Month: November 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a California man with assault and attempted kidnapping in connection with the break in at the Pelosi residence on Oct. 28 in San Francisco.

The indictment supersedes the federal criminal complaint filed on Oct. 31.

According to the indictment, David DePape, 42, of Richmond, was arrested on Oct. 28 inside the Pelosi residence by San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) police officers responding to a 911 call from Paul Pelosi, husband of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Paul Pelosi later described to police that he had been asleep when DePape, whom he had never seen before, entered his bedroom looking for Nancy Pelosi.

According to the indictment, minutes after the 911 call, two police officers responded to the Pelosi residence where they encountered Paul Pelosi and DePape struggling over a hammer. Officers told the men to drop the hammer, and DePape allegedly gained control of the hammer and swung it, striking Pelosi in the head. Officers immediately restrained DePape while Pelosi was injured on the ground. As set forth in the indictment, once DePape was restrained, officers secured a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties from the crime scene, where officers also observed a broken glass door to the back porch.   

DePape is charged with one count of assault upon an immediate family member of a U.S. official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties. He is also charged with one count of attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official on account of the performance of official duties. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for the assault count and 20 years in prison for the attempted kidnapping count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California, Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp of the FBI San Francisco Field Office, and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police made the announcement.

The FBI San Francisco Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the San Francisco Police Department are investigating the case.

The Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to court documents, James Arther Williams, 71, was found in possession of crack cocaine, which he intended to sell, in his residence by officers of the Meridian Police Department on August 28, 2019, during the execution of a search warrant.

The Meridian Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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

Jackson, Miss. – A Flora woman pleaded guilty today to carrying out a scheme to defraud the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith with the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Miami Field Office.

According to court documents, Tarshuana Thomas, 34, of Flora, fraudulently applied for two PPP loans. Thomas claimed to be the sole proprietor of a dog breeding and sitting service. From those fraudulently obtained funds, Thomas received $12,586, which she spent on personal, non-business related expenses. Thomas was employed as a Correctional Officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Yazoo City when she applied for the loans.  

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Purdie is prosecuting 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Jackson, Miss. – A Georgia man was convicted today before Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette for conspiring to steal houses from the United States Department of Agriculture, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson of United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General.

According to court documents, Barry Martin, 47, originally from Tylertown, conspired with others to identify and steal USDA-mortgaged properties.  The targeted properties were mortgaged through the Brookhaven office of USDA Rural Development, an agency which helps rural residents buy or rent safe, affordable housing, especially low and very-low income individuals.  Co-conspirators had access to a list of abandoned, foreclosed, nearly-foreclosed, or similarly distressed USDA-mortgaged properties and would create fraudulent warranty deeds designed to convey ownership of those properties to co-conspirators and others.  The fraudulent deeds included forged signatures from former homeowners, including at least one deceased individual.  The fraudulent deeds were then filed in Chancery Courts around Mississippi with the intent to deprive the actual owners of the use and benefit of the properties and to deprive the United States Government of the actual value of the properties.

Martin pleaded guilty to a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, which criminalizes conspiracies against the laws of the United States.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.  A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The USDA OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew W. Eichner is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

HOUSTON – A local tax preparer is set to make her initial appearance in federal court on charges of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Krystal Wright made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Palermo at 2 p.m. today.

A federal grand jury sitting in Houston returned an 18-count indictment Sept. 27.

According to the charges, Wright assisted in the preparation and filing of false income tax returns from 2016 to 2019.

If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison and a possible $100,000 maximum fine.

IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez is prosecuting the case.

An information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.

A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.