Month: April 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island today announced a settlement agreement with CVS Pharmacy Inc., under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that will eliminate barriers preventing people with certain disabilities from getting information about COVID-19 vaccinations and booking vaccination appointments online. CVS is the country’s largest retail pharmacy, with nearly 10,000 locations. Today’s resolution is the department’s fifth agreement on the critical issue of COVID-19 vaccination website accessibility, following settlement announcements with Rite Aid Corporation, Hy-Vee Inc., The Kroger Co. and Meijer Inc. 

The department found that CVS’s COVID-19 vaccine registration portal, currently located at https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine, was not accessible to people with certain disabilities, including those who use screen reader software or have trouble using a mouse. For instance, the types of vaccine appointments offered (which included influenza, pneumonia, and others, in addition to the COVID-19 vaccine) were not read audibly to screen reader users at the beginning of the scheduling process. Further, on the page where users pick a time for their appointment, screen reader users were told that all available times were “checked,” even though the user had not made any selection. Additionally, people who use the “Tab” key instead of a mouse to navigate websites were not able to navigate past a request for insurance information in the registration process. 

“Now more than ever, we must ensure web accessibility for people with disabilities seeking access to critical needs and services,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are working aggressively to identify and remove barriers that prevent people with disabilities from privately and independently securing potentially life-saving COVID-19 vaccines. We will continue to work towards the ADA’s promise of equal access during the ongoing global pandemic.”

“While web accessibility is always important, when it comes to critical health services like COVID-19 vaccination, making sure that everyone — regardless of disability — can access information and care is essential,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha for the District of Rhode Island. “This office is committed to vigorously enforcing the ADA to eliminate unnecessary barriers that stand in the way of lifesaving care.” 

Under today’s settlement, CVS will conform web content about the COVID-19 vaccine, including the forms for scheduling an appointment to get the vaccine, to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Version 2.1, Level AA. WCAG is a set of voluntary industry guidelines for making information on a website accessible to users with disabilities. CVS also must regularly test the pages of its website that include vaccine scheduling and information about the COVID-19 vaccine, and quickly fix any problems that keep people with disabilities from being able to use these pages.

This matter was handled jointly by the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island. Title III of the ADA requires public accommodations like drugstores to provide individuals with disabilities with full and equal enjoyment of goods and services, such as vaccines. The ADA also requires public accommodations to ensure effective communication with people with disabilities, including by using auxiliary aids and services like accessible technology.

For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed online at www.ada.gov/complaint. Anyone in the District of Rhode Island may also report civil rights violations directly to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri-civil-rights-enforcement or (401) 709-5000.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SAVANNAH, GA:   Six defendants are among those facing federal charges including drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession. 

The indicted cases are being investigated part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“It is a priority of our office to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to target those whose illegal possession of firearms threatens the safety of our communities,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We won’t tolerate violent criminal activity in the Southern District.”  

In the past four years, more than 750 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony.

Defendants named in federal indictments from the April 2022 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Juan Eloy Quintanilla, 29, of Willacoochee, Ga., charged with Distribution of Hydrocodone and Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Rashejon B. Curry, 28, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
• Nequan O’Neal Roberson, 22, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Charles Barnes, 50, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Kareem M. Harris, 38, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• James Hoffman, 37, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:

• Charles Aimee Fields Jr., a/k/a “Slim,” 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Distribution of Crack Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Fields is among 14 defendants indicted in September 2021 for their roles in operating an open-air drug market in an area of Savannah called “The Dips.”
• Demont Latrell Gresham, 33, of Washington, Ga., was sentenced 34 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Gresham ran from Wilkes County Sheriff’s Deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers in July 2020 when they attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant, and officers found a rifle in his vehicle. He was arrested in August 2020 when located by Wilkes County deputies.
• Ashley Lanier Powell, 39, of Pulaski, Ga., was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after being found guilty at trial Nov. 8, 2021, for Possession of a Firearm by a User of Illegal Drugs, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. Powell, who was on probation for a conviction of domestic violence, was arrested in May 2019 in Twin City, Ga., after a police officer saw two firearms in Powell’s vehicle. 
• Charles Kevin Matthews, 50, of Carlton, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Matthews was on parole for a prior state conviction when investigators found a pistol in his possession during a search of his girlfriend’s residence.
• James Ricardo Harris, 29, of Augusta, was sentenced to 26 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Harris was arrested in May 2019 when Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies found him in possession of a pistol during a traffic stop.
• Keyon Quinton Adams, 28, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. U.S. Marshals serving warrants for Adams’ arrest on Florida charges found him in possession of a pistol when they took him into custody in October 2021 in Martinez.
• Phillip Allen Loughry, 41, of Baxley, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Appling County Sheriff’s deputies charged Loughry after he ran from a December 2020 traffic stop and dropped a pistol as deputies pursued and captured him.
• Ricardo DeAngelo Norman, 33, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Unlawful Drug User. Norman was charged in the October 2021 indictment in Operation Washout, an investigation into a cocaine-trafficking ring in the greater Burke County area. 
• Fredrick Connell Blount, 38, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Blount was arrested after a traffic stop in August 2020 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in the vehicle Blount was driving.
• De’Montre Murray, 22, of Columbia, S.C., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A four-time convicted felon, Murray was charged after a June 21 chase by Glynn County Sheriff’s deputies and the Georgia State Patrol on Interstate 95 for 57 miles at speeds up to 100 mph. A pistol was discovered in the stolen vehicle Murray was driving.
• Jamie Lee Cogan, 37, of Thomson, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cogan in April 2021 after finding him in possession of a pistol. Cogan was being sought at the time by Pickens County, Ga., authorities on a warrant for violating probation.
• Antoine Ladson, 33, of Brunswick, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brunswick Police officers arrested Ladson in January 2021 after finding him in possession of large amounts of drugs, cash and a pistol while loitering near a liquor store.
• Treyon Antonio Williams, 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Police officers investigating reports of gunshots in February 2021 arrested Williams on an outstanding felony warrant after finding a pistol in his pocket.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Jeremiah L. Johnson, Steven H. Lee, Marcela C. Mateo, Patricia G. Rhodes, and Henry W. Syms Jr., with firearms forfeitures coordinated through the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office Asset Recovery Unit.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Lonnie Lorenzo Hollingsworth, Jr. (37, Ocala) to three years in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. Hollingsworth had been found guilty following a bench trial on October 15, 2021.

According to court documents, Hollingsworth had previously threatened the Marion County Sheriff, and his deputies, in connection with an event on March 10, 2013, wherein Hollingsworth was shot by an individual Hollingsworth was attempting to rob. The incident resulted in Hollingsworth being arrested and convicted for attempted strong arm robbery. Despite his guilty plea in that case, Hollingsworth blamed the Sheriff’s Office for his prosecution, claiming that he was a victim.

On December 18, 2020, Hollingsworth walked into the Marion County Jail visitation center and handed over a package containing a “manifesto” detailing his desire to retaliate against the Sheriff. Four days later, he taped an identical copy of the manifesto to the doors of the Marion County Courthouse.

Three months later, on April 5, 2021, Hollingsworth called 911 from an Ocala gas station and threatened the Sheriff with violence.  Ocala Police officers responded to the scene and were successful in deescalating the situation with Hollingsworth. A round of ammunition was found in Hollingsworth’s possession, which he is prohibited from possessing under federal law due to his five prior felony convictions.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

ABINGDON, Va. – A Tennessee woman, who was part of a conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine from Mexico into Southwest Virginia, was sentenced last week to 156 months in federal prison.

Jessica Nicole Kent, 35, of Bristol, TN, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Kent conspired with Joshua Desorcy, the ringleader responsible for coordinating the importation of massive shipments of methamphetamine from sources of supply in Mexico to accomplices in Atlanta, Georgia and Houston, Texas.  Desorcy directed Kent and other co-conspirators to make numerous trips to Atlanta and Houston to bring back the methamphetamine for further distribution in Southwest Virginia.

In pleading guilty, Kent admitted to not only making those trips to Atlanta to pick up the drugs, but also routinely selling various amounts of both methamphetamine and heroin throughout Southwest Virginia. 

In February 2022, Desorcy was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.

U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia, Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of DEA’s Washington Division made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Murphy is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Keson Viason Evans, Jr. (30, Eustis) to 11 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. On December 17, 2021, Judge Antoon sentenced co-defendant George Randolph Morris, Jr. (31, Umatilla) to 10 years of imprisonment and co-defendant Demitric Jovante Blue (25, Ocala) to 7 years and 3 months of imprisonment. All three were convicted following their guilty pleas for the same offense.

According to court documents, Evans, Morris, and Blue conspired with one another between May 11 and 20, 2021, to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. An informant, working with the Drug Enforcement Administration placed an order to purchase 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine and 3 kilograms of fentanyl from Morris. Evans was the source of supply for the fentanyl and Blue was the source of supply for the methamphetamine. When all three men showed up on May 20, 2021, to deliver the drugs to the informant in Leesburg, DEA agents arrested them and seized the drugs.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.