Month: June 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

On June 15, 2022, a federal grand jury sitting in Brooklyn, New York returned a 14-count superseding indictment charging Marcus Ricketts, also known as “Blaise,” and Mark Goulbourne, also known as “Short Man,” with causing death through the use of firearms in connection with the December 3, 2021 murder of an individual in Brighton Beach, New York.  The superseding indictment, which was unsealed last night, also charges Ricketts, Mark Goulbourne and four additional defendants—Jonathan Goulbourne, also known as “Bobcat,” Romeo Desmond Jonas, also known as “Tee,” Chevonne Williams, also known as “Chevy,” and Amari Webber, also known as “Smooth”—with Hobbs Act robbery, drug trafficking and firearms offenses, and one defendant, Juvanie Crossgill, also known as “Geo,” with serving as an accessory to the murder.

According to court filings, the defendants are members and associates of an armed robbery crew, operating since at least July 2020, targeting marijuana trafficking businesses in Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx. 

Ricketts, Jonathan Goulbourne and Jonas are in custody on the underlying indictment and will be arraigned at a later date.  Crossgill was arrested on June 15, 2022, arraigned the following day and released on bail.  Yesterday, Williams and Webber were arrested in Georgia and will be removed to the Eastern District of New York to make their initial appearances.  Mark Goulbourne remains at large.

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 Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges.

“As alleged, the defendants’ robbery and drug trafficking activity exploded into violence with three persons shot, one of them fatally, demonstrating the lethal combination of guns and narcotics plaguing our communities,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This Office is working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to hold these drivers of violent crime accountable and take away their means to wreak havoc.”

“The violence plaguing the streets of our city must be addressed by stopping the violent criminals who are killing each other over illegal drugs.  Innocent people are being harmed by these rivalries, and fear now dictates how we go about our lives.  It has to stop.  When the FBI New York and our law enforcement partners arrest and prosecute these criminals, we get closer to a safer community,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.

“Today, New York City is safer because of the exceptional effort and steadfast dedication of everyone involved in this investigation and indictment,” said NYPD Commissioner Sewell.  “The NYPD and our law enforcement partners remain focused on the small number of people who are responsible for the crime and disorder in our city, and we are working tirelessly to identify them and get them off our streets.  As demonstrated by this case, the deadly combination of drug trafficking, illegal guns, and brutal violence is a grave threat to our communities – and will never be tolerated.  I want to thank the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the New York Field Office of the FBI, and everyone else who contributed to this important investigation.”

On December 2, 2021 and into the early morning of December 3, 2021, the defendants convened at an Airbnb in Brighton Beach, which had been rented for one night by the victim and his nephew, with several of the defendants posing as buyers in a wholesale marijuana transaction.  On December 3, shortly after midnight, the victim’s nephew and two male associates carried in four very large duffle bags of marijuana, approximately the size of hockey equipment bags.  Two hours later, a shootout ensued, leaving the victim fatally wounded and his nephew with a gunshot wound to the leg.  During the exchange of gunfire, Jonas was also shot in the abdomen.

Mark Goulbourne and Ricketts fled the scene with firearms in hand, and Ricketts with one of the duffle bags, which he transported on the handlebars of a stolen Citi Bike.  Mark Goulbourne retreated to a neighboring intersection, where he called his brother Jonathan Goulbourne, moments before entering an approaching car.  The car quickly reversed back up the street to the Airbnb.  Mark Goulbourne ran to the door with a firearm still in hand and peered inside, before reentering the car, which sped away.

Inside the Airbnb, the NYPD found the victim’s body and recovered two firearms, 15 shell casings, a money counting machine, a vacuum sealing machine, a bag containing real and counterfeit U.S. currency, and a duffle bag, inside of which were smaller, vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana.  In the vicinity, the NYPD recovered two additional firearms, as well as two duffle bags, inside of which were smaller, vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana.  The approximate weight of the marijuana recovered is 140 pounds.  The fourth duffle bag was not recovered.

If convicted, Ricketts, Mark Goulbourne, Jonathan Goulbourne and Jonas all face up to life imprisonment.  Ricketts, Mark Goulbourne and Jonathan Goulbourne face mandatory minimum sentences of 17 years’ imprisonment, and Jonas faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment.  Williams and Webber each face sentences of up to 20 years’ imprisonment, and Crossgill faces a sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment.  The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The charges are the result of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This case was brought as 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.  As part of the program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. 

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Tara McGrath and Chand Edwards-Balfour are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Gwyneth Hochhausler.

The Defendants:

MARCUS RICKETTS (also known as “Blaise”)
Age:  45
Jamaica

MARK GOULBOURNE (also known as “Short Man”)
Age:  48
Jamaica

JUVANIE CROSSGILL
Age:  27
Jamaica

JONATHAN GOULBOURNE
Age:  43
Brooklyn, New York

ROMEO JONAS
Age:  34
Atlanta, Georgia

AMARI WEBBER
Age:  31
Douglasville, Georgia

CHEVONNE WILLIAMS
Age:  43
Dallas, Georgia

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-106 (LDH)

Source: United States Department of Justice News

INDIANAPOLIS – Daniel Wilkinson, 30, of Floyds Knobs, Indiana, was sentenced yesterday to twelve years in federal prison after pleading guilty to five different Indianapolis area bank robberies, and two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

According to court documents, between September 5 and November 17, 2020, Wilkinson robbed five different Chase Bank branches in the Indianapolis area. During each robbery Wilkinson entered the bank alone and gave a teller a note announcing that he was robbing the bank and demanding money. During his bank robbery spree, Wilkinson stole a total of at least $30,805.

On November 13, 2020, Wilkinson entered a Chase Bank branch on Castle Creek Parkway Drive and handed a teller a hand-written note stating, “Stay calm stay quiet this is a robbery open your teller drawer and take all the money out I will shoot my way out if I have too.” Wilkinson then lifted his shirt to show a black handgun in his front pocket to the first teller, who handed Wilkinson cash from a bank register. Wilkinson later showed his handgun to another teller, who also handed Wilkinson approximately $2,263 in cash from another bank register.

On November 17, 2020, Wilkinson entered a Chase Bank branch on Kentucky Avenue and handed a teller a hand-written note stating, “Stay calm this is a robbery take all the money out of the drawer and any underneath…Place it in envelopes No tracers or Dye Packs If I have too I’ll Shoot.” The teller then handed Wilkinson cash from another bank register. Immediately following the bank robbery, IMPD SWAT officers located Wilkinson in the getaway car and stopped and arrested him. At the time of the arrest, Wilkson was armed with a black, 9mm handgun in his front pocket. IMPD officers searched the getaway car and recovered $6,377 inside Chase Bank envelopes, clothing worn in the robberies, and a notebook with writing impressions of a robbery demand note.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Chief Randal Taylor, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that Wilkinson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison and pay $30,805 in restitution to JP Morgan Chase Bank.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath who prosecuted this case.

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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

INDIANAPOLIS – Corey Thomas, 33, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to fifteen years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. 

According to court documents, on November 21, 2020, officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) responded to a domestic disturbance call involving a gun. Officers spoke with a woman who said Thomas was armed with a shotgun, had threatened to kill her, and that Thomas had left the residence in a black Jeep. Officers also discovered that Thomas had an outstanding warrant for armed robbery in Marion County. IMPD officers later located Thomas in possession of a loaded 20-gauge shotgun, sitting in a parking lot of a liquor store. Thomas is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including four separate armed robbery convictions. Because of his prior convictions, Thomas is an Armed Career Criminal under federal law and subject to enhanced penalties for illegally possessing a firearm.

“Time and again, we have seen that domestic violence by people with illegal access to firearms is a precursor to murder in the home and mass violence in public,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The serious sentence imposed here shows that violent, illegally armed criminals will face serious consequences in federal court. Our prosecutors will work closely with the ATF, IMPD, and other law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these offenders and make our communities and homes safer.”

“The defendant in this case has a history of violent acts, including armed robbery and domestic violence,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “We know that it is a few individuals who cause a large share of the violence we see. ATF and our partners at IMPD will continue to focus on those who are using guns to cause harm and remove them from our community.”

“This is yet another example of the value our federal partners bring to fighting violent crime in Indianapolis,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “I am grateful for the work our detectives, federal investigators, and federal prosecutors put into this case as well as their continued collaboration.”

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker following Thomas’s guilty plea. As part of the sentence, Judge Barker ordered that Thomas be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from prison

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Eakman who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call.  A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.

This case is also 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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PORTLAND, Ore.—An Indiana man was sentenced to federal prison today for repeatedly and intentionally jeopardizing the lives of police officers, destroying public property, and encouraging others to commit violence during protests that occurred in Portland in 2020.

Malik Fard Muhammad, 25, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

“In the summer of 2020, a historic protest movement in Portland was marred by violent rioters taking advantage of the momentum built by thousands of peaceful demonstrators. Sadly, this violence drastically changed the narrative around these protests and what they accomplished. In the lead up to and during protests, federal law enforcement is focused on doing everything we can to support the First Amendment rights of individuals while keeping all demonstrators, other community members, and law enforcement officers safe. Holding accountable those individuals whose sole focus is violence and destruction, like Mr. Muhammad, is central to our ongoing effort to support the rights of all Oregonians,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

“Malik Fard Muhammad intentionally planned and committed acts of violence that threatened other protestors, members of the public, and law enforcement officers. This type of violence has no place in our community,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Kieran Ramsey. “The FBI is committed to apprehending and charging violent instigators who plan, promote, and commit acts of violence and destruction. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the peaceful expression of free speech throughout Oregon.”

“The right to protest peacefully is absolute,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “But it is clear Mr. Muhammad didn’t come to exercise his rights. He came from out-of-state to bring violence to our community. This sentence should send a clear message to those who want to engage in violence that it will not be tolerated, and ATF will investigate these acts whenever they occur.”

“The risk of a law enforcement officer or community member being seriously hurt or killed by the actions of this individual was very real,” said Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell. “I’m gratified to know that he is being held accountable for the danger his criminal actions caused. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the investigators and prosecutors whose diligent, meticulous work made this sentence possible, as well as the members of PPB and other agencies who put themselves at risk to protect our city against violence and destruction during this period of time.”

According to court documents, in late summer 2020, Muhammad traveled to Portland with his girlfriend from their home in Indianapolis to violently engage in area riots. On September 5, 2020, during a large civil disturbance in east Portland, demonstrators threw dangerous objects at police, including commercial grade fireworks, Molotov cocktails, and bottles. Muhammad later pleaded guilty in Multnomah County Circuit Court to seriously burning a demonstrator by throwing a Molotov cocktail and providing baseball bats to members of the crowd.

Following Muhammad’s arrest in October 2020, law enforcement seized his cell phone and found messages where he bragged about providing the baseball bats to other rioters. The cell phone also contained a shopping list including common supplies used to make a Molotov cocktail. The day after the demonstration, police located a discarded baseball bat with a Goodwill price tag in the area where the event occurred. Police found the Goodwill store where the bat was purchased and obtained surveillance footage showing Muhammad and his girlfriend buying the bats and several “growler” bottles.

On September 21, 2020, during a large demonstration near the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Penumbra Kelly Building, law enforcement observed an individual light on fire and throw an object toward the building. One officer observed the burning object flying through the air toward his vehicle, landing approximately 15 feet from a police sound truck. Officers recovered the unexploded device. It consisted of a yellow glass growler with a Goodwill sticker on the bottom, a cloth wick, and an ignitable liquid. It was later determined that the growler was one of the items purchased at Goodwill by Muhammad and his girlfriend. A DNA analysis also linked the growler to Muhammad.

On September 23, 2020, protesters set fire to and broke windows at the Multnomah County Justice Center. When officers advanced toward the crowd, an individual threw a Molotov cocktail in a large yellow growler that landed in front of the officers, shattered, and exploded into a large fireball. While some officers were able to move out of the way, one officer’s leg caught fire. Several videos obtained by law enforcement show Muhammad throwing the explosive device.

On October 11, 2020, police were monitoring a protest involving approximately 250 people in downtown Portland. Members of the group began heavily vandalizing various buildings and parks including the Oregon Historical Society, Portland State University, a Starbucks coffee shop, and a Bank of America branch, among others. Law enforcement observed Muhammad in the crowd dressed in black. Portland Police officers reported observing Muhammad using a metal baton to smash the windows of several buildings and arrested him after a short chase. Muhammad possessed a loaded handgun magazine in his pocket. A loaded handgun matching the magazine found on Muhammad’s person was found discarded near the location of his arrest.

Muhammad’s trip to Portland does not appear to be an isolated event. Investigators obtained evidence that he traveled to Louisville, Kentucky in August 2020 to meet with anti-government and anti-authority violent extremist groups to conduct firearms and tactical training. Investigators also obtained several public social media posts by Muhammad promoting violence toward law enforcement in other cities including Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Chicago.

On May 28, 2021, Muhammad was charged by criminal complaint with possession of unregistered destructive devices, engaging in civil disorder and obstructing law enforcement, and using explosives to commit a felony. Later, on June 15, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Muhammad on the same charges. On May 28, 2022, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing unregistered destructive devices.

As part of his sentencing, Muhammad forfeited or abandoned his interest in a 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a second rifle, a pistol, assorted ammunition, and all seized Molotov cocktail components and ingredients.

Muhammad’s federal sentence will run concurrently with a 10-year sentence recently imposed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Muhmmad will serve his sentence in Oregon state prison.

U.S. Attorney Asphaug, Special Agent in Charge Ramsey, and Chief Lovell made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau, FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam E. Delph.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two men from Shreveport were sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. for illegally possessing firearms.

Damontra Vonravious Mandigo, 22, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Shreveport Police Department officers were patrolling an area in Shreveport on March 15, 2021 and observed a vehicle parked in the driveway of a vacant residence. Officers made contact with the individual in the driver’s seat, later identified as Mandigo. A search was conducted of his vehicle and law enforcement officers found a Zastava 7.62x39mm pistol. Officers were aware that Mandigo was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. He was arrested and later admitted to agents that the firearm was his. Mandigo’s prior felony convictions were for illegal use of a weapon in 2011, and attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2018.

Tramarciea Jovan Ruffins a/k/a “JJ,” 29, was sentenced to 50 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Ruffins was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 13, 2021 and he pleaded guilty to the charge on February 28, 2022. Officers with the Shreveport Police Department and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) attempted to make contact with Ruffins and another individual in a vehicle in the Cooper Road area of Shreveport on March 11, 2021. When the driver saw police, he drove off and fled the scene. Police chased the vehicle until it crashed. Both Ruffins and the driver jumped out after the crash and fled on foot. Police used K-9 dogs to locate them hidden in an exterior utility closet on Tulsa Street in Shreveport. Ruffins and the driver were arrested and advised of their Miranda rights. Officers searched the area and located firearms loaded with ammunition against the side wall of the residence where they were hiding. Ruffins admitted to law enforcement officers that he had been in possession of the Smith and Wesson .45 caliber pistol.  Ruffins was previously convicted of aggravated battery in 2014, and felon in possession of a firearm in 2018.

Both of these cases were investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.

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