Month: November 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been convicted by a federal trial jury of illegally possessing the firearm he used in a home invasion robbery.

Theodore Watkins Jr., 32, was found guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 1, of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Independence police officers were called to a residence at 11:25 a.m. on May 12 by a neighbor who reported that he saw Watkins push his way into the residence of an elderly woman. The caller said they thought they observed something in the man’s hand when he forced entry.

Officers arrived at the residence and established a perimeter. A SWAT unit and hostage negotiators also arrived, and after making announcements on the loudspeaker, the victim came out of the residence through the front door. A short time later, Watkins came out of the residence and was taken into custody.

The victim, who was visibly shaken and had bruising on her right arm, told investigators that Watkins originally came to her door and offered to mow her lawn. He came back a few minutes later, she said, and forced the door open, forcing his way into the residence. Watkins pointed a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm handgun at her and said, “Where’s the money?”

Watkins dumped out her purse and took the money from it, then began going through her dresser drawers, closets, and other areas of the house. He used her cordless phone and her cell phone to make calls, including a call to his wife. At one point, while he was on the phone telling his wife to come and pick him up, he asked the victim for her address.

When police arrived, Watkins told the victim to tell officers they were friends and he was helping her do yard work. Watkins threatened that, if she didn’t, he would have his friends come back and kill her. Watkins hid his gun in a furnace return air vent in the bedroom. Police officers found the firearm when they searched the house.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Watkins has two prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for burglary, two prior felony convictions for armed criminal action, and prior felony convictions for drug trafficking, kidnapping, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about an hour and 15 minutes before returning a guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 31.

Under federal statutes, Watkins is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

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

Oxford, MS – A Shannon man was sentenced Tuesday to over 13 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and illegal firearm possession.

According to court documents, Demond Fleming, 43, of Shannon, Mississippi, was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock to serve a total of 160 months in prison following his previous guilty plea to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Fleming was sentenced to 120 months for the firearms offense and 160 months for the drug offense with the sentences ordered to run concurrent to each other. Upon release from incarceration, Fleming will be placed on supervised release for a period of four years. Following the sentencing hearing, Fleming was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi made the announcement following Tuesday’s sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, North Mississippi Narcotics Unit, and Tupelo Police Department.

This operation was one of many parts 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. 

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – A Texas man pleaded guilty today to felony charges, including assaulting law enforcement officers, during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Joshua Lee Hernandez, 29, of Houston, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, and interfering with officers during a civil disorder.

            According to court documents, Hernandez traveled from Memphis, Tennessee, to Washington, D.C. On Jan. 6, 2021, he illegally entered the restricted grounds of the Capitol, heading to the Lower West Terrace area, and inciting the crowd by waving a flag and chanting. At 2:13 p.m., he entered the Capitol through a window near the Senate Wing Doors, carrying a flagpole. Over the next 40 minutes, he moved through the Senate Wing, the Crypt, the House Speaker’s Conference Room, and the Rotunda, among various places, with the flagpole.

            Between 2:35 and 2:40 p.m., Hernandez joined rioters who were confronting law enforcement officers at the East Rotunda interior door. He shouted and waved at others to join him in a group push against the officers in order for the mob to open the doors to other rioters outside. He braced and pushed with the group, causing the East Rotunda doors to open to those outside. He then moved around the group of rioters, moved the flagpole up, reached with it over the group of rioters surrounding the officers, and hit one officer on his riot helmet with the flagpole.

            At 2:46 p.m., Hernandez entered the Senate Gallery, carrying the flagpole.  He left the Gallery after a few minutes, exiting the Capitol at 2:52 p.m.

            Hernandez was arrested on Feb. 23, 2022, in Memphis. He is to be sentenced on Feb. 2, 2023. He faces a statutory maximum of eight years in prison for assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, and five years in prison for civil disorder. Both charges also carry potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Memphis Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Hernandez as #27 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 21 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 880 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to assaulting law enforcement officers and other charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Philip S. Young, 60, of Sewell, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to an indictment charging him with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, and interfering with officers during a civil disorder, both felony offenses, and five related misdemeanor charges.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, at approximately 2:46 p.m., Young was illegally on the Capitol grounds, standing on stairs leading to the Upper West Terrace. Someone in the crowd shouted, “1, 2, 3, go!” Young hurriedly went up the stairs. He was one of several people that lifted and pushed a metal bicycle rack barricade into a line of law enforcement officers. Later, at approximately 3:54 p.m., he had made his way to the east courtyard of the Capitol, where he was seen letting the air out of a black U.S. government vehicle.

            Young was arrested on Aug. 19, 2021, in Sewell, New Jersey. He is to be sentenced on Jan. 31, 2023. He faces a statutory maximum of eight years in prison for assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, a maximum of five years in prison for civil disorder, and a maximum of four years on the misdemeanor charges. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office and its South Jersey Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Young as #276 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 21 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 880 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PITTSBURGH – A former resident of Fort Worth, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been sentenced in federal court to 78 months’ incarceration and 15 years of supervised release on his conviction of violating the Mann Act by transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose having the minor engage in prostitution and conspiracy, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence yesterday on Oscar Carter, 38, formerly of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

On July 11, 2022, Carter pleaded guilty and admitted that he agreed and conspired with another individual, Shelby Summer Brown, to commit an offense against the United States, that is, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual, Minor A (an individual who had not yet attained the age of 18 years) to travel in interstate commerce, from Ohio to Pennsylvania, to engage in prostitution and any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, and did so, from March 6, 2018 through March 14, 2018.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes members of the Cranberry Township Police Department and the City of Pittsburgh Bueau of Police, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Carter.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.