Month: January 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PROVIDENCE – A Burrillville man admitted today to a federal judge that he was an unlawful user of controlled substances, including cocaine, when he purchased and possessed more than 200 firearms, and that he made false statements when purchasing the firearms, claiming on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) forms that he was not an unlawful drug user, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

During a routine review of multiple sales reports of firearms in the fall of 2018, ATF learned that Ronald Andruchuk, 38, purchased 169 firearms between July 2021 and November 2021. Agents began to investigate further to ensure that the purchaser was not involved in illegal firearms-trafficking activities. During that review, agents learned that Andruchuk had previous contact with Cranston Police Department, during which he admitted being a medical marijuana user; during later contact with the Cranston Police when he was  arrested on controlled substance offenses, Andruchuk admitted to having a substance abuse problem.

Further investigation determined that in December 2021 two firearms, as well as drugs, and other items were located in the drop ceiling of a bathroom inside a Millbury, MA, retail store shortly after Andruchuk vacated the restroom. Both firearms were traced to Andruchuk as the purchaser, who did not have a license to carry a firearm in Massachusetts.

ATF also reviewed ATF Firearm Transaction Records that Andruchuk filled out on November 17, 2021 and December 11, 2021 when attempting to purchase firearms at two different gun stores in Rhode Island and discovered that he had falsely claimed that he was not “an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance.”

On February 24, 2022, Burrillville Police were called to Andruchuk’s home to investigate reports of shots fired; this was the ninth such complaint the Department had received. As police arrived, numerous gunshots could be heard – with some passing overhead of responding officers. Andruchuk was found to be wearing a bulletproof vest and was carrying four firearms and methamphetamine. Burrillville Police arrested him on a state arrest warrant for Firing in a Compact area at that time. At the same time, ATF agents executed a federal search warrant at Andruchuk’s home and seized more than 200 unsecured firearms from the residence, in addition to various controlled substances.

Andruchuk today pleaded guilty to two charges of making a false statement of material fact during a firearm purchase and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

According to a plea agreement filed with the court, Andruchuk will forfeit all of the 219 firearms seized by ATF and Burrillville Police which included an AR-style privately-made firearm and a drilled lower receiver with functioning trigger assembly, in addition to assorted firearm magazines and accessories and approximately 25,390 (1,555.8lbs) rounds of assorted boxed and loose ammunition of various calibers. The forfeited firearms and ammunition will be destroyed.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United Sates Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Burrillville Police Department.

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.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

Shooting Took Place in 300 block of Allison Street, N.W.

            WASHINGTON – Brandon Nguyen, 24, of Laurel, Maryland pleaded guilty to one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in the September 29, 2020 killing of 17-year old Brian Ward, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

            The plea was entered before the Honorable Rainey R. Brandt in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia subject to an agreement between the parties pursuant to Superior Court Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(c)(1)(C) that a sentence of seven and a half to eleven years of incarceration, followed by supervised release, was the appropriate sentence.  Sentencing is scheduled for April 26, 2023.

            According to the government’s evidence, on September 29, 2020, at approximately 3:59 p.m., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the report of the sound of gunshots in the 300 block of Allison Street, N.W.  Witnesses described a dark blue sedan driving off at high speed following the shooting.  Further police investigation revealed that the defendant, Brandon Nguyen, was driving the car and that he had met with the decedent for a purported marijuana transaction.  The decedent was never seen alive again after entering  Nguyen’s vehicle, and the investigation revealed a likely struggle over a firearm within the vehicle by the defendant and the decedent.  The investigation also showed that after shooting the decedent, Nguyen drove him 15 miles to the 6900 block of Contee Road, in Laurel, Maryland, where he dumped the decedent’s body in the woods.  The defendant later used bleach to clean his vehicle, and subsequently sold the vehicle.

            In December 2021, police confronted the defendant concerning this offense, and the defendant admitted that he shot the decedent following a struggle over a firearm.  The defendant then led detectives to the location of the decedent’s skeletonized remains.  Further forensic examination and testing by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives revealed that the defendant fired at least six shots and the decedent was shot in the neck and front and rear of his head.

            Nguyen was arrested on November 21, 2022, and has been in custody since that time.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. They acknowledged the efforts of those who provided assistance in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Spence, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

The Justice Department announced today that Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has selected Tara Twomey to serve as Director of the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) at the Department of Justice.

“The United States Trustee Program plays a critical role in ensuring the fairness of the bankruptcy process — including by providing impartial oversight and protecting consumer debtors from fraud and abuse,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am confident that Ms. Twomey’s leadership will advance USTP’s mission to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for debtors, creditors, and the public.”

Ms. Twomey has over 20 years of experience working on bankruptcy and consumer credit issues. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Consumer Bankruptcy Rights Center, which advances the rights of consumer bankruptcy debtors. She is Of Counsel at the National Consumer Law Center, and serves as a member of the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules. She is the author of numerous books and articles on bankruptcy law and practice, and has served as an instructor at Boston College Law School, Harvard Law School, and Stanford Law School. Ms. Twomey is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, a conferee of the National Bankruptcy Conference, and a director of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, and her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from Boston College Law School.

“Throughout her career as a practitioner, scholar, and teacher, Tara Twomey has been a leader in the bankruptcy bar and a passionate voice for making the bankruptcy system accessible to all,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “She will bring energy, experience, and judgment to her new role as USTP Director. I look forward to working with her in this new role.”

USTP is the only neutral party in the bankruptcy process, and brings a national perspective to every bankruptcy matter. USTP also plays a critical role in protecting consumer debtors against fraud and abuse. USTP consists of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees, located in Washington, D.C., and 21 regions with 90 field offices throughout the country. The Director of USTP is responsible for leading approximately 1000 employees to implement USTP’s core mission to protect the integrity of the bankruptcy system.

Ms. Twomey will assume her duties on Feb. 27.