Month: March 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Richmond man last week on charges of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Rashon Torrence, 26, a convicted felon, threw a firearm during a foot pursuit with a Richmond Police Department officer. Around midnight on January 3, 2022, officers saw a truck speeding in a residential area. The driver, later identified as Torrence, was wearing a black ski mask. The officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Torrence, and a brief vehicle pursuit ensued. Torrence then stopped the truck and ran, with an officer in pursuit. When Torrence got to a patch of trees, he made a throwing motion, and the officer saw a black object leave Torrence’s hand. After detaining Torrence, the officer went back to the trees and found a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Officers also recovered from Torrence 10 pills of methamphetamine and 44 pills of Clonazolam, a Schedule I controlled substance in Virginia. Torrence also had $352 in his pocket. The officers also recovered an additional 122 Clonazolam pills from a bottle near to where Torrence was arrested.

Torrence has a prior conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Torrence faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on June 27. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Stephen Miller are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-113.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Des Moines, IA – A Des Moines woman was sentenced Friday, February 24, 2023, to a total of 45 years in prison for conspiring to produce child pornography and child exploitation.

According to court documents, Ashley Marie Butler, age 33, produced child pornography on at least three occasions in 2021 when she videorecorded her co-defendant and husband, Shane William Butler, sexually abusing a minor victim. Videos of the sexual abuse of the minor victim and child pornography were located on Shane Butler and Ashley Butler’s cell phones.

Chief United States District Court Judge Stephanie Marie Rose imposed a 30-year sentence on the conspiracy count and a 15-year sentence on the production count, to be served consecutively, for a total sentence of 45 years. After her prison term, Butler was also ordered to serve a total of 10 years of supervised release. In addition, Butler was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution as well as a $200 fine to the Crime Victim’s Assistance Fund.

Co-defendant Shane Butler also received a 45-year sentence in December 2022.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department, the Polk County Attorney’s Office, the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – George Michael Thayer, 52, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 24, 2022, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Thayer. The officer searched the vehicle and found approximately 12 oxycodone pills, multiple empty sandwich bags and a set of digital scales. Thayer admitted that he possessed the oxycodone found during the vehicle search and further admitted that he intended to distribute it.

Thayer is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-70.

 

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Matthew Ryan Harper, 22, of Point Pleasant, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Harper must also register as a sex offender.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 9, 2021, Harper used the Snapchat social media platform to distribute a video of a prepubescent minor female subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Harper admitted to distributing videos containing child pornography on three additional occasions in June 2021. Harper communicated with others on Snapchat and the Omegle online chat website about obtaining and trading child pornography during this time.

Harper further admitted to possessing 100 images and 38 videos of child pornography on January 25, 2022. Some of the images depicted toddlers.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-60.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was charged following his attempt to bring firearms, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, fraudulent law enforcement credentials, and other items on a domestic flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today. 

Seretse Clouden, 42, of Wallington, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and fraudulent possession of an identification document and authentication feature of the United States. He made his initial court appearance today before the U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clarke III in Newark federal court and was detained.

According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On Dec. 30, 2022, Clouden entered Newark Liberty International Airport for a scheduled flight to Fort Lauderdale. During routine screening of checked luggage that was destined for Fort Lauderdale, Transportation Security Administration agents discovered two .40 caliber Glock magazines, each containing 15 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and a ballistic vest carrier that displayed the words “Deputy Marshal.”

Further investigation revealed that the checked luggage belonged to Clouden, which resulted in additional screening of Clouden’s other luggage, which contained an ASP expandable baton, a spring loaded knife, a taser, a .40 caliber Glock 22 handgun, a .308 caliber DPMS Panther Arms rifle, and one 5.56 caliber AR-15 rifle, which meets the definition of a machine gun. 

That luggage also contained “United States Marshal” credentials, bearing Clouden’s name and photograph, and a “United States Marshal” badge. An inquiry with the United States Marshals Service confirmed that Clouden is not, and was not, employed with the United States Marshal Service.

The count of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison. The count of fraudulent possession of an identification document and authentication feature of the United States carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos; officers of the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Edward Cetnar; and officers of the Transportation Security Administration.

The government is represented by U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Jenny Chung, Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Office’s OCDETF/Narcotics Unit, in Newark.