Month: April 2023

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Defense News: 7th Fleet Aircraft Transits Taiwan Strait

Source: United States Navy

TAIWAN STRAIT –  A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on April 28, 2023 (local time). By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations. The aircraft’s transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait.

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Defense News: Navy Week Program Sails into St. Louis

Source: United States Navy

Participating Navy organizations include Namesake Sailors from USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), USS St. Louis (LCS 19), USS Constitution, musical concerts by Navy Band Great Lakes, demonstrations by the Ceremonial Guard, Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Office of Small Business Programs, Navy Talent Acquisition Group Mid America, the Nimitz (VR trailer), U.S. Fleet Forces, parachute jumps by the Navy’s Parachute Team (Leap Frogs), and the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels).

More than 75 Sailors will participate in education and community outreach events throughout the city, including live performances by Navy Band Great Lakes at Ball Park Village, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, St. Charles Riverfront Stage, the City Museum, and Kiener Plaza.

The Navy’s senior executive for the week is Rear Admiral Ingrid Rader, Reserve Deputy Director for Maritime Information Warfare, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Rader is participating in community engagements, meeting with students and speaking with local businesses, civic, education, and government leaders.

“I am excited to represent the Navy and engage with the city of St. Louis and surrounding areas,” said Rader.  “Being able to share the Navy’s story and interact with the citizens is both an honor and privilege.”

Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence, providing the public a firsthand look at why the Navy matters to cities like St. Louis.

“We are excited to bring the Navy Week program to St. Louis,” said NAVCO’s director, Cmdr. Anthony Falvo. “Seapower and America’s Navy are more important now than ever before. The U.S. Navy remains our nation’s most powerful instrument of military influence and Navy Weeks allow us to showcase how the Navy serves America at sea, in the air, and ashore.”

Throughout the week, Sailors will participate in various community events including engaging with students across multiple high schools and volunteering throughout the city with organizations such as the Veterans Community Project, Girl Scouts, St. Louis Food Pantry, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, SSM Health Cardinal, Glennon Children’s Hospital, St. Louis Cardinals Ceremonial Pitch, and the Black Girls Do STEM.

St. Louis Navy Week is one of 15 Navy Weeks in 2023, which brings a variety of assets, equipment, and personnel to a single city for a weeklong series of engagements designed to bring America’s Navy closer to the people it protects. Each year, the program reaches more than 140 million people — about half the U.S. population.

For more information on 2023 Navy Weeks, visit http://outreach.navy.mil or contact Mr. Isaiah Sellers at (228) 281-3940 or Isaiah.sellers.civ@us.navy.mil.

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Ohio Man Sentenced for Stealing Over 712 Bitcoin Subjected to Forfeiture

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for stealing over 712 bitcoin that were the proceeds of the darknet bitcoin mixer Helix and subject to forfeiture in a then-pending criminal case.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and IRS Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered 36 months of supervised release and ordered a forfeiture money judgment of $4,881,532.40, and forfeiture of specific properties including cryptocurrencies that are now valued in excess of $20 million due to the increase in market prices.

            According to court documents, Gary James Harmon, 31, of Cleveland, Ohio, perpetrated a scheme to steal cryptocurrency that was the subject of pending criminal forfeiture proceedings in the case of Larry Dean Harmon, Gary Harmon’s brother. In February 2020, Larry Harmon was arrested for his operation of Helix, a darknet-based cryptocurrency money laundering service, known as a “mixer” or “tumbler.” Helix laundered over 350,000 bitcoin – valued at over $300 million at the time of the transactions – on behalf of customers, with the largest volume coming from Darknet markets. Law enforcement seized various assets, including a cryptocurrency storage device containing Larry Harmon’s illegal proceeds generated through the operation of Helix, which were subject to forfeiture in the criminal case. However, law enforcement was initially unable to recover bitcoin stored on the device due to the device’s additional security features. 

            Knowing that the government was seeking to recover the bitcoin stored on the seized device for forfeiture in Larry Harmon’s criminal case, Gary Harmon used his brother’s credentials to recreate the bitcoin wallets stored on the device and covertly transfer more than 712 bitcoin, valued at approximately $4.8 million at the time, to his own wallets – stealing those funds and obstructing the pending criminal forfeiture proceeding. Gary Harmon further laundered the proceeds through two online bitcoin mixer services before using the laundered bitcoins to finance large purchases and other expenditures. 

            Gary Harmon agreed to the forfeiture of cryptocurrencies and other properties derived from the fraudulently taken proceeds, including more than 647.41 Bitcoin (BTC), 2.14 Ethereum (ETH), and 17,404,400.64 Dogecoin (DOGE). Due to the increase in market prices, the total value of these forfeitable properties exceeds $12 million. 

            In August 2021, Larry Harmon pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in connection with his case.

            The FBI and the IRS-CI District of Columbia Cyber Crime Unit investigated the case.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), both now also members of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, prosecuted the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Angela De Falco, and Brian Rickers, and former Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron. Additional assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Segev Phillips and Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio and CCIPS Trial Attorney S. Riane Harper.

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Memphis Man Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Federal Prison for Robbery and Attempted Robbery

Source: United States Department of Justice News

 Memphis, TN – Rodercus Freeman, 42, was sentenced to over two decades in federal prison for bank robbery and attempted credit union robbery. Freeman was convicted of the charges following a five-day jury trial in August 2022. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, on August 18, 2018, Freeman robbed Independent Bank on Poplar Avenue in Memphis, using a simulated firearm. Two weeks later, Freeman attempted to rob Southern Security Federal Credit Union on Ridge Meadow Parkway.

United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Freeman to 240 months for the bank robbery and 22 months for the attempted credit union robbery, to run consecutive to one another for a total of 262 months. The court also sentenced the defendant to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Ritz said: “These federal robbery crimes were very serious, and this defendant will justifiably serve a significant period of time in federal prison. Our office appreciates the hard work of the FBI and the MPD in bringing this defendant to justice.”

“The Memphis Police Department has a strong working relationship with United States Attorney Kevin Ritz’s office and the Safe Streets Task Force, as is evident in the recent arrest and charges against Mr. Rodercus Freeman. The Memphis Police Department is committed to continuing these collaborative investigations to create a safe place for all,” said Chief of Police Cerelyn J. Davis.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Memphis Police Department.

United States Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Tony Arvin and Scott Smith, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

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Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to Little Rock and Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Little Rock and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on April 24 and 25 to continue the Civil Rights Division’s tour to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas joined her for the meetings and events on both days.

On Monday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke visited the historic Little Rock Central High School, where she met with Principal Nancy Rousseau and students to discuss careers in civil rights and the Civil Rights Division’s efforts to enforce federal civil rights laws. This school year marks 65 years since the desegregation of the school. After her visit at the high school, she took a tour of the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.

In the afternoon, Assistant Attorney General Clarke participated in a fireside chat with President Roderick L. Smothers Sr., school leadership and students at Philander Smith College, an HBCU founded in 1877. She discussed her career as a civil rights attorney and the department’s efforts to address economic justice issues, including housing discrimination. She also encouraged the students to continue to use their voices to advance racial justice and racial equity.

After her visit to Philander, Assistant Attorney General Clarke met with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas. She thanked the office’s leadership and staff for their service and commitment to protecting civil rights.

She ended the day at the Willie Hinton Community Center for a community conversation with Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., Police Chief Heath Helton and local stakeholders to hear about local civil rights and racial equity concerns, including modern-day redlining, fair housing and issues impacting small businesses.

On Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke traveled to Pine Bluff to meet with Mayor Shirley Washington and Police Chief Denise Richardson. She reiterated the Justice Department’s commitment to work with local leaders to address civil rights and racial equity issues.

In the afternoon, she met with University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander and participated in a fireside chat with students as the school marked its 150th anniversary. She encouraged the students to pursue careers in government and public service, and discussed the division’s broad civil rights enforcement efforts, including work to address law enforcement misconduct, and ongoing work to protect voting rights in Arkansas.

Assistant Attorney General Clarke ended her trip by joining Mayor Washington at a community listening session with dozens of local leaders, faith leaders and long-time residents, where she discussed the department’s broad efforts to combat hate crimes, ensure educational opportunity and address modern-day redlining.

In the upcoming weeks, Assistant Attorney General Clarke will travel to Mississippi and South Carolina to continue meeting with stakeholders in underserved communities.