Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An Indiana woman was sentenced today to 72 months in prison and three years of supervised release for committing a federal hate crime.

On Sept. 17, Billie Davis, 57, pleaded guilty to willfully causing bodily injury to a victim, identified in court papers only by her initials, Z.F., through the use of a dangerous weapon (a knife), because of Z.F.’s actual and perceived race and national origin.

“Racially motivated violence has no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant pulled out a knife and viciously attacked a young woman who was simply riding a public bus to school, seriously injuring her because she was of Chinese descent. The sentence imposed for this heinous hate crime should send a strong message that perpetrators of hate-fueled violence will be held accountable. The Justice Department is committed to protecting every American from hate crimes by investigating and vigorously prosecuting those who carry out such heinous attacks.”

“Every person deserves to feel safe in their own community, and no one should be made to fear violence on their way to school simply because of who they are,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Violent hate should have no safe harbor in Indiana or anywhere in our great country. That’s why our Justice Department has prioritized prosecution of hate crimes and community outreach through our United Against Hate initiative. In recent years we’ve sadly seen an increase of bias crimes targeting people of Asian descent, and the serious federal prison sentence imposed here should demonstrate our commitment to stopping this hate. Anyone who has suffered a potentially hate-based violent incident should call 911 to address immediate safety issues, and then report the event to the Justice Department or FBI. Together we can make our community safer for everyone.”

“The FBI remains committed to protecting the civil rights of all individuals and this case should serve as a reminder that hate fueled actions will not be tolerated,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert “Alex” Middleton of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and ensure those who perpetrate such acts of hate are held accountable.”

According to documents filed in connection with this case, on Jan. 11, 2023, Z.F., a woman of Chinese descent who was enrolled at Indiana University at Bloomington, was riding a Bloomington Transit bus on her way to school. Davis boarded the bus, sitting behind Z.F. As Z.F. stood to exit the bus at her stop, Davis reached for a folding knife from inside her pocket and stabbed Z.F. in the head approximately seven to 10 times. Davis later admitted to the police that she attacked Z.F. because she was Chinese and because Davis believed Z.F. was the “enemy.” Davis used racist slurs when referring to Z.F.

The FBI Indianapolis Field Office, Bloomington Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Bloomington Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana, Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice

A Colombian national pleaded guilty today to his role in kidnapping and assaulting two members of the U.S. military who were on temporary duty in Bogotá, Colombia.

According to court documents, Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, 47, of Bogotá, and his co-defendants targeted, incapacitated, and kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in Bogotá. The two victims, who were serving on orders in Colombia, went to an entertainment district in Bogotá to watch a soccer game on the evening of March 5, 2020. They went to a pub, where one of Silva Ochoa’s co-conspirators incapacitated the victims by putting drugs, including benzodiazepines, in their drinks. Silva Ochoa’s co-conspirators then escorted the victims into a waiting car driven by Silva Ochoa, kidnapped them, and took their wallets, debit cards, credit cards, and cell phones. Silva Ochoa and his co-conspirators used one victim’s credit card and the other victim’s debit card to make purchases and withdraw money. The two victims lost consciousness until the following day, by which point they had been separated.

Pursuant to a plea agreement, Silva Ochoa pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Silva Ochoa was extradited in May from Chile to the United States, and he is the second co-defendant to plead guilty in this criminal scheme. Co-defendant Arango Castellanos was extradited in May 2023 from Colombia to the United States, pleaded guilty in January to the charges in the indictment, and was sentenced in May to 48 years and nine months in prison. Co-defendant Uribe Chiran was extradited in September from Colombia to the United States; she is currently scheduled for trial in February 2025.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole A. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Miami Field Office’s Extraterritorial Squad investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, and FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile, provided significant assistance. The Justice Department also thanks Colombian and Chilean law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance.

Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the State of Illinois today announced the filing of a complaint against the City of East St. Louis, Illinois.

The complaint seeks penalties and infrastructure improvements to remedy East St. Louis’ failure to operate its sewer system in compliance with the Clean Water Act. This failure has led to hundreds of unlawful discharges of untreated sewage to various locations in the community, including the Mississippi River and Whispering Willow Lake in Frank Holten State Park.

East St. Louis operates a combined sewer system that carries sanitary sewage and stormwater through the same pipes. During periods of heavy rain, combined sewage is discharged directly from East St. Louis’ outfalls to the Mississippi River or Whispering Willow Lake without any treatment, which the United States alleges is in violation of the Clean Water Act. Since 2020, East St. Louis has discharged untreated sewage to the Mississippi River on over 140 separate days. The city has also discharged untreated sewage into Whispering Willow Lake, though the precise number of discharges is unknown because East St. Louis has failed to install required monitoring devices.

Areas of the Mississippi River that are downstream of East St. Louis are designated for recreation such as swimming and kayaking; Whispering Willow Lake is frequently used for fishing and boating. East St. Louis’ failure to monitor outfalls interferes with EPA’s ability to evaluate the danger that discharges to these water bodies pose to human health. Untreated sewage contains pathogens such as E. coli, which can cause severe illness if ingested. The frequent discharges of untreated sewage from East St. Louis’ outfalls could pose significant health risks to residents who recreate in the receiving waters.

East St. Louis also operates a separate sewer system that carries sanitary sewage only. Both the combined and separate sewer systems that the city operates are in a state of disrepair. The city’s failure to properly operate and maintain these systems has led to additional discharges of combined or sanitary sewage into streets and buildings and has put members of the public at risk for unknowingly coming into contact with untreated sewage.

The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.  The United States and Illinois will request an order for the City of East St. Louis to cease further violations of the Clean Water Act and complete all actions necessary to ensure future compliance. These requested compliance measures will likely include sewer improvement and other infrastructure projects.

The Justice Department and EPA are asking East St. Louis community members to consider submitting optional Community Statements regarding sewer overflow events by April 30, 2025. The agencies seek information on the extent and impact of the sewer overflow problems and input on long-term solutions. Community members can provide input at dojenrd.gov1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3aSMl4v9WteSESy.

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Administrator Debra Shore for EPA Region 5 and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul made the announcement.

The United States has brought enforcement actions to require municipalities across the country to update their sewer systems and address similar Clean Water Act violations. Nationally, EPA has been working with states, municipalities, and trade organizations to develop tools to help communities work towards compliance with Clean Water Act requirements. On Dec. 10, the Justice Department, EPA and the State of Illinois announced a settlement with the nearby City of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, resolving that city’s Clean Water Act violations. Details of that settlement can be found at www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-and-epa-announce-settlement-cahokia-heights-illinois-improper-operation.

EPA and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency investigated the case.

Attorneys with the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section and Illinois Attorney General’s office are handling the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A 12-count indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Natalya Ivanovna Mazulina, of Federal Way, Washington, also known as “Natasha Mazulina,” for her alleged involvement in a scheme to circumvent U.S. export laws and sanctions on Russia. Mazulina, the Western regional manager of a freight forwarding company based in Jamaica, New York, which operated out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK airport) in Queens, New York, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington State, was arrested yesterday in Seattle and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.

“The defendant exploited her knowledge of the export business to falsify documents and circumvent U.S. sanctions by illegally shipping oil and gas products to Russian customers,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “American companies like the freight forwarder where Mazulina worked play a critical role in the global supply chain and movement of goods. The National Security Division will not tolerate individuals who seek to abuse their positions in these companies for financial gain at the expense of national security.”

“We’ve been clear and consistent that we want to help freight forwarders comply with our rules,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “But, as today’s arrest underscores, we’ve also been clear and consistent about what happens when they don’t.”

“As alleged, Mazulina used her position as a manager of a freight forwarding company to facilitate unlawful exports to Russia through JFK airport,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Evading U.S export regulations presents a danger to our national security, and we will continue to use all of our law enforcement and national security tools make sure these enablers, both individuals and corporations, cannot operate in our district.”

“The defendant in this case allegedly helped Russia obtain such valuable items as industrial oil and gas equipment in violation of export laws and sanctions,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to detect and stop such illegal transfers and hold accountable those who engage in activities detrimental to U.S. national security interests.”

As alleged in the indictment, from at least December 2022 through December 2024, Mazulina conspired with Russian freight forwarding companies and others to unlawfully ship controlled items, including industrial oil and gas equipment from the United States to Russia, through intermediary countries. At one point, in June 2023, Mazulina told colleagues that her clients were paying through bank accounts in third party countries because “[m]ost of [her] clients [were] currently sanctioned with USA.”  Mazulina attempted to conceal the unlawful scheme by submitting and causing the submission of false export documents to the U.S. government, documents which should have revealed that the exported goods were destined for Russia.

Mazulina is charged with conspiracy to export controlled goods to Russia without a license, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to commit money laundering, exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license, filing false export documents with the U.S. government, and smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiring to export or exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering; up to 10 years in prison for each count of smuggling; and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and filing false export documents with the U.S. government. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The BIS and FBI are investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, FBI Seattle Field Office, and BIS Boston Field Office assisted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorneys Christopher M. Rigali and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section assisted with this investigation.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that, beginning in 2014, the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department filed a civil injunction suit today in federal court in Tyler, Texas. The lawsuit seeks to bar Hudrell Lemontez Jones, Brenda Jackson Thomas and D&B Professional Tax Services LLC from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others.

According to the complaint, Jones operated and prepared returns through an unincorporated business, D&B Professional Tax Services, starting in 2020 before forming D&B Professional Tax Services LLC in 2022. Additionally, according to the complaint, Thomas has prepared returns in connection with Jones since 2020 and is an owner of or has otherwise shared in the profits generated by D&B Professional Tax Services LLC.

The complaint alleges that Jones and Thomas prepare and file tax returns that falsely reduce their customers’ taxable income and falsely increase their customers’ refunds, while profiting by charging their customers substantial return preparation fees — at the expense of the Treasury. The complaint alleges that the defendants engage in misconduct, including:

• Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses,
• Claiming false mortgage interest deductions,
• Claiming fabricated COVID-19-related tax credits, and
• Improperly concealing their status as preparers of certain returns by using the names and ID numbers of other preparers.

The Tax Division reminds taxpayers that the IRS has information, tips and reminders on its site for choosing a tax preparer carefully (Choosing a Tax Professional and How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer) and has launched a free directory of credentialed federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers taxpayers tips to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes.

In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $79,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.

In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained civil injunctions and criminal convictions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.