Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Nevada man was sentenced today to 65 years in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting multiple minors and advertising and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he coerced these minors into producing. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2018 and 2021, James Patrick Burns, 55, of Sparks, “sextorted” multiple minors online, via Omegle, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Mega, by threatening these minors into producing CSAM and then posting the CSAM on dark web forums. During this period, Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified. Burns’s offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victim’s phone and reported what she saw to the police.

Burns was also ordered to pay $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.

On March 5, a federal jury convicted Burns of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. At the time of these offenses, Burns was already a registered sex offender, and the jury also convicted Burns of committing certain specified felony offenses while required to register as a sex offender.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement.

The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI, investigated the case. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement around the country provided substantial assistance.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal judge convicted a medical doctor and former member of the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) today for unlawfully distributing opioids.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Fletcher, 61, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a physician at Interventional Pain Specialists (IPS) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, and a board member of the KBML. In his role at the KBML, Fletcher oversaw disciplinary proceedings against physicians, including those who improperly prescribed controlled substances. However, Fletcher was also illegally prescribing opioids to IPS patients, including some who had tested positive for hard street drugs like cocaine and heroin, in part so he could perform and bill for lucrative and often medically unnecessary procedures on the same patients. Trial evidence showed that seven IPS patients died of drug-related complications shortly after being prescribed opioids by Fletcher.  

Fletcher was convicted of three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Assistant Director Michael A. Nordwall of the FBI Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Regional Director Joseph Rivers of the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA); and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman made the announcement.

The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-EBSA, and Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Natalie Kanerva of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

A federal judge convicted a medical doctor and former member of the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) today for unlawfully distributing opioids.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Fletcher, 61, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a physician at Interventional Pain Specialists (IPS) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, and a board member of the KBML. In his role at the KBML, Fletcher oversaw disciplinary proceedings against physicians, including those who improperly prescribed controlled substances. However, Fletcher was also illegally prescribing opioids to IPS patients, including some who had tested positive for hard street drugs like cocaine and heroin, in part so he could perform and bill for lucrative and often medically unnecessary procedures on the same patients. Trial evidence showed that seven IPS patients died of drug-related complications shortly after being prescribed opioids by Fletcher.  

Fletcher was convicted of three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Assistant Director Michael A. Nordwall of the FBI Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Regional Director Joseph Rivers of the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA); and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman made the announcement.

The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-EBSA, and Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Natalie Kanerva of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

A Nevada man was sentenced today to 65 years in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting multiple minors and advertising and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he coerced these minors into producing. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2018 and 2021, James Patrick Burns, 55, of Sparks, “sextorted” multiple minors online, via Omegle, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Mega, by threatening these minors into producing CSAM and then posting the CSAM on dark web forums. During this period, Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified. Burns’s offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victim’s phone and reported what she saw to the police.

Burns was also ordered to pay $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.

On March 5, a federal jury convicted Burns of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. At the time of these offenses, Burns was already a registered sex offender, and the jury also convicted Burns of committing certain specified felony offenses while required to register as a sex offender.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement.

The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI, investigated the case. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement around the country provided substantial assistance.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to firing gun shots at current Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg’s 2022 campaign.

According to court documents, on the morning of Feb. 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 23, of Louisville, walked into Greenberg’s campaign office, where Greenberg was having a meeting with four staffers. Brown fired multiple shots at Greenberg before staffers were able to close and barricade the door. Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm that he had used in the shooting in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he shot at Greenberg because Greenberg was running for mayor.

Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21. If the court accepts the terms of the plea agreement, Brown faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 18 years and one month in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Division made the announcement.

The FBI Louisville Field Office, ATF Louisville Division, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.

The task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General memo.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.