Month: January 2023

Posted on

Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Defendant Also Mailed Threatening Ricin Letters to Texas Law Enforcement Officials

A dual citizen of Canada and France pleaded guilty today to sending a threatening letter containing homemade ricin to then-President Donald J. Trump at the White House in September 2020, and eight similar letters, each containing ricin, to Texas State law enforcement officials.

According to court documents, Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 55, admitted in the plea agreements that she made ricin at her residence in Quebec, Canada, in September 2020. Ricin is a deadly poison made from castor beans. Ferrier placed the ricin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.

Ferrier was detained in the State of Texas for around 10 weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and other weapons.

Ferrier pleaded guilty to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Ferrier also pleaded guilty to eight additional violations of prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in a case brought against her in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and consented to the transfer of that case to the District of Columbia for plea and sentencing.

The Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled the sentencing hearing for April 26. Ferrier will be sentenced to 262 months of imprisonment if the court accepts the plea agreements. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Acting Assistant Director John Morales of the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate made the announcement.

The FBI Washington and San Antonio Field Offices investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Friedman for the District of Columbia; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rob Jones, David Coronado, and David Lindenmuth for the Southern District of Texas; and Trial Attorney David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

Posted on

Pittsburgh Felon Indicted for Illegally Possessing Drugs, a Gun and Ammunition

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

The three-count Superseding Indictment, returned on Jan. 24, 2023, named Eugene Key, age 27, as the sole defendant.

According to the Superseding Indictment, Key was arrested on July 2, 2021, in possession of 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing detectable amounts of heroin, fentanyl and a quantity of oxycodone. Key also possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $8,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted a joint investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proved 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.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Posted on

GSA’s Workplace Innovation Lab opens to federal agencies

Source: United States General Services Administration

January 25, 2023

Federal agencies invited to test out new furniture and technology solutions

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the official opening of its Workplace Innovation Lab. Located at GSA’s Headquarters, the lab functions as a proving ground where federal agencies can test out recent innovations in workplace furnishings and technology. This effort aligns with the President’s Management Agenda workforce priority, which includes reimagining and building a roadmap to the future of federal work.

”The future of the office workplace is now. We’re imagining it and building it right here in partnership with both industry innovators and our federal customers,” stated GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “This is a space where agency decision makers and their teams can experience the latest technologies, equipment, and furniture that’s designed to empower federal employees to deliver even more effectively.”

Public Buildings Service Commissioner Nina Albert and GSA Chief Architect Chuck Hardy also spoke at the event, as did Lisle Hannah, Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Facilities and Environmental Quality.

The lab features new types of layouts and furniture solutions that support both individuals and teams, as well as technology that enhances connectivity and effectiveness. The lab also features sustainable technology solutions ranging from power-over-ethernet cabling (which eliminates the need for expensive steel cabling) to solar powered light fixtures that support GSA’s drive toward net zero carbon facilities.

GSA is operating the lab as a pilot Federal Coworking Space. Federal employees are able to work in the 25,000-square-foot space and can use the lab for periods ranging from a single hour to weeks. Visitors from federal agencies can request tours and make reservations on a new platform to use the space. GSA will gather anonymous user feedback and data from the lab to improve its offerings and solutions.

For the first iteration of the lab, GSA has partnered with the following six vendors:

  • Allsteel
  • Cisco
  • Haworth / Price Modern
  • Miller-Knoll
  • Kimball International
  • Swiftspace / VOE

As part of the Workplace 2030 initiative, the Workplace Innovation Lab is one piece of GSA’s nationwide efforts to provide solutions for the future of work. For more information, please visit workplace.gsa.gov/offerings/innovation-lab/.

###

About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people.

For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us on social media.

Posted on

Greensburg Police Chief Shawn Denning Charged with Federal Drug Crimes

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PITTSBURGH – Shawn Denning, the Chief of the Greensburg (Pennsylvania) Police Department, has been arrested and charged with violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced.

The six-count Criminal Complaint charging Denning, age 41, of Delmont, Pennsylvania, was unsealed yesterday in federal court in Pittsburgh. Denning was arrested Wednesday morning at the Greensburg Police Department and made an initial appearance by video before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly. Judge Kelly released the defendant on a $250,000 unsecured bond.

According to the Criminal Complaint, Denning is charged with:
• Count One: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of cocaine in and around November 2021;
• Count Two: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of cocaine in and around February 2022;
• Count Three: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine in and around January 2022 through February 2022;
• Count Four: Aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine in and around May 2022;
• Count Five: Aiding and abetting the attempted distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in and around July 2022; and
• Count Six: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute quantities of Schedule II controlled substances (methamphetamine and cocaine), in and around June 2021 through October 2022.

The complaint alleges that Denning facilitated the acquisition of cocaine and methamphetamine by Confidential Source 1 (CS1) multiple times over a 16-month period between June 2021 and October 2022. The drugs were sourced in California and Arizona, then delivered to CS1 via the United States mail.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Posted on

Four Men Convicted of Engaging in a Child Exploitation Enterprise

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A federal court convicted a Washington state man yesterday for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Christopher William Kuehner, 38, of Bremerton, was a prominent member of the website “Rapey.su,” which was dedicated to, among other things, child sexual exploitation. After becoming a member of the website, Kuehner repeatedly induced and enticed minor girls to produce child sexual abuse material for both him and the other members of the website. 

In a related case last year, a federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia also convicted Ashley Kolhoff, 22, of Port Clinton, Ohio, of production of child pornography for her participation on the Rapey.su website. Other users around the country have been prosecuted successfully in state and federal courts for their conduct committed on the website.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents seized and shut down the website in December 2020.

Kuehner was convicted of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25. Co-conspirators Jacob Royce Mullins, 20, of South Webster, Ohio; Kyle William Leishear, 43, of Bayonet Point, Florida; and Matthew Martin, 25, of Lancaster, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to their roles in the enterprise. Mullins and Martin are both scheduled to be sentenced on April 25. Leishear is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9. They each face a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of HSI Washington, D.C. made the announcement.

HSI Washington, D.C. investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Whitney Kramer of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Schlessinger for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.