Month: April 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Three Universal Aryan Brotherhood gang members were sentenced this week in federal court for conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise that committed acts of murder, kidnapping, the trafficking of methamphetamine and firearms, money laundering, assault, and robbery throughout the State of Oklahoma, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Christopher K. Baldwin, 42, and Robert W. Zeidler, 48, were each sentenced to 264 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Charles M. McCully, 44, was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

In December 2021, Baldwin and Zeidler pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to drug conspiracy.  In November 2021, McCully pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to kidnapping. The defendants refused to cooperate with the government.

“The Universal Aryan Brotherhood committed egregious acts of violence and distributed an estimated 2,500 kilograms of methamphetamine annually throughout Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Led by agents from IRS-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, nine law enforcement agencies joined together to bring these three defendants and 15 other UAB members and associates to justice. I commend our partners for their outstanding work.”

“The significant sentences of these criminals send a strong message that those involved in criminal enterprises committing heinous acts of violence and drug trafficking will face swift justice,” said Christopher Miller, acting Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “Working in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, our agency is relentless in the pursuit of dismantling transnational criminal organizations wherever they operate.”

Baldwin and Zeidler were key players involved in UAB operations while imprisoned in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester.

Baldwin admitted to being part of the gang from at least 1999 to 2017 and that during part of that time, he sat on the “Main Council,” the UAB’s highest governing body. Baldwin said he was involved directly or indirectly as a coconspirator in crimes of drug dealing, witness intimidation, money laundering and other crimes of violence.

Zeidler helped lead the gang’s methamphetamine operation. Zeidler admitted to joining the gang and to committing or causing to be committed crimes related to the racketeering enterprise and drug conspiracy.

Baldwin and Zeidler also admitted to knowingly and willfully agreeing with others to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of methamphetamine. As part of the UAB’s operations, members and associates participated in a significant and widespread methamphetamine distribution scheme directed by incarcerated UAB leaders.

McCully stated in his plea agreement that he had been a member of the UAB since 2005 and admitted that members commit various crimes such as murder, kidnapping, witness intimidation, home invasions, and drug dealing for the gang. McCully stated that on Oct. 26, 2014, he and others kidnapped two individuals and held them against their will because they believed the individuals had provided law enforcement with information about a UAB stash house. While they held the victims, McCully and the others threatened them and used tarps, shovels, blow torches and other items in an attempt to scare and intimidate the victims.

The three men were charged in an indictment along with 15 others in December 2018.

Codefendant Eddie Funkhouser, 51, will be sentenced April 12. Funkhouser previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to kidnapping but refused to cooperate with the United States. The plea agreement, if accepted by U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan, stipulates that Funkhouser will serve 15 years in prison.

The UAB is a white supremacist prison-based gang with members operating inside and outside of state prisons throughout Oklahoma.

The UAB was established in 1993 within the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and modeled itself after the principles and ideology of the Aryan Brotherhood, a California-based prison gang that formed in the 1960s.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Tulsa and Enid Police Departments, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis A. Fries is prosecuting this case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April 2022 Federal Grand Jury A.

The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

Keith Eugene Crenshaw II. Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and Threat in Indian Country; Sexual Abuse by Threat and Fear in Indian Country; Sexual Abuse of an Incapable Victim in Indian Country; and First Degree Burglary in Indian Country. Crenshaw, 33, is charged with breaking into a Glenpool home and sexually assaulting the woman inside on Feb. 20, 2022. The FBI and Glenpool Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-90

Carlos Rafael Jacome. Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Jacome, 31, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Glock 9X19 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn McCormick is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-91

Timothy Revae McDonald. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Unlawful Possession of Body Armor. McDonald, 44, of Tulsa, was charged with being a felon in possession of a Sarsilmaz 9mm semi-auto pistol, a Sig Sauer 9×19 semi-auto pistol, and 33 rounds of ammunition. He is also charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; knowingly possessing with intent to distribute cocaine; possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes; and knowingly maintaining a place for the purpose of distributing methamphetamine. Finally, he charged with unlawfully possessing body armor. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 21-CR-92

Sir Michael Morgan Jr. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; Causing Death by Using and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. According to the indictment, Morgan Jr., 18, of Tulsa, murdered Isaiah Jones on Jan. 29, 2022, during a shooting that occurred on N. Johnstown Avenue in Tulsa. He is further alleged to have shot a 17-year-old with intent to commit murder during the same incident. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-96

Gary Dumont Riggs. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor by Force and Threat in Indian Country (Counts 1-4) (superseding). In counts 1-3, Dumont, 76, of Claremore, is alleged to have sexually abused a minor between the ages of 12 and 16 from May 1, 2014, to September 1, 2014. In count 4, he is charged with sexually abusing the same child between Dec. 1, 2014, and January 31, 2015. The FBI and Verdigris Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 21-CR-176

Anthony Leon Roberts. Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country (Count 1); Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Count 2); Destruction of Property While Placing Life in Jeopardy in Indian Country (Count 3); Attempt to Commit Murder in Indian Country (Counts 4, 5).  Roberts, 65, of Tulsa, is alleged to have assaulted three Tulsa police officers using his car as a weapon. According to a federal Criminal Complaint initially filed in the case, on March 5, 2022, two Tulsa police officers in separate marked patrol vehicles were transporting an arrestee when they saw Roberts driving erratically. One officer pulled his patrol vehicle to the side of the road because he believed Roberts was trying to flag him down or get his attention. Instead, Roberts accelerated, closely passed the officer’s vehicle, struck the side mirror, and continued at a high rate of speed toward the second patrol vehicle trying to strike it from behind. The second officer was able to take evasive action to avoid a collision. Roberts then turned around and drove toward the first officer’s parked vehicle and attempted to T-bone the patrol vehicle with the officer inside. The officer was also able to take evasive action and avoid a second collision. Roberts then fled in his car. The officers were unable to follow since they were transporting the arrestee.

In an incident later that day, a man called 911 when Roberts showed up at his residence, argued with him and threatened to ram his vehicle into the man’s residence. The man demanded he leave. A Tulsa Police Officer responded, and as she neared the residence, she saw Roberts approaching in his vehicle at a high rate of speed from behind her. The officer accelerated her patrol vehicle to lessen the impact of a collision. Roberts allegedly struct the officer’s vehicle from behind then drove his vehicle to the driver’s side of the patrol vehicle and continued to ram the vehicle as the officer attempted to drive away. The officer was able to maneuver her vehicle away, but Roberts again accelerated toward the officer and attempted to strike her head on. During the incident, another officer arrived and parked nearby. He observed Roberts’ continued attempts to strike the first officer’s vehicle. The officer exited his own patrol vehicle and walked to its rear, drawing his firearm. Roberts then allegedly turned his vehicle toward the second officer and accelerated in his direction in an attempt to run over him. The officer fired at Roberts and jumped out of the way to avoid being struck. Roberts drove in a circle around the officer and his vehicle. He finally struck a tree and came to a stop. Roberts was shot during the incident and taken by ambulance to a hospital. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina M. Gilmore is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-95

Alton Jarae Rose. First Degree Burglary in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Tampering with a Witness and Victim by Using the Threat of Physical Force. On March 4, 2022, Rose, 34, of Tulsa, allegedly broke into a residence while the occupant was sleeping and assaulted her. When she attempted to call for help, he brandished a firearm and threatened to kill her if she called police. Rose was also charged with being a felon in possession of the Taurus .38 Special caliber revolver, along with ammunition. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-94

Brittany Michelle Watts; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Watts, 29, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams of methamphetamine. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn McCormick is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-93

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Gulfport, Miss. – A Mexican national was sentenced to “time served” (178 days or about 6 months) in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for unlawful reentry by an alien deported or removed after conviction of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Chief Patrol Agent Jason E. Schneider of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, and Special Agent in Charge David L. Denton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. 

Francisco Alvarado-Zacarias, 49, of Mexico, pleaded guilty and was convicted of the crime on December 15, 2021, before U.S. District Court Judge Taylor B. McNeel.  Alvarado-Zacarias is also subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him again from the United States.

According to court documents, Alvarado-Zacarias was arrested on October 12, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County.  The U.S. Border Patrol conducted a vehicle stop on a white Ford panel van with a Texas license plate based on a Border Patrol “Be on the Lookout” (BOLO) Alert.  Three passengers fled the van on foot, including the defendant in this case, Francisco Alvarado-Zacarias.  A Supervisory Agent had arrived to assist, and two of the three fleeing passengers were apprehended.  One of the three was not apprehended and remains at-large.  Inspection of the van revealed two aftermarket bench seats were placed in rear of the van.  The bench seats each seated three passengers, however, there were no seatbelts available for passengers in the bench seats.  All vehicle occupants (except for the one who escaped) were transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station for processing.

One of the passengers was identified as Francisco Alvarado-Zacarias. Agents confirmed that Alvarado-Zacarias is a citizen of Mexico who was previously ordered removed from the U.S. on multiple occasions, including in 1992, 2006, 2007, and 2020.  Agents also confirmed through official records that Alvarado-Zacarias had been convicted in 2005 in the District Court for the First Judicial District of Wyoming, for the felony offense of conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine.  He had been sentenced to a term of not less than 22 months and not more than 36 months in the custody of the Wyoming Department of Corrections.  After his release from prison, Alvarado-Zacarias had been removed from the United States.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Roger Ng Found Guilty of Conspiring to Violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Commit Money Laundering in Connection with 1MDB Scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A leader of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty today to felony charges for his actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Charles Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. As part of the plea agreement, Donohoe has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.

According to court documents, the Proud Boys describes itself as a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” Donohoe joined the Proud Boys in 2018 and became the president of his local Proud Boys chapter in North Carolina. As of Jan. 6, 2021, he was a fourth-degree member of the Proud Boys, the highest rank within the organization.

In December 2020, according to the court documents, Enrique Tarrio, then the Proud Boys national chairman, formed a new Proud Boys’ chapter known as the “Ministry of Self Defense,” which focused on the planning and execution of national rallies. The first objective of the Ministry of Self Defense was to plan for actions in relation to the Washington, D.C., rally on Jan. 6, 2021. Donohoe was a leader of this new chapter, which eventually grew to include at least 65 members.

At least as early as Jan. 4, 2021, Donohoe was aware that the Ministry of Self Defense’s leaders were discussing the possibility of storming the Capitol. Donohoe believed that storming the Capitol would achieve the group’s goal of stopping the government from carrying out the transfer of presidential power. Donohoe understood from discussions that the Proud Boys would pursue their objective through the use of force and violence.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Donohoe was part of a group of 100 or more Proud Boys who marched away from a rally near the Washington Monument towards the Capitol. Shortly after 12 p.m., the group was assembled two blocks west of the Capitol, and Donohoe understood that other Proud Boys leaders were searching for an opportunity to storm the Capitol. At approximately 1 p.m., the group arrived at the Capitol and began breaching the barriers surrounding the Capitol grounds. While in the West Plaza of the Capitol, Donohoe threw two water bottles at a line of law enforcement officers who were attempting to prevent the mob’s advance in the West Plaza at the Capitol building. As events continued, Donohoe joined with a crowd, including other Proud Boys, to push forward to advance up the concrete stairs toward the Capitol. The crowd overwhelmed law enforcement officers on the stairs, continued toward the Capitol, and ultimately entered the Capitol building after Donohoe’s co-defendant, Dominic Pezzola, allegedly broke open a window of the building.

Hours later, Donohoe posted messages to the Ministry of Self Defense Leadership Group celebrating the group’s actions that day.

Donohoe was arrested on March 11, 2021, and he has been detained since his arrest. He is among six defendants – including Tarrio and Pezzola – indicted in the District of Columbia on conspiracy and other charges; the others have pleaded not guilty. Donohoe faces up to 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to eight years in prison on the charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. Both charges also carry potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Charlotte Field Offices.

In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.