Month: April 2022

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Security News: Gladstone Man Sentenced for Marijuana Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

Source: United States Department of Justice News

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Gladstone, Mo., man who was injured in a shoot-out when his drug-trafficking customers tried to rob him has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, including selling marijuana near a public school, and illegally possessing firearms.

Carreon L. Brown, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Tuesday, April 19, to 11 years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On Aug. 4, 2021, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, one count of distributing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Brown admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana in Clay County, Mo., from Jan. 9, 2020, to Feb. 10, 2021. During that time, he was in possession of two firearms – a Glock .45-caliber handgun and a Glock 10mm handgun.

Undercover ATF agents purchased marijuana from Brown on several occasions. Three of those undercover purchases occurred in January 2020 at a residence near Golden Oaks Education Center, a public school for special education students. The investigation paused due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, and the agents did not conduct any additional undercover purchases in 2020.

When Brown met two individuals on Oct. 30, 2020, to sell marijuana, they attempted to rob him. Brown exchanged gunfire with one of the men as Brown fled. Both Brown and one of the customers sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange. During the investigation into that incident, Kansas City police officers found the Glock .45-caliber handgun in Brown’s apartment. According to court documents, the weapon was test-fired and entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which revealed presumptive matches to multiple firearm incidents, including an aggravated assault on April 26, 2020; an aggravated assault on May 1, 2020; a homicide on June 26, 2020; an aggravated assault on Sept. 8, 2020; and recovered shell casings on Oct. 29, 2020.

Given renewed concern that Brown was involved in firearm violence in the Kansas City metropolitan area, an undercover ATF agent purchased marijuana from Brown on three more occasions in February 2021. On Feb. 10, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Brown’s apartment. Officers found the loaded Glock 10mm handgun with an extended magazine and ammunition. Officers also found 20.64 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and $1,592 in cash.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

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Security News: Calvert County Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Earl Leroy Griffin, Jr., age 45, of Sunderland, Maryland, yesterday to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  A federal jury convicted Griffin of that charge on December 17, 2021, which qualified him for armed career criminal status and enhanced sentencing guidelines.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division; Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey.

According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, on September 5, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Griffin’s residence and on his vehicle as part of a drug investigation.  In Griffin’s locked vehicle, law enforcement recovered a stolen .40 caliber handgun, loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition; powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana; and three Maryland driver’s licenses bearing Griffin’s name and photo.  The vehicle was registered to Griffin.  When he was searched incident to his arrest, Griffin had the keys to his vehicle and $1,870 in cash in his pockets.

Griffin had four previous felony drug convictions and knew that as a result, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. 

The jury acquitted Griffin on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, and the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Morgan and Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Security News: Laurel Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Defendant Admitted to Engaging in Sexual Relations with Two Minor Victims and Possessed Videos Depicting the Sexual Abuse of an Infant

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Kyle Elio Ripper, age 25, of Laurel, Maryland, yesterday to 188 months in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, specifically, production of child pornography.  Judge Gallagher also ordered Ripper to pay $36,000 in restitution to his victims.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Sheriff Joseph Gamble of the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Ripper’s guilty plea, on January 17, 2020, the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation after discovering evidence that an adult male had sexual contact with a 14-year-old male (Minor Victim 1). 

As detailed in his plea agreement, on March 10, 2020, law enforcement executed search warrants at Ripper’s residence and on his vehicle and seized several electronic devices, including a laptop containing a 500 GB internal hard disk drive, a 2 TB external hard drive, and a cell phone.  Upon further investigation and review of Ripper’s phone, investigators discovered that Ripper had communicated with minors via the internet and engaged in sexual relations with at least two minor victims.  

Specifically, a forensic review of Ripper’s cell phone revealed that on December 28, 2019, Ripper engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with Minor Victim 1 in which Ripper requested Minor Victim 1 to send Ripper an image of Minor Victim 1’s genitals.  Ripper also asked to film a sexual encounter with the victim.  Ripper traveled to the victim’s residence, engaged in sexual relations with the minor victim, and made videos documenting the sexual encounter on his cell phone.  Additional evidence from Ripper’s cell phone revealed that in January 2020, Ripper also communicated with a 16-year-old male victim (Minor Victim 2).  During their communications, Ripper requested, and received, at least one sexually explicit image of Minor Victim 2.  According to communications on Ripper’s phone, Ripper traveled to Minor Victim 2’s residence in Baltimore to pick up the victim, and then took the victim to Ripper’s residence in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Ripper then engaged in sexual acts with Minor Victim 2 and produced a video documenting his sexually explicit conduct with Minor Victim 2 using his cell phone.  

Additionally, a forensic review of Ripper’s hard drives and laptop revealed thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.  For example, Ripper’s computer contained over 4,000 images and videos of child pornography, including a nine-minute video depicting the sexual abuse of a female toddler and multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of an infant.

Ripper admitted that he knew Minor Victim 1 was 14-years-old before he engaged in sexual acts with the victim and Ripper admitted that he drove to the minor’s residence to engage in sexual relations with Minor Victim 1 on two occasions.  Ripper also admitted to having sex with Minor Victim 2. 

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 Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.         

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI and the Talbot Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine L. Duey and Abigail Ticse, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Security News: Verona Man Indicted on Drug and Firearms Charges

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PITTSBURGH, PA. A resident of Verona, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating various federal firearms and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

The three-count Indictment named Anthony Kenney, age 31, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, Kenney is alleged to have possessed with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fluorofentanyl and fentanyl and a quantity of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl on or about Jan. 4, 2022. Additionally, Kenney is alleged to have possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and Kenny is also alleged to have possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon on or about Jan. 4, 2022.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Security News: Defendant Who Ordered Fentanyl Through SnapChat Sentenced to Prison

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Kobe Woods Ordered More Than 800 Pills from California for Redistribution in SW Virginia

ABINGDON, Va. – A Marion, Virginia man, who ordered hundreds of fentanyl-laced pills through Snapchat from a supplier in California, was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in federal prison.

Kobe Malik Woods, 19, pleaded guilty in January to one count of possession with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.

“Throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and across the nation, individuals are struggling with substance abuse disorder, a disease fueled by those who profit from addiction,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Fentanyl-laced pills pose a significant risk of death to anyone who ingests them, and my Office will continue to bring individuals to account for trafficking these deadly drugs in our communities.”

“Our mission is to protect the American people. This includes doing our part working with our local and federal law enforcement partners to identify and arrest those responsible for introducing these pills, or any illicit drug, into our communities,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.

According to court documents, in early 2021, law enforcement began investigating a flood of illegal pill distribution in Smyth County, Virginia, and soon identified multiple people who were involved.  As part of the investigation, law enforcement intercepted a parcel shipped from California and addressed to Woods’s residence that contained approximately 800 fentanyl pills.  

Although they resembled pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone-hydrochloride pills, the intercepted pills were inconsistent in size, shape, and color, indicating that they were counterfeit pills.  Pills of this type are sometimes referred to as “Roxicodone,” “pressed,” or “M30” pills.  The pills often have an imprint of an “M” on one side and a “30” on the other side. 

In June of 2021, law enforcement executed a controlled delivery of the parcel to Woods’s home in Marion, Virginia.  While conducting surveillance on the residence, investigators observed a woman retrieve the package and take it inside the home. When investigators executed a search warrant at the home, Woods attempted to escape with the opened parcel in his hands but was captured a short distance away.   

The Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service—Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce prosecuted the case.