Month: May 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON –An Ohio man, a previously convicted sex offender, was sentenced today to a 30-year prison term on a federal charge of distribution of child pornography.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.

            Joshua McCarty, 38, of Mansfield, Ohio, pleaded guilty in January 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Upon completion of his prison term, McCarty will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images that he distributed. McCarty also must register as a sex offender following his release from prison. 

            According to the government’s evidence, in July of 2019, a mere two months after being released from prison after serving five years for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl, McCarty used a mobile messaging application to communicate with an individual who he believed was a father with access to young children. McCarty distributed links containing over 1.8 gigabytes of images and videos, depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers. During his communications with this individual, McCarty sent a photo depicting his sex offender registration profile in Ohio.

            McCarty was arrested on July 19, 2019, and he has remained in custody.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

            This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Youth Investigations Division. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Larson, who prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Jonathan Lattif, 44, of Jersey City, is charged by complaint with one count of possessing child pornography. Lattif is scheduled to have his initial appearance by videoconference later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jose R. Almonte.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On March 18, 2022, Lattif possessed at least three videos depicting sexual abuse of minors, including prepubescent children, on his mobile device.

Lattif has a prior state conviction for possession of child pornography. Accordingly, a charge of possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent children by a repeat offender carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina; and special agents from the Port of New York/Newark, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations New York Field Office, under the direction of Acting Port Director TenaVel T. Thomas, with the investigation leading to the charge.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Anthony Francis Nero, 48, of Norristown, PA, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston for sending threatening communications and cyberstalking in connection with a shooting at the offices of the Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters last year.

In January 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted to sending an electronic message over the Internet in January 2021 to the Montgomery County Democratic Party (MCDP) that threatened “random acts of violence” and stated “you should probably beef up security.” Later that month, MCDP officials discovered that the front window to MCDP’s office, located in Norristown, PA, had been shot through three times by a firearm. Ballistics tests by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau confirmed that two spent rounds recovered from the MCDP’s office were fired by Nero’s .45 caliber pistol.

“In the midst of a politically tumultuous time in our Nation, Anthony Nero sent a threatening communication and then followed up on his threats with a violent act that could have resulted in catastrophic injury, or worse,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “I want to thank our partners in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and all agencies at the federal, state and local levels for their dedicated work on this case.”

“I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in prosecuting this defendant for terroristic threats against the Montgomery County Democratic Committee. There is no place for this kind of criminal behavior in our democracy, and our law enforcement will continue to stand together to make sure that those who act in this way are brought to justice,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. 

“Anthony Nero first used words as his weapon, sending threatening messages to frighten people whose views he didn’t agree with,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “He then escalated exponentially when he loaded his gun, drove to the MCDP office, and fired off those rounds. No one should have to fear becoming the victim of physical violence at the hands of an angry stranger. That’s why sending threatening communications is a crime, and why the FBI and our partners take threats so seriously as we work to protect and serve everyone in our communities.”    

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Norristown Police Department, Montgomery County Detective Bureau, Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vineet Gauri and Josh Davison, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen A. McLaughlin

Source: United States Department of Justice News

           Montgomery, Alabama— In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

           “This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”

           “The men and women that serve in law enforcement play a critical role in the safety and prosperity of our nation,” stated U.S. Attorney Stewart. “Day after day they watch over our communities and confront crime and violence where it happens, placing their own lives at risk in the process. We take time this week to honor and recognize those we have lost and thank those that continue to serve. I encourage all citizens to do just that, not only this week, but each week to come.”

           In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19.

           Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks[1] were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.

           The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.

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Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.

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[1] An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

RALEIGH, N.C. – On May 10, 2022, Reshod Jamar Everett, 36, of Cumberland County, was found guilty by a federal jury on six felony drug and firearm offenses. The charges arose from Everett’s armed drug trafficking operation that he ran from his home, which he also operated as a daycare center.  Agents seized drugs, more than $65,000, and eight loaded firearms from the home, including loaded, high-powered rifles.

“Armed drug trafficking poses a significant danger to the community, particularly when loaded guns and drugs are stored at an in-home daycare,” said Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  “I am proud of our trial team and investigative partners with the Fayetteville Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service,” Easley said.  

Everett was convicted of the following charges:

• Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and a quantity of tetrahydrocannabinol;
• Possession with intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana and a quantity of cocaine, and aiding and abetting;
• Possession with intent to distribute a quantity of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and a quantity of tramadol;
• Possession with intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana, and aiding and abetting; and
• Two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and information presented at trial, Reshod Everett was charged by Superseding Indictment on August 18, 2021.

In 2018, investigators with the Fayetteville Police Department determined that Everett was distributing large amounts of controlled substances in the Fayetteville area, including from an apartment in Fayetteville.

On July 16, 2018, agents conducted a traffic stop of a Cadillac driven by co-defendant Alvin Milton Davis as it left the apartment complex. In the vehicle, agents found marijuana, cocaine, and a loaded handgun with an extended magazine.

The same day, agents obtained a search warrant for the apartment and seized more than 36 pounds of marijuana, more than 300 grams of cocaine, and a loaded CZ Scorpion firearm. The apartment was leased by Reshod Everett, with Alvin Davis listed as an authorized occupant.

Investigators then determined that Everett’s primary residence was on Ronald Reagan Drive in Fayetteville, and that he and his wife operated an in-home daycare in the residence.

On July 17, 2018, agents obtained a search warrant, and in the house, agents seized more than $65,000, eight firearms, ammunition, and THC edibles. The firearms included handguns and high-powered rifles, including a PS90 rifle and a loaded DPMS Arms rifle with the selector switch set to “fire.” A witness testified that the PS90 rifle was powerful enough to pierce body armor.

In a detached shed, agents seized almost 300 grams of concentrated THC wax, tramadol, and drug packaging materials.

Investigators then identified a storage unit used by Everett. A search warrant was issued for the storage unit, and on July 18, 2018, it was found to contain more than 65 pounds of marijuana.

Witness testimony established that Everett was responsible for more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and more than five kilograms of cocaine, as well as a quantity of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Co-defendant Alvin Milton Davis, III, was previously convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 11 years.

Sentencing for Everett is scheduled to occur during the court’s August 22, 2022 term of court.

The Defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum of life imprisonment.

Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case, and the Internal Revenue Service assisted at trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Lemmon and Caroline Webb prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:20-CR-333-D-1.

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