Month: May 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

WICHITA, KAN. – The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas fined a recidivist violator of statutory and regulatory federal livestock laws under the Packers and Stockyards Act. 

The District Court also entered a lifetime ban against trader, John Rife, of Oswego, Kansas, for his violations of federal law and for breaching prior injunctive orders previously entered by the federal court. 

Rife did not substantively defend allegations filed by the United States of numerous violations of federal law. The violations include:

•    operating on a dealer basis of cattle transactions with a suspended registration;
•    operating without an adequate bond;
•    failing to maintain records and make records available to the federal inspectors; and
•    violating the federal court’s prior 2012 and 2017 orders imposing penalties and injunctive relief against Rife for similar conduct.

During a hearing on the matter, the United States argued that Rife’s operation as a cattle dealer and market agency without registering, bonding, or maintaining records potentially jeopardizes the financial integrity of the cattle markets. The United States also contended Rife’s failure to comply with federal law impairs the government’s ability to investigate and prevent the spread of disease.  

The District Court ordered Rife to pay the United States 15% of $1,799,168.50 in new and reinstated penalties, equaling $269,875.27. The remainder is set in abatement in case of future violations. The District Court further entered a lifetime ban against Rife, barring him from engaging in any further business within the USDA’s jurisdiction for which registration and bonding are required.   

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Packers and Stockyards Division investigated the case against Rife.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Brookreson and Christopher Allman brought the enforcement action on behalf of the United States.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Devro Hebron, age 38, of the District of Columbia, yesterday to 24 months’ imprisonment for the offense of Attempted Provision of Contraband to an Inmate.  The 24-month sentence must run consecutively to the federal prison sentence that Hebron was already serving at the time of the offense.   

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on January 19, 2019, while an inmate at United States Penitentiary, Canaan, located in Waymart, PA, and with the assistance of a prison visitor, Hebron attempted to smuggle Suboxone, an opiate and narcotic drug, into the prison, as part of a plan to sell the Suboxone strips for profit to other inmates.  Hebron was discovered in the act after being observed by prison staff to place an unknown object into his mouth while meeting with his visitor in the prison visiting area.  Hebron’s visitor, Sierra Lynn Holland, was separately prosecuted and convicted for her role in providing Hebron with the contraband.       

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St. John.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Adrian Hernandez-Gutierrez, age 36, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, yesterday to 24 months’ imprisonment and a one year term of supervised release, for the crimes of Aggravated Identity Theft, Social Security Account Number Fraud and Illegal Reentry of a Removed Alien.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on March 4, 2021, Hernandez-Gutierrez, a previously deported alien, was arrested in Hazleton, PA.  Further investigation revealed that Hernandez-Gutierrez fraudulently used the identity of a United States citizen, including a counterfeit social security card, to obtain a Pennsylvania Driver’s License.  Hernandez-Gutierrez then went on to use the stolen identity and the fraudulently obtained ID card to cash thousands of dollars in checks, thereby assisting his employer, the owner of a Hazleton, PA-based roofing company, in maintaining an all cash payroll that, in turn, allowed his employer to avoid employment tax responsibilities.  The employer, Charles Ehrenberg of Ehrenberg Roofing and Construction, Inc., was separately prosecuted and has pleaded guilty to criminal tax violations.      

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and IRS-Criminal Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St. John prosecuted the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

NASHVILLE – In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Mark H. Wildasin recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local 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 Merrick B. 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.”

“We pause this week to remember and honor the sacrifice of our brave law enforcement officers who gave their all in service to their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Wildasin.  “We will not forget their sacrifice and will continue their legacies in preserving peace and pursuing justice for the people of middle Tennessee.”

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, including two from the Middle District of Tennessee: Detective Derek Sidwell of the Overton County Sheriff’s Department and Deputy Sheriff Teresa Fuller of the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.

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.

[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. – United States Attorney Michael Easley today formally announced the expansion of the office’s continued efforts to enforce federal civil rights laws across Eastern North Carolina. These efforts will include an emphasis on community engagement and law enforcement training.

“Our office is committed to ensuring that all people are treated equally and fairly under the law,” said Easley. “Our Civil Rights Team will make the investigation of potential civil and criminal civil rights violations a top priority and bring appropriate action when warranted. We want the communities we serve to be free from discrimination.”

As part of the Civil Rights Initiative, the U.S. Attorney has designated a Civil Rights Team including Civil Rights Coordinators in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions as well as a designated Human Trafficking Coordinator.  The Civil Division Coordinator coordinates enforcement actions related to the protection of voter rights; disability rights or access; and discrimination in housing, healthcare, lending, employment, and education. The Criminal Division Coordinator coordinates criminal enforcement actions such as the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes and color of law violations. The Human Trafficking Coordinator oversees the investigation and prosecution of trafficking crimes such as forced labor, sex trafficking of minors, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. The coordinators work closely with the Office’s Chief Counsel for Litigation, who takes on special litigative projects in the area of civil rights. In addition to these dedicated prosecutors, the office will continue working with state and local law enforcement agencies and community groups to raise awareness of key civil rights issues. The Team will coordinate closely with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other federal agencies as needed.

As a part of its ongoing community outreach, the office has launched a new website with information about civil rights laws and details on how to submit civil rights complaints. In addition, the office is co-hosting a program on May 19 with the Apex Police Department, the Garden of Hope, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Apex to discuss the impact of human trafficking on the Asian Pacific Islander community. Beginning in June, the office is also co-hosting a series of monthly training sessions with the North Carolina Justice Academy to enhance law enforcement’s tools to avoid and manage community conflict, including training on de-escalation, use of force, community engagement, and civil rights laws. Other trainings and educational forums will be scheduled throughout the year.

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