Month: October 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Kelvin R. Portwood with forcibly assaulting two Transportation Security Agency (TSA) Officers at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. 

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

According to the indictment, Kelvin R. Portwood, 55, of Winchester, Kentucky, was charged with interference with security screening personnel and two counts of forcibly assaulting, resisting, and impeding officers of the United States government. Portwood was charged by criminal complaint and was arrested on September 30, 2022. 

The defendant appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Kentucky for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint on October 2, 2022. If convicted, Portwood faces up to 26 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being investigated by the FBI, the TSA, the U.S. Air Marshal Service, and the Louisville Airport Police, with the assistance of the Clark County Kentucky Sheriff’s Office and the Mount Sterling Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

Paducah, KY – A Paducah man was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,000 for fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Jerry C. Templet, Jr. Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.

According to court documents, between June 30, 2020, and July 3, 2020, Travon D. Jones, 27, of Paducah, Kentucky, stole $10,000 from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The EIDL program is a CARES Act financial assistance program which provided loan assistance (including $10,000 advances) for small businesses and other eligible entities for loans up to $2 million. The EIDL proceeds could be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the COVID-19 disaster not occurred. The EIDL application Jones submitted through the SBA online portal contained false statements and misrepresentations.

Jones was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.

The Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with the assistance of the Paducah Police Department and the Small Business Association Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Colon, age 41, of Troy, New York was sentenced yesterday to 46 months in prison for distributing fentanyl.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.

In pleading guilty, Colon admitted that from August 31, 2020 through December 15, 2020, he ran a drug trafficking organization that operated in Albany and Rensselaer counties.  As the leader of this operation, Colon distributed and agreed with others to distribute approximately 125 grams of fentanyl on multiple occasions throughout Albany and Troy.  Colon forfeited $560,548 in seized cash, which represented proceeds of his fentanyl distribution operation.   

United States District Judge Mae. A. D’Agostino also sentenced Colon to serve 4 years of post-release supervision. 

This case was investigated by the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned a single-count indictment yesterday charging a local man with violating a federal law prohibiting false information and hoaxes.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

According to court documents, on August 12, 2022, Jimmy Smith, Jr., 50, engaged in conduct with intent to convey false and misleading information under circumstances where such information may reasonably be believed and where such information indicates that an activity has taken, is taking, or will take place that would constitute a violation of federal law relating to a bomb.

If convicted, Smith faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and Louisville Metro Police Department are investigating the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging James Hickman III with illegal possession of a firearm.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the U.S. Marshal Service for the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement.

According to the indictment, James Hickman III, 29, of Louisville, was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Hickman was previously convicted in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with the felonies of facilitation of robbery in the first degree, assault under extreme emotional disturbance, and tampering with physical evidence.

The defendant will make an initial court appearance on a later date before a U. S. Magistrate Judge of the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Hickman faces up to 15 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being investigated by the ATF, United States Marshals Service, and the Louisville Metro Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Porter.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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