Month: November 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Former prisoner transport officer, Rogeric Hankins, 37, pleaded guilty in federal court in the Western District of Missouri to violating a female detainee’s civil rights by sexually assaulting her.

“We acknowledge the courage of this survivor who reported the defendant’s egregious crimes as soon as she was dropped off in Minneapolis,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “A private prisoner transport officer’s job is to keep those in their custody safe and secure, and this defendant did the opposite. The Justice Department is committed to holding anyone carrying out a law enforcement function accountable when they abuse their authority to perpetrate such appalling crimes.”

“A private prisoner transport officer abused his position of trust and authority by sexually assaulting a detainee who was in his custody while transporting her through Missouri,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “Such a violent civil rights violation will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice. Individuals who wield their official power to rape and assault victims in their care will be held accountable for their criminal behavior.”

“This is a particularly heinous case as the defendant used his position and authority to commit his crime” said Special Agent in Charge Bob Meacham of the FBI Minneapolis Field Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure those who violate the color of law will be held accountable and the victim’s voices heard.”

According to the plea agreement, at the time of the offense, Hankins worked as a prisoner transport officer for Inmate Services Corporation. As a private prisoner transport officer, Hankins performed the government function of picking up individuals who were arrested on out-of-state warrants and transporting those individuals back to the jurisdictions that issued the warrants. On March 31, 2020, Hankins picked up the victim, a female detainee, from a jail in Olympia, Washington, to transport her to St. Paul, Minnesota.

On April 3, 2020, before arriving in Minnesota, Hankins stopped the transport van at a gas station in Joplin, Missouri. Hankins brought the victim into the gas station to use the bathroom. After the victim used the women’s bathroom, Hankins led her into the men’s bathroom, and told her to go into the stall furthest from the door. Once inside the stall, Hankins began to try to pull the victim’s shirt up. She resisted and told Hankins to stop. In response, Hankins told the victim to be quiet and made her perform a sexual act on him. Hankins then further sexually assaulted the victim, while bending her over a toilet seat.

A sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Hankins faces a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment, three years of mandatory supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Moore and Special Agent in Charge Meacham made the announcement.

The FBI Minneapolis Field Division, with assistance from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.

Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Charles M. McLoughlin will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election.

AUSA McLoughlin has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the election process,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Eligible voters must be able to cast their vote free from interference or discrimination. Likewise, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice, where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English.  

“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. Those who may have specific information about discrimination or election fraud can make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division,” Johnson said.

In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO McLoughlin will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 918-382-2713.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office can be reached by the public at (405) 290-7770.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Debra E. Craig, 66, of Converse, Louisiana, entered a guilty plea today before Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to one count of obtaining controlled substances by fraud.

Craig worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse Medical Assistant at the DeSoto Regional Health System in Mansfield, Louisiana and was assigned to work with Dr. Jeffrey L. Evans.

Dr. Evans convinced Craig to illegally fill prescriptions for hydrocodone-acetaminophen on his behalf by indicating to her that he needed medication to treat pain.  Dr. Evans would write prescriptions to Craig in the name of “Debbie Craig” for 100 dosage units of hydrocodone-acetaminophen 10-325 mg and would provide cash to Craig to be used to pay for the prescriptions at Mansfield Drug Company in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana.  After filling the prescriptions, Craig would provide all the hydrocodone-acetaminophen to Dr. Evans. Hydrocodone-acetaminophen is a Schedule II controlled substance.  One of the fraudulent prescriptions was filled at Mansfield Drug Company on September 18, 2020 and is the basis for the guilty plea entered today.  The prescription was for 100 tablets of hydrocodone-acetaminophen 10-325 mg, a Schedule II controlled substance.

Craig faces up to 4 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  A sentencing date will be set at a later time.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the United States Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Shannon.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kimyada Latoya Knight (41, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to credit card fraud. Knight faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to Home Depot.  

According to court documents, Knight worked in a specialized area of Home Depot (HD) business operations that primarily handled business and customer credit card accounts. Her area of responsibility included resolving charge disputes and requests for refunds from customers with credit card accounts and other accounts at HD. An initial review by HD, with follow up investigation by the United States Secret Service, determined that Knight had initiated a large number of fraudulent customer and business refunds between approximately January and August 2019 involving credit card accounts and other accounts at HD. After processing the fraudulent transactions, Knight then transferred the payments to accounts that she controlled and subsequently used the proceeds.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.