Month: June 2022

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Security News: Operation Washout Classic City Results in Arrests of Most Wanted Individuals in Athens-Clarke County Region

Source: United States Department of Justice News

ATHENS, Ga. –An eight-day multi-agency operation to curb violent crime in the Athens-Clarke County and surrounding communities resulted in wanted repeat violent offenders and documented gang members taken into custody on various state charges. These cases are currently under federal investigation and no federal charges have been filed at this time.

“Operation Washout Classic City” took place between May 18 – 25, amassing federal, state and local law enforcement resources to arrest the most wanted individuals in the area, including repeat violent offenders and gang members, who had eluded police. The operation was led by the U.S. Marshals Service-Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (USMS SERFTF), and included FBI, ATF, DEA, GBI, Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS), Georgia State Patrol (GPS), Organized Crime and Gang Unit-Atlanta (OCAG), Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, Oglethorpe County Sheriff’s Office, Athens-Clarke County Police Department and Western Circuit District Attorney’s Office with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

Arrest and search warrants executed during this time period resulted in 49 arrests; 13 are documented gang members of Ghostface Gangsters, Gangster Disciples, Bloods and 1831 Piru. The individuals taken into custody as part of the operation are facing various state charges including probation violations for violent crimes, aggravated assault, rape and robbery. During the operation, law enforcement seized five firearms and a quantity of illegal drugs.

“Reducing violent crime in the Athens-Clarke County region and in every community across the Middle District of Georgia is the highest priority,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Leary. “Partnering directly with community stakeholders and law enforcement through Project Safe Neighborhoods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office aims to direct our resources toward addressing the most significant drivers of violent crime in each community and taking action.”

“Operation Washout Classic City is a great example of federal, state and local law enforcement partners working together to make a significant impact on reducing violent crime in our communities,” said USMS-SERFTF Deputy Commander John Edgar.

“The success of Operation Washout Classic City and initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods speak directly to what can be accomplished through collaboration and shared goals. The goal of directing resources to the most violent offenders in our community as a means to reducing violent crime is a strategy we can all unify behind,” stated District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez. “We are grateful for the strong work of our partners in the pursuit of creating a safer Athens-Clarke County.”

“The Athens-Clarke County community will not tolerate violent crime and criminal street gangs. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is committed to protecting the citizens of Athens-Clarke County and Operation Washout Classic City is an example of what we can achieve when federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies work collaboratively, with a unified goal of removing violent, repeat offenders from our community,” said ACCPD Interim Chief of Police Jerry Saulters. “ACCPD appreciates the hard work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners and the support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.”

“Crime in our area is a regional problem. Through efforts like this one, we want to ensure those that engage in the criminal lifestyle do not find a comfortable place to stay in Oglethorpe County,” said Oglethorpe County Sheriff David Gabrielle.

The following individuals were taken into custody on state charges as part of Operation Washout Classic City; those who are documented street gang members are noted below:

Demetrius Bankston, 39, Cocaine

David Bingham, 39, Probation Violation, Ghostface Gangsters affiliation

Bradley Blakely, 34, Probation Violation, Ghostface Gangsters affiliation       

Larry Bolton, 20, Robbery, 1831 Piru affiliation

Eric Brunson, 45, Illegal Drugs         

Melvin Bryant, 56, Probation Violation        

Delvin Buckles, 35, Aggravated Assault, Gangster Disciples affiliation           

Jarvis Clark, 22, Probation Violation/Bond Violation, Crips affiliation

Denzell Davis, 29, Aggravated Assault, Sex, Money, Murder affiliation (sub-set of Bloods)

Reginald Dillard, 61, Probation Violation    

Trellis Drake, 36, Probation Violation, Gangster Disciples affiliation

Domeeka Dunn, 33, Obstruction                   

Reco Echols, 45, Probation Violation, Gangster Disciples affiliation

Rodney Edwards, 34, Bond Violation, Gangster Disciples affiliation

Dominque Faust, 33, Probation Violation

Alden Fleming, 31, Failure to Appear

Jeffery Foote, 58, Burglary                

Brandy Franklin, 27, Cocaine           

Jason Jackson, 36, Rape        

Andrew Jackson, 41, Probation Violation, Bloods affiliation

David Jones, 39, Probation Violation

Joshua Kell, 30, Probation Violation, Ghostface Gangsters affiliation

Carey Kimbro, 52, Probation Violation

Roy Dale Kirk , 56, Illegal Drugs                  

Michael Kiser, 35, Probation Violation, Gangster Disciples affiliation

Quincy Lassiter, 20, Probation Violation

Darious Latimore, 24, Probation Violation

Andrew Lattimore, 59, Probation Violation

Terrance McGuire, 31, Parole Violation

Gregory McIntosh, 65, Aggravated Assault

Joshua Pappe, 29, Probation Violation

Jamie Parker, 37, Probation Violation

Keyron Pass, 29, Aggravated Assault                       

Bryan Prather, 44, Stalking               

Yobani Rico, 31, Methamphetamine            

Justin Rogers, 30, Methamphetamine, Ghostface Gangsters affiliation

Shanika Rucker, 31, Aggravated Assault

Johnnty Saylors, 46, Parole Violation

Antoine Stewart, 30, Aggravated Assault                             

Amber Tatum, 34, Probation Violation         

Jerilyn Titus, 44, Methamphetamine            

Steven Walls, 40, Illegal Drugs                     

Derrion Watson, 20, Probation Violation

Rufus Whitfield, 59, Failure to Appear

Steven Williams, 33, Aggravated Assault     

Reavco Woodall, 37, Violation Probation    

Jose Yanez, 22, Sodomy

In addition, two juveniles were taken into custody for armed robbery charges.                      

Operation Washout Classic City was conducted 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.

In addition, Operation Washout Classic City is a response to The Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy announced on May 26, 2021. The comprehensive strategy supports local communities in preventing, investigating and prosecuting gun violence and other violent crime—and requires U.S. Attorneys’ offices to work with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, as well as the communities they serve, to address the most significant drivers of violence in their districts.

Criminal charges are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Security News: Toledo Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Motorcoach Buses and Defrauding Church Group

Source: United States Department of Justice News

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Derrick Lamont Jones, 57, of Toledo, was sentenced on May 31, 2022, to 54 months in prison and ordered to pay $21,702 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after Jones pleaded guilty to stealing motorcoach buses from various businesses and defrauding a church tour group.

According to court documents, from 2003 through 2019, Jones conspired together with codefendant Kelly Marie Thomas to steal, conceal and transport motorcoach buses.  Court records state that between April 2003 and April 2009, Jones stole several buses from businesses in Ohio and elsewhere, including Ground Transportation Specialists in Taylor, Michigan; Lakefront Lines in Toledo, Ohio; Seniors Unlimited in Pontiac, Michigan and American Heritage Trails in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

According to court records, Jones had prior experience working as a bus driver and was familiar with the operations of the vehicles.  After stealing a bus, Jones would take steps to conceal the fact that the bus was stolen, including altering vehicle identification numbers, changing exterior paint and removing company logos and markings.

As part of the conspiracy, Jones and Thomas would offer charter bus transportation services to passengers in Ohio and elsewhere through advertisements on the internet, on social media and in local newspapers.  Jones and Thomas offered these services under the names of Destiny Tours, Kelly Tours, Marie’s Tours and Travel, Elite Tours and GT Tours.  Jones and Thomas purportedly offered these services as compliant with the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations when, in fact, they knew that these companies were never incorporated and never received operating authority from the DOT or FMCSA.

In one instance, in December 2017, Jones entered into a contract with a church group from Toledo for $3,200 to provide charter bus services from Toledo to New York City.  Court documents state that Jones received approximately $2,200 in cash prior to the scheduled departure date of the trip but failed to take the group on the trip and never returned the payment he had received.

Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy, interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, violation of FMCSA regulations, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Zouhary ordered Jones to pay restitution to the church group that he defrauded and restitution to the various business that owned the buses he stole for damages and bus retrieval costs.

Kelly Marie Thomas was previously sentenced to three years of probation for her role in the conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, with assistance by the U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Ohio Division, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Toledo Police Department and the Michigan State Police.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jody L. King.

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Defense News: Faces of MCIPAC: From Korean Army to U.S. Navy chaplain

Source: United States Navy

Friday nights at the barracks are a buzz with the chatter of Marines and Sailors excited to have finally made it to the weekend. Through the hallways floats the warm, buttery smell of freshly made pancakes. The scent entices the residents wandering the hallways, leading them by their noses to the kitchen where they find a group of service members laughing and talking while whipping up a feast of breakfast for dinner. The last Friday of each month, the chaplains head over to the barracks and spend the night talking with, and making pancakes for, single service members in an activity fondly referred to as “stacks with chaps!”

Adding another pancake to the ever-growing stack of flap jacks, one of the chaplains, Lieutenant Commander Junsub Um, introduces himself to the new faces around the barracks.

“My name is Chaplain Junsub Um,” he says. “It’s very easy to remember, because if you ever forget, you just have to think, ‘what is it? Umm…’ and it’s already come to you!” 

With a constant smile on his face and such a positive outlook, there would never be any doubt in someone’s mind that he is exactly where he wants to be. However, he did not always want to be in the military, and he also didn’t always have the choice.

“I was born and raised in South Korea. As a young male, there is an obligation as a citizen that you need to serve in the military,” he explained. “So, I had to join; I was forced to join.” 

Um joined the Korean Army and served for two and a half years, which he found to be a very eye-opening experience. The transition from being at home and with family to living the military lifestyle was jarring. 

One of the most difficult parts of early military life for him was that the busyness kept him from going to church.  

“Our seniors gave us a lot of chores on Sundays, so I was not able to go to church. It was difficult to go through.” 

Eventually, he met a Korean Army chaplain. Um explained to the chaplain that he hadn’t been able to attend any religious services. After Um expressed how missing opportunities to go to the chapel affected him, the chaplain notified Um’s chain of command. This intervention allowed Um to go to chapel on Sundays, where he was then able to find a support system.  

“I felt much better,” Um said. “I was still isolated from family members, but I was able to go to church and I was connected with a community.”  

In the following years, through the religious services and support of the community he had gained, he felt himself becoming more resilient. He grew to understand how to handle the stressors in his life.  

After his obligatory service in the Korean Army, Um moved to the United States and attended seminary, the college one goes to when training to be a minister. His time in seminary was incredibly stressful for him. He was a fulltime student, a youth pastor, and a custodial worker at the seminary he was attending. On top of learning English, he was studying Hebrew and Greek.  

“It was a lot of stress,” He explained. “But military experience helped me to keep moving forward.”  

After graduation from seminary, Um accepted a job in Jacksonville, Florida as an education pastor, where he primarily worked with the local youth. Working with them was something important for Um because he knew how much of a difference that having religious and spiritual support can have on someone during their formative years, as it did on himself.  

After his four-year contract with the church, Um began to look towards the future of his career and where he wanted to go.  

“I thought about the military because of my background,” he said. “I knew that to young service members it is so important to have that support.” What he had endured early in his career motivated him to help other young service members learn to cope with stress and gain resiliency, by becoming a chaplain.  

Um said he felt a calling to become a chaplain in the U.S. Navy. Today, he prides himself on serving as a chaplain at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. His time as a chaplain brought him to various duty stations around the world where he served with Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, to include Marine Corps Base Hawaii and U.S Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan.

At MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, where Um is stationed now, he continually offers support of all kinds. Um supports the station itself with community relations events to foster positive relationships with the local community. One such event, supported by the chapel, gave Marines the opportunity to go off base to a Japanese preschool and share Christmas presents.

He also supports the Marines and Sailors as a collective. At any squadron PT event, he is sure to be there punching and jabbing a long with the rest.

There are classes that every Marine new to the station is required to take and other classes that are simply offered to support service members that Um will be present at and teach, like “One Love” a class that informs young service members about healthy relationships.

Chaplain Um also supports the individuals on base with one-on-one counseling, and he is always open and available to just sit with and talk to those who need a helping hand.

The military background helps him to empathize and understand young service members who talk to him, whether it’s a casual conversation at a squadron event or a personal conversation at the chapel. Having been through the same things, Um knows what it is like to feel isolated, lonely, and homesick, which are common feelings of new service members.

Because of his experiences as a young man in the military, he knew the importance of the spiritual support that chaplains can provide. Um is now offering the same support he was given when that ROK Army chaplain took the time to intervene and create opportunities for Um to find the support he needed.  He helps support Marines and Sailors spiritually, and he offers hospitality and community. From counseling service members, to flipping pancakes on a Friday night in the barracks, Chaplain Um is always around and bringing a little bit of positivity to the Iwakuni Community.

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Security News: Canton Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearm and Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Marijuana

Source: United States Department of Justice News

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Chance R. Young, 26, of Canton, Ohio, was sentenced on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, to ten years in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan after Young pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on December 4, 2020, Young was arrested by law enforcement officers with the FBI and FBI Safe Streets Task Force on multiple outstanding warrants for kidnapping, aggravated robbery and felonious assault issued by the Canton Municipal Court.  Following the arrest, authorities executed a search warrant at the known residence of  Young.  During the search, authorities obtained a handgun with a loaded magazine and an attached weapon light, a rifle with a loaded magazine, several bags of marijuana and quantities of fentanyl.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Canton Police Department and FBI Safe Streets Task Force.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Damoun Delaviz.

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Security News: Two Men Charged in Indictment with Distributing Narcotics, Including Fentanyl, and Causing the Deaths of Four Persons on the East End of Long Island in the Summer of 2021

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A seven-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Central Islip charging Marquis Douglas, also known as “Prince” and “President,” and Jesse Pace, also known as “Jah,” with conspiring to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and crack cocaine.  The indictment also charges Douglas and Pace with distribution of controlled substances resulting in four separate deaths on August 13, 2021.  The indictment separately charges Douglas with the possession of fentanyl and cocaine in Suffolk County in May 2022.  Pace was arrested this morning and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione.  Douglas, who is already in federal custody on related charges, will be arraigned at a later date.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced the charges.

“The defendants’ drug sales caused four overdose deaths in a single day last summer, contributing to the tragic history of the opioid epidemic that has claimed too many lives on Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Dealing deadly drugs in this district will be met with severe consequences.  At the same time, we are working to reduce the availability of these drugs and prevent new addictions in our efforts to save lives.  It is our hope that the federal prosecution of Douglas and Pace will bring some solace to the families of the four victims who died as a result of the defendants’ actions.” 

Mr. Peace also extended his thanks to the Riverhead Police Department for their assistance in investigation.

“Tragically, as overdose deaths continue to rise, people are still peddling these poisons into our communities.  Fortunately our focus on the illegal drug epidemic hasn’t waned, and bringing Douglas and Pace to justice shows our pursuit of these dealers hasn’t either,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.

“We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their assistance in helping us get these dangerous drug dealers off of our streets,” stated District Attorney Tierney. “These defendants, while in federal custody, will no longer be able to sell fentanyl and other dangerous drugs to unwitting customers and pose a danger to the community.”

The charges arise from Douglas and Pace allegedly distributing cocaine and a fentanyl analogue, flourofentanyl, which led to a series of overdose deaths, on the East End of Long Island in 2021.  As set forth in the indictment and other court filings, Douglas and Pace allegedly engaged in a years’ long conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, 280 grams of crack cocaine, 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of a fentanyl analogue.  In August of 2021, Douglas and Pace distributed cocaine laced with a fentanyl analogue in Greenport, New York.  When their drugs were re-distributed at the street level, it caused four fatal overdoses on August 13, 2021.  The bodies were found the following day.  More recently, while travelling as a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic infraction in Suffolk County on May 5, 2022, Douglas was found in possession of distribution quantities of cocaine and fentanyl.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, each defendant faces up to life imprisonment.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Maffei and Andrew P. Wenzel, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Dana Gremaux are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendants:

MARQUIS DOUGLAS (also known as “Prince” and “President”)
Age: 36
Riverhead, New York

JESSE PACE (also known as “Jah”)
Age: 38
Riverhead, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-246 (JS)