Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: US FBI

Burlington, Vermont – United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jason Turner will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Turner has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Kerest said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

United States Attorney Kerest stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Turner will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 802-651-8246.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

United States Attorney Kerest said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Pojoaque man has been charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a minor.

According to the indictment, between December 21, 2021, and February 23, 2022, Alexander John Duran, 30, an enrolled member of Pojoaque Pueblo, allegedly engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual acts with a child under the age of 12.

Duran will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Duran faces no less than 30 years and up to life imprisonment.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Albuquerque-Santa Fe Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

Source: US FBI

Two alleged members of the Barrio Azteca (BA), a transnational criminal organization allied with the Juarez Cartel, were extradited from Mexico to the United States to face charges related to the March 2010 murders of U.S. Consulate employees in Juarez, Mexico. Eduardo Ravelo, also known as Tablas, Tablero, and T-Blas, and Enrique Guajardo Lopez, also known as Kiki, arrived in the United States on Feb. 20 and made their initial appearances today in the Western District of Texas. Ravelo, a former FBI Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive, and Guajardo were charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011.

“The defendants allegedly participated in the murder of three U.S. Consulate employees in Mexico in March 2010, along with many other acts of senseless violence,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “No U.S. citizen, on either side of our border with Mexico, should have to live in fear of Barrio Azteca, any other violent border gang, or any drug cartel. The defendants’ extradition to the United States is an example of the Department’s unwavering commitment to eliminating transnational criminal organizations and the pursuit of justice for the victims of those tragic murders in Juarez, Mexico.”

“The extradition and U.S. custody of these two defendants, who are both alleged to be members of Barrio Azteca operating along the border, is essential to our mission of disrupting and dismantling these dangerous criminal organizations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “With the help of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, this U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute Ravelo and Guajardo throughout this case for their alleged participation in the 2010 Consulate murders and other gang related activity.”

“These extraditions demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to holding violent criminals accountable, no matter where they flee,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively pursue the Barrio Azteca and other transnational gangs wherever they operate and seek justice for the victims affected by their violent actions.”

“The extradition of these two members of the Barrio Azteca transnational criminal organization brings us another step closer to justice for the victims of the 2010 U.S. Consulate murders in Juarez,” said Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “DEA never forgets and we never give up. Our commitment to pursue the members of violent criminal organizations threatening American lives is as strong as ever, and our message is clear — DEA will use every resource we have to get justice for American lives lost as a result of these violent networks.”

A total of 35 BA members and associates based in the United States and Mexico were charged in the third superseding indictment for allegedly committing various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, retaliation against persons providing information to U.S. law enforcement, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and murder. Of the 35 defendants, 10 Mexican nationals, including Ravelo and Guajardo, were charged with the March 13, 2010, murders in Juarez of U.S. Consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton; her husband, Arthur Redelfs; and Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of another U.S. Consulate employee. All the defendants have been apprehended, and 28 have pleaded guilty. Three defendants have been convicted at trial, one committed suicide before the conclusion of his trial, and one is awaiting extradition from Mexico.

According to court documents and evidence presented at co-defendant trials, the BA is a violent street and prison gang that began in the late 1980s and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. In the 2000s, the BA formed an alliance in Mexico with “La Linea,” which is part of the Juarez Drug Cartel (also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or VCF). The purpose of the BA-La Linea alliance was to battle the Chapo Guzman Cartel and its allies for control of the drug trafficking routes through Juarez and Chihuahua. The drug routes through Juarez, known as the Juarez Plaza, are important to drug trafficking organizations because they are a principal illicit drug trafficking conduit into the United States.

The gang has a militaristic command structure and includes captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and soldiers — all with the purpose of maintaining power and enriching its members and associates through drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, intimidation, violence, threats of violence, and murder.

According to court documents, Ravelo and Guajardo participated in BA activities, including narcotics trafficking and acts of violence by BA members, both in Mexico and the United States. If convicted, Ravelo and Guajardo each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Ravelo’s and Guajardo’s extraditions are the result of close coordination between U.S. law enforcement and the government of Mexico in the investigation and prosecution of this case. The cooperation and assistance of the government of Mexico was essential to achieving the successful extraditions.

The FBI El Paso Field Office; FBI Albuquerque Field Office, Las Cruces Resident Agency; DEA Juarez Division; and DEA El Paso Division investigated the case. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Diplomatic Security Service; Texas Department of Public Safety; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; El Paso Police Department; El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; El Paso Independent School District Police Department; Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission; New Mexico State Police; Dona Ana County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office; Las Cruces, New Mexico Police Department; Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility and Otero County Prison Facility New Mexico.

Trial Attorney Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Spitzer for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance in this 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: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pled guilty to federal charges of using social media and text messages to entice a minor into illegal sexual activity.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, between February 1, 2021, and April 1, 2021, Kenzie Roy Rockmen, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, used text messages and Facebook communications to coerce a minor to engage in illegal sexual acts.

Rockmen was charged along with his brother, Dustin Roy Rockmen. On October 15, 2024, Dustin pled guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

At sentencing, Rockmen faces not less than 120 months and up to 135 months in prison, followed by not less than five years and up to life of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II and Mark A. Probasco are prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon after an incident that left one of the victims requiring medical treatment for facial injuries.

According to court documents, Jerome Weaver, 21, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, admitted to intentionally assaulting two victims using a firearm with the intent to cause bodily harm. As a result of the assault, one of the victim’s required medical treatment for facial injuries.

Weaver will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Weaver faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to 75 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, stemming from a fatal drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation in November 2022.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on the evening of November 25, 2022, Jane Doe and John Doe were driving from Colorado to visit family in Tse Bonito, NM when their sedan broke down. Jane Doe’s family members came to assist, and her nephew began towing the sedan with his SUV.

As the group traveled on Navajo Route 12, Olan Jumbo, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, who had been drinking alcohol while driving, crashed his speeding truck into the back of the sedan. The collision caused severe damage to the sedan, resulting in Jane Doe’s death at the scene and serious injuries to John Doe. Jumbo fled the scene but was apprehended two days later.

Investigation revealed Jumbo was driving between 74-82 mph in a 45-mph zone at the time of impact and had multiple prior drunk-driving related convictions. Open containers of alcohol were found in Jumbo‘s vehicle after the crash.

Upon his release from prison, Jumbo will be subject to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON – William Hunter, 28, of Washington D.C., was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 228 months in federal prison for participating in a multi-state string of violent gun-point robberies of South Asian jewelry stores that netted millions of dollars in cash and gold for the 15-member crew, allegedly led by Trevor Wright, aka rapper “Taliban Glizzy.”

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado of the Newark Field Office; U.S. Marshal Peter Marketos of the United States Marshals Service; and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Hunter, aka “Ill Will,” pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024 to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. In his plea, Hunter accepted responsibility for six robberies across Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that not only stole millions of dollars in jewelry, but terrorized multiple victims and left behind a wake of destruction and financial loss. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered Hunter to serve 48 months of supervised release.

            According to court documents, over the course of 18 months, Hunter and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to rob multiple South Asian jewelry stores of heavy gold jewelry of high purity. The conspiracy began in January 2022 and continued until August 2023 when several of the co-conspirators had been charged and arrested.

            Each robbery was carefully coordinated in advance of its commission and employed a similar modus operandi, one that the co-conspirators seemed to hone and perfect over time and with each new criminal act. The co-conspirators researched stores to select their targets before meeting in Washington, D.C. and traveling in one or more getaway vehicles to the stores. To evade law enforcement detection, some of the suspect vehicles were stolen or outfitted with stolen tags. At least one of the vehicles was carjacked by Hunter and others at gunpoint on September 11, 2022, and later used in a robbery on September 20, 2022.

            The co-conspirators often cased the stores in advance of the robbery and gained access by a variety of means, including using sledgehammers to shatter a store’s door or windows before storming in. The co-conspirators employed a show of force to gain compliance from their victims, with at least one co-conspirator armed with a firearm in each instance. They used hammers to smash the glass display cases, filling bags with gold jewelry and resulting in significant damage throughout the stores. In every single instance, however, Hunter and his co-conspirators terrorized the store’s owners, employees, and customers by engaging in an armed takeover of the store and then ransacking it before fleeing.

            Often, following the robberies, the stolen gold would be melted to bars and ultimately converted to cash. Hunter and his co-conspirators would then flaunt their ill-gotten gains on social media.   

            On March 6, 2023, in Washington, D.C., law enforcement arrested Hunter on an outstanding arrest warrant issued out of Maryland arising from an October 22, 2022, armed carjacking. At the time of his arrest, Hunter had a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number in his waistband. That same day, law enforcement executed a residential warrant at Hunter’s D.C. residence and recovered, among other items, 135 live rounds of assorted ammunition, four rifle magazines, one speed loader, and an AR-15 rifle drum magazine. They also recovered clothing that appeared consistent with some worn by Hunter during the commission of robberies, along with a crowbar and a hammer.

            In April 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Hunter and Trevor Wright, aka rapper “Taliban Glizzy,” in connection with the armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry Store. On August 17, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 19-count Superseding Indictment, charging Hunter and his co-conspirators in connection with nine armed robberies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Virginia, with substantial planning and coordination occurring in D.C. On March 12, 2024, a Second Superseding Indictment was filed, adding charges related to two additional robberies, including one in D.C., as well as charges related to the recovery of firearms and narcotics from multiple residences associated with the various co-conspirators.

            According to his plea agreement, Hunter accepted responsibility for his roles in: (1) the January 7, 2022, armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Virginia; (2) the September 20, 2022, armed robbery of Sonia Jewelers and Boutique in Springfield, Virginia; (3) the October 25, 2022, armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry in Paterson, New Jersey; (4) the November 10, 2022, armed robbery of Baral Jewelers and Gift Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; (5) the November 27, 2022, armed robbery of Sara Emporium Jewelry in Jersey City, New Jersey; and (6) the January 27, 2023, armed robbery of Princess Diamonds in Falls Church, Virginia.

            This case was investigated by the ATF, Metropolitan Police Department, and FBI Newark and Washington Field Offices. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Andrea Duvall.

DEFENDANT	AKA	HOME	CHARGES/SENTENCE
Trevor Wright, 33	Taliban Glizzy	Washington DC	Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; money laundering; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
William Hunter, 28	Ill Will	Washington DC	Sentenced to 228 months on Dec. 11, 2024, after pleading guilty to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Avery Fuller, 29	Deavry Cordell Fuller,  Fully Ace	Washington DC	Pending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Franklin Hunter, 30	Gino	Washington DC	Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence;  conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
Davon Johnson, 31	YB	Washington DC	Sentenced to 111 months on November 20, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Decarlos Hill, 30	Los	Maryland	Sentenced to 57 months on November 6, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
Lamont Marable, 28		Washington DC	Sentenced to 93 months on November 11, 2024, for interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Keith McDuffie, 27		California	Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Jameise Christian, 33	Safety, Safe, Safe Play	Washington DC	Pending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Andrew Smith, 30	Drewso, Drew	Maryland	Sentenced to 138 months in prison on October 17, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Robert Sheffield, 33	Real Lifaa	Washington DC	Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; felon in possession of a firearm.
Jaylaun Brown, 22	Lil Launy	Washington DC	Conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery).
Timothy Conrad, 33	Twin	Washington DC	Sentenced to 168 months on October 1, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Antonio Tate, 21		Washington DC	Sentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Delonte Martin, 35		Washington DC	Sentenced to 108 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Photo introduced into evidence depicts the robbery of $250,000 in jewelry from Princess Diamonds in Falls Church, Virginia

Surveillance photo depicts William Hunter walking with a tray of jewelry in one hand and a gun in the other during the January 7, 2022, armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers.

Images posted on October 29 and November 1, 2022, to Hunter’s Instagram account depict him with stacks of cash, a firearm, and a wristwatch.

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Source: US FBI

NEWARK, NJ—FBI Newark and New Jersey State Police want to warn the public about an increase in pilots of manned aircraft being hit in the eyes with lasers because people on the ground think they see an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). There is also a concern with people possibly firing weapons at what they believe to be a UAS but could be a manned aircraft. FBI Newark, NJSP, and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners have been out every night for several weeks to legally track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent, and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking. However, there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS.

Misidentification often occurs when UAS are mistaken for more familiar objects such as manned aircraft, low-orbit satellites, or celestial bodies like planets or stars. To improve accuracy and prevent false sightings, a variety of tools and techniques can be used to assist with the visual identification of suspected UAS. Accurate identification is critical for maintaining safety and ensuring appropriate responses to UAS activity.

There are many different websites and mobile applications the public can access through various governmental agencies and private companies that show flight paths for manned aircraft, satellites in Earth’s orbit, and stars and planets visible on a given evening that can help determine if people are seeing UAS or something else.

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A Washington, DC, man was arrested for threatening flight attendants during an incident in which he had to be restrained by flight crew and passengers while aboard a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Kedus Yacob Damtew, 38, of Washington, DC, was charged by complaint in Newark federal court with one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants by assault or intimidation. He appeared before Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh in Washington, DC federal court, and was released.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On June 12, 2024, shortly before landing on a flight from Houston, Texas, Damtew removed his shirt; pushed his bare chest into a flight attendant, pinning the flight attendant against the aircraft exit door; shouted epithets and threats of physical violence; and punched an aircraft oven. Damtew then followed the same flight attendant to the rear of the aircraft, where he continued to shout threats and epithets and threw a cup of water. Another flight attendant requested assistance over the airplane’s public address system, prompting several passengers to assist in securing Damtew in flex cuffs in the last row of the plane until the flight landed at Newark.

The charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Edward T. Cetnar, for its assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Elizabeth Mullin, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Washington, DC

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark jury convicted three New Jersey men for their roles in a violent racketeering conspiracy, three murders, and related firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Myron Williams, aka “Money,” aka “Tunchi,” 31, of Newark, Khalil Kelley, aka “Billski,” 25, and Roger Pickett, aka “Zy Gz,” 24, both of Jersey City, were convicted in connection with a multi-count Indictment predicated upon their respective roles in the racketeering conspiracy.  Williams was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, causing death through the use of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Kelley was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.  Pickett was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, three counts of murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, three counts of causing death through the use of a firearm, and Hobbs Act robbery.

“These three Marion street gang members brazenly committed three murders in the name of their gang. Two rival gang members were lured to their deaths through social media accounts that gang members used to impersonate the victims’ friends, and a third individual was killed during the course of a robbery committed against him.  The senseless killing of these three men caused incredible danger to the community. Myron Williams, Khalil Kelley, and Roger Pickett now face mandatory life sentences for their crimes, and the District of New Jersey is safer as a result. As this case demonstrates, my office is committed to working closely with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Jersey City Police Department, alongside our federal law enforcement partners, to protect the community.  This commitment to prosecuting violent crime ensures that serious consequences will follow for individuals who commit violence and have no regard for human life.”  

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger

“Today’s guilty verdicts bring accountability to violent criminals whose actions disregard criminal law, human life, and public safety. ATF remains steadfast in identifying and apprehending those who are terrorizing our neighborhoods with gang violence and disorder. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners and secure the safety of our communities.”

ATF SAC L.C. Cheeks, Jr.

“This verdict is a testament of our commitment in law enforcement to ensure that justice is always served. The defendants in this matter intentionally disregarded human life and instilled fear in neighborhoods across Jersey City. I thank our local, state, and federal partners who continuously work collaboratively with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office to ensure residents feel safe in their own communities.”

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Williams, Kelley, and Pickett are all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Since 2013, they have committed numerous acts of violence, including three separate murders, on March 29, 2021, Nov. 20, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2022.

On March 29, 2021, Kelley and other gang members lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the victim’s fellow gang member.  When the victim opened the door to his residence, Kelley and another gang member brandished firearms, and the victim was shot multiple times in the chest, killing him. Pickett and Williams then picked up Kelley and other gang members after they abandoned the murder vehicle in Newark.

On Nov. 20, 2021, Williams, Pickett, and another gang member lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the second victim’s fellow gang member. Williams and another gang member shot the victim when he opened the door to his residence.

On Nov. 1, 2022, a gang member facilitated the murder of the third victim by coordinating a narcotics transaction with the victim and an associate of the victim. When the victim and his associate arrived at the Marion Gardens Housing Complex to complete the narcotics transaction, they were robbed of their narcotics supply. During the robbery, Pickett and another gang member held the victim and his associate at gunpoint. After a struggle ensued, Pickett shot and killed the victim while his associate fled. Pickett then fled the Marion Gardens Housing Complex in his vehicle.

Investigators observed and documented hundreds of narcotics transactions in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex during the monthslong investigation.  In addition, when Williams was arrested on March 17, 2023, he possessed controlled substances packaged for distribution.

Eight other individuals originally were indicted with Williams, Kelley, and Pickett.  All have since pleaded guilty for their roles in the racketeering enterprise.

The racketeering conspiracy count of which all three were convicted carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Each was also convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory life sentence, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and causing death through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Pickett was also convicted of Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and Williams was convicted of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, which also carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited investigators of the Gang Intelligence Unit and the Homicide Unit of the Major Case Division of Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez and Chief of Detectives James A. Parker, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., and investigators of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the convictions. He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and the U.S. Marshals, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, for their assistance.

This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Maloy and Javon Henry, of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.