Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Justice Department today announced the seizure of 13 domains used by Specially Designated Nationals (SNDs), Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), and their members associated with Lebanese Hezbollah.

According to court records, the United States obtained court authorization to seize five domains registered to the Public Interest Registry (PIR) – moqawama.org, almanarnews.org, manarnews.org, almanar-tv.org, and alshahid.org – and eight domains registered to Verisign Inc. – manartv.net, manarnews.net, almanar-tv.com, almanar-tv.net, alidaamouch.com, Ibrahim-alsayed.net, alemdad.net, and naimkassem.net. 

“Today’s web domain seizures deny terrorist organizations and affiliates significant sources of support and makes clear we will not allow these groups to use U.S. infrastructure to threaten the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce economic sanctions as part of our commitment to deploy all available tools against threats from hostile nation-states and terrorist actors alike.”

“The Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) is at the forefront of ensuring that American internet infrastructure is unavailable for use by international terrorist organizations, their members and affiliates,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the EDVA. “The domains seized through this operation are controlled by individuals and entities engaged in planning or perpetrating acts of terrorism against Americans and thus are not lawfully permitted to use American infrastructure. Operations like this disrupt terrorist activity by blocking one avenue these groups and individuals use to gather support and influence.”

“This seizure demonstrates the FBI’s persistence in using all of our tools to hold accountable terrorists and their affiliates when they violate U.S. laws,” said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to seek out those individuals who contribute to the advancement of Lebanese Hezbollah’s malign activities and ensure they are brought to justice, regardless of where, or how, they attempt to hide.”

“These court-authorized domain seizures reflect the FBI’s continued dedication to the fight against terrorism,” said Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “Along with our federal and international partners, the FBI remains focused on proactively disrupting web domains controlled by Specially Designated Nationals – those who attempt to illegally utilize U.S. infrastructure to incite deadly violence against the United States and our allies to further the objectives of foreign terrorist organizations.”

Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), SDNs and SDGTs, such as Lebanese Hezbollah, Al Manar TV, Ali Damush, Ibrahim al-Sayyid, Islamic Charitable Emdad Committee, Martyrs’ Foundation in Lebanon, Naim Qasim, and their members may not obtain services, including website and domain services, in the United States without a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). No such license was obtained for any of the 13 seized domains. 

Additionally, these 13 domains are subject to seizure as assets of entities and organizations engaged in planning or perpetrating acts of terrorism against the United States, its citizens and residents, and their property. These domains also afford a source of influence over those entities and organizations. The seizure of these domains will cut off that source of support and influence.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Duane E. Townsend of the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General made the announcement.

The FBI and Department of Commerce investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Peters and Laura D. Withers for the Eastern District of Virginia are representing the government in these matters, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin Wednesday to 84 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places.

According to court documents, Michael Wayne Roberts, 41, was living in Medellin, Colombia when he paid money for sex with three Colombian girls between the ages of 13 and 15 on multiple occasions between December 2020 and June 2021.  Roberts was arrested on Sept. 15, 2022 and has remained in federal custody.  He pleaded guilty in February to all three counts in his indictment.

In addition to the prison sentence and supervised release, the U.S. district judge ordered Roberts to pay $147,844.51 in restitution to the victims.  Roberts must also register as a sex offender.

“This sentencing reflects that those who engage in sexual conduct with minors, regardless of where it occurs, will be held accountable for their heinous, predatory crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas.  “I am grateful for the diligent work of the Colombian National Police and our federal partners at Homeland Security Investigations, leading to the arrest and prosecution of this individual.  Their commitment to justice has made our communities safer and protected our most vulnerable population—our children.”

“Protecting the children in our communities remains a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alejandro M. Amaro for HSI San Antonio. “This sentence is a testament that HSI remains committed to identifying individuals who prey on our most vulnerable population, especially those individuals that hold positions of public trust.”

HSI and the Colombian National Police investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Henneke prosecuted the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

A federal grand jury in the District of Delaware returned an indictment charging a Delaware man and woman with sex trafficking, labor trafficking and related charges. The defendants are charged with aiding and abetting one another in committing sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking against 13 victims.

The indictment alleges that from 2014 through 2020, Clifton H. Gibbs, 66, and Brooke D. Waters, 44, of Lewes, recruited, harbored, transported and compelled nine victims to engage in commercial sex acts under the threat that they would suffer serious harm if they did not comply. The indictment further alleges that from 2016 through 2020, Gibbs and Waters obtained the labor and services of six victims under the threat of suffering serious harm if they did not comply. Finally, the indictment alleges that Gibbs and Waters transported three victims across state lines for the purpose of criminal sexual activity.

The sex trafficking charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment. The forced labor charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The interstate transportation for the purposes of criminal sexual activity charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss for the District of Delaware, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia and Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of HSI Baltimore made the announcement. The Delaware State Police, led by Colonel Melissa Zebley, provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Knox for the District of Delaware, Trial Attorney Rebekah J. Bailey of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Trial Attorney Caylee Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Senior Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of the Money Laundering Section’s Special Financial Investigations Unit.

Anyone who believes that they may have been a victim of this case or may have relevant information to share is asked to call the HSI tip line at 866-DHS-2423.

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

An indictment 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

Today, in the District of Puerto Rico, a federal grand jury returned two separate indictments charging Luis Enrique Rodriguez Sanchez and Pedro Luis Bones Torres with violations of the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act related to the illegal construction and deposit of material into the wetlands and waters of the United States in the area of the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR) and Las Mareas community of Salinas, Puerto Rico.

According to the indictments, from approximately January 2020 through October 2022, Luis Enrique Rodriguez Sanchez (Rodriguez Sanchez) and Pedro Luis Bones Torres (Bones Torres) knowingly discharged fill material from excavation and earth moving equipment into the wetlands and waters of the United States in violation of the Clean Water Act. Further, both Rodriguez Sanchez and Bones Torres are charged with building structures within the navigable waters of the United States without authorization of the Secretary of the Army, in violation of the Rivers and Harbors Act. These activities occurred in the coastal waters and wetlands of the Las Mareas community and JBNERR in Salinas, Puerto Rico.

“These cases demonstrate our commitment to protecting wetland ecosystems, which have many public and environmental benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Coastal wetlands protect communities from storm surges and hurricanes, protect vulnerable species from exploitation, stabilize estuaries and provide natural water filtration that improves water quality.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to enforcing federal environmental protection laws and to holding violators responsible for the harm that they cause,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “These laws play an important role in protecting the animals, resources, and habitats within Puerto Rico, the Las Mareas community, and the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The unpermitted construction, pollution, and fill within the protected waters of the United States also poses flooding and hurricane mitigation concerns for surrounding communities. As such, they are a priority for federal environmental enforcement efforts.” 

“Today’s actions send a clear signal that the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General (DOC-OIG) is dedicated to investigating potential fraud, waste and abuse in projects receiving funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Lysaght of the DOC-OIG. “DOC-OIG greatly appreciates the cooperative efforts of our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners as we seek to enforce laws protecting the environment and natural beauty of Puerto Rico.” 

The Clean Water Act was enacted by Congress in 1972 to protect and maintain the integrity of the waters of the United States. The Clean Water Act’s main purpose is to ensure the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. 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.

The Rivers and Harbors Act was originally enacted in 1899 and is generally considered the oldest environmental law in the United States. It serves to regulate and protect the navigable waters of the United States and prohibits the un-permitted construction of structures within those waters. Both the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act protect the coastal waters within the JBNERR.

The JBNERR was designated as a National Estuarine Research Reserve by the NOAA in 1981 and is comprised of approximately 2,800 acres of coastal ecosystems in the Southern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. The JBNERR contains mangrove islands, mangrove forests, tidal wetlands, coral reefs, lagoons, salt flats, dry forest and seagrass beds. It is also home to the endangered brown pelican, peregrine falcon, hawksbill turtle and West Indian manatee. The JBNERR is owned and operated by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PR-DNER).

Both Rodriguez Sanchez and Bones Torres were arrested and are scheduled to appear today before Magistrate Judge Bruce J. McGiverin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico for their respective initial appearances. If convicted, the defendants face up to four years in prison, as well as fines and injunctive relief to remove violative structures.

Various federal agencies are involved in this ongoing investigation related to environmental crimes in the JBNERR and Las Mareas community, including the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID), FBI, U.S. Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army-CID), DOC-OIG, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (NOAA-OLE), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement (FW-OLE).

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe, Environmental Litigation Coordinator for the District of Puerto Rico.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Justice Department today announced the launch of the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Environmental Crimes Task Force to investigate and prosecute violations of federal law harming the environment, wildlife and human health, and associated fraud, waste and abuse in the region.

The creation of the task force comes one year after the Justice Department announced  its Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy and the creation of an Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) within the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD).

“All communities deserve clean air, clean water, and the robust protection of their natural resources – both, today and for generations to come,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This task force demonstrates the department’s continued commitment to environmental justice and its comprehensive strategy to address significant concerns faced by communities overburdened with pollution.”

“Environmental justice and ensuring that all residents of Puerto Rico enjoy a healthy environment free of hazardous waste and other pollutants is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “This Task Force will combine and leverage resources from many federal agencies to aggressively enforce civil and criminal environmental laws.”

“The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our federal and local partners, is committed to enforcing environmental laws. Our goal is to ensure that all our citizens receive protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to a healthy environment in which to live, learn, play and work,” said U.S. Attorney Delia Smith for the USVI.

The creation of this Task Force builds upon the Justice Department’s environmental justice strategy and brings together federal law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Those federal agencies will continue to work closely with their local counterparts, including the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources, and the USVI Attorney General’s Office.

The task force will include law enforcement personnel from the following agencies:

• Army – Criminal Investigation Division
• Army Corps of Engineers
• Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General
• Department of Commerce – Office of Inspector General
• Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations
• Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General
• Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division
• Environmental Protection Agency – Office of Inspector General
• FBI
• Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations
• Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General
• IRS – Criminal Investigation Division
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Office of Law Enforcement
• U.S. Coast Guard – Sector San Juan
• U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

On May 5, 2022, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta signed the Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy. The Strategy provides a roadmap for using the Justice Department’s civil and criminal enforcement authorities and tools. Under the Strategy, the Department seeks to advance environmental justice in underserved communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened, including low-income communities, communities of color and Tribal and Indigenous communities.

Reporting environmental, public health and safety concerns supports a safe community for all. U.S. Attorney Muldrow and U.S. Smith encourage Puerto Rico and USVI residents to use the following contact information to report violations to federal agencies.

If the violation concerns air quality, health, water, land, waste, chemicals and toxins (e.g. pesticides and lead paint), and/or a cleanup, contact the Environmental Protection Agency at www.epa.gov/report-violation or Denuncie violaciones ambientales | US EPA to report violations.

If the violation concerns fraud, waste and abuse of an EPA program, operation, grant or contract, contact Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General at www.epa.gov/office-inspector-general/forms/epa-oig-hotline-complaint-form

If the violation concerns an oil or chemical spill, contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-88022.

If the violation concerns a marine environment, contact the Coast Guard at www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=878 and/or Sector San Juan Command Center: 787-729-2041.

If the violation concerns federal marine resources, you should contact the www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/enforcement or hotline at 1-800-853-1964.

If the violation concerns harm to wildlife (e.g., pesticide misuse), contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453 or www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips.

If the violation concerns wetlands or navigable waters, contact your local district branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Enforcement.

If the violation concerns workplace conditions, such as chemicals or noxious fumes, contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at 1-800-321-6742 or www.osha.gov/workers/file-complaint.

If the violation concerns housing conditions, contact the Department of Housing & Urban Development – Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG) at 1-800-347-3735 or www.hudoig.gov/hotline/hotline-form.

If the violation concerns transportation of hazardous materials or a pipeline, contact the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) at 1-800-424-9071 or www.oig.dot.gov/fraud-hotline.

If the violation concerns medications, food products, devices, biological products, cosmetics, or other products for human consumption, contact the FDA at 1-800-332-0127 (toll-free) or www.fda.gov/safety/report-problem-fda.

​​​If the violation concerns fraud, waste, and abuse related to U.S. Department of Commerce (including any entity receiving DOC funds) contact www.oig.doc.gov/Pages/Hotline.aspx

If the violation concerns discriminatory environmental and health impacts, contact DOJ Civil Rights at 1-855-856-1247 or civilrights.justice.gov.

If the violation involves public corruption, contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.

For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/oej; www.epa.gov; www.justice.gov/usao/pr.