Month: September 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Elena E. Rivers, 30, and Tryton Alonzo Thomas, 33, both of Many, Louisiana, have been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in the Sabine Parish area. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced the defendants as follows:

Thomas was sentenced to 262 months (21 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.  Rivers was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Sabine Parish Tactical Narcotics Team began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities in the Many, Louisiana area. According to evidence presented to the court, Thomas sold methamphetamine to numerous individuals. Specifically, law enforcement agents obtained video evidence in September 2021, when Thomas sold over 100 grams of methamphetamine on four occasions.  On September 29, 2021, agents observed Rivers drive Thomas from her house to conduct a drug transaction. When Thomas and Rivers arrived, law enforcement agents attempted to make a traffic stop but Rivers placed the car in gear and fled the scene. As she fled, she narrowly missed hitting two deputies who were on foot. During the chase that ensued, deputies observed Thomas throw a bag containing a white substance from the car. Deputies were able to locate and recover the bag which contained methamphetamine. Rivers and Thomas were apprehended by law enforcement agents. Following the chase, deputies executed a search warrant on Rivers’ residence and discovered methamphetamine, marijuana, 60 ecstasy pills, and numerous prescription drugs.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Sabine Parish Tactical Narcotics Team and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody. This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

ROANOKE, Va. – Two more Roanoke men involved in a fatal shooting at an Eastern Avenue drug house in the City of Roanoke pleaded guilty today in federal court for their roles in the shootings and related drug trafficking activity.

Chad Matthew Custer, 23, and Aaron Lee Woods, 28, pled guilty today to one count each of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 100 kilograms or more of marijuana as well as one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Darion Mantez Harvey, 24, previously pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced in May 2022 to 26 years in federal prison.  Custer and Woods face a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

“The rise in violent crime we have seen in the Western District of Virginia must be met by an all-hands-on-deck approach to law enforcement. Local, state, and federal agencies are working together to bring to justice those individuals who act with brazen disregard for human life,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “In this gun battle, a young man lost his life, and three others will be changed forever.  Violence is never a solution, and those who choose to engage in violence will be held accountable.”

“We are fully prepared to handle to the challenges that surround combating violent gun crime and narcotics distribution within our communities,” said ATF Washington Field Division Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson. “We will continue to utilize intelligence led policing methods as we work alongside our law enforcement partners.  This collaboration will continue to aid in dismantling drug trafficking organizations and disrupting the illegal possession of firearms that often plague our neighborhoods.”

“Gun violence is often a companion to drug trafficking, and this is an unfortunate result of that pairing. Nothing can erase the pain that the family and loved ones of this young man feel after his life was taken, but we hope this plea brings some amount of peace and comfort to them,” said Roanoke Police Chief Sam Roman. “This investigation was difficult and lengthy, but we are glad we could work with our partners at the state, local, and federal level to achieve this outcome. Violent crime has no place in Roanoke. The members of the Roanoke Police Department are committed to doing all we can to identify those who are perpetrating violent crime in our community and hold them accountable for their actions.”

According to court documents, in October 2018, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating a drug trafficking organization involving Woods, Custer, and  Harvey.

During the course of the investigation, authorities learned that Woods, Harvey, Custer, and other co-conspirators used Woods’ apartment on Eastern Avenue as the primary site for their large-scale  distribution of marijuana in the Roanoke Valley from late 2017 through approximately August 2019.  Witnesses told police that customers would stream in and out of the apartment at all hours of the day and night buying marijuana from the defendants, who kept their loaded firearms in plain view. 

In the early evening hours of July 10, 2018, a car containing five individuals arrived at the Eastern Avenue apartment where a gun battle broke out with Harvey, Woods, and Custer on one side and the newly-arrived individuals on the other. While four of the individuals fled on foot, a fifth individual was in a vehicle driving away from the scene when a bullet struck him in the back of the head and killed him.  

Investigators recovered multiple firearms used by Woods, Harvey, and Custer during the shootout, including high-powered, military-style rifles with laser sights as well as multiple handguns and ammunition.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the City of Roanoke Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kari K. Munro, Charlene R. Day, and Matthew M. Miller prosecuted the case for the United States.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

BANGOR, Maine: An Augusta man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to assaulting a federal officer, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. The charge stems from an April incident at the Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building in Augusta.

According to court records, on April 20, 2022, Derik Broox Wight, 41, entered the Muskie Federal Building and approached the security screening station, which was staffed by personnel contracted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service. Wight pressed a security officer against a wall and put a knife to the area of his throat. A second security officer drew his service weapon and ordered Wight to drop the knife. When Wight refused to comply, the officer fired a single shot, striking him. Wight was transported to an area hospital where he was subsequently charged.

Wight faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“The Muskie Building houses multiple federal agencies, and the actions of these two security officers protected the lives of the many federal employees who work there,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee. “They should be commended for their brave actions which ensured that Mr. Wight was stopped at the security screening station, and no one else could be harmed.”

“Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer is dangerous and an extreme threat to public safety. Derik Wight is no exception, having admitted to pinning a protective security officer up against the wall with a knife at his throat, prompting another officer to take immediate action to prevent his colleague and innocent bystanders from being seriously hurt or killed,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We are incredibly thankful for that officer’s bravery, service, and dedication. Assaults on law enforcement officers undermine the rule of law, and those behind them will face significant consequences.”

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Augusta Police Department.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

DAVENPORT, IA – Eric Johnathan Hojka, age 50 of Iowa City, was sentenced on Monday, September 26, 2022, to 240 months in prison following his plea to charges of Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Distribution of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine Resulting in Death.

According to court documents, first responders went to Hojka’s Iowa City apartment in reference to an unconscious man. Paramedics were unable to revive the man and he was pronounced dead. An investigation revealed the man had ingested methamphetamine he received from Hojka and had died from methamphetamine intoxication. Hojka had been obtaining methamphetamine for several months and was distributing it.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa City Police Department and the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office investigated the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging TEEJAY JOHNSON, 37, of New Haven, with unlawful firearm possession and fentanyl distribution offenses.

The indictment was returned on September 6, 2022.  Johnson, who has been detained since his federal arrest on April 21, 2022, appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in count, on March 9, 2022, members of the New Haven Police Department Shooting Task Force and other law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant at Johnson’s residence.  Johnson was found coming out of the bathroom and suspected narcotics had been flushed down the toilet.  Investigators collected samples of suspected narcotics from the bathroom, and found in other areas of the residence fentanyl and other suspected narcotics, suspected marijuana, more than $8,600 in cash, and a loaded .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine and 16 rounds of ammunition.

Johnson’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm and assault related offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

The indictment charges Johnson with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that charges are not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia King.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.