, the customer responded to Hazley’s Backpage.com posting to arrange the Christmas Eve meeting with the minor. Hazley drove the girl to Markham and waited in his car a few yards from the garage while she met with the customer, the complaint states. During the encounter in the garage, the customer allegedly murdered the girl, the complaint states. </span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span lang="EN"><span><span>The customer was subsequently arrested by the Chicago Police Department and charged with murder in Cook County Criminal Court.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span>The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN"><span>If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.</span></span></p> | True | False |
| 781b7c35-7d97-4e74-82f2-5327f70b1f41 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-gu/pr/us-attorney-alicia-ag-limtiaco-keynote-speaker-uog-s-human-trafficking-forum | | USAO - Guam & Northern Mariana Islands | 1420673515 | 1420673515 | 1371182400.0 | | U.S. Attorney Alicia A.G. Limtiaco Keynote Speaker At UOG’s Human Trafficking Forum | <div id="content"> <div class="contentSub"> <div></div> <div> <div class="clear"> <p>HAGATNA, GU -- United States Attorney ALICIA A.G. LIMTIACO, U.S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT THE University of Guam’s (UOG) “It’s Happening: Human Trafficking Forum with a Special Emphasis on Sex Trafficking on Guam and Micronesia,” held on May 10, 2013, at the UOG Class Lecture Hall. The Forum was organized by UOG’s School of Business & Public Administration Government Public Information Spring ’13 class. U.S. Attorney Limtiaco’s presentation included information about the Pacific Regional Response to Combat Human Trafficking initiative.</p> <p> The U.S. Attorney’s Office (“USAO”) for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (“NMI”) continues to work collaboratively with the National District Attorney’s Association; U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Federal Ombudsman Office; and U.S. Department of State, Monitoring of Trafficking in Persons Office, on a Pacific Regional Response to Combat Human Trafficking.</p> <p> The Pacific Regional Response to Combat Human Trafficking initiative employs a multidisciplinary model, including participation, coordination, and collaboration among law enforcement; prosecution; victim service providers; social services; medical, mental and public health professionals; faith based organizations; educational institutions; Consulates; and other community stakeholders. The response calls for the establishment and provision of victim services, investigation and prosecution of human trafficking, training opportunities, community outreach/ public awareness and prevention programs, and creation of human trafficking task forces and coalitions in the Pacific region island communities. The response provides training in human trafficking, including victimization, investigation and prosecution, prevention efforts, and other related topics. The critical training is provided to various groups in our Pacific region island communities, to law enforcement; prosecution; victim service providers; social services; medical, mental and public health professionals; faith based organizations; educational institutions; Consulates; and other community stakeholders.</p> <p> The objective of the Forum was to promote awareness to the sensitive issue of Human Trafficking with a focus on Sex Trafficking with Micronesia. Key leaders were invited to convey their current and future actions in regards to Human Trafficking. The Form was in correlation and support of Law Week 2013 and the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.</p> <p> The Human Trafficking Forum included presentations from other community leaders in law enforcement, the Judiciary and non-governmental organizations and support groups. Attached are photos taken at the event.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> | False | True |
| 5d563b03-de70-4ff4-9216-313f71f03452 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/georgia-man-pleads-guilty-sex-trafficking-multiple-teen-girls-and-running-child | | USAO - Virginia, Eastern | 1426730194 | 1426730194 | 1362974400.0 | | Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Sex Trafficking Multiple Teen Girls And Running A Child Exploitation Enterprise | <div id="content"> <div class="contentSub"> <div></div> <div> <p>ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Edwin Barcus Jr., aka “Boo,” 27, of Georgia, pleaded guilty to running a commercial sex business that prostituted at least seven juvenile girls in Herndon, Va., and other locations throughout Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.</p> <p> Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, II; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Lt. Colonel James A. Morris, Acting Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.</p> <p> Barcus pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise and faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced on June 7, 2013.</p> <p> “Edwin Barcus made his living exploiting vulnerable young girls and luring them into prostitution,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Barcus saw these girls as his property – even making them get tattoos with his nickname. Thanks to the FBI, Fairfax County Police Department and the members of our Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force, his operation is shut down and can no longer victimize these girls.” </p> <p> “Recruiting, exploiting and transporting juveniles for the purpose of underage prostitution is a cruel form of modern-day slavery,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Prostitution is not a victimless crime. The FBI is committed to apprehending individuals who sexually exploit juveniles, and we will continue to work to identify these predators and their victims.”</p> <p> According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, since August 2007, Barcus has led and organized a commercial sex organization that has prostituted at least 23 women, including at least four of whom were 16 years old and at least three were 17 years old when Barcus began prostituting them. He targeted juveniles who had run away from home or lived in a broken home, sometimes making them believe that he or other members of the organization were romantically interested in them. Barcus also stated that he purchased clothing and shoes for girls he wanted to recruit as a means of luring them into the venture.</p> <p> Barcus admitted that he used Backpage.com and other erotic internet sites to advertise the girls’ services and to recruit girls to work for his organization. When the girls found it difficult to repeatedly have sex with strange men, Barcus and others provided them with alcohol and narcotics to make them more vulnerable and susceptible to prostitution.</p> <p> Barcus and other conspirators carried and, when necessary, brandished firearms while engaging in prostitution-related activities, and Barcus battered at least three of the females working for his commercial sex enterprise. At times, Barcus had the women and girls he prostituted tattooed with his nickname: “Boo.”</p> <p> In November 2012, Barcus was prostituting at least one juvenile in Herndon, Va., while another member of his organization was prostituting other females in Atlanta, Ga. Because the venture was yielding substantial profits in Herndon, Barcus instructed the conspirator to bring two 17-year-old girls to Herndon. When one of the girls objected, she was told that “under the rules of the game” she had to go to Virginia. Barcus admitted that each girl servicing clients in Herndon could obtain $500 or more per day. All of the money was turned over to Barcus or other members of the enterprise. </p> <p>This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Fairfax County Police Department, with assistance from the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Frank and Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.</p> <p>Founded in 2004, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies – along with nongovernmental organizations – dedicated to combating human trafficking and related crimes. </p> A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at <a href="http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae">http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae</a>. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at <a href="http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/">http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov</a> or on <a href="https://pcl.uscourts.gov">https://pcl.uscourts.gov</a>. </div> </div> </div> | False | True |
| d2e071cb-d0b7-40d7-9390-de3baf7fffaf | https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/coatesville-pa-man-sentenced-10-years-prison-sex-trafficking-minor | Human Trafficking | USAO - Pennsylvania, Western | 1436910899 | 1450462245 | 1420693200.0 | | Coatesville, Pa., Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Sex Trafficking A Minor | <div id="content">
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<p>PITTSBURGH - A Chester County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction of sex trafficking of a child, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.</p>
<p>Senior United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Rasul Abernathy, 33, formerly of Coatesville, Pa.</p>
<p>According to information presented to the court, in and around December of 2012, to in and around March 2013, Abernathy knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided and obtained a minor, John Doe, to engage in a commercial sex acts.</p>
<p>Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.</p>
<p>U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County Police Department and the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Abernathy.</p>
<p>This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit <a href="http://www.justice.gov/psc">www.justice.gov/psc</a>.</p>
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| c22312b3-6aab-44fd-b7ad-43e07900ae25 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/dallas-man-faces-10-years-federal-prison-transporting-woman-oklahoma-texas-engage | Human Trafficking | USAO - Texas, Northern | 1435025455 | 1450460377 | 1425358800.0 | | Dallas Man Faces Up To 10 Years In Federal Prison For Transporting Woman From Oklahoma To Texas To Engage In Prostitution | <div id="content">
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<p><strong>DALLAS</strong> — Justin Dishon Brathwaite, 27, of Dallas, Texas, appeared in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver and pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of individuals to engage in prostitution, announced John Parker, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.</p>
<p>Brathwaite, who remains on bond, faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for June 17, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn.</p>
<p>According to documents filed in the case, in early May 2012, Brathwaite called 19-year-old “Jane Doe,” after seeing her on Backpage.com in Oklahoma City. Jane Doe and Brathwaite spoke on the phone for about two weeks, and Brathwaite invited her to come to Dallas to live with him. He promised to take care of her if she moved to Dallas to be with him and told her she should stop engaging in commercial sex acts. Jane Doe agreed to the move.</p>
<p>On May 12, 2012, Brathwaite drove from Dallas to Oklahoma City, picked up Jane Doe and returned to Dallas. Once they arrived in Dallas, Brathwaite told her she needed to begin immediately to make money for him, or he would drop her off somewhere and leave her. Jane Doe eventually agreed to work at a strip club and engage in commercial sex acts. Brathwaite posted ads featuring her on Backpage.com, and he made Jane Doe give him all of the proceeds from her commercial sex acts. Brathwaite took Jane Doe to various cities in Texas, including Denton, Killeen, Houston and Austin.</p>
<p>On June 12, 2012, the Dallas Police Department’s vice unit encountered Jane Doe in a hotel room in Dallas and arrested her for prostitution. The investigation led to Brathwaite’s involvement in her commercial sex acts.</p>
<p>The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cara Foos Pierce is prosecuting.</p>
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| 5d2d767d-6266-4b67-8db9-116dcea3a736 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/human-trafficker-gets-life-prison | | USAO - Florida, Northern | 1422312748 | 1422312748 | 1413432000.0 | | Human Trafficker Gets Life In Prison | <div id="content"> <div class="contentSub"> <div></div> <div> <div align="center"> </div> <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFLNews" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-lang="en">Follow @NDFLNews</a>
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<p><strong>PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA </strong>–Jacobo Feliciano-Francisco, a/k/a “Kiko”, age 32, was sentenced in United States District Court yesterday to spend the remainder of his life in prison after he was convicted of kidnapping, retaliating against a witness, conspiracy, and transportation and of an individual in interstate commerce for prostitution. The sentence was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.</p> <p>The female victim in this case had previously cooperated with the FBI after being forced and coerced by others to work as a prostitute between 2009 and 2011. Due to that cooperation, a total of 13 individuals were convicted in Tennessee and Kentucky of various federal sex-trafficking and prostitution criminal charges. Following her cooperation with law enforcement, the victim and her family were relocated to Panama City Beach, Florida, out of concern for their safety.</p> <p>In retaliation for her cooperation as a prior Federal witness, Feliciano-Francisco and others tracked down her location, repeatedly threatened the physical safety of both her and her family, kidnapped her, and transported her to a brothel in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with the intent that she would be forced back into prostitution. During her kidnapping, Feliciano-Francisco not only verbally threatened and intimidated the victim, but he physically terrorized and humiliated her when he sexually assaulted her. After arriving in Hattiesburg, the victim escaped Feliciano-Francisco and led police back to the brothel where he was arrested.</p> <p>“Prosecuting human traffickers is a top priority for this U.S. Attorney’s office and the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Marsh. “Congress has given us strong laws to go after this heinous crime, which is often difficult to find and prove because traffickers enforce silence among their victims through coercion and violence, as happened in this case. Despite those threats, however, the victim showed tremendous bravery in coming forward to help bring this defendant to justice. We commend her for her courage and pledge to continue this important fight against this modern form of slavery.” </p> <p>This conviction results from an investigation by agents of the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hattiesburg Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katy Risinger.</p> </div> </div> </div> | False | True |
| ecdd7f8e-9c0f-429f-9050-0eb102017950 | https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/superseding-indictment-returned-charging-father-and-son-sex-trafficking-offenses | | Civil Rights Division; Civil Rights - Criminal Section | 1385054067 | 1440593892 | 1385010000.0 | A federal grand jury in Milwaukee has returned an 11-count superseding indictment adding David B. Moore, 45, as a defendant in the federal sex trafficking case involving his son, Najee Moore, 22. | Superseding Indictment Returned Charging Father and Son with Sex Trafficking Offenses | <p>A federal grand jury in Milwaukee has returned an 11-count superseding indictment adding David B. Moore, 45, as a defendant in the federal sex trafficking case involving his son, Najee Moore, 22. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Both men are charged with conspiracy to engage in the sex trafficking and forced labor of a minor and sex trafficking of a minor. David Moore is also charged with soliciting his son to engage in sex trafficking. Najee Moore is charged with an additional conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking and forced labor, two counts of sex trafficking of an adult, attempted sex trafficking of a minor, attempted forced labor, evidence tampering and attempted witness tampering. The previous indictment in the case, returned on June 18, 2013, charged only Najee Moore with sex trafficking, attempted forced labor and related offenses.</p>
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<p>According to the superseding indictment, between February 2008 and December 2009 David Moore and Najee Moore conspired to compel a minor to engage in prostitution and strip club dancing and caused that minor to engage in acts of prostitution. In July 2011, David Moore allegedly solicited his son to engage in further acts of sex trafficking. Between 2011 and 2013, Najee Moore allegedly engaged in the conduct charged in the remaining counts.</p>
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<p>Both Moores face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.</p>
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<p>An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. </p>
<p>The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Milwaukee Police Department, DHS Homeland Security Investigations and the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation. The case is being jointly prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karine Moreno-Taxman and Trial Attorney Daniel H.Weiss of the Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. </p> | False | True |
| 7901957e-b888-4491-850d-647e76e12cb6 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/eight-sentenced-interstate-human-trafficking-conspiracy | Human Trafficking | USAO - Florida, Northern | 1478121654 | 1478121822 | 1478059200.0 | PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Eight defendants, all of whom resided illegally in the United States, have been sentenced in an interstate human trafficking case. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. | Eight Sentenced in Interstate Human Trafficking Conspiracy | <p><strong>PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA</strong> – Eight defendants, all of whom resided illegally in the United States, have been sentenced in an interstate human trafficking case. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.</p>
<p>The defendants and sentences are:</p>
<ul><li>Edegardo Osorno Rodriguez, 38, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, 60 months in prison;</li>
<li>Mauro Gonzalez-Lira, 25, McComb, Mississippi, 60 months in prison;</li>
<li>Jose Juan Ruiz Prudencio, 41, Montgomery, Alabama, 48 months in prison;</li>
<li>Romon Tobon, 46, Starkville, Mississippi, 42 months in prison;</li>
<li>Antonio Flores-Esparza, 32, Pensacola, Florida, 24 months in prison;</li>
<li>Jose Alvaro Trujillo-Santiz, 46, Panama City Beach, Florida, 18 months in prison;</li>
<li>Emerson Corvera, 21, Montgomery, Alabama, 9 months in prison; and</li>
<li>Rosa Mirtha Cruz Vidal, 35, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, 8.5 months in prison.</li>
</ul><p>Between February and May 2016, seven defendants pled guilty to engaging in a conspiracy during 2014 and 2015, to transport, harbor, and market undocumented female immigrants for prostitution in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Thereafter, the defendants wired the prostitution proceeds outside the United States.</p>
<p>In addition to conspiracy, the following defendants also pled guilty to:</p>
<ul><li>Enticing individuals to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution
<p>(Rodriguez, Flores-Esparza, Gonzalez-Lira, and Prudencio);</p>
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<li>Transporting individuals in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution
<p>(Rodriguez, Flores-Esparza, Prudencio, Tobon, and Corvera); and</p>
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<li>Illegal entry by a deported alien (Tobon).</li>
</ul><p>In May 2016, Cruz Vidal pled guilty to fraud and misuse of a falsely made permanent resident alien card.</p>
<p>Upon completion of their sentences, each defendant will be turned over to the Department of Homeland Security for deportation. Cruz Vidal has already been deported from the United States. Lazaro Juarez-Juarez, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, who was also indicted in this case, has not been apprehended.</p>
<p>United States Attorney Canova stated, “Combatting human trafficking is a priority of the Department of Justice and my office, and the trafficking of women for commercial sex is a significant part of the human trafficking problem that our country faces. In this particular case, dozens of women were brought into the United States illegally and exploited by the defendants to engage in prostitution in several states for the defendants’ profit. This office will continue to partner with our federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and vigorously prosecute the trafficking of vulnerable victims for sex.”</p>
<p>“Human trafficking is a violation of its victims’ civil rights, and infringes upon the protected liberties guaranteed to all Americans,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville Division. “This type of illegal activity demonstrates a very real risk to our local communities, and stopping it remains one of the highest criminal investigative priorities for the FBI.”</p>
<p>“Human trafficking is an abomination, and this criminal organization has devastated the lives of so many women,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “These sentencings are the result of the hard work of our special agents and show the importance HSI places on investigating human trafficking crimes.”</p>
<p>This case resulted from a 15-month investigation into human trafficking activities in the Northern District of Florida by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz. It is a follow-up prosecution to a previous <a href="http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/human-trafficker-gets-life-prison"><u>kidnapping case</u></a> prosecuted in federal court in Panama City.</p>
<p>The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the <a href="https://ecf.flnd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl"><u>U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida</u></a> website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit <a href="http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html"><u>http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html</u></a>.</p>
<p>For more information, contact:<br />
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer<br />
(850) 216-3854, <a href="mailto:amy.alexander@usdoj.gov"><u>amy.alexander@usdoj.gov</u></a></p> | True | False |
| fd86a8c8-f35d-4b29-9405-a717a76372d0 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/doj-human-trafficking-grant-15-million-awarded-eastern-district-louisiana | Human Trafficking | USAO - Louisiana, Eastern | 1443210163 | 1443210268 | 1443153600.0 | | DOJ Human Trafficking Grant for $1.5 Million Awarded to the Eastern District of Louisiana | <div>
<p class="rtejustify">U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced today that, as part of more than $44 million in grant funding to combat human trafficking, the Justice Department awarded $1.5 million to the Eastern District of Louisiana to support law enforcement efforts and victim services for the next three years.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">The list of this year’s grantees include:</p>
<p class="rtejustify">Covenant House New Orleans $900,000</p>
<p class="rtejustify">Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office $600,000</p>
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<p class="rtejustify">“Human traffickers prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our society, and their crimes – which are nothing short of modern-day slavery – have no place in this country,” said Attorney General Lynch. “These grants – administered by the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the National Institute of Justice – will fund efforts across the country to fight human trafficking, to provide services for survivors and to expand research going forward.”</p>
<p class="rtejustify">“These grant awards will help continue our District’s fight against human trafficking,” stated U.S. Attorney Polite. “I congratulate Jim Kelly and Sheriff Newell Normand for their work in this area. They are among a group of community leaders who are dedicated to eliminating modern-day slavery here in Southeast Louisiana.”</p>
<p class="rtejustify">The grants are part of a government-wide effort to combat human trafficking and provide services to survivors, as outlined in <a href="http://www.ovc.gov/pubs/FederalHumanTraffickingStrategicPlan.pdf"><strong><em><u>Coordination, Collaboration, Capacity: Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States, 2013–2017</u></em></strong></a>, released by the White House in January 2014.</p>
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<p> </p>
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| 6a8dac84-07a5-4306-b4e4-fdbc5f72a196 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/dallas-man-pleads-guilty-child-sex-trafficking-offense | Human Trafficking | USAO - Texas, Northern | 1436307931 | 1448919704 | 1436241600.0 | | Dallas Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking Offense | <p><strong>DALLAS</strong> — A Dallas man who facilitated his 16-year-old girlfriend’s commercial sex acts appeared in federal court this morning and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney to one count of sex trafficking of children, announced John Parker, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.</p>
<p>Trenton McLemore, 29, faces a statutory maximum penalty of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. However, the parties agree if the Court accepts the plea agreement, the appropriate term of imprisonment in this case is 252 months (21 years) in federal prison. Sentencing is set for October 21,2015, before U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn.</p>
<p>According to documents filed in the case, McLemore met “Jane Doe” and her family when she was 11-years-old. In July 2013, when Jane Doe was 16-years-old, she ran away from home to be with McLemore, and the two began living in motels.</p>
<p>On August 1, 2013, McLemore began facilitating Jane Doe’s commercial sex acts in several ways. He asked friends and family to rent rooms for them at a Super 8 Motel and a Motel 6 in the Dallas area for her to use with commercial sex customers. McLemore also provided Jane Doe a cell phone for her to use to communicate with commercial sex customers. McLemore often used that phone to communicate with Jane Doe’s customers, sometimes posing as her and texting her customers to arrange “dates” and then leaving the motel room shortly before the customer arrived.</p>
<p>McLemore also took sexually explicit photos of Jane Doe that he distributed via text message to potential customers. Often, McLemore would stay near the motel room to act as Jane Doe’s bodyguard while she engaged in the commercial sex acts, and he would return to the room shortly after the customer left to collect the proceeds.</p>
<p>In mid-September 2013, a detective with the Irving Police Department conducting an operation to identify possible victims of human trafficking, found a commercial sex advertisement on Mocospace.com with photographs of a female who appeared to be underage. He contacted the number, and after exchanging several messages regarding a potential commercial sex act, they agreed to meet on September 19, 2013, in a specific room at a Super 8 Motel in Irving, Texas.</p>
<p>As McLemore left that room shortly before the “date,” he was seen texting at the same time the detective was receiving messages about the “date.” When the detective arrived and entered the motel room, Jane Doe agreed to engage in a commercial sex act with him. She was then placed in custody and law enforcement determined she was a 16-year-old runaway from Dallas.</p>
<p>McLemore had stayed nearby while that “date” occurred, and his personal items were later found inside that motel room. When law enforcement learned Jane Doe’s age, they arrested McLemore for compelling prostitution of a person under the age of 18 and human trafficking. He has been in custody since that time. </p>
<p>The Irving Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), both members of the North Texas Trafficking Taskforce, investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cara Foos Pierce is in charge of the prosecution.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"># # #</p> | True | False |
| 3821ce36-9dd1-4462-87fd-2c4a20e049e3 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/human-traffickign-rescue-project | | USAO - Missouri, Western | 1420674431 | 1421435018 | 1358312400.0 | | KC Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking, Producing Child Porn | <div id="content">
<div class="contentSub">
<h2 class="rtecenter">Human Trafficking Rescue Project</h2>
<div>
<div> </div>
<p>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Kansas City, Mo., announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to child sex trafficking and producing child pornography, which was discovered during an investigation into an extortion and blackmail scheme.</p>
<p>Corey M. McKinney, also known as “Chef FireFlame Corey,” 36, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays. McKinney’s plea came during the second day of his trial on the charges contained in an Aug. 30, 2011, federal indictment.</p>
<p>By pleading guilty today, McKinney admitted that he was sexually active on numerous occasions with the child victim since she was 14 years old, identified in court documents as “CV.” McKinney, who was the legal guardian of CV, admitted that he used computers and video equipment to record sexual activity between himself and CV. McKinney also admitted that he caused CV to engage in prostitution as part of an extortion and blackmail scheme.</p>
<p>On March 24, 2011, McKinney was hiding in the bedroom closet while CV was having sex with a man identified in court documents as “John Doe.” John Doe had just met CV, whom he believed to be 17 years old, on Facebook the day before. McKinney secretly recorded the sexual encounter on his cell phone and on a nearby computer.</p>
<p>John Doe returned to the apartment the next day to have sex again. McKinney burst into the room, asking John Doe if he knew how much trouble he could get into because his sister was only 16 years old. John Doe did not know that the girl was actually 16 years old, or that McKinney had recorded the earlier illicit encounter. He did not know that the 16-year-old girl was not actually McKinney’s sister, but rather was a former neighbor that McKinney himself – a 34-year-old man at the time, a few years older than John Doe – had been exploiting sexually.</p>
<p>After demanding $500 in exchange for not exposing John Doe to his family, friends, employer, or the authorities, McKinney made John Doe go with him to a nearby ATM to get some form of this payment. John Doe was only able to pay $100 at that time and McKinney demanded that he pay the balance in the next few days.</p>
<p>After this encounter, John Doe received a flurry of text messages from McKinney, who made threats and demanded money. McKinney claimed he sent the video file to a friend who worked at a local news agency. He also attempted to confront John Doe by arriving unannounced at his home. After numerous texts and an attempted in-face confrontation, John Doe approached the authorities and advised them of the extortion attempts. The text message threats from McKinney continued, and soon John Doe learned that McKinney was posting information about him and his wife on his Facebook page. Eventually, an exchange was arranged (through the direction of the Kansas City Police Department) to pay the remainder of the money in exchange for a USB drive with the video on it.</p>
<p>On April 7, 2011, McKinney was arrested at DeVry University in Kansas City, Mo. (where he was a student) after he exchanged a USB drive containing the video for money that he had been demanding from John Doe. Evidence uncovered during the investigation included various videos and images constituting child pornography with McKinney engaged in sexual activity with the same child victim. When investigators searched the minor’s cell phone, they found several sexually explicit photos of McKinney and the minor as well as sexually explicit photos of John Doe and the minor.</p>
<p>McKinney admitted that while he was incarcerated after his arrest he called the child victim dozens of times in repeated efforts to get her to recant her prior statements and testimony and persuade her to submit a statement on his behalf in the hopes of getting the charges against him dismissed.</p>
<p>Under federal statutes McKinney is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $500,000 and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.</p>
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Daly and Brian P. Casey. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.</div>
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</div> | False | True |
| efd2f67d-8944-4d0b-89b4-79822ff46f99 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/12-indicted-their-roles-alleged-sex-trafficking-and-prostitution-ring-operating-out | | USAO - Georgia, Southern | 1428533406 | 1428676139 | 1358398800.0 | | 12 Indicted For Their Roles In Alleged Sex Trafficking And Prostitution Ring Operating Out Of Savannah, Georgia | <p>“Operation Dark Night” results in the dismantling of an alleged multi-state sex trafficking and prostitution ring, and the rescuing of several women allegedly forced into prostitution</p>
<p><strong>SAVANNAH, GA</strong> – A federal indictment, unsealed today, has charged 12 defendants for their roles in an alleged sex trafficking and prostitution ring stretching from Georgia to Florida to North and South Carolina. The federal charges follow a lengthy investigation dubbed “Operation Dark Night,” which was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Yesterday, in addition to a number of arrests and searches, federal authorities rescued 11 women alleged to have been forced into prostitution.</p>
<p>United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “In what essentially amounts to slavery in the year 2013, the conduct described in the indictment against these defendants is reprehensible. Human trafficking is a cancer facing our society. This indictment confirms that the United States Attorney’s Office, HSI and other federal and state law enforcement agencies are taking an aggressive stand to stop the victimization of women involved in sex trafficking.”</p>
<p>“ICE investigates a wide array of crimes, but the trafficking of women and girls for prostitution is among the most sinister,” said ICE Director John Morton. “Few crimes so damage their victims and undermine basic human decency. Our fight against this evil must be relentless, both here and abroad.”</p>
<p>According to allegations in the Indictment, Joaquin Mendez-Hernandez, aka El Flaco, conspired with each of the defendants to transport people across interstate boundaries to engage in prostitution. In addition, Mendez-Hernandez allegedly conspired with at least three others to entice women from Mexico, Nicaragua and elsewhere to travel to the United States with false promises of the American dream. Once inside the United States, these women were allegedly threatened and forced to commit acts of prostitution at numerous locations in Savannah, Georgia and throughout the southeast. In one such instance identified in the indictment, Mendez-Hernandez is alleged to have told a Mexican woman that she would be sent back to her home country unless she serviced 25 clients a day.</p>
<p>A copy of the indictment is attached. Mr. Tarver stressed that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The Defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.</p>
<p>HSI provides relief to victims of human trafficking by allowing for their continued presence in the United States during criminal proceedings. Victims may also qualify for a T visa, which is issued to victims of human trafficking who have complied with reasonable requests for assistance in investigations and prosecutions. Anyone who suspects instances of human trafficking is encouraged to call the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Anonymous calls are welcome.</p>
<p>Operation Dark Night was led by HSI, with assistance from the FBI; the ATF; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); CBP Air and Marine Operations; IRS-Criminal Investigations; the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department; the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office; the Garden City Police Department; and, the Chatham County Counter Narcotics Team. Assistant United States Attorneys Tania D. Groover and E. Greg Gilluly, Jr. are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.</p>
<p> </p> | False | True |
| cddee374-734d-4346-b09c-0cc274e6a727 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-us-attorney-announces-arrest-indian-consular-officer-visa-fraud-and-false | | USAO - New York, Southern | 1431560649 | 1431966887 | 1386824400.0 | | Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest Of Indian Consular Officer For Visa Fraud And False Statements In Connection With Household Employee’s Visa Application | <p>Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, today announced the arrest of DEVYANI KHOBRAGADE on charges that KHOBRAGADE allegedly caused a materially false and fraudulent document to be presented, and materially false and fraudulent statements to be made, to the United States Department of State in support of a visa application for an Indian national employed as a babysitter and housekeeper at KHOBRAGADE’s home in New York, New York. KHOBRAGADE is currently employed as the Deputy Consul General for Political, Economic, Commercial and Women’s Affairs at the Consulate General of India in New York, New York.</p>
<p>Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Foreign nationals brought to the United States to serve as domestic workers are entitled to the same protections against exploitation as those afforded to United States citizens. The false statements and fraud alleged to have occurred here were designed to circumvent those protections so that a visa would issue for a domestic worker who was promised far less than a fair wage. This type of fraud on the United States and exploitation of an individual will not be tolerated.”</p>
<p>According to the allegations in the criminal complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:</p>
<p>Diplomats and consular officers may obtain A-3 visas for their personal employees, domestic workers, and servants if they meet the requirements set out in 9 Foreign Affairs Manual (“FAM”) 41.22. As part of the application process, an interview at the embassy or consulate is required. Proof is required that the applicant will receive a fair wage, sufficient to support himself financially, comparable to that being offered in the area of employment in the U.S. To apply for an A-3 visa, the visa applicant must submit an employment contract signed by both the employer and the employee which must include, among other things, a description of duties, hours of work, the hourly wage – which must be the greater of the minimum wage under U.S. federal and state law, or the prevailing wage – for all working hours, overtime work, and payment.</p>
<p>DEVYANI KHOBRAGADE prepared and electronically submitted an application for an A-3 visa (the “Visa Application”) through the website for the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Electronic Application Center for an Indian national (“Witness-1”), who was to be the personal employee of KHOBRAGADE beginning in November 2012 at an address in New York, New York. The Visa Application stated that Witness-1 was to be paid $4,500 per month in U.S. dollars. KHOBRAGADE and Witness-1 also signed an employment contract (the “First Employment Contract”) for Witness-1 to bring to Witness-1’s interview at the U.S. Embassy in India in connection with the Visa Application, which Witness-1 did at KHOBRAGADE’s direction. The First Employment Contract stated, among other things, that KHOBRAGADE would pay Witness-1 the prevailing or minimum wage, whichever is greater, resulting in an hourly salary of $9.75.</p>
<p>KHOBRAGADE knew that the First Employment Contract that KHOBRAGADE caused Witness-1 to submit to the U.S. State Department in connection with Witness-1’s Visa Application contained materially false and fraudulent statements about, among other things, Witness-1’s hourly wage and hours worked. Prior to the signing of the First Employment Contract, KHOBRAGADE and Witness-1 had agreed that KHOBRAGADE would pay 30,000 rupees per month, which at the time was equivalent to $573.07 U.S. At 40 hours per week, with approximately 4.3 weeks in a month, $573.07 equates to a rate of $3.31 per hour. However, KHOBRAGADE instructed Witness-1 to say that she would be paid $9.75 per hour, and not to say anything about being paid 30,000 rupees per month. KHOBRAGADE also instructed Witness-1 to say that Witness-1 would work 40 hours per week, and that Witness-1’s duty hours would be 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. She told Witness-1 that the First Employment Contract was a formality to get the visa.</p>
<p>After the First Employment Contract was submitted to the United States Department of State, KHOBRAGADE told Witness-1 that Witness-1 needed to sign another employment contract (the “Second Employment Contract”). KHOBRAGADE and Witness-1 signed the Second Employment Contract, which provided that Witness-1’s maximum salary per month including overtime allowance will not exceed 30,000 rupees per month. The Second Employment Contract does not contain any provision about the normal number of working hours per week or month.</p>
<p>Witness-1 worked for KHOBRAGADE as a household employee in New York, New York, from approximately November 2012 through approximately June 2013. Notwithstanding the terms of the First Employment Contract, Witness-1 worked far more than 40 hours per week, and Witness-1 was paid less than $9.75 per hour by KHOBRAGADE. In fact, notwithstanding the terms of the oral agreement between KHOBRAGADE and Witness-1 and the terms of the Second Employment Contract, Witness-1 was paid less than 30,000 rupees per month, or $3.31 per hour.</p>
<p>KHOBRAGADE, 39, was charged with one count of visa fraud and one count of making false statements, which carry maximum sentences of ten years and five years in prison, respectively. She is expected to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman.</p>
<p>Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara thanked the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit for playing an integral role in this investigation, and for providing ongoing support in this prosecution.</p>
<p>The Office’s Organized Crime Unit is handling the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Kramer and Kristy Greenberg are in charge of the prosecution.</p>
<p>The charges contained in the complaint are merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.</p>
<p><a class="attachment" href="http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/December13/KhobragadeArrestPR/Khobragade,%20Devyani%20Complaint.pdf"><u>U.S. v. Devyani Khobragade Complaint</u></a></p> | False | True |
| 1524db01-15a4-4542-9ca2-8785371ad0d9 | https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/previously-convicted-sex-offender-sentenced-25-years-sex-trafficking-minor-and-two-adults | | Civil Rights Division; Civil Rights - Criminal Section | 1387489896 | 1440537864 | 1387429200.0 | Terrance Anderson, aka Scooby, was sentenced to serve 25 years in a federal prison on charges of sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of transporting adults in interstate commerce for prostitution. | Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years for Sex Trafficking a Minor and Two Adults | <p>Terrance Anderson, aka Scooby, has been sentenced to federal prison on charges of sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of transporting adults in interstate commerce for prostitution. Anderson, 42, of Ellenwood, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash to serve 25 years in prison to be followed by seven years supervised release. Anderson was ordered to pay restitution to three victims totaling $154,500. Anderson pleaded guilty to the charges on July 19, 2013.</p>
<p> <br />
“This sentence makes clear that those who prey upon women and girls and coerce them into prostitution will be punished severely,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to devote its full efforts to investigating and prosecuting those who commit such heinous crimes.”</p>
<p> <br />
“This defendant chose to earn a living exploiting minors, even continuing to do so after previously serving a federal sentence for sex trafficking-related conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates of the Northern District of Georgia. “Our office will remain vigilant in our efforts to prosecute those who exploit children and young women in this district.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Today's sentencing removes a dangerous individual from our streets who has repeatedly shown a callous disregard for the basic human rights of others,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky Maxwell for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Atlanta Field Office. “Human trafficking and child exploitation cases such as this reaffirm the FBI's mission as we work to protect and help those that may not be able to help themselves."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>According to U.S. Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court, from February 2008 through December 2011, Anderson ran a prostitution ring in which he advertised the sexual services of a minor and young women on the internet, including K.B., T.B., A.C. and other victims. He advertised on sites such as Backpage, Craig’s List and Eros, as well as his own website, Rentsomethingsexy.com. Anderson caused K.B., a 17-year-old girl, to engage in commercial sex acts in multiple states, requiring her to earn $1,000 a day, work seven days-a-week and give all of her earnings to him. Anderson also transported 18-year-old T.B. and 24-year-old A.C. from Georgia to Virginia, where he required the young women to perform numerous commercial sex acts for his financial gain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anderson previously pleaded guilty in August 2001 to using a cell phone, which is a facility of interstate commerce, to cause a juvenile to engage in prostitution and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He received a sentence of seven years in federal prison after providing information to federal investigators about other sex trafficking crimes and testifying at the trial of two other human traffickers. However, Anderson resumed his sex trafficking activities after completing his prison sentence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This case was investigated by Special Agents of the FBI. If anyone has any information about human trafficking, they are encouraged to report the information to the FBI at 404-679-9000.</p>
<p>Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Coppedge of the Northern District of Georgia and Deputy Chief Karima Maloney of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at <a href="mailto:USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov">USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov</a> or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is <a href="http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/">http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/</a>.</p>
<p> </p> | False | True |
| 464148bf-6cd6-46f6-bbc7-79fb0d7ae1cf | https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/shreveport-man-sentenced-more-10-years-prison-sex-trafficking-minor | Human Trafficking | USAO - Louisiana, Western | 1476484300 | 1476484325 | 1476417600.0 | | Shreveport man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor | <p><strong>SHREVEPORT, La. </strong>– United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced Thursday to 121 months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor.</p>
<p>In addition to the term of incarceration, Zayne Ghandi Anderson, 41, of Shreveport, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to the June 13, 2016 guilty plea, undercover law enforcement agents responded to an online advertisement Anderson posted for the prostitution of minors. Upon further investigation, agents met a 16-year-old female. Agents discovered that Anderson had posted several advertisements online soliciting money in exchange for sex with the minor.</p>
<p>“This sentence reflects our commitment to halt the sex trafficking of young girls in this district,” Finley stated. “My office will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that individuals who commit these crimes are found and convicted.”</p>
<p>The FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and Jonathan S. Drucker prosecuted the case.</p> | True | False |
| ba2787c2-b29a-42d4-8544-e486077beb69 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/federal-judge-sentences-milwaukee-pimp-20-years-imprisonment | Human Trafficking | USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern | 1434557113 | 1450459194 | 1434513600.0 | | Federal Judge Sentences Milwaukee Pimp to 20 Years Imprisonment | <p>United States Attorney James L. Santelle announced that United States District Judge Lynn S. Adelman has sentenced Milwaukee resident Troy Randle, age 37, to 20 years imprisonment following Randle’s conviction on two federal sex-trafficking counts. The sex-trafficking counts involved two separate minor females.</p>
<p>Evidence introduced at Randle’s sentencing showed that he began prostituting both of the child-victims when they were just 14 years old and that he prostituted them through their 17th birthdays until his arrest by federal authorities in January of 2014. Further evidence introduced by the United States showed that Randle’s sex trafficking of these two minors took place in Milwaukee through street prostitution and at hotels; in Chicago, Illinois; Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Ft. Wayne, Indiana; and South Dakota. Randle ordinarily accompanied the victim-girls to these cities and provided the transportation. Randle controlled them through false expressions of love and loyalty as well as through his physical abuse of both. Randle advertised the prostitution services of both victims through postings to Backpage.com.</p>
<p>In making this public announcement, United States Attorney Santelle stated: “The sentence most appropriately imposed by Judge Adelman on this defendant is a genuine reflection of both the horrific victimization suffered by these two girls and the terrible impact that this type of criminal behavior has on the life and the well-being of our communities.” Santelle stated further: “The investigation and prosecution of sex-trafficking cases in the Eastern District of Wisconsin is among the highest priorities of my office, and we will continue to pursue the perpetrators of this heinous conduct with all of the resources available to us.”</p>
<p>Randle was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph R. Wall. United States Attorney Santelle commended AUSA Wall and the partnered law enforcement agencies responsible for investigating Randle’s trafficking enterprise—namely, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"># # # # #</p> | True | False |
| 5b08fa16-b0ac-47d8-b336-b3e2dad01a1e | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/atlanta-man-sentenced-interstate-transportation-17-year-old-girl-prostitution | | USAO - Georgia, Northern | 1428533036 | 1428533036 | 1410494400.0 | | Atlanta Man Sentenced For Interstate Transportation Of 17-Year-Old Girl For Prostitution | <div id="content"> <div class="contentSub"> <div></div> <div> <p>ATLANTA – Johnathon Kelly has been sentenced to eleven years for interstate transportation of a minor for prostitution.</p> <p>“This defendant took advantage of a young girl who was especially vulnerable, having run away from her home in Alabama, and exploited her for his personal gain,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “But she was saved as a result of the training and diligence of two state and local law enforcement officers who, during a routine traffic stop, recognized that the defendant might be sexually exploiting this child. The officers’ suspicions proved to be well-founded.”</p> <p>J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Today’s sentencing of Johnathon Kelly serves as a reminder to all that there are people like him waiting for the opportunity to exploit our nation’s youth. Today’s sentencing of Kelly also illustrates that there are dedicated law enforcement officers who are aware of this type of criminal activity and who remain vigilant in efforts toward protecting those being exploited.”</p> <p>According to United States Attorney Yates, the charge, and other information presented in court: On or about November 22, 2012, Kelly drove 17-year-old R.W. from her home in Birmingham, Ala., to Atlanta, Ga. After R.W.’s arrival in Atlanta, Kelly posted photographs of R.W. on an Internet website. Using multiple Internet ads of R.W., Kelly obtained prostitution clients for the girl, both in and outside Georgia – including the states of Louisiana and Texas. Kelly caused R.W. to engage in prostitution at various hotels, including hotels in Augusta and Norcross, Ga., Bossier City, La., and Dallas, Texas. </p> <p>R.W. was rescued from Kelly on January 9, 2013, after Kelly was stopped for speeding while driving on Interstate 20. R.W. was a passenger in the vehicle. A Greene County Sheriff’s deputy, who had recently undergone training in identifying human trafficking victims, and a Georgia State Patrol officer, involved in the traffic stop noticed that R.W. appeared frightened of Kelly; separated R.W. from Kelly; and, after briefly interviewing her, discovered that Kelly was causing R.W. to engage in prostitution.</p> <p>Kelly, 31, of Atlanta, GA, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender as a condition of his supervised release. Kelly must also pay the victim $7,500 in restitution. Kelly pleaded guilty on June 30, 2014.</p> <p> The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and Georgia State Patrol.</p> <p>Assistant United States Attorneys Mary F. Kruger, Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., and Susan Coppedge prosecuted the case.</p> <p>This case is a part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit <a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.">www.projectsafechildhood.gov.</a> </p> <p>For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at <a href="mailto:USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov">USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov</a> or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is <a href="http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/">http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> | False | True |
| 5568cd67-3a17-45d1-bb96-4c05da591ace | https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/houston-man-sentenced-human-trafficking-and-alien-smuggling-charges | | Civil Rights Division | 1240860565 | 1410830148 | 1240804800.0 | Maximino Mondragon, 57, was sentenced today for his role in a scheme to smuggle Central American women and girls into the United States and to hold them in a condition of forced labor in the Houston area. | Houston Man Sentenced for Human Trafficking and Alien
Smuggling Charges | <p> Maximino Mondragon, 57, was sentenced today for his role in a scheme to smuggle Central American women and girls into the United States and to hold them in a condition of forced labor in the Houston area. U.S. District Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore sentenced Mondragon to 156 months incarceration, three years post release supervision, $200 special assessment and further ordered that he, jointly with his co-defendants, pay $ $1,715,588.05 in restitution to the victims.</p> <p> Maximino Mondragon is the last of eight defendants to be convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme to compel the victims into service in restaurants, bars and cantinas, using threats to harm the victims and their families if they attempted to leave before paying off their smuggling debts.</p> <p> Mondragon previously pleaded guilty to violations of conspiracy to hold persons in a condition of indentured servitude and to illegally and knowingly recruiting, harboring, transporting persons for labor and services, and conspiracy to bring, harbor, and transport known illegal aliens for purposes of commercial advantage and private financial gain.</p> <p> The defendants lured Central American women to the United States with promises of good jobs. However, once the young women arrived, they were forced to work in the defendants’ bars and cantinas selling high-priced drinks to male customers. The women were subjected to threats of harm to them and their families in order to compel their servitude.</p> <p> "The defendant ruthlessly exploited these women’s hopes for a better life through coercion, false promises and threats of harm. The victims were forced into modern day slavery," said Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The Justice Department will devote its efforts to prosecuting those who commit such abhorrent and exploitative crimes."</p> <p> "The victims in this case were subjected to horrible treatment at the hands of these defendants," said Tim Johnson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. "We will use every resource available to make certain that violations of this sort result in the maximum prison term available."</p> <p> Co-defendants Oscar Mondragon and Walter Corea were also convicted of both conspiracy counts and each sentenced to prison terms of 180 months. Co-defendant Victor Omar Lopez was sentenced to 109 months in prison on both conspiracy counts. Co-defendant Olga Mondragon, who was convicted of multiple charges stemming from her involvement in these schemes to hold young Central American victims in a condition of forced labor and to smuggle the young women to the United States for financial gain, was sentenced to a prison term of 84 months. Co-defendant Maria Fuentes was convicted of harboring the young women for financial gain and sentenced to 30 months in prison. Co-defendant Lorenza Reyes-Nunez was convicted of obstruction of justice and has been sentenced to 19 months in prison. Co-defendant Kerin Silva was convicted of conspiracy to smuggle aliens and sentenced to 12 months’ home detention followed by three years of probation.</p> <p> In announcing the sentencing, Acting Assistant Attorney General King and Acting U.S. Attorney Johnson commended the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security Security Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission, the Harris County Constable Precinct Five Office, and the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance, a federally funded multi-agency human trafficking task force, for their work on this cooperative investigation and prosecution.</p> <p> Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruben Perez and Joseph Magliolo and Civil Rights Division attorneys Jim Felte and Hilary Axam prosecuted this case for the government.</p> | False | True |
| 7d2fbbe4-36da-4e93-85b0-31f1bcf841e8 | https://www.justice.gov/eoir/pr/executive-office-immigration-review-swears-nine-immigration-judges | | Executive Office for Immigration Review | 1454352316 | 1454353620 | 1454302800.0 | | Executive Office for Immigration Review Swears in Nine Immigration Judges | <p>FALLS CHURCH, VA – The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) today announced the investiture of nine immigration judges. Acting Chief Immigration Judge Print Maggard presided over the investiture during a ceremony held Jan. 29, 2016, at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in Washington D.C.</p>
<p>After a thorough application process, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Xiomara Davis-Gumbs, Jennifer M. Gorland, Denise C. Hochul, Mark J. Jebson, Margaret M. Kolbe, Ramin Rastegar, Shifra Rubin, Meredith B. Tyrakoski, and Daniel H. Weiss to their new positions.</p>
<p>“Our agency continues to work hard to hire highly qualified immigration judges who will help to decrease our pending caseload,” said Maggard. “With these nine new immigration judges, our immigration judge corps now totals 254, and we will continue adding to this number throughout this year to further enhance EOIR’s capacity to meet the tremendous challenges we face.”</p>
<p><strong>Xiomara Davis-Gumbs, Immigration Judge, Dallas Immigration Court</strong></p>
<p>Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Judge Davis-Gumbs to begin hearing cases in January 2016. Judge Davis-Gumbs earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1983 from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York and a Juris Doctor in 1992 from Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. From 2008 through 2015, Judge Davis-Gumbs served in the Office of the Chief Counsel, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in Dallas, in various capacities including deputy chief counsel, and previously as associate counsel, Central Law Division, and as associate counsel, Training and Knowledge Management Division. From 2002 through 2008, Judge Davis-Gumbs served as assistant chief counsel in the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS, in Newark, N.J. From 1997 through 2002, Judge Davis-Gumbs served as an asylum officer in the Office of International Affairs, in the former Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in Rosedale, N.Y. From 1994 through 1997, Judge Davis-Gumbs served as special assistant/litigation coordinator for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, DOJ, in New York, N.Y. From 1993 through 1994, Judge Davis-Gumbs served as a law clerk, and from 1988 through 1993, as an inmate grievance counselor in the Trial Unit, New York City Department of Corrections. Judge Davis-Gumbs is a member of the New York Bar.</p>
<p><strong>Jennifer M. Gorland, Immigration Judge, Detroit Immigration Court</strong></p>
<p>Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Judge Gorland to begin hearing cases in January 2016. Judge Gorland received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982 from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor in 1985 from Wayne State University School of Law. From 1989 through 2015, Judge Gorland served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, in Detroit, as an assistant U.S. attorney in various capacities, including: first assistant U.S. attorney; chief, General Crimes Unit; deputy chief, and previously as assistant U.S. attorney, General Crimes Unit; assistant U.S. attorney, Economic Crimes Unit; and, as assistant U.S. attorney, Civil Division. From 1985 through 1989, Judge Gorland served as an associate for Pepper, Hamilton and Scheetz, in Detroit. Judge Gorland is a member of the State Bar of Michigan.</p>
<p><strong>Denise C. Hochul, Immigration Judge, Buffalo Immigration Court</strong></p>
<p>Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Judge Hochul to begin hearing cases in January 2016. Judge Hochul received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1980 from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Juris Doctor in 1985 from the Ohio Northern University, Claude W. Pettit College of Law. From 1996 through 2015, Judge Hochul served in the Office of the Chief Counsel, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security, in Buffalo, in various capacities, including: senior attorney; assistant chief counsel; designated human rights law special interest attorney; designated national security special interest attorney; member of the Trial Advocacy Training Team; and as a special assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. From 1987 through 1996, she served as an assistant district attorney in the Erie County District Attorney’s Office in Buffalo. Judge Hochul is a member of the New York Bar.</p>
<p><strong>Mark J. Jebson, Immigration Judge, Detroit Immigration Court</strong></p>
<p>Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Judge Jebson to begin hearing cases in January 2016. Judge Jebson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990 from the University of California, Los Angeles, a Juris Doctor in 1994 from the John Marshall Law School, and a Master of Laws degree in 1995 from the New York University School of Law. From 2003 through 2015, Judge Jebson served in the Office of Chief Counsel, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security, in Detroit, in various capacities, including: senior attorney, deputy chief counsel, assistant chief counsel, and as a special assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. From 2002 through 2003, Judge Jebson served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, in Dallas. From 1997 through 2002, Judge Jebson served as an assistant district counsel in the former Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Department of Justice, in Detroit. From 1996 through 1997, he served as a judicial law clerk for the Michigan Supreme Court, and from 1995 through 1996, as a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals, in Detroit. Judge Jebson is a member of the Illinois State Bar and the State Bar of Michigan.</p>
<p><strong>Margaret M. Kolbe, Immigration Judge, New York Immigration Court</strong></p>
<p>Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Judge Kolbe to begin hearing cases in January 2016. Judge Kolbe received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 from the University of Cincinnati, a Master of Arts degree in 1989 from the University of Cincinnati, and a Juris Doctor in 1996 from the Notre Dame Law School. From 2002 through 2015, Judge Kolbe served as assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, in Brooklyn, N.Y. From 1996 through 2002, Judge Kolbe served as an attorney advisor for the Board of Immigration Appeals, Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Department of Justice, in Falls Church, Va., and from 1991 through 1993, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gabon, Africa. Judge Kolbe is a member of the Ohio Bar.</p>
<p><strong>Ramin Rastegar, Immigration Judge, Newark Immigration Court</strong></p>
<p>Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Judge Rastegar to begin hearing cases in January 2016. Judge Rastegar received a Bachelor of Science in 1991 from George Mason University and a Juris Doctor in 1995 from New York Law School. From 2000 through 2015, Judge Rastegar served as assistant chief counsel in the Office of the Chief Counsel, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in New York, N.Y. From 1997 through 2000, Judge Rastegar served as an associate at Barst and Mukamal LLP, in New York, N.Y., and from 1996 through 1997, as an associate in the Law Offices of Ronald Salomon, in New York, N.Y. Judge Rastegar is a member of the Connecticut and New York Bars.</p>
<p><strong>Shifra Rubin, Immigration Judge, Newark Immigration Court</strong></p>
<p>Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Judge Rubin to begin hearing cases in January 2016. Judge Rubin received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1992 from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from Rutgers School of Law. From 2003 through 2015, Judge Rubin served in various capacities for the Immigration Representation Project, Legal Services of New Jersey, in Edison, N.J., including serving as a senior attorney, supervising attorney, and staff attorney. Judge Rubin is a member of the New Jersey Bar.</p>
<p><strong>Meredith B. Tyrakoski, Immigration Judge, San Antonio Immigration Court</strong></p>
<p>Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Judge Tyrakoski to begin hearing cases in January 2016. Judge Tyrakoski received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996 from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctor in 2003 from the William and Mary School of Law. From 2006 through 2015, Judge Tyrakoski served as an assistant U.S. attorney in a number of U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska in Omaha, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas in El Paso, Texas, and as special assistant attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, Calif. From 1997 through 2008, Judge Tyrakoski served in the U.S. Marine Corps in various capacities, including: staff judge advocate, legal assistance attorney, defense counsel, student judge advocate, operations officer, public affairs officer, and supply officer. Judge Tyrakoski is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Virginia Bar.</p>
<p><strong>Daniel H. Weiss, Immigration Judge, Dallas Immigration Court</strong></p>
<p>Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Judge Weiss to begin hearing cases in January 2016. Judge Weiss received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986 from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor in 1990 from the University of Maryland School of Law. From 2010 through 2015, Judge Weiss served as senior trial attorney in the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in Washington, D.C. From 2005 through 2010, Judge Weiss served as deputy chief, and, previously as a trial attorney, in the Special Litigation Section, Civil Rights Division, DOJ. From 1992 through 2000, Judge Weiss served as an assistant public defender II in the Appellate Trials Division, State of Maryland Office of the Public Defender, in Baltimore. From 1991 through 1992 Judge Weiss served as an attorney at the Fidelity & Deposit Companies of Maryland, in Baltimore, and from 1990 through 1991, as law clerk to the Honorable Ellen Hollander, Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Judge Weiss is a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland Bars.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><strong>- EOIR -</strong></p>
<p class="rtejustify"><em>The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is an agency within the Department of Justice. Under delegated authority from the Attorney General, immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals interpret and adjudicate immigration cases according to United States immigration laws. EOIR's immigration judges conduct administrative court proceedings in immigration courts located throughout the nation. They determine whether foreign-born individuals—whom the Department of Homeland Security charges with violating immigration law—should be ordered removed from the United States or should be granted relief from removal and be permitted to remain in this country. The Board of Immigration Appeals primarily reviews appeals of decisions by immigration judges. EOIR's Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer adjudicates immigration-related employment cases. EOIR is committed to ensuring fairness in all of the cases it adjudicates.</em></p> | False | True |
| 4c688c23-a4f5-43e2-bb97-837a88cfe8e4 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndoh/pr/ohio-man-charged-violating-clean-water-act-discharing-brine-and-drilling-mud-mahoning | | USAO - Ohio, Northern | 1426191453 | 1426191453 | 1360818000.0 | | Ohio Man Charged With Violating Clean Water Act By Discharing Brine And Drilling Mud Into Mahoning River | <div id="content"> <div class="contentSub"> <div></div> <div> <p>A Poland, Ohio, man was charged in federal court with one count of violating the Clean Water Act, said Steven M. Dettelbach, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.</p> <p>Ben Lupo, 62, is accused of directing an employee to illegally discharge brine and oil-based drilling mud into a stormwater drain which flowed into an unnamed tributary of the Mahoning River and ultimately into the Mahoning River near Youngstown.<br /><br /> The conduct took place on Jan. 31, 2013, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court.</p> <p>“Those of us from Northeast Ohio know the legacy of dumping industrial waste into our waterways,” Dettelbach said. “Whether our water flows south to the Ohio River or north to the Great Lakes, protecting and preserving clean and safe water remains a major priority of the my office and the Department of Justice.” </p> <p>ODNR Director Jim Zehringer said: “This charge should serve as a warning to anyone that places their personal interests ahead of the public’s safety. ODNR will continue to aggressively pursue and seek prosecution of any business or individual that blatantly disregards the laws we have in place to protect Ohio’s communities and natural resources.”</p> <p>“Knowingly polluting the waters of our state is a violation of the Clean Water Act and we will pursue criminal prosecution of these illegal actions to make sure we are able to protect the health and safety of the public,” Ohio EPA Director Scott Nally said. “Ohio EPA and our state partners will not tolerate the flagrant violation of Ohio’s environmental laws and companies who violate these lawsare jeopardizing their ability to conduct business in the state and will be held accountable.”</p> <p> Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said: “Ohio’s waters must be protected, for the health and safety of its citizens and the state’s wildlife. We will not only assist with the federal water pollution prosecution in this case, we will also be working closely with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to fully address all of the other violations through civil or criminal enforcement.”</p> <p>“As the nation increases its use of natural gas, exploration companies must ensure that the waste water resulting from the drilling process is treated and disposed of safely and legally,” said Randall Ashe, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Ohio. “The defendant is alleged to have knowingly and repeatedly directed the discharge of stored brine and oil-based drilling mud into a stormwater drain which ultimately flowed into the Mahoning River. This case demonstrates that if companies and their senior managers try to save money by circumventing environmental laws, they will be vigorously prosecuted.”</p> <p>According to an affidavit filed in federal court:</p> <p>Hardrock Excavating LLC is owned by Lupo and located at 2761 Salt Springs Road in Youngstown. The company provides services to the oil and gas industry in Ohio and Pennsylvania, including the storage of brine and oil-based drilling mud. There are approximately 58 mobile storage tanks at the facility and each holds approximately 20,000 gallons.</p> <p>The Ohio Department of Natural Resources received a call from an anonymous person who stated that on the night of Jan. 31, 2013, someone would be illegally discharging wastewater from the Hardrock facility. </p> <p>Ohio DNR inspectors arrived and found a hose, connected to a storage tank, discharging wastewater into a stormwater drain at the facility. Inspectors took a sample of the wastewater, which was black in color.</p> <p>Ohio EPA personnel arrived at the facility on Feb. 1 and found that the unnamed tributary had puddles of oil throughout its length, from where the stormwater drained to the Mahoning River, approximately one mile away. Oil and an oily sheen were also visible in the Mahoning River.</p> <p>That day, an EPA representative spoke with Lupo about the discharge into the storm drain. Lupo admitted he directed a Hardrock employee to discharge the contents of the storage drain into the stormwater drain, and further admitted that he directed discharge from a storage tank a total of six times, according to the affidavit.</p> <p>Lupo later told EPA and DNR personnel that he directed a Hardrock employee to drain storage tanks at Hardrock into the nearby stormwater drain six times over the previous six months, and that Lupo was the one who “gave the word” for the storage tanks to be discharged, according to the affidavit.</p> <p>On Feb. 12, a Hardrock employee stated that the discharges began in November 2012 at the direction of Lupo and that the employee was aware of at least 20 discharges into the stormwater drain. The employee further stated that Lupo directed the employee , if questioned by authorities, to state that the discharges were limited to a total of four to six times , according to the affidavit. </p> <p>This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Beeson following an investigation by the Ohio EPA, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, U.S. EPA, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Youngstown Department of Public Works and the Youngstown Fire Department.</p> <p>The statutory maximum for violating the Clean Water Act is three years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release.</p> <p>If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases they will be less than the maximum.</p> <p>A charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.</p> </div> </div> </div> | False | False |
| 21ed61ed-5b2e-44ad-b79f-a9409ffb45aa | https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/florida-man-sentenced-27-months-prison-attempting-purchase-100-stolen-identities | | Criminal Division | 1412188290 | 1412188400 | 1412136000.0 | | Florida Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Attempting to Purchase 100 Stolen Identities | <p>A Florida man was sentenced today to serve 27 months in prison for attempting to purchase sensitive, detailed personal identifying information, known as PII – including Social Security numbers and bank account numbers – to open credit card accounts and file fraudulent tax returns.</p>
<p>Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas of the District of New Hampshire made the announcement. U.S. District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe of the District of New Hampshire imposed the sentence. </p>
<p>Derric Theoc, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2013 and pleaded guilty in June 2014 to one count of attempted access device fraud. In addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to serve two years of supervised release. </p>
<p>In his guilty plea, Theoc admitted that, in April 2013, he attempted to purchase packages of personal identifying information for 100 people from an undercover United States Secret Service agent who was posing as a known, prolific vendor of personally identifiable information, Hieu Minh Ngo. Theoc had previously made multiple similar purchases from Ngo. </p>
<p>Ngo, a Vietnamese national, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2013, to wire fraud, identification fraud and fraud in connection with access devices and on Aug. 21, 2014, to a separate indictment to four counts of computer fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 1, 2014. According to court documents, Ngo administered websites from 2007 through February 2013 that allowed more than 1,000 individuals from throughout the world to access databases containing personal identifying information and conduct more than 3 million queries to obtain a person’s date of birth, Social Security number and other information. He also sold or transferred more than 150,000 packages of personally identifiable information that would allow criminals to take over the identity of another person.</p>
<p>The packages of personal identifying information that Theoc attempted to purchase typically included a person’s name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, mother’s maiden name, driver’s license number, bank account number, bank routing number, email account, account password and place of work. Theoc further admitted that he attempted to purchase the information with the intent to obtain credit cards to make purchases or withdraw money and to file fraudulent tax returns in an effort to receive refunds to which he was not entitled.</p>
<p>The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Counsel Mysti Degani of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen of the District of New Hampshire. </p> | False | False |
| 96b0b661-f37d-4bc6-8c90-b1097ef31a86 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdil/pr/chicago-man-pleads-guilty-fraud-conspiracy-false-tax-returns-filed-refunds | Financial Fraud; Tax | USAO - Illinois, Central | 1486413404 | 1486413503 | 1486357200.0 | PEORIA, Ill., -- A Chicago man, Gbadebo Adebiyi (Băd-a-dē-bō Add-a bē-yē), 41, of Chicago, pled guilty today to his role in a fraud scheme that used others’ personal information to file false tax returns for refunds. Adebiyi appeared this morning before U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade. | Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Conspiracy; False Tax Returns Filed for Refunds | <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span>PEORIA, Ill., -- A Chicago man, Gbadebo Adebiyi, 41, of Chicago, pled guilty today to his role in a fraud scheme that used others’ personal information to file false tax returns for refunds. Adebiyi appeared this morning before U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade. A co-defendant, Idris Akande, 35, also of Chicago, remains a fugitive. Sentencing for Adebiyi is scheduled on May 3, 2017.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"> </p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span>According to court documents, in March 2015, Bradley University reported a data breach that resulted in employees having their personal identifying information used to file false 2014 federal income tax returns. Adebiyi admitted to conspiring with others to obtain refunds obtained from the false income tax returns. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"> </p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span>The false tax returns typically directed that refunds be routed to third-party prepaid debit cards, Green Dot cards, which were purchased at various retail locations. The personal information of Bradley employees was used to create permanent Green Card accounts. Conspirators used the Green Dot cards, loaded with the fraudulent tax refunds, to purchase money orders. The money orders were then cashed at currency exchange businesses in the Chicago area. As a result of the fraud, the government estimates that the conspiracy’s intended loss is approximately $770,000. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"> </p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span>Adebiyi pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, an offense that carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison. The defendant may also be ordered to pay restitution. The maximum statutory penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes as sentencing is determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"> </p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span>The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss is prosecuting the case. </span></span></p> | False | False |
| 05108105-2394-40ae-add2-a81277f58530 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/pineville-sex-offender-pleads-guilty-producing-child-porn-faces-least-25-years-prison | Project Safe Childhood | USAO - Missouri, Western | 1427316056 | 1427316079 | 1427256000.0 | | Pineville Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Porn, Faces at Least 25 Years in Prison | <p>SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Pineville, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court today to producing child pornography.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jeremy Wayne Law, 30, of Pineville, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to attempting to use a minor to produce child pornography. Law, who was previously convicted of sexual abuse with a minor in New York, is a registered sex offender.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>By pleading guilty today, Law admitted that he communicated via text messages with a 16-year-old female, identified as “T.C.,” who resided in New York. Investigators found pornographic images and videos of T.C. on Law’s computer. Law also admitted that he had twice engaged in sexual intercourse with T.C. in a vehicle and that he had sent her an image of his genitalia.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the court is requested to impose a sentence of at least 25 years in federal prison without parole and not more than 35 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull, II. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force, the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Hamburg, N.Y., Police Department.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><u>Project Safe Childhood</u></strong></p>
<p>This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."</p> | False | False |
| e4aa41dc-7073-43c1-a6f2-c98262e872df | https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/pr/child-sex-trafficker-sentenced-12-years-prison | | USAO - Oregon | 1422571722 | 1422571722 | 1406088000.0 | | Child Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison | <div id="content"> <div class="contentSub"> <div></div> <div> <div class="clear"> <p>EUGENE, Ore. – On Wednesday, July 23, 2014, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Steven Anthony Kidd, 21, of Linn County, Oregon, to a prison term of 12 years for two counts of child sex trafficking. Following his release from prison, Kidd will be on supervised release for five years.</p> <p>In December 2012, a Eugene Police Department (EPD) officer learned that Kidd might be trafficking minors for sex, and further investigation confirmed this. EPD and the FBI learned that Kidd had trafficked a minor female, referred to as “AA,” starting in late 2011 and lasting for nearly a year. Kidd transported AA to Medford, Albany, Eugene, Corvallis, Harrisburg and Portland, Oregon, as well as cities in Washington. He obtained hotel rooms, posted ads soliciting sex and collected proceeds from the sex trafficking. Kidd imposed a set of rules for AA to follow and subjected her to physical abuse. </p> <p>On two occasions in December of 2012, Kidd also trafficked another minor female, referred to as “BB.” Kidd posted an advertisement soliciting customers to engage in sex with BB, and drove her to Corvallis for the sex acts. Kidd kept the proceeds from these acts of sex trafficking.</p> <p>The residence Kidd was staying at in Albany, Oregon was searched, and Kidd was arrested the same day. Two pistols were located, along with significant information demonstrating Kidd’s involvement in child sex trafficking, including a notebook in his closet. The notebook had handwritten notes, including some titled “Hoe Bi**h Rules”, which included “Bi**h Always look at the ground.” Other handwritten notes included, “First and Foremost, Break the Bi**h’s old Phone,” (sic), “Don’t let the B**h think for herself,” and, “Make them fear DADDY.” Other evidence located at the residence further confirmed Kidd’s trafficking of the minor victims.</p> <p> “This case is a prime example of how pimps use violence, power, and control to manipulate vulnerable victims into a life of terror”, said U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. “ My office will continue working with our federal and local law enforcement partners to make it clear to traffickers that our children are not for sale. “</p> <p>This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Eugene Police Department, with assistance from the Albany Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Sweet.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> | False | False |
| 40c7b9dc-b865-424f-b9f1-7ae61c39c042 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/man-faces-10-years-federal-prison-obscenity-conviction | | USAO - Texas, Northern | 1435025455 | 1435025455 | 1414728000.0 | | Man Faces Up To 10 Years In Federal Prison On Obscenity Conviction | <div id="content"> <div class="contentSub"> <div></div> <div> <div align="center"> <h2></h2> </div> <p><strong>LUBBOCK</strong>, Texas — A Johnson County man appeared in federal court in Lubbock, Texas, this afternoon and pleaded guilty to a federal child obscenity offense, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.</p> <p>Christopher Wayne Howard, 26, of Joshua, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report with a sentencing date to be set after the completion of that report. Howard remains on bond.</p> <p>According to plea documents filed in the case, in March 2014, Howard engaged in a series of online and telephone texting communications with “Jane Doe,” a person he knew to be a 13-year-old-female. During the communications, Howard often turned the subject to sexually explicit matters. On March 13, 2014, Howard chatted with “Jane Doe” and used an online application to send her an obscene, sexually explicit photograph of an adult male.</p> <p>The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit <a href="http://www.justice.gov/psc/">http://www.justice.gov/psc/</a>. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit <a href="http://www.justice.gov/psc/">http://www.justice.gov/psc/</a> and click on the tab “resources.”</p> <p>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the San Angelo Police Department’s Special Operations Division investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy is prosecuting.</p> </div> </div> </div> | False | False |
| 6bd1c97d-5e7d-419a-85d1-f52b88285a31 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/leaders-counterfeiting-ring-sentenced-federal-prison | | USAO - Georgia, Northern | 1428533036 | 1428533036 | 1395892800.0 | | Leaders Of Counterfeiting Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison | <div id="content"> <div class="contentSub"> <div></div> <div> <p>ATLANTA – Heath J. Kellogg and Stacy P. Smith have been sentenced to federal prison for counterfeiting offenses.</p> <p>“These defendants--who referred to their counterfeit money as ‘Monopoly,’ as if it were some kind of game--effectively stole from thousands of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and citizens throughout Georgia and the United States,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Counterfeiting is far from a victimless crime because the person who unknowingly accepts the counterfeit bill usually absorbs the full amount of the loss. In this case, the victims included citizens, churches, and family-run businesses, as well as banks and large retail stores.”</p> <p>“Every person, business or organization that receives a counterfeit note is a victim, and as such experiences a real economic loss. The United States Secret Service will continue to take an aggressive approach to arrest criminals like Smith and Kellogg. These sentences should be a warning to other like-minded criminals that manipulating and stealing from the American people will not go unpunished,” said Reginald G. Moore, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office.</p> <p> According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: From approximately February 1, 2011 until November 15, 2012, the defendants conspired to manufacture and distribute counterfeit U.S currency. The defendants focused on $50 bills, but also manufactured $20 bills. Heath Kellogg, a self-taught graphic artist, developed a manufacturing process for counterfeit currency. Smith helped Heath Kellogg manufacture the counterfeit currency, and both men purchased supplies on various occasions. </p> <p> Smith distributed the counterfeit currency through a network of individuals, which ultimately spread the bills throughout the United States. Smith and Heath Kellogg used feedback from their ultimate customers, who victimized businesses, individuals and banks by passing the counterfeit currency in the community, to refine and improve their manufacturing process over time. The defendants sold the counterfeit currency to customers in exchange for genuine U.S currency, at various discounted rates. </p> <p> On November 15, 2012, Secret Service agents executed search warrants yielding a wide variety of physical evidence, including completed and partially completed counterfeit currency, a large roll of special paper of the sort used in commercial printing presses, numerous printers, and a flash drive containing encrypted digital files with high definition images of various features of the counterfeit bills. </p> <p> The counterfeiting operation was extensive. The Secret Service reports that counterfeit currency matching the distinctive characteristics of those produced by the defendants totaling over $1.4 million in face value has been returned to it by local police departments, banks, merchants and individuals victimized when the counterfeit currency was passed. The counterfeit currency was returned to the Secret Service from victims across the United States and internationally.</p> <p> Heath J. Kellogg was sentenced on Friday, March 24, 2014 to twelve years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Heath Kellogg was convicted on November 5, 2013 of one count of conspiracy to counterfeit and deal in counterfeit obligations of the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, two counts of counterfeiting currency in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 471, and two counts of dealing in counterfeit obligations in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 473, after pleading guilty to the Indictment. At sentencing, the court found Kellogg responsible for manufacturing counterfeit currency with a face value of over $1 million.</p> <p> Smith was sentenced on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, to three years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Smith was convicted, on his plea of guilty on June 11, 2013, of one count of counterfeiting obligations or securities of the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 471. At sentencing, the court found Smith responsible for manufacturing counterfeit currency with a face value of over $1 million.</p> <p> Four co-defendants in the same case were previously sentenced after pleading guilty:</p> <ul><li> <p>Kenyada Barrion, 37, of Lithonia, Ga., was sentenced on August 28, 2013, to eighteen months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Barrion was convicted on March 27, 2013, of dealing in counterfeit obligations of the United States. </p> </li> <li> <p>Cameron Longshore, 31, of Atlanta, Ga., was sentenced on October 10, 2013, to one year and one day in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was convicted August 1, 2013, of a single count of dealing in counterfeit obligations. </p> </li> <li> <p>Ian Longshore, 28, of Atlanta, Ga., was also sentenced on October 10, 2013, to one year and one day in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was convicted on August 1, 2013, of a single count of dealing in counterfeit obligations. </p> </li> <li> <p>James Kellogg, 63, of Marietta, Ga., was sentenced on December 2, 2013, to five years of probation, including six months of home confinement. James Kellogg was convicted on June 11, 2013, of conspiracy to counterfeit and deal in counterfeit obligations of the United States.</p> </li> </ul><p> This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. </p> <p> Assistant United States Attorney Alana R. Black prosecuted the case.</p> <p>Anyone can become the victim of currency counterfeiters. To learn more about how to detect counterfeit currency and guard against forgery loss, visit the Know Your Money websites maintained by the United States Secret Service at: <a href="http://www.secretservice.gov/">http://www.secretservice.gov/</a>know_your_money.shtml and <a href="http://www.newmoney.gov/">http://www.newmoney.gov/</a>. </p> <p>For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at <a href="mailto:USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov">USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov</a> or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is <a href="http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/">http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> | False | False |
| b5544659-6ee9-406f-8c5c-0971a1061d4a | https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/four-members-manche-boy-mafia-gang-sentenced-credit-card-fraud-scheme | Financial Fraud; Identity Theft; StopFraud | USAO - Florida, Middle | 1501010924 | 1501013060 | 1500955200.0 | Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced four Tampa men to federal prison for engaging in a conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, credit card fraud, and identity theft. Brandon Lewis (22) and Terrance Cobb (22) were each sentenced to 5 years and 1 month in federal prison; Dontae Williams (24, Tampa) was sentenced to a term of 5 years and 10 months; and Davon Smith (21, Tampa) was sentenced to 5 years and 5 months’ imprisonment. The Court also ordered them to pay restitution of $113,490.54, which is traceable to proceeds of the offenses, and for Lewis and Williams to forfeit funds equal to the value of automobiles they purchased with the proceeds from the offenses. | Four Members Of “Manche Boy Mafia” Gang Sentenced In Credit Card Fraud Scheme | <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span><span><span>Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge </span></span></span><span><span><span>Steven D. Merryday has <span>sentenced four Tampa men to federal prison for engaging in a conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, credit card fraud, and identity theft. </span>Brandon Lewis (22) and Terrance Cobb (22)<span> were each sentenced to 5 years and 1 month in federal prison; Dontae Williams (24, Tampa) was sentenced to a term of 5 years and 10 months; and Davon Smith (21, Tampa) was sentenced to 5 years and 5 months’ imprisonment. The Court also ordered </span>them <span>to pay restitution of $113,490.54, which is traceable to proceeds of the offenses, and for Lewis and Williams to forfeit funds equal to the value of automobiles they purchased with the proceeds from the offenses. </span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"> </p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span><span><span>On April 28, 2017, </span></span></span><span><span><span>Lewis and Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device (credit card) fraud and aggravated identity theft, while Cobb and Smith pleaded guilty to access device (credit card) fraud and aggravated identity theft.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"> </p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span><span><span>According to court documents and statements made in court, </span></span></span><span><span><span>from at least January 2015 through November 2016, Lewis, Cobb, Smith, and Williams, along with others affiliated with the “Manche Boy Mafia” or “MBM” organization, conspired to commit credit card fraud and identity theft in the Tampa Bay area. Investigators learned that these individuals had purchased stolen credit and debit card account numbers online from various websites, including some that used bitcoins as their currency. The conspirators then purchased or stole reloadable gift cards and scratched off or otherwise damaged the magnetic strips on the back of the cards so that they could not be read by merchants’ point of sale (POS) terminals. The conspirators used an embosser to emboss the stolen account numbers and their own names onto the front of these altered gift cards. In some cases, the conspirators used a label maker to affix the Card Verification Value (CVV) security code associated with the stolen account to the back of the counterfeit cards. The conspirators then used these counterfeit credit cards at various retailers around the Tampa Bay area. When the retailers’ POS terminals could not read the damaged magnetic strips, the conspirators advised the clerks to manually enter the stolen account information embossed on the front of the counterfeit cards to make the purchase. The conspirators typically purchased gift cards and electronics, which they kept or sold for cash. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"> </p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span><span><span>Investigators determined that these individuals had engaged in hundreds of successful transactions with counterfeit credit cards and had used and possessed thousands of stolen account numbers from individuals across the United States. In total, these individuals were held responsible for more than $600,000 in intended or attempted purchases.</span></span></span></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span><span><span>This case was investigated by </span></span></span><span><span><span>the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department<span>. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney </span>Mandy Riedel.</span></span></span></span></p> | False | False |
| 7e0c2b3e-dfdc-4b3c-b734-89e102ffdfd5 | https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/member-violent-home-invasion-robbery-crew-sentenced-22-years-conspiring-commit-drug | Firearms Offenses | USAO - New York, Eastern | 1435874569 | 1472831638 | 1423803600.0 | | Member Of Violent Home Invasion Robbery Crew Sentenced To 22 Years For Conspiring To Commit Drug Robberies And Conspiring To Distribute Cocaine And Heroin | <p> </p>
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<p>Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Henry Fiorentino was sentenced to 22 years in prison by United States District Judge John Gleeson. Fiorentino was convicted after a two-week jury trial in November 2014 of conspiring to commit Hobbs Act robberies and conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin.</p>
<p>The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.</p>
<p>Fiorentino was a leading member of a violent robbery crew responsible for more than 100 robberies of narcotics traffickers in the New York metropolitan area and elsewhere that netted more than 250 kilograms of cocaine and $1 million in drug proceeds. Beginning in approximately January 2001, crew members posed as law enforcement officers, staged fake arrests of the traffickers, and then forcibly seized the traffickers’ contraband. Members of the robbery crew restrained victims with handcuffs, rope, or duct tape and often brandished firearms and physically assaulted the victims. The Crew members then sold the stolen drugs and divided the proceeds among themselves.</p>
<p>Fiorentino participated in at least 19 separate robberies and attempted robberies. During these crimes, he personally entered the residences and, on numerous occasions, he or fellow crew members brandished firearms and abducted or restrained victims. During all of the robberies and attempted robberies, Fiorentino posed as a police officer. The robberies and attempted robberies in which Fiorentino directly participated involved at least 230 kilograms of cocaine and approximately $66,000 in drug proceeds.</p>
<p>Ms. Lynch extended her grateful appreciation to the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department.</p>
<p>The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Solomon and Sylvia Shweder.</p>
<p>The Defendant:</p>
<p>HENRY FIORENTINO</p>
<p>Age: 46</p>
<p>Bronx, NY</p>
<p>E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 08-CR-242 (S-8)(JG)</p>
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| 00a95536-5d03-4e39-a78f-7e54d54dea3b | https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/kanawha-co-resident-who-collected-and-traded-child-pornography-gets-federal-prison-time | | USAO - West Virginia, Southern | 1420674142 | 1420674142 | 1365998400.0 | | Kanawha Co. Resident Who Collected And Traded Child Pornography Gets Federal Prison Time | <div></div> <div> <div align="center"><div align="center"> </div> </div> <div class="clear"> <p align="left">CHARLESTON, W.Va. –A Kanawha County resident who collected more than 600 images of child pornography was sentenced on April 15 to two years in federal prison followed by 15 years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Michael Lee McCormick, 42, of Winifrede, Kanawha County, W.Va., pleaded guilty in November 2012. McCormick admitted that he possessed more than 600 images of child pornography. McCormick also admitted that he downloaded the images on his computer. McCormick further admitted that he shared the images with other individuals using the Internet. <br /></p> <p align="left">U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said, “Pedophiles like this defendant who download and trade child pornography encourage the abuse and exploitation of children. Behind every piece of child pornography traded over the Internet, there is a child somewhere who has been exploited in the most heinous way imaginable. I will continue to spare no effort in prosecuting these crimes against children.” <br /></p> <p align="left">Goodwin continued, “This sentencing underscores the fact that sexual exploitation remains a serious problem.” <br /></p> <p align="left">The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney John Frail handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. <br /></p> <p align="left">This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit <a href="http://www.justice.gov/usao/wvs/PSCpage.html">http://www.justice.gov/usao/wvs/PSCpage.html</a>. For more information about internet safety education, please visit <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/psc">www.usdoj.gov/psc</a> and follow the link named “Resources.”<br /></p> </div> </div> | False | False |