Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice

Two men were sentenced in federal court today to crimes related to a scheme to attack power grids in the United States in furtherance white supremacy.

Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio, and Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, of Katy, Texas, and West Lafayette, Indiana, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. Cook was sentenced was sentenced to 92 months in prison and Frost was sentenced to 60 months in prison. Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was also charged and pleaded guilty in February 2022 in connection with the scheme and will be sentenced at a later date.

“These defendants plotted armed attacks against energy facilities to stoke division in furtherance of white supremacist ideology and now they are being held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will not tolerate the use of violence to advance any extremist ideology and we remain determined to protect our communities from such hateful acts of terror.”

“At the root of every terrorist plot – whether foreign or domestic – is hate,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “As a society, we must be vigilant against online radicalization, which is a powerful tool used by extremists to recruit both juveniles and adults.”

“The defendants in this case conspired to provide material support to terrorism by putting plans in place to damage America’s infrastructure, motivated by their adherence to racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist ideology,” said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “When individuals move from espousing ideas to planning or committing acts of violence, the FBI will investigate and take action to disrupt their plans. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the commitment we have to working with our partners to bring violent extremists to justice and to protect our communities.” 

According to court documents, in fall 2019, Frost and Cook met in an online chat group. Frost shared the idea of attacking a power grid with Cook, and within weeks, the two began efforts to recruit others to join in their plan.

As part of the recruitment process, Cook circulated a book list of readings that promoted the ideology of white supremacy and Neo-Nazism. By late 2019, Sawall – a friend of Cook’s – joined the conspiracy and assisted Cook with online recruitment efforts, operational security and organization.

As part of the conspiracy, each defendant was assigned a substation in a different region of the United States. The plan was to attack the substations, or power grids, with powerful rifles. The defendants believed their plan would cost the government millions of dollars and cause unrest for Americans in the region. They had conversations about how the possibility of the power being out for many months could cause war, even a race war, and induce the next Great Depression.

In February 2020, the co-conspirators met in Columbus, Ohio, to further discuss their plot. Frost provided Cook with an AR-47 and the two took the rifle to a shooting range to train.

Frost also provided Cook and Sawall with suicide necklaces during the Columbus meeting. The necklaces were filled with fentanyl and were to be ingested if and when the defendants were caught by law enforcement. Both Cook and Sawall expressed their commitment to dying in furtherance of their mission.

Upon arriving in Columbus, Sawall and Cook purchased spray paint and painted a swastika flag under a bridge at a park with the caption, “Join the Front.” The defendants had additional propaganda plans for their time in Ohio, but they were derailed during a traffic stop, during which Sawall swallowed his suicide pill but ultimately survived.

Court documents detail that Cook and Frost continued to travel together after their Ohio meeting, and drove to Texas in March 2020. Cook stayed in different cities with various juveniles who he was attempting to recruit for their plot.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica W. Knight for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Houston. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Northern District of Indiana provided valuable support.

Source: United States Department of Justice

A South Carolina return preparer pleaded guilty today, after his jury trial had begun, to two counts of filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jeffrey Harmon of Lexington, South Carolina, owned and operated TFL Worldwide, a tax preparation business through which he willfully prepared and filed returns for clients that claimed fraudulent deductions relating to, among other things, rent, utilities, meals, gifts, dues, and depreciation.

In his plea, Harmon admitted to filing a false 2012 tax return for himself and to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a 2016 tax return claiming false deductions for rent and depreciation for one of his clients.  Harmon agreed that the total tax loss from his criminal conduct was approximately $320,000. 

Harmon faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each false return count.  He also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution. U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will determine any sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs for the District of South Carolina and Special Agent in Charge Donald Trey Eakins of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office, made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Wilson Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle Klein for the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A Nevada man pleaded guilty today to using fraudulent checks to steal money from victims’ bank accounts.

According to court documents, Michael Zeto, 77, of Las Vegas, partnered with foreign telemarketers, who provided Zeto with the names, bank account numbers, and other personal information for American consumers. Many of these consumers had purchased no products or services from the telemarketers and had not authorized anyone to debit their bank accounts. Zeto used the information provided by his telemarketing partners to create fraudulent checks payable to companies he controlled and debited consumers’ bank accounts. Many of Zeto’s victims were retirees and other older adults.

“The defendant was a vital link in a scheme with foreign telemarketing partners to steal money from American victims’ bank accounts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting older Americans from fraud and to prosecuting people who knowingly help fraudsters.”

“With our increasing use and dependency on technology, fraudsters have found new ways to scam unsuspecting Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “Americans, and Nevadans in particular, can be assured that our office is committed to investigating and prosecuting elder financial fraud scams.”

“Today’s guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for his role in a multimillion dollar fraudulent check scheme that targeted the bank accounts of American consumers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin Bundy of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General Chicago Division. “The FDIC-OIG remains dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who seek to defraud elderly and vulnerable Americans, and threaten the integrity of the banking system.”

“This conviction is the direct result of a diligent investigation by hardworking Postal Inspectors and our partners at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça of the FDIC-OIG Chicago Division. “Working together, their perseverance unraveled the defendant’s complex scheme to defraud some of our nation’s most vulnerable victims and delivered the justice that each victim deserved. We are proud of the investigative team’s efforts to uphold the mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to protect postal customers and consumers from fraudsters.”

Zeto pleaded guilty to wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The USPIS and FDIC-OIG are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Daniel Zytnick and Timothy Finley of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.

The department urges individuals to be on the lookout for unauthorized debits to their accounts. Check your bank, credit card, and other financial statements and contact your financial institution if you see a charge you do not recognize. Report any fraudulent debit you identify to law enforcement. Reports may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against an officer from the Metropolitan Police Department who was involved in the April 2022 fatal shooting of Erica Graham.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident. This included a review of law enforcement and civilian eyewitness accounts, physical evidence, recorded body-worn camera (BWC) footage, recorded doorbell camera footage, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from the Metropolitan Police Department.

            According to the evidence, on April 23, 2022, at approximately 5:59 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department were dispatched to 830 Crittenden Street, N.W., for a report of gunshots fired. The police would learn during the events which led to the fatal shooting that Erica Graham, who was wearing a ballistic vest and brandishing a firearm, had shot a civilian just moments before the arrival of the police.

            Upon arrival on the 800 block of Crittenden Street, the first police officers on the scene observed Ms. Graham on the porch of a rowhouse holding a handgun. Throughout the incident, the officers made multiple commands for Ms. Graham to place the weapon on the ground, which she refused. Ms. Graham pointed the weapon several times at the officers and pulled the trigger, but it did not fire. The police on the scene made a request on the radio for additional units to respond because an officer needed assistance due to the presence of a person with a gun and continued in their efforts to convince Ms. Graham to place her weapon on the ground. 

            After a few minutes, Officer Simeon Crawford arrived on the scene. Ms. Graham climbed over a short railing to another porch attached to the first residence, and immediately tried to gain access to the second residence while brandishing the handgun. Ms. Graham crouched down, turned, and pointed the weapon at the police again. Officer Crawford fired two shots in reaction.  The first shot missed Ms. Graham. The second shot struck Ms. Graham in the upper torso. Ms. Graham fell to the floor of the porch. The police approached and attempted to provide medical attention as an ambulance was called to the scene. A handgun was recovered from under where Ms. Graham had fallen.      

            After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Crawford used excessive force under the circumstances.

Use-of-force investigations generally

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. To prove civil rights violations, prosecutors must typically be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary.  Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden. Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. 

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, in celebration of Earth Day on April 22, the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) released the Division’s Accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.

“I am very pleased to announce the release of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Accomplishments Report for FY 2022,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the ENRD. “I could not be prouder of how the ENRD team has been carrying out our mission in service of the American people, including as a key player in the administration’s efforts to secure environmental justice and respond to the climate crisis.”

As highlighted in the report, the division in 2022 continued to prioritize efforts to combat climate change. And, building on the division’s work, the Justice Department established the Office of Environmental Justice within the division and issued a comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy.

More broadly, the division worked closely with partners throughout the federal government to enforce a range of federal laws that protect public health, wildlife and other natural resources, worker safety and animal welfare. The division also defended client federal agencies in court when their regulations, decisions and other actions were challenged. The division also worked to preserve the rights and resources of federally recognized Indian tribes and filed condemnation actions to acquire land for federal agency programs.

In FY 2022, the division worked on roughly 4,500 matters. The division obtained over $820 million in civil and criminal fines, penalties, and costs recovered, while also securing federal injunctive relief valued at $3.1 billion. And, through defensive and condemnation litigation, the division saved the United States more than $2.1 billion.

The accomplishments described in the report add to division’s legacy. The division’s work is as important as ever given the environmental and other challenges that face the nation today and that will continue to arise in the years to come.