Month: December 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

TUCSON, Ariz. – Shaun Rudy Knox, 33, of St. Francis, South Dakota, was sentenced December 20, 2022, by United States District Court Judge Raner C. Collins to 18 months in prison. Knox earlier pleaded guilty to four counts of Indecent Exposure.

While incarcerated on sexual abuse charges at the United States Penitentiary Tucson, Knox exposed his genitals to four different employees of the United States Bureau of Prisons. Judge Collins ordered Knox’s 18 month sentence for indecent exposure be served consecutive to his sentence for sexual abuse.

The United States Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-2195-RCC-DTF
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-230_Knox

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

 

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Walter J. Willoughby Jr., M.D., Ltd. (Willoughby Ltd.), a medical practice located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Willoughby Ltd. violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by terminating a longstanding employee based on her Mexican-American national origin.  

“Firing an employee because of her national origin runs counter to our nation’s ideals,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “All workers have a right to be treated fairly by their employers. The Civil Rights Division is committed to addressing unlawful discrimination in all types of workplaces.”

The department’s investigation determined that Willoughby Ltd. unlawfully fired a high-performing Mexican-American employee based on her coworkers’ discriminatory bias. Specifically, after subjecting the employee to months of derogatory comments and jokes based on her Mexican heritage, the coworkers fabricated a false accusation against the employee that played into national origin stereotypes to oust her from the workplace. In March 2020, the medical practice credited the coworkers’ accusations without investigating them and agreed to terminate the employee on that basis. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers with four to fourteen employees from terminating workers based on their national origin. Employers with fifteen or more employees are prohibited from engaging in such discrimination by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Under the settlement, Willoughby Ltd. will pay a civil penalty to the United States and $42,500 to the affected worker. Willoughby Ltd. also must train its employees on the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements, revise its employment policies, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements. 

The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation. 

Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Find more information on how employers can avoid unlawful discrimination on IER’s website. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email IER@usdoj.gov; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced December’s Grand Jury A and B indictments.

The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

Federal Grand Jury B, Dec. 19- 23, 2022

Anthony Abel-Flores; Jabier Bustos; Vanessa Garcia-Jimenez; Olivia Carrell. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Beginning in November 2022, Abel-Flores, 31; Bustos, 33; Garcia-Jimenez, 19; and Carrell, 27, of Jennings, allegedly took part in a methamphetamine conspiracy. As part of that conspiracy, Abel-Flores, Bustos, and Garcia-Jimenez are charged with possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Finally, Carrell is charged with maintaining a place in Jennings for the purpose of storing and distributing the methamphetamine. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn McCormick is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-428

Eli Cooper Cailler. Possession of Child Pornography; Receipt of Child Pornography. Cailler, 24, of Inola, is charged with possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material from April 1, 2020,to July 18, 2022. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Paisner is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-421

Caleb Lee Giles. Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country (Counts 1, 4); Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country (Counts 2, 5); Coercion and Enticement of a Minor (Counts 3, 6) (superseding). Giles, 23, of Afton, is charged with perpetrating sex crimes against two minor victims from September 2020 to January 2022. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan E. Michel is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-136

Lane Gloyd. Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Gloyd, 23, of Sand Springs, is charged with receiving and distributing numerous images of child sexual abuse material from Jan. 8, 2021, to April 25, 2022. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-136

Solon Michael Griffith. Child Abuse in Indian Country. Griffith, 55, of Vinita, is charged with striking and significantly bruising a 6-year-old victim. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko A. Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-416

Jeannie Rene King; Jacob Alejandro Romero. Child Abuse in Indian Country (Count 1); Child Neglect in Indian Country (Counts 2,3). From Sept. 21, 2022, through Oct. 18, 2022, King, 23, of Sapulpa, abused an infant, causing multiple fractures to the child’s legs. King and Romero, 22, of Sapulpa, also failed to ensure proper medical treatment and supervision for the child. The FBI and Sapulpa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case.

Lawrence Macon Jr. First Degree Murder in Indian Country (Count 1); Causing Death by Using and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (Count 2); Felon in Possession of a Firearm (Count 3); Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Count 4); Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Counts 5, 7); Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (Count 6); Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (Count 8) (superseding). Macon Jr., 30, of Tulsa, is charged with killing Aliza Renea Crook using a firearm on Nov. 6, 2022. Macon Jr. shot into the vehicle Crook was riding in, striking the victim. He is further charged with being a felon in possession of a Beretta U.S.A. Corporation 9 mm caliber Parabellum semi-automatic pistol and with possessing a Smith & Wesson 9 mm caliber semi-automatic pistol, a H.S. Produkt .45 caliber ACP semi-automatic pistol, a Glock Inc. .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and 90 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, on Sept 11, 2022, Macon allegedly followed a second victim and discharged his firearm into a vehicle while the victim was in the car. Finally, he is alleged to have pistol whipped a third person with a firearm on Oct. 2, 2022. The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niko A. Boulieris and Ryan H. Heatherman are prosecuting the case. 22-CR-388

Julio Martinez-Perez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Martinez-Perez, 33, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States on Oct. 18, 2016, at or near Del Rio, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-425

Leeroy Wendell McQueary, II. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Counts 1, 2). McQueary allegedly assaulted two St. Francis Hospital security officer when drove his car directly at the two officers, only swerving after they discharged their firearms at the vehicle. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-417

Enedino Nives-Tomas. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Nives-Tomas, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on Aug. 16, 2017, at or near Laredo, Texas. He is also charged with possessing a Ruger .45 auto semi-automatic pistol and eight rounds of ammunition while being unlawfully in the United States. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-423

Antonio Diaz Rodriguez-Razo. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rodriguez-Razo, 59, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on  Sept. 5, 2014, at or near Del Rio, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-424

Joaquin Guerroro Rodriguez. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Rodriquez, 33, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and with possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin on Oct. 21, 2022. The defendant is further charged with maintaining a place in Tulsa for the purpose of distributing methamphetamine and heroin. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn McCormick is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-418

Luis Uvence Ulloa. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ulloa, 31, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on June 30, 2014, at or near San Antonio, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-Cr-422

Federal Grand Jury A, Dec. 5-9, 2022

Jose Luis Reyes Alvarez, Lauro Estrada Cruz. Drug Conspiracy (Counts 1, 2); Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony (Counts 3-34); Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (Count 35); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 36); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (37); Possession of a Firearm by an Alien Illegally in the United States (Count 38). From July 27, 2022, through Aug. 31, 2022, Alvarez, 30, a Mexican national, and others conspired to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. An unindicted coconspirator coordinated the shipments of multi-kilogram quantities of the drug from Mexico to Tulsa for redistribution. A separately charged defendant received bulk quantities of the cocaine and redistributed it. He and the unindicted coconspirator would coordinate the return of the sale proceeds to Mexico. Alvarez also retrieved proceeds from the sale of cocaine from the separately charged defendant and conducted wire transfers to Mexico.

In Count 2, Alvarez; Cruz, 30, of Tulsa; and others conspired to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine from October 2022, to Nov. 15, 2022. The cocaine was shipped from Mexico to Tulsa, and the two men conducted their operations from a home located at 840 North Louisville Avenue in Tulsa. Cruz allegedly prepared the cocaine for distribution at the Tulsa residence, and Alvarez collected drug proceeds using CashApp then stored the proceeds at the residence. Cruz also allegedly possessed an Aero Precision semi-automatic pistol and a Fabrique Nationale Herstal rifle in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. Alvarez also allegedly possessed a Mossberg rifle and a Kimber .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol while illegally residing in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Tulsa Police Department, and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-394

Rodrigo Antonio-Torres. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Antonio-Torres, 35, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on May 23, 2007, at or near Brownsville, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-402

Timothy Lewis Cantrell. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Cantrell, 59, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is further charged with being a felon in possession of an Obera Hermanos .38 caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number and 34 rounds of ammunition. Finally, he is charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-403

Lacey Dawn Deckard. Kidnapping in Indian Country. Deckard, 43, of Broken Arrow, allegedly held an elderly woman against her will in the woman’s home on September 19, 2022. The FBI and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-404

Ramon Dominguez-Arambula. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Dominguez-Arambula, 67, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being deported on Sept. 17, 1999, at or near Paso Del Norte, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-40

Andy Cristiany Flores-Rosa. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Flores-Rosa, 22, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States on May 6, 2019, at or near Houston, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-406

James Cledtis Gregory Gillis. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor in Indian Country; Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country; Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. Gillis, 18, of Sapulpa, is charged with committing sex crimes against a minor between the ages of 12 and 16 from June 22, 2022, to July 8, 2022.  The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chantelle D. Dial is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-397

Julio Vasquez Gonzalez. Distribution of Fentanyl (Counts 1, 2); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Count 3). Gonzalez, 39, of Bristow, is charged with distributing fentanyl on June 21, 2022, and Aug. 31, 2022. He is further charged with distributing more than 30 grams of methamphetamine on Oct. 27, 2022. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-400

Tara Alvita-Gourd Gutierrez. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Gutierrez, 46, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spencer Willson is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-407

Robert Ross Patton. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Kidnapping in Indian Country; Assault by Striking, Beating, and Wounding (Misdemeanor). On Oct. 31, 2022, Patton, 46, of Claremore, allegedly threatened to kill his dating partner, confronted her with a knife, and stabbed at her, cutting her hand as she tried to defend herself. He also allegedly held the victim against her will. Finally, he is charged with repeatedly striking the victim. The FBI and Rogers County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven J. Briden is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-408

Ramon Edgar Perez-Nunez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Perez-Nunez, 47, a Mexican national, is charge with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on May 14, 2016, at or near Hidalgo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-409

Douglas Reyes. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime; Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering. Reyes, 43, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is further charged with carrying a firearm during his drug trafficking crime. Finally, he is charged with traveling from Missouri to Oklahoma with the intent to distribute the drug. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Tonkin is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-398

James Isac Snyder. First Degree Burglary in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. Snyder, 34,of Commerce, is charged with forcibly breaking into a residence with intent to assault a male in the home. He is further charged with assaulting the male victim, resulting in serious bodily injury. The FBI, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, and Quapaw Nation Marshals Service are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon A. Skates is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-410

Alfonso Solis-Melendez. Transportation of Illegal Aliens. Solis-Melendez, 33, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is alleged to have knowingly transported and moved 10 individuals within the United States who had entered the country illegally. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-399

Bobby Ray Stevens. Kidnapping in Indian Country (Count 1); Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling, Suffocating, and Attempting to Strangle and Suffocate in Indian Country (Count 2); Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country (Count 3); Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate/Dating Partner in Indian Country (Count 4); Tampering with a Witness, Victim, and Informant by Corrupt Persuasion (Counts 5, 6). From Nov. 11, 2022, to Nov. 13, 2022, Stevens, 33, of Bartlesville, held a dating partner against her will. During that time, he strangled the victim and assaulted her repeatedly, causing serious bodily injury and substantial bodily injury. On Dec. 13, 2022, he also tried to stop the victim from communicating with law enforcement, and later that month he successfully persuaded the victim not to appear at federal grand jury proceedings, to which she had been summoned. The FBI and Washington County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-395

Carlos Ventura Grave. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Grave, 36, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States on Aug. 12, 2016, at or near Harlingen, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-411

Ricky Leroy White. Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 1,2); Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country (Count3). White, 32, of Pryor, is charged with abusive sexual contact against a minor from Oct. 9, 2014, to Oct. 8, 2015.  He is also charged with abusive sexual contact against a second child from June 7, 2010, to  June 6, 2017.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Paisner is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-401

John Dillion Wroblewsi. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Wroblewski, 30, of Muskogee, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Glock 9x19mm caliber semi-automatic pistol and 11 rounds of ammunition. He is also charged with possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fentanyl and with possessing a firearm to further his drug trafficking crime. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Baily is prosecuting the case.  22-CR-412

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Defendant Used Police Shield to Ram Into Officers

WASHINGTON — A Massachusetts man was found guilty today of felony and misdemeanor charges for assaulting law enforcement during the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach. 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 presidential election.

Vincent J. Gillespie, 61, of Athol, Massachusetts, was found guilty after a trial in U.S. District Court of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers; civil disorder; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing for March 17, 2023.

Gillespie was arrested on February 18, 2022, in Athol, Massachusetts.

The evidence at trial showed that on January 6, 2021, from approximately 4:11 p.m. to 4:26 p.m., Gillespie was among rioters in the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol who engaged in pushing, shoving, yelling, and fighting with law enforcement officers. He struggled his way through the crowd, eventually maneuvering through the rioters to the line of police officers defending the Lower West Terrace’s exterior door. At one point, he gained control of a police shield and used it to ram the police. He then used two hands to grab a Metropolitan Police Department sergeant by the arm, yanking him toward the mob. He then screamed “traitor” and “treason” at the police.

This case was 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 Massachusetts.

The case was investigated by the FBI Boston Division’s Springfield, Massachusetts Resident Agency Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI Boston Division’s Worcester Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Athol, Massachusetts Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Gillespie was identified as #141 on the FBI Washington Field Office’s seeking information photos.

In the 23 months since January 6, close to 900 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 275 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.