Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement During January 6 Capitol Breach

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON— An Ohio man was sentenced to prison today after he previously pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Matthew Honigford, 31, of Delphos, Ohio, was sentenced to 19 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. Honigford previously pleaded guilty to a felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers on Feb. 21, 2024.

            According to court documents, Honigford traveled from his home in Ohio to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., near the Washington Monument. After the rally, Honigford made his way to the Southwest Plaza of the U.S. Capitol building with a large group of rioters. At approximately 2:30 p.m., court documents say that Honigford was positioned at the front of the crowd of rioters that had breached a police line and gained access to a set of stairs on the Southwest Plaza. There, rioters overwhelmed police, causing the officers to retreat. The mob, with Honigford at the front, pursued.

            On the Southwest Plaza, body-worn camera footage shows Honigford holding a flagpole horizontally in front of his body with both hands. He is then seen pushing the flagpole into a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer’s chest area, and a struggle ensued. Honigford then advanced with the crowd to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol. The crowd then assembled on the steps in front of a police line that officers had formed with metal bike racks to act as a barrier against the crowd.

            Court documents say that from approximately 2:44 to 2:46 p.m., Honigford repeatedly touched or attempted to touch several MPD officers in the police line with his hands, stating he was praying for them. When officers asked Honigford to stop, Honigford responded, “How am I supposed to bless you guys?” Honigford continued to reach his hands out toward the officers until other rioters told him to stop, and he turned toward them to say, “I’m trying to f— pray, guys.”

            At about 2:46 p.m., Honigford grabbed a metal bike rack barricade and used his body to push it against the police line. An MPD officer pulled on Honigford’s jacket in an attempt to prevent him from pushing the barrier; however, Honigford leaned away and kicked the bike rack against the officer.

The FBI arrested Honigford on Nov. 21, 2023, in Ohio.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cleveland and Washington Field Offices, which listed Honigford as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #506 on its seeking information photos. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.

            In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Ohio Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Possession and Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

Source: US FBI

AKRON, Ohio – Dion Dejournett, 29, of Akron, was sentenced to 90 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and one count of possession of firearms to further the crime of drug trafficking. Dejournett was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following release from prison and will also forfeit drug-related assets including four pistols, a semi-automatic rifle and more than $6,000.

According to court documents, in June 2023, the Akron Police Department (APD) executed a search warrant at Dejournett’s apartment. Methamphetamine and fentanyl were recovered throughout the master bedroom, hidden in a closet, drawers, and under the bed, including fentanyl in plain sight on top of a dresser. Packaging materials, cutting agents, and a digital scale were also recovered. Numerous firearms, including several pistols and a semi-automatic rifle, were found at his residence and confiscated. APD later found additional fentanyl on Dejournett following his arrest. Laboratory testing confirmed that police seized a total of 116.39 grams of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl and 1,460.51 of mixtures and substances containing methamphetamine.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Akron Police Department and the FBI.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio.

If you have information about the drug-related manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances, submit an anonymous tip at dea.gov/submit-tip.

Tucson Man Arrested on Two Counts of Aiming a Laser Pointer at Aircraft

Source: US FBI

TUCSON, Ariz. – Charles William Preston II, 53, of Tucson, was arrested on March 6, 2024, after a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against him on November 1, 2023. Preston is charged with two counts of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. 

The indictment alleges that on two separate occasions, Preston aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a fixed-wing aircraft operated by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and in the flight path of the same aircraft.

A conviction for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-01688-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-035_Preston

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Ohio Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

Source: US FBI

AKRON, Ohio – David Walker, 39, of Akron, was sentenced to 16 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to receipt, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography. Walker was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence.

Walker was an active participant on BitTorrent, an internet service that allows users to download content such as images and videos easily. It utilizes each user’s computer as a mini-server to facilitate computer-to-computer file sharing among users throughout the world. The technology allows thousands of people to download the same files without crashing the system which has made BitTorrent a commonly used protocol to share illegal files such as CSAM.

According to court documents, Walker received and distributed nearly 400 video files known to contain CSAM and exploitation of children. A computer tablet with CSAM files was recovered during the execution of a federal search warrant of his residence. Files were described to include male and female children of various ages under 17 including infants and toddlers. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, some of the victims were identified on the video files found in Walker’s seized computer tablet.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI, the Hamilton County Sherriff’s Office, and the Brunswick Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report child sexual abuse, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

International Investigation Leads to Shutdown of Ransomware Group

Source: US FBI

“Radar/Dispossessor” servers and domains successfully dismantled

On August 12, FBI Cleveland announced the disruption of “Radar/Dispossessor”—the criminal ransomware group led by the online moniker “Brain”—and the dismantling of three U.S. servers, three United Kingdom servers, 18 German servers, eight U.S.-based criminal domains, and one German-based criminal domain.

Since its inception in August 2023, Radar/Dispossessor has quickly developed into an internationally impactful ransomware group, targeting and attacking small-to-mid-sized businesses and organizations from the production, development, education, healthcare, financial services, and transportation sectors. Originally focused on entities in the United States, the investigation discovered 43 companies as victims of the attacks, from countries including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Honduras, India, Canada, Croatia, Peru, Poland, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany. During its investigation, the FBI identified a multitude of websites associated with Brain and his team.

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that encrypts data on a computer making it unusable. A malicious cybercriminal holds the data hostage until the ransom is paid. If the ransom is not paid, the victim’s data remains unavailable. Cybercriminals may also pressure victims to pay the ransom by threatening to destroy the victim’s data or to release it to the public.

Radar Ransomware follows the same dual-extortion model as other ransomware variants by exfiltrating victim data to hold for ransom in addition to encrypting victim’s systems. Simply, the ransomware identifies and attacks new victims and, re-victimizes current victims.

Radar/Dispossessor identified vulnerable computer systems, weak passwords, and a lack of two-factor authentication to isolate and attack victim-companies. Once the criminals gained access to the systems, they obtained administrator rights and easily gained access to the files. The actual ransomware was then used for encryption. As a result, the companies could no longer access their own data. Once the company was attacked, if they did not contact the criminal actor, the group would then proactively contact others in the victim company, either through email or phone call. The emails also included links to video platforms on which the previously stolen files had been presented. This was always with the aim of increasing the blackmail pressure and increasing the willingness to pay.

Finally, the compromise was announced by the attackers on a separate leak page and a countdown set until public release of the victim data if no ransom was paid.

As ransomware can have many variants, such as this case, the total number of businesses and organizations affected is yet to be determined. The FBI encourages those with information about Brain or Radar Ransomware—or if their business or organization has been a target or victim of ransomware or currently paying a criminal actor—to contact its Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. Your identity can remain anonymous.

The investigation and joint takedown were conducted in conjunction with the the U.K.’s National Crime Agency, Bamberg Public Prosecutor’s Office, Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA), and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

Former White Mountain Police Officer Indicted for Obstruction of Investigation

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a two-count indictment against Joshua Ben Anderson, 49, of Whiteriver, for his actions in connection with the death of a woman on Thanksgiving Day, 2023.

The grand jury charged Anderson, a former White Mountain Apache Tribal police officer, with one count of Engaging in Misleading Conduct to Hinder or Delay and one count of Corruptly Altering and Concealing Evidence.

The indictment alleges that, at approximately 3:31 a.m. on November 23, 2023, Anderson was on-duty and was dispatched to conduct a welfare check of a body that had been observed on State Route 73, on White Mountain Apache Tribal lands. Anderson proceeded to the scene and discovered that the person was deceased. Anderson later acknowledged that only minutes before being dispatched to the scene, he had driven the same stretch of highway and felt a “bump” but continued southbound on SR 73 without stopping to investigate.

Anderson actively took part in the police investigation into the pedestrian’s death. He spoke with paramedics, interviewed witnesses, briefed and directed officers, filled out an autopsy report, and notified the victim’s family of her death. The indictment alleges that Anderson did not inform his superiors or fellow officers about his likely involvement in the traffic fatality, but rather allowed the investigation to continue. It is further alleged that after returning to his home, Anderson removed the bumper from his patrol vehicle, which had been damaged in the accident, and concealed it. The next day, Anderson resigned from the police department.

A conviction for each of the two alleged crimes carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White Mountain Apache Tribe Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-08027-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-036_Anderson

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

FBI Cleveland Seeks Public’s Assistance to Identify Individuals in Connection with ATM and U-Haul Heist

Source: US FBI

[Cleveland, OH] The FBI Cleveland Division is seeking the public’s assistance to identify three unknown subjects associated with the theft of the PNC ATM located at 7101 Broadway Avenue, Cleveland, and the theft of a 15’ U-Haul truck, (identified with a “Boats and Pennsylvania” mural on its side) in connection with the incident on June 9, 2024, between 2:48 a.m. until approximately 4:00 a.m.

The three unknown subjects are described as:

UNKNOWN SUBJECT 1:

  • Driver of the U-Haul
  • White male
  • Heavy build
  • Approximately 5’8” tall
  • Jeans, short-sleeved black shirt, and white head covering.

UNKNOWN SUBJECT 2:

  • Male
  • Heavy build
  • Approximately 5’10″ tall
  • Wearing a Cleveland Guardians baseball cap, face covering, and sweatshirt (face covered).

UNKNOWN SUBJECT 3:

  • White Male
  • Dark hair and facial hair
  • Thin build
  • Approximately 5’10” tall
  • Black t-shirt with Martian emblem, red sweatpants (face exposed).

At approximately 2:48 a.m., unknown subjects 2 & 3 approached the ATM with an ax and pulled the ATM from the bank using a chain attached to the U-Haul. The unknown subjects abandoned the ATM pulled from the PNC Bank in the drive-thru lane shortly thereafter.

The unknown subjects returned at 3:54 a.m. where they successfully hooked and dragged the ATM away from the bank. The ATM was dragged behind the U-Haul (South) on East 71st Street to (West) on Fleet Ave., to (North) on East 65th Street to (West) on Heisley Avenue to an abandoned lot. The ATM was recovered from the woods at the Mound Elementary School with an undetermined amount of money missing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI confidentially at 1-877-FBI-OHIO. PNC bank is offering a reward of $5000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and/or conviction the unknown subjects.

Two Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Clarizza Augustusa Jackson, 32, of Sacaton, was sentenced last week by Senior United States District Judge David G. Campbell to four years of probation. On June 28, 2023, Thomas Kee Montoya, Jr., 39, of Pinon, was sentenced by Judge Campbell to 100 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Both defendants pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. 

In June 2022, the defendants were stopped by Hopi Law Enforcement Services (HLES) officers on the Hopi Reservation. Montoya was driving and Jackson was the front seat passenger. HLES officers located a drug ledger and 306 grams of pure methamphetamine in the car.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Phoenix, and Hopi Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-08129-PCT-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-032_Montoya

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Clark County Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography by Paying Adults to Abuse Minor Victims Live on Social Media Apps

Source: US FBI

DAYTON, Ohio – Dustin Johnson, 38, of New Carlisle, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 22 years in prison for creating child pornography by paying adult females to sexually abuse minor girls live on social media chats.

According to court documents, in June 2022, Johnson paid an adult female to engage in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent girl live on Snapchat. Johnson recorded the communications with a screen recorder app, saving video recordings approximately 10 minutes and 17 minutes in length on separate days in June.

After diligent investigation, law enforcement was able to locate the adult female and the child, who were located overseas. The child victim was 5 years old. Local law enforcement was able to remove the child from the adult female offender’s custody.

Johnson engaged in similar social media chats with other adult females, who at Johnson’s request sexually abused individuals who appeared to be children, on live video chat for Johnson to view.  Johnson also engaged in online chats discussing the possibility of meeting up with other adults who had children so that he could engage in sexually explicit conduct with their children.

Investigators discovered more than 24,000 child pornography files on Johnson’s hard drives. The pornography included more than 500 files depicting bestiality, at least 400 files involving violence or masochistic abuse and more than 3,500 pornographic files depicting infants and toddlers.

Johnson was arrested in February 2023 and pleaded guilty in February 2024 to producing child pornography.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed on July 2 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Christina E. Mahy is representing the United States in this case.

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Last Fugitive from Operation Ghost Busted Captured in Mexico

Source: US FBI

BRUNSWICK, Georgia—FBI Atlanta special agents working with FBI Phoenix special agents and law enforcement partners in Mexico captured fugitive David D. Young on March 9 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. He has been brought back to the United States.

Young was the last fugitive of 76 people indicted in Operation Ghost Busted in January 2023. The drug conspiracy case remains the largest indictment in Southern District of Georgia history.

On December 8, 2022, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Young in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia after he was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a controlled substance.

FBI Atlanta would like to thank FBI Phoenix, the Tucson Resident Agency, and Legat Mexico City for their efforts in the capture.