Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Perry Young, owner and operator of the website “Forest Floor DC,” was charged in an indictment unsealed today for alleged drug trafficking operations involving illegal narcotics, including DMT, MDMA, marijuana, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, conducted near The Catholic University of America, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN DIEGO – Donald Danks of Irvine was convicted by a federal jury today of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and perjury in connection with a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud investors in a Nasdaq-listed company and his subsequent efforts to obstruct the investigation into his conduct. After a two-week retrial, the jury found that Danks engaged in a six-year securities fraud scheme involving the stock of Loop Industries, Inc. Danks used his position as a company insider to obtain nonpublic information and influence investors while secretly selling Loop shares for his own benefit.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned a two-count indictment today charging Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, an Indian national, with knowingly making a false claim of United States citizenship in order to vote in the Nov. 5, 2024 general election.
According to the indictment, on or about Nov. 5, 2024, Chaudhari signed the voter signature certificate required by Minnesota law in order to vote in the general election. The certificate required him to swear or affirm that he was a citizen of the United States. The indictment alleges that Chaudhari was not a U.S. citizen and that he knowingly made the false citizenship statement in order to vote.
“The right to vote is a sacred privilege of American citizenship, and every lawful voter deserves an election system in which that right is protected,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department will hold accountable those who knowingly make false claims of citizenship in order to vote. The integrity of our elections depends on ensuring that only eligible citizens cast ballots and that every lawful vote is counted.”
Chaudhari is charged with one count of false information in voting, in violation of 52 U.S.C. § 21144(b), incorporating 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f), and one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to register to vote or vote, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case, with assistance from the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office.
Trial Attorneys Flavio Abreu and William Rubens of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
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
Tavon Valentine Lee, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison in connection with his possession of a loaded Glock 23 while participating in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Note, Johnson was sentenced to 60 months in prison. A previous version of the release misstated his prison sentence. The release has been updated.
Former NFL player LeShon Johnson of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $30,000 fine after being convicted at trial of six dog fighting-related charges.
Testimony at trial showed that Johnson — who pleaded guilty in 2004 to Oklahoma dog fighting offenses — had been running a major operation since at least 2007 that bred and sold fighting dogs for profit. Johnson, who previously ran “Krazyside Kennels” referred to his new operation as “Mal Kant Kennels.” The jury heard evidence that Johnson bred and trafficked hundreds of dogs for the purpose of dog fighting around the country. Authorities seized 190 dogs from his property, the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dog fighting case.
Screen grab of a video sent by Johnson of one of his dogs.
Screen grab of a video sent by Johnson of one of his dogs.
“LeShon Johnson will face justice for building another particularly egregious and violent dog fighting scheme,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “As Johnson was well aware, dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. To anyone attempting to build violent and illicit business schemes: you can run, but you can’t hide from the Department of Justice.”
“LeShon Johnson continued to traffic dogs for illegal fighting despite a 2004 state conviction for similar conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are grateful to our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and the FBI for partnering with ENRD to bring this repeat offender to justice and to the U.S. Marshals Service for executing the biggest rescue operation of its kind.”
“The defendant operated a business which promoted and profited from animal cruelty,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for their work to investigate this case and hold Mr. Johnson accountable for his crimes.”
“The animals in this case were defenseless and the defendant used them to harm each other for his entertainment,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI appreciates the work of ENRD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Oklahoma to hold Mr. Johnson responsible for his mistreatment of these animals.”
At trial, the jury heard evidence that Johnson advertised many of his dogs as “champions” and “grand champions,” meaning they had won three or five fights, respectively. Johnson also boasted of the fighting prowess of his dogs. Johnson would sell litters of puppies from favorable fighting bloodlines and “stud fees” for the right to breed with one of his male dogs, with proceeds totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Shreveport Resident Agency Office investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case. Additional assistance was provided by former Trial Attorneys Ethan Eddy, Sarah Brown, and Todd Gleason of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, and by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Howanitz and Olivia Staubus for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Former NFL player LeShon Johnson of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $30,000 fine after being convicted at trial of six dog fighting-related charges.
Testimony at trial showed that Johnson — who pleaded guilty in 2004 to Oklahoma dog fighting offenses — had been running a major operation since at least 2007 that bred and sold fighting dogs for profit. Johnson, who previously ran “Krazyside Kennels” referred to his new operation as “Mal Kant Kennels.” The jury heard evidence that Johnson bred and trafficked hundreds of dogs for the purpose of dog fighting around the country. Authorities seized 190 dogs from his property, the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dog fighting case.
Screen grab of a video sent by Johnson of one of his dogs.
Screen grab of a video sent by Johnson of one of his dogs.
“LeShon Johnson will face justice for building another particularly egregious and violent dog fighting scheme,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “As Johnson was well aware, dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. To anyone attempting to build violent and illicit business schemes: you can run, but you can’t hide from the Department of Justice.”
“LeShon Johnson continued to traffic dogs for illegal fighting despite a 2004 state conviction for similar conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are grateful to our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and the FBI for partnering with ENRD to bring this repeat offender to justice and to the U.S. Marshals Service for executing the biggest rescue operation of its kind.”
“The defendant operated a business which promoted and profited from animal cruelty,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for their work to investigate this case and hold Mr. Johnson accountable for his crimes.”
“The animals in this case were defenseless and the defendant used them to harm each other for his entertainment,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI appreciates the work of ENRD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Oklahoma to hold Mr. Johnson responsible for his mistreatment of these animals.”
At trial, the jury heard evidence that Johnson advertised many of his dogs as “champions” and “grand champions,” meaning they had won three or five fights, respectively. Johnson also boasted of the fighting prowess of his dogs. Johnson would sell litters of puppies from favorable fighting bloodlines and “stud fees” for the right to breed with one of his male dogs, with proceeds totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Shreveport Resident Agency Office investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case. Additional assistance was provided by former Trial Attorneys Ethan Eddy, Sarah Brown, and Todd Gleason of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, and by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Howanitz and Olivia Staubus for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man is headed to federal prison for firearm crimes. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Jerry Toliver, 37, of Rosedale, today, to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances. The charge is in connection with a Homeland Security Task Force case.
Source: United States Department of Justice
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced, today, that a Baltimore man faces indictment stemming from multiple armed robberies. A federal grand jury charged Carlos Moody, 38, with three counts of interference with commerce by threats or violence in connection with the armed robberies of three Baltimore cellphone stores.
Source: United States Department of Justice
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal judge sentenced a Honduran illegal alien, unlawfully residing in the United States, to prison, today, for child sex-abuse crimes. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Jose Adan Lopez-Guevara, 38, to 65 years in federal prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release, for sexually exploiting children and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Source: United States Department of Justice
A Huttonsville, West Virginia man will spend the next 87 months in prison for selling methamphetamine in Randolph County, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.Justin Michael Hoover, 35, sold methamphetamine to a confidential source from both his home and his vehicle.