Month: May 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A Louisiana man was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for conspiracy to commit forced labor and transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The defendant was also required to pay restitution of $979,800 to the victims.

Between June 2016 and May 2019, Darnell Fulton, 39, of Pineville, used violence, sexual abuse, withholding of food, degradation and intimidation to coerce multiple minors to work for his brownie baking business and provide him the profits. The defendant required the victims to travel to as many as 20 to 30 locations a day, such as plazas, car dealerships, law firms, restaurants and parking lots, to sell brownies. The victims worked late into the night either selling or baking the brownies and sold them during the day. In fact, the victims typically worked seven days a week with very few breaks and had to meet a daily sales quota the defendant set. The defendant regularly assaulted the victims because he was not satisfied with their daily work performance, especially if they did not meet his projected sales daily quota. For example, the defendant frequently required the victims to stay in a push up or plank position for hours, and he often whipped them with a belt if they got out of proper form. The defendant also made the minor victims perform sexual acts with him and transported them across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity with him.

“Forced labor, especially when it involves sexual abuse of children, violence, and mental and physical anguish, is heinous conduct that has no place in our society today. The defendant mercilessly exploited children for his own financial gain and personal gratification, and we will not tolerate it,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentence demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to standing up for the survivors of forced labor schemes. We will not only pursue and prosecute human and child traffickers, but also seek restitution and use those funds to help survivors rebuild and reclaim their lives.”

“The defendant’s actions in this case were deplorable and despicable,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “Forced labor is a form of modern day slavery and we have a duty to protect the most vulnerable of our society. He had no hesitation in torturing and demoralizing these victims, his own children. We are grateful for this sentence and hope that the victims can begin the healing process. This defendant is a danger to society, has no regard for human life, and we believe it is appropriate that he will be spending a long time in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.”

“Mr. Fulton’s guilty plea and the sentencing today should be of great comfort to the victims of his depravity,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “We thank our partners, the Alexandria Police Department, United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division for their assistance in this case. We will continue the work of rooting out those who seek to target minors for their own bizarre obsessions.”

Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Brown and Special Agent in Charge Williams made the announcement.

The FBI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Alexandria Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Maryam Zhuravitsky of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at https://www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Defendant Fought With Police

            WASHINGTON — A Texas man was sentenced today for assaulting law enforcement resulting in bodily injury related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. 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 2020 presidential election.  

            Donald Hazard, 44, of Hurst, Texas, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. Hazard pleaded guilty to the charge on February 16, 2023. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered 36 months of supervised release and a restitution of $2,000.

            According to court documents, Hazard was the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Patriot Boys of North Texas, a self-described militia. In preparation for attending the rally in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, Hazard gathered protective gear and other supplies including a military-style helmet, knuckle gloves, goggles, body armor, and pepper spray.

            On January 6, a newspaper photographer recorded Hazard marching in Washington D.C.  In that video, Hazard stated “Make sure you get my face and everything on your news channel. I want the enemy to know exactly who is coming after them.”

            On Jan. 6, by approximately 2:00 p.m., Hazard was positioned under scaffolding that had been erected over the stairs on the northwest side of the U.S. Capitol building. As Hazard and other rioters attempted to climb the steps, they encountered United States Capitol Police (“USCP”) officers. Officer T.S. engaged with Hazard in order to force Hazard back; Hazard grabbed Officer T.S. as Hazard fell and continued to fight with Officer T.S. has the two fell down the stairs. Officer T.S. hit his head and was knocked unconscious. He also sustained injuries to his head, foot, and arm, some of which required surgery.

            At another point on January 6, Hazard advanced towards a line of police officers on the west side of the Capitol with a cannister of pepper spray in hand. At approximately 2:56 p.m., Hazard entered the Capitol building via the Parliamentarian door and remained inside for approximately five minutes. Hazard also posted selfie-style videos, inside and outside of the Capitol building, in which he made statements such as “We’re here at the nation’s capitol and we’re storming it. We’re taking the Capitol. . . This is America baby.”

            Hazard was arrested on December 13, 2021.

            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 Northern District of Texas.

            The case was investigated by the Fort Worth Resident Agency of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office, along with the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Hazard as #267 in its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Hurst, Texas, Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 28 months since Jan. 6, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Sheron Spann, 54, of Washington, D.C, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to steering government contracts to companies under her control and the control of her spouse. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, who scheduled sentencing for September 21, 2023.   

            According to court documents, starting as early as 2011, Spann, a former employee, began to steer U.S. Office of Personnel Management information technology contracts to companies under control of Spann and her husband without disclosing the nature or extent of her relationship to the companies.  In sum, between 2011 and 2023, companies associated with Spann or her husband received over $10 million from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

            Spann pleaded guilty to one felony count of taking acts affecting a personal financial interest.  She faces up to five years in prison.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division issued the following statements today regarding the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts’s ruling in favor of the Justice Department and the Attorneys General of six states and the District of Columbia in their civil antitrust lawsuit to stop the Northeast Alliance between American Airlines and JetBlue:

“Today’s decision is a win for Americans who rely on competition between airlines to travel affordably,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to protect competition and enforce our antitrust laws in the heavily consolidated airline industry and across every industry.”

“We are pleased with the court’s decision. The outcome of this litigation recognizes the value of competition in the airline industry,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are grateful to our state law enforcement partners and the dedicated and talented Antitrust Division staff that investigated and tried this important case.”

The court’s decision follows a multi-week trial that began in September 2022. The Justice Department sued to stop American Airlines and JetBlue from continuing the Northeast Alliance. The Northeast Alliance is a series of agreements between American Airlines and JetBlue through which the two airlines have consolidated their operations in Boston and New York City. The court ruled that JetBlue and American Airlines’ decision to stop competing in Boston and New York, where they are major players, violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act because it increased fares and reduced choice for American travelers in many domestic markets for scheduled air passenger service.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Defendant Distributed Child Sex Abuse Material in an Online Group

            WASHINGTON – Shemara Shay Mack-Smith, 42, of Accokeek Maryland, was sentenced today to 108 months in prison, to be followed by 120 months of supervised release for distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Crime Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition to the prison term and supervised release, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Mack-Smith to pay $3,000 in restitution to one of the minor victims in the case.

            According to court documents, in late April of 2020, a concerned citizen reported to law enforcement that he met Mack-Smith at a friend’s house in the District of Columbia.  Mack-Smith showed him child pornography, and she told him that she was sexually attracted to children.  This concerned citizen also informed law enforcement that, while exchanging messages with Mack-Smith, she sent him several videos depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers. 

            During the course of the ongoing investigation, in early May of 2023, Mack-Smith distributed several images of child pornography to a law enforcement officer, acting in an undercover capacity.  A search warrant was executed at Mack-Smith’s residence on May 8, 2020.  Numerous digital devices belonging to Mack-Smith, including an Apple iPhone 11, were recovered by law enforcement. The Apple iPhone 11 contained several videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of young children.   

            This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Larson and Jocelyn Bond.