Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department today announced criminal charges in five cases from four U.S. Attorney’s offices in connection with the multi-agency Disruptive Technology Strike Force (Strike Force).

The Strike Force is co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce to counter efforts by hostile nation states to illicitly acquire sensitive U.S. technology to advance their authoritarian regimes and facilitate human rights abuses. Launched in February 2023, the Strike Force’s work has led to the unsealing of charges against 34 defendants in 24 cases involving alleged export control violations, smuggling, theft of trade secrets, and other charges by actors connected to Russia, China, and Iran.

The cases announced today took place over the course of multiple weeks, culminating in the arrest today of a Russian national allegedly seeking to illegally export electronics for use in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to Russia. The other cases also cover spearfishing of U.S-based scientists by an employee of a state-owned Chinese defense company and the smuggling of laser welding machines used in nuclear munition production to Russia.

“The prosecutions of these cases under the Disruptive Technology Strike Force reflects the joint efforts of five agencies across the government focused on the shared goal of stopping the transfer of sensitive, cutting-edge technologies to Iran, China, and Russia,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, through the work of the Strike Force, will continue to do all we can to prevent advanced technologies from falling into the hands of our adversaries and protect our national security.”

“We launched the Disruptive Technology Strike Force a year and half ago to advance the vital mission of safeguarding U.S. technology,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the U.S. Department of Commerce. “As today’s announcements make clear, our efforts to protect sensitive U.S. technologies – which to date have yielded 24 publicly charged criminal cases, millions of dollars in administrative penalties, and multiple Entity List additions – remain relentless and unyielding.” 

“It’s no secret that the threats we face today are more complex and severe than ever before,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The best way – and the only way – we can stay ahead of current and emerging threats is by working together. With these indictments, the Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an excellent example of the power of partnerships in practice.”

“Those who facilitate the illegal proliferation of sensitive technologies and material to hostile nations and terrorist groups pose a serious threat to the safety and security of the United States,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks that aid and abed U.S. adversaries.”

“Disrupting the efforts of foreign nations, international criminal organizations, and other potentially hostile entities that seek to illegally obtain sensitive DoD technology and weapon systems that could potentially be used against our military forces remains a top priority of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the criminal investigative arm of Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General,” said Inspector General Robert P. Storch of DoD. “We will continue to work with the Justice Department and our strike force partners to thwart the efforts of criminal elements whose activities threaten the security of the United States.”

United States v. Postovoy (District of Columbia)

A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment charging Denis Postovoy, a Russian citizen living in the United States, with conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, commit smuggling, commit money laundering and defraud the United States. HSI arrested Postovoy this morning in Sarasota, Florida.

According to court documents, beginning in at least February 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Postovoy procured and illicitly exported from the United States to Russia microelectronic components with military applications. The exported microelectronics can be used in UAVs or drones. Through a web of companies that he owns or operates in Russia, Hong Kong, and elsewhere, Postovoy and individuals in his network purchased the microelectronics from U.S.-based distributors and exported them to Russia without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce.

As alleged, Postovoy’s companies included WowCube HK Limited, JST Group Hong Kong, Jove HK Limited, all based in Hong Kong, and the Vector Group in Russia. Postovoy repeatedly concealed and misstated the true end users and end destinations of the microelectronics by submitting false information on export-related documents. He transshipped items that were ultimately destined for Russia through intermediary destinations, including Hong Kong, Switzerland and elsewhere, and received payments in U.S. dollars from foreign bank accounts. His companies transferred funds for the purchase and shipment of the goods through bank accounts in Hong Kong, Russia, and elsewhere to bank accounts in the United States, including bank accounts maintained by the U.S. suppliers of microelectronics and other sensitive technologies.

HSI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Allen for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

United States v. Song Wu (Northern District of Georgia)

Today, a federal court in Atlanta, unsealed an indictment charging Chinese national, Song Wu, 39, with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft arising from his efforts to fraudulently obtain computer software and source code created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), research universities, and private companies. Song remains at large.

According to the indictment, Song allegedly engaged in a multi-year “spear phishing” email campaign in which he created email accounts to impersonate U.S.-based researchers and engineers and then used those imposter accounts to obtain specialized restricted or proprietary software used for aerospace engineering and computational fluid dynamics. This specialized software could be used for industrial and military applications, such as development of advanced tactical missiles and aerodynamic design and assessment of weapons.

In executing the scheme, Song allegedly sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with the U.S. government, including NASA, the Air Force, Navy, and Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Song also sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with major research universities in Georgia, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio, and with private sector companies that work in the aerospace field. Song’s spear phishing emails appeared to the targeted victims as having been sent by a colleague, associate, friend, or other person in the research or engineering community. His emails requested that the targeted victim send or make available source code or software to which Song believed the targeted victim had access.

According to the indictment, while conducting this spear phishing campaign, Song was employed as an engineer at Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a Chinese state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Beijing. AVIC manufactures civilian and military aircrafts and is one of the largest defense contractors in the world.

In total, Song is charged with 14 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Song faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. Song also faces a mandatory, two-year consecutive penalty in prison for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and the NASA’s Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Tanner Kroeger of the National Security Division’s Cyber Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

United States v. Teslenko (District of Massachusetts)

Massachusetts resident, Samer Bhambhani, 55, and Russian national, Maksim Teslenko, 35, have been charged with smuggling and one count of conspiracy to violate and evade export controls, commit smuggling, and defraud the United States. Bhambhani was arrested on Sept. 9 and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Teslenko remains at large overseas.

It is alleged that from in or around 2015 through at least 2021, Bhambhani and Teslenko conspired to export laser welding machines from Bhambhani’s employer in the United States to the Ural Electromechanical Plant (UEMZ) in Yekaterinburg, Russia, while falsifying the export documentation submitted to the U.S. government in order to conceal the fact that the UEMZ was the true end user of the machines. The UEMZ is a subsidiary of Rosatom, a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow, that oversaw Russia’s civilian and military nuclear program. According to the indictment, Teslenko knew that the laser welding machines were intended for the portion of the UEMZ involving the Russian nuclear weapons program.

The charge of smuggling provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Laura S. Kaplan for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

United States v. Goodarzi (Southern District of Texas)

Gholam Reza Goodarzi, also known as Ron Goodarzi, 76, a dual U.S. and Iranian citizen who resides in Porter, Texas, was arrested at the George Bush International Airport on Aug. 30 based on a criminal complaint alleging he smuggled parts and components used in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as other manned aircraft, from the United States to Iran.

According to court documents, from December 1, 2020, through July 5, Goodarzi illegally exported aircraft-related parts, in addition to oil and drilling components, to Iran. As alleged, Goodarzi purchased U.S.-origin aircraft components from U.S.-based suppliers and then exported them to Iran – typically through Dubai, UAE. He also traveled to and from Iran multiple times per year and concealed aircraft parts and other items in his checked luggage. Goodarzi exchanged multiple emails with suppliers and customers, acknowledging that parts could not be shipped to Iran because of sanctions.

The complaint alleges that on several occasions, authorities searched Goodarzi’s luggage and found numerous aircraft parts and components hidden within articles of clothing. Some of the items had characteristics consistent with parts for the production of UAVs, as well as parts with electrical motor and generator applications. Goodarzi does not have the required licenses to export such items to sanctioned countries, including Iran, according to the complaint.

The FBI, with assistance from and Customs and Border Protection, is investigating the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter for the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. 

United States v. Nader (District of Columbia)

U.S.-Iranian national Jeffrey Chance Nader, 66, of Arcadia, California, was arrested on Aug. 13, 2024, based on an indictment charging him with crimes related to the procurement of U.S.-manufactured aircraft components, including components used on military aircraft, in violation of U.S. economic sanctions and other federal laws.

According to the indictment, beginning at least in 2023, Nader and others conspired to purchase and export – and attempted to export – from the United States to Iran four types of aircraft components, totaling nearly three dozen individual pieces. Some of these components are for use on military aircraft operated by Iran’s armed forces, including the F-4 fighter jet.

Nader, acting on purchase orders he received from customers in Iran, would coordinate the purchase of relevant aircraft components with business associates in Iran, by which they would reach out to U.S.-based suppliers of such components. In several instances, Nader identified himself and his company, California-based Pro Aero Capital, to these U.S.-based suppliers as the end-user of these items. Victim companies in this procurement scheme were located across the United States.

Once the aircraft components were obtained, Nader attempted to export the items on multiple separate occasions. The items were then transshipped to the ultimate customer in Iran. None of the transactions discussed in the indictment were successfully exported; they were detained on export by a Special Agent with the Department of Commerce.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.  

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

*   *   *

Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.  The Postovoy and Teslenko investigations were also coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.

*   *   *

Also today, the Department is announcing the unsealing of an indictment in Chicago, Illinois, charging Chinese national Jia Wei with unlawfully accessing the computer network of a U.S. communications company to steal proprietary information for the benefit of the China-based entities. 

An indictment, complaint or criminal information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department today announced criminal charges in three cases from three U.S. Attorney’s offices in connection with the multi-agency Disruptive Technology Strike Force (Strike Force).

The Strike Force is co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce to counter efforts by hostile nation states to illicitly acquire sensitive U.S. technology to advance their authoritarian regimes and facilitate human rights abuses. Launched in February 2023, the Strike Force’s work has led to the unsealing of charges against 34 defendants in 24 cases involving alleged export control violations, smuggling, theft of trade secrets, and other charges by actors connected to Russia, China, and Iran.

The cases announced today took place over the course of multiple weeks, culminating in the arrest today of a Russian national allegedly seeking to illegally export electronics for use in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to Russia. The other cases also cover spearfishing of U.S-based scientists by an employee of a state-owned Chinese defense company and the smuggling of laser welding machines used in nuclear munition production to Russia.

“The prosecutions of these cases under the Disruptive Technology Strike Force reflects the joint efforts of five agencies across the government focused on the shared goal of stopping the transfer of sensitive, cutting-edge technologies to Iran, China, and Russia,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, through the work of the Strike Force, will continue to do all we can to prevent advanced technologies from falling into the hands of our adversaries and protect our national security.”

“We launched the Disruptive Technology Strike Force a year and half ago to advance the vital mission of safeguarding U.S. technology,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the U.S. Department of Commerce. “As today’s announcements make clear, our efforts to protect sensitive U.S. technologies – which to date have yielded 24 publicly charged criminal cases, millions of dollars in administrative penalties, and multiple Entity List additions – remain relentless and unyielding.” 

“It’s no secret that the threats we face today are more complex and severe than ever before,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The best way – and the only way – we can stay ahead of current and emerging threats is by working together. With these indictments, the Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an excellent example of the power of partnerships in practice.”

“Those who facilitate the illegal proliferation of sensitive technologies and material to hostile nations and terrorist groups pose a serious threat to the safety and security of the United States,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks that aid and abed U.S. adversaries.”

“Disrupting the efforts of foreign nations, international criminal organizations, and other potentially hostile entities that seek to illegally obtain sensitive DoD technology and weapon systems that could potentially be used against our military forces remains a top priority of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the criminal investigative arm of Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General,” said Inspector General Robert P. Storch of DoD. “We will continue to work with the Justice Department and our strike force partners to thwart the efforts of criminal elements whose activities threaten the security of the United States.”

United States v. Postovoy (District of Columbia)

A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment charging Denis Postovoy, a Russian citizen living in the United States, with conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, commit smuggling, commit money laundering and defraud the United States. HSI arrested Postovoy this morning in Sarasota, Florida.

According to court documents, beginning in at least February 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Postovoy procured and illicitly exported from the United States to Russia microelectronic components with military applications. The exported microelectronics can be used in UAVs or drones. Through a web of companies that he owns or operates in Russia, Hong Kong, and elsewhere, Postovoy and individuals in his network purchased the microelectronics from U.S.-based distributors and exported them to Russia without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce.

As alleged, Postovoy’s companies included WowCube HK Limited, JST Group Hong Kong, Jove HK Limited, all based in Hong Kong, and the Vector Group in Russia. Postovoy repeatedly concealed and misstated the true end users and end destinations of the microelectronics by submitting false information on export-related documents. He transshipped items that were ultimately destined for Russia through intermediary destinations, including Hong Kong, Switzerland and elsewhere, and received payments in U.S. dollars from foreign bank accounts. His companies transferred funds for the purchase and shipment of the goods through bank accounts in Hong Kong, Russia, and elsewhere to bank accounts in the United States, including bank accounts maintained by the U.S. suppliers of microelectronics and other sensitive technologies.

The FBI and HSI are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Allen for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

United States v. Song Wu (Northern District of Georgia)

Today, a federal court in Atlanta, unsealed an indictment charging Chinese national, Song Wu, 39, with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft arising from his efforts to fraudulently obtain computer software and source code created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), research universities, and private companies. Song remains at large.

According to the indictment, Song allegedly engaged in a multi-year “spear phishing” email campaign in which he created email accounts to impersonate U.S.-based researchers and engineers and then used those imposter accounts to obtain specialized restricted or proprietary software used for aerospace engineering and computational fluid dynamics. This specialized software could be used for industrial and military applications, such as development of advanced tactical missiles and aerodynamic design and assessment of weapons.

In executing the scheme, Song allegedly sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with the U.S. government, including NASA, the Air Force, Navy, and Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Song also sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with major research universities in Georgia, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio, and with private sector companies that work in the aerospace field. Song’s spear phishing emails appeared to the targeted victims as having been sent by a colleague, associate, friend, or other person in the research or engineering community. His emails requested that the targeted victim send or make available source code or software to which Song believed the targeted victim had access.

According to the indictment, while conducting this spear phishing campaign, Song was employed as an engineer at Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a Chinese state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Beijing. AVIC manufactures civilian and military aircrafts and is one of the largest defense contractors in the world.

In total, Song is charged with 14 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Song faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. Song also faces a mandatory, two-year consecutive penalty in prison for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and the NASA’s Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Tanner Kroeger of the National Security Division’s Cyber Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

United States v. Teslenko (District of Massachusetts)

Massachusetts resident, Samer Bhambhani, 55, and Russian national, Maksim Teslenko, 35, have been charged with smuggling and one count of conspiracy to violate and evade export controls, commit smuggling, and defraud the United States. Bhambhani was arrested on Sept. 9 and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Teslenko remains at large overseas.

It is alleged that from in or around 2015 through at least 2021, Bhambhani and Teslenko conspired to export laser welding machines from Bhambhani’s employer in the United States to the Ural Electromechanical Plant (UEMZ) in Yekaterinburg, Russia, while falsifying the export documentation submitted to the U.S. government in order to conceal the fact that the UEMZ was the true end user of the machines. The UEMZ is a subsidiary of Rosatom, a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow, that oversaw Russia’s civilian and military nuclear program. According to the indictment, Teslenko knew that the laser welding machines were intended for the portion of the UEMZ involving the Russian nuclear weapons program.

The charge of smuggling provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Laura S. Kaplan for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

*   *   *

Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.  The Postovoy and Teslenko investigations were also coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.

*   *   *

Also today, the Department is announcing the unsealing of an indictment in Chicago, Illinois, charging Chinese national Jia Wei with unlawfully accessing the computer network of a U.S. communications company to steal proprietary information for the benefit of the China-based entities. 

An indictment, complaint or criminal information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Following a 26-day trial, a jury in Kansas convicted Kaaba Majeed, 50, Yunus Rassoul, 39, James Staton, 62, Randolph Rodney Hadley, 49, Daniel Aubrey Jenkins, 43, and Dana Peach, 60, of conspiracy to commit forced labor. The jury additionally convicted Kaaba Majeed of five counts of forced labor. Two other co-defendants, Etenia Kinard, 48, and Jacelyn Greenwell, 45, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit forced labor.

According to the evidence presented in court during the course of the trial, the defendants were all former high-ranking members of the United Nation of Islam (UNOI), or were wives to the UNOI founder, Royall Jenkins.

“The United Nation of Islam and these defendants held themselves out as a beacon of hope for the community, promising to educate and teach important life skills to members, particularly children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Instead, the defendants betrayed this trust, exploiting young children in the organization by callously compelling their labor. Prosecuting this case is a testament to the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to hold human traffickers accountable. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute parasitic criminals who target vulnerable victims to finance their lifestyles.”

”The bravery shown by victims of the United Nation of Islam is inspiring, because they spoke up about heinous atrocities committed against them as vulnerable children,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “In childhood, they suffered physical and emotional abuse, were denied a proper education, and were subject to forced labor. As adults, these victims found the strength and courage to pursue justice and face their abusers.”

“Under the guise of false pretenses and coercion, these victims, some of whom were as young as eight years old, endured inhumane and abhorrent conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “Today’s convictions should serve as a stark warning that forced labor will not be tolerated by the FBI.”

UNOI principles included many rules that members had to follow, required “duty” or unpaid labor and emphasized the negative eternal religious consequences of noncompliance. UNOI operated businesses in various cities around the United States, including Kansas City, Kansas; New York City; Newark, New Jersey; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; and Atlanta, among other locations. 

In their former leadership roles in UNOI, the defendants agreed to compel the labor and services of over a dozen victims, including multiple minors, some of whom were as young as eight years old, between October 2000 and November 2012. The victims worked in UNOI-owned and operated restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, laboratory and a clothing and sewing factory, often up to 16 hours a day. The victims also provided child care and domestic services inside defendants’ homes. None of the victims was ever compensated for the years of work they performed at UNOI businesses or at the behest of the defendants. The victims all lived in deplorable conditions, in overcrowded facilities often overrun with mold, mice and rats. In contrast, the defendants and their immediate families lived comfortably.

The evidence presented in court demonstrated that the defendants used a variety of coercive tactics to compel the victims’ labor and services. In essence, the defendants effectively controlled the victims by manipulating the UNOI rules originally created by the founder.

First, the defendants separated the minor victims from their parents and support network. UNOI enticed parents to send their children to Kansas by promising an education and development of life skills through work at UNOI-operated businesses. However, these promises were false.  The minors did not receive an education from an accredited and licensed school but instead worked excessive hours for UNOI’s financial benefit. UNOI’s unlicensed and unaccredited school or “university” was little more than a vehicle for extracting unpaid labor and publicly humiliating victims who violated one of UNOI’s many rules.

Second, the defendants controlled (1) what the victims viewed and read; (2) how the victims dressed; (3) how the victims addressed the defendants and others; (4) with whom the victims communicated; (5) where the victims went; and (6) what the victims ate, to ensure that the victims, particularly the females, maintained a certain weight. The defendants restricted and monitored the victims’ communications with their families, members of the opposite sex and others. The defendants required some victims to undergo colonics, which is a procedure designed to cleanse the colon by streaming gallons of water through a tube inserted into the victims’ rectums. At the same time, the defendants rarely permitted victims to receive outside medical attention for illnesses or injuries. 

Third, the defendants regularly punished the victims for violating the rules. The defendants withheld food, prohibited victims from speaking to others for over two weeks, locked them in a dark, frightening basement, imposed extra work and beat them, sometimes in front of others to create a climate of fear and intimidation. The defendants even held one victim upside down over train tracks because he would not admit to stealing food when he was hungry. Another victim drank water from a toilet because she was so thirsty after not being permitted to drink.

Finally, the defendants instilled a fear of noncompliance and of leaving the UNOI by depriving victims of any education or development of life skills. The defendants also told victims that they would burn in “eternal hellfire” if they left. Family members who remained at UNOI were required to shun as “detractors” any victim who left, and UNOI claimed credit for any negative consequence that occurred to members who left the organization. 

Sentencing hearings are scheduled for Feb. 18, 2025. Kaaba Majeed faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison as well as mandatory restitution. The rest of the defendants each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Kansas City Field Office, with the assistance of the Department of Labor and New York State Department of Labor, investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka for the District of Kansas and Trial Attorneys Kate Alexander, Maryam Zhuravitsky and Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting 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 www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement agreement with COBB Tuning Products to resolve claims relating to the manufacture and sale of automotive emission defeat devices in violation of the Clean Air Act. The settlement requires COBB to pay a civil penalty of just over $2.9 million, based on the company’s limited ability to pay, and to stop the manufacture and sale of defeat devices.

COBB is an automotive aftermarket parts manufacturer and retailer based in Austin, Texas, which formerly sold its parts in Plano, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Fountain Valley, California. In the complaint filed with the settlement agreement, COBB is alleged to have manufactured and sold defeat devices prohibited under the Clean Air Act that, when installed, bypass or disable EPA-approved emission controls and harm air quality.

“COBB created software that allowed users to disable emissions controls, increasing pollution and violating the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to enforcing the Clean Air Act, which remains one of our most important tools in helping to secure and maintain a clean environment.”

“Defeat devices significantly increase air pollution from motor vehicles, particularly in communities that already are overburdened by pollution,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Use of illegal defeat devices has gone on for far too long. EPA will use all of its enforcement tools to hold polluters like COBB Tuning accountable until these illegal practices stop.”

COBB manufactured or sold over 90,000 of these aftermarket defeat devices since January 2015. COBB’s actions resulted in substantial excess emissions of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. Today’s settlement requires the company to stop manufacturing and selling aftermarket defeat devices. COBB may continue to sell tuners and software tunes which the California Air Resources Board determined do not increase emissions above allowable levels. This enforcement action will prevent additional excess emissions that would have resulted from the continued sale of these illegal products.

In addition to requiring COBB to pay a civil penalty of more than $2.9 million, the settlement agreement requires the company to:

• Remove delete features from its software,
• Destroy violative products still in its inventory,
• Cease providing technical support or honoring warranty claims for previously sold violative products,
• Revise its marketing materials,
• Notify the customers that purchased the subject parts that the products at issue violate the Clean Air Act, and
• Conduct compliance training for its employees and contractors.

Defeat devices, which are often sold to enhance engine performance, work by disabling a vehicle’s emission controls, causing air pollution. As a result of enforcement efforts, some of the largest manufacturers of defeat devices have agreed to pay penalties and stop the sale of defeat devices.

More information on this settlement is available on the COBB Tuning Performance Settlement Agreement web page.

The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, is subject to a 30-day comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comment and access to the settlement agreement is available on the Justice Department’s website: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

The EPA investigated the case.

Attorneys with the Justice Department’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

On Friday, Sept. 13, two Puerto Rican men were sentenced for their destruction, removal and fill of protected wetlands in Puerto Rico in violation of the Clean Water Act.

U.S. District Court Judge Gina R. Mendez-Miro for the District of Puerto Rico sentenced Rafael Carballo-Diaz, 51, to 12 months in prison, one year of supervised release and a $4,000 fine. According to court documents, starting in July 2020, Carballo-Diaz destroyed, removed and filled mangrove wetland areas within and around the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR) in Las Mareas, Puerto Rico. Despite lacking a permit, he filled the area with quarry material, gated the area, placed at least six mobile housing units on the property and added a pool. He then named the property “Cacique Resort” and rented the units online as short-term vacation properties.

Nathaniel Hernandez-Claudio, property manager at Carballo-Diaz’s Cacique Resort, was sentenced by Judge Mendez-Miro to 12 months of probation for his role in filling the property. Both Carballo-Diaz and Hernandez-Claudio were indicted in December 2023, and pleaded guilty in July.

Mangrove wetlands, such as those destroyed by the defendants, are critical to local infrastructure, economies and ecosystems because they can limit damage from flooding and storms, reduce pollution and provide habitat for numerous marine and endangered species. The JBNERR was designated as a reserve in 1981 to protect the wetlands and study the biological and societal impacts of estuarine habitat, as well as provide recreation and educational opportunities to local communities. The reserve is home to the endangered brown pelican, peregrine falcon, hawksbill turtle and West Indian manatee.

Congress enacted the Clean Water Act in 1972 to protect and maintain the integrity of the waters of the United States. It prohibits the discharge of any pollutant and fill material into waters of the United States except when a permit is obtained from the United States.

This case is part of an ongoing investigation into the destruction of wetlands in Puerto Rico. Previously charged individuals include Luis Enrique Rodriguez-Sanchez, sentenced in June; Awildo Jimenez-Mercado sentenced on Sept. 11; and Pedro Luis Bones-Torres, scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7.

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico made the announcement.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI investigated the case, with support from the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Crimes Task Force.

Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.