Category: MIL-OSI

Source: US FBI

“On January 12, 2022, during the course of a court-authorized law enforcement operation, FBI agents were involved in an agent-involved shooting. At this point in time, no FBI agents are injured and one individual is deceased. The scene is currently being processed by the FBI’s Evidence Response Team who will be on-site for several hours. There is no threat to public safety at this time, but we are asking people to avoid the area.

An FBI Shooting Incident Review Team (SIRT) will handle the agent-involved shooting investigation. The SIRT will conduct a thorough, factual, and objective investigation of the events. In the interest of protecting the investigation’s integrity, we cannot comment any further.”

Source: US FBI

LITTLE ROCK, AR—The FBI and Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office need the public’s help identifying and locating a man who robbed the Armor Bank in Marked Tree on Monday.

The robbery occurred at approximately 10:23 a.m. on Monday, December 13, 2021, at the Armor Bank located at 214 Hester Park Drive in Marked Tree, Arkansas.

The suspect entered the bank, brandished a black semi-automatic pistol, and ordered everyone in the bank to drop to the floor. He then ordered a bank teller to give him cash, which he put into a black plastic bag. The suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of cash in a metallic-colored Dodge Durango with black chrome wheels and tinted windows. He was last seen driving south on I-555 away from Marked Tree. No one was physically hurt during the robbery and no shots were fired.

The robber is described as either a white or a light-skinned black male, approximately 6’1” tall, with a slender build. During the robbery, he wore a black zip-up hooded jacket, a black ski mask, blue jean pants, and tennis shoes.

Photographs and a video of the bank robbery suspect are attached. Photographs of the suspect and his vehicle can also be found on Twitter at @FBILittleRock.

If you have any information regarding this robbery, please call the Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office at 870-578-5411. Individuals submitting tips may remain anonymous. This case is being investigated by the Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office, the Marked Tree Police Department, and the FBI.

Source: US FBI

LITTLE ROCK—A Helena-West Helena man is expected to remain in prison until at least 2053 after possessing of a firearm following a felony conviction and for brandishing a firearm during the armed robbery of a local convenience store. On Thursday, United States District Judge James M. Moody sentenced Nicholas Dismuke, 27, to 226 months in federal prison.

Dismuke pleaded guilty on January 15, 2020, to an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence following his involvement in a robbery in Helena-West Helena. In September 2015, Dismuke entered the Dollar General with a silver revolver. He demanded money from the cashier at the register, who could not open it, but the store manager was able to open the register at gunpoint. Dismuke grabbed all of the money from the register, which was approximately $169.

Later that month, law enforcement located Dismuke at an apartment in Jonesboro. A search of the apartment revealed a Smith & Wesson .50 caliber revolver and an AA Arms 9mm pistol, both loaded, tied in a plastic grocery bag in the toilet tank. Prior to his possession of these firearms, Dismuke had been convicted of Aggravated Assault as well as Attempted Escape First Degree. Dismuke pleaded guilty on January 15, 2020.

During the hearing, evidence was presented reflecting Dismuke’s criminal history, which included the death of an officer at the Pine Bluff Juvenile Detention Center when Dismuke assaulted the officer while escaping. Dismuke was also convicted of aggravated assault after a 2012 escape attempt when he assaulted three officers at the Independence County Judicial Detention Center. He was also convicted of aggravated assault in 2018 after assaulting a guard at a facility in Lincoln County, Arkansas.

In addition to Dismuke’s violence against correctional officers, evidence at the hearing indicated he committed five armed robberies in September 2015: one in St. Louis, Missouri; one in Jonesboro, and three in Helena-West Helena.

Dismuke will be held in custody until 2038 as a result of his Missouri conviction for the September 5, 2015, armed robbery of a pawn shop during which he shot at an employee’s head and foot. Judge Moody ordered Dismuke to serve 46 months’ imprisonment on Count 1, concurrent to his Arkansas and Missouri state sentences, and 180 months’ imprisonment on Count 2, consecutive to all three of the other sentences. Dismuke is expected to remain in custody until 2053.

“This case exemplifies why it is so important to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons,” stated Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “This defendant put two hardworking Arkansans in fear for their lives by robbing their workplace at gunpoint. The question at sentencing today was not how much jail time would be sufficient, but how soon is too soon to release this violent offender back into the community. We appreciate the work of our partners at FBI and the Arkansas State Police to keep this violent offender behind bars.”

“The astoundingly violent record of this defendant speaks for itself,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “His historically vicious crimes coupled with his current criminal convictions warranted a stiff sentence in prison, and we are pleased with today’s court decision. As always, we are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas for their work in prosecuting this brutal career criminal.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Moody sentenced Dismuke to five years of supervised release. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Arkansas State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.

# # #

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

Twitter:

@EDARNEWS

Source: US FBI

      LITTLE ROCK – Two Little Rock men have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a 6-year-old child. Demarcus George, 27, entered his guilty plea Wednesday afternoon before United States District Judge Brian S. Miller. George joins his codefendant, Mario Waters, 33, who pleaded guilty last week. The guilty pleas effectively cancel George and Waters’ upcoming jury trial, which was scheduled to begin on November 15.

      In February 2018, a 6-year-old child was taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital due to symptoms that were later determined to be caused by several sexually transmitted diseases. The child was interviewed by an FBI forensic interviewer and disclosed that a man, later determined to be Demarcus George, had raped her. The child also disclosed that another man, later determined to be Mario Waters, had also raped her. The child told interviewers that the rape occurred in a hotel room with a curtain in the middle of the room, and she described a picture hanging on the wall in the hotel room.

      Law enforcement was able to locate a hotel in Little Rock that matched the description provided by the minor, including the picture on the wall and the curtain in the room. Financial records from the hotel showed that the minor’s mother had rented a room at the hotel in March 2018 and paid with a credit card. The child has since been removed from the mother’s custody.

      Doctors at Arkansas Children’s Hospital determined that it was unlikely the child had obtained each sexually transmitted disease from the same offender and that there were likely multiple offenders. Officers obtained search warrants for George and Waters’ blood and urine. Results indicated that George and Waters tested positive for sexually transmitted diseases that the minor had contracted. Both George and Waters admitted in court that they had sexual contact with the minor and were involved in trafficking her with others.

      “The unspeakable crimes committed against this child remind us how vitally important it is to have law enforcement officers willing to investigate and put a stop to these horrific actions,” stated Acting United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “These guilty pleas will spare the young victim from having to relive her experience on the witness stand at a trial. Our law enforcement partners work hard every day to protect children from this abuse, and our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who commit these deplorable crimes.”

      Judge Miller will sentence George and Waters at a later date. Conspiracy to commit human trafficking of a minor is punishable by any term of imprisonment up to life and not less than five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Little Rock Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Allison W. Bragg.

# # #

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

Twitter:

@EDARNEWS

Source: US FBI

LITTLE ROCK—For over 26 years, the disappearance of Morgan Nick has remained a troubling mystery for Morgan’s family, her community, and law enforcement. As many remember, 6-year-old Morgan was taken from a parking lot area near the Wofford baseball field during a little league game on June 9, 1995. The person responsible for taking Morgan has never been identified.

Today, law enforcement may be closer than ever to identifying this person. Based on their ongoing investigation, FBI agents are seeking any information about Billy Jack Lincks. Mr. Lincks was born and raised in Crawford County, Arkansas. He served with the U.S. Army during World War II and then worked at Braniff Airlines in Dallas, Texas, from 1962 to 1974. He returned to Van Buren, Arkansas, sometime in the late 1970s. Approximately two months after Morgan’s 1995 disappearance, Lincks attempted to abduct a young girl in Van Buren at a location eight miles from the Wofford baseball field where Morgan was last seen. Lincks died in prison in 2000.

The FBI is requesting help from anyone who knew Billy Jack Lincks. Whether it was through school, work, church, or any social activity, we need information about Lincks and details about his entire life. Attached is a photo of Billy Jack Lincks, and we ask our media partners to share this image with their consumers. Remember, every piece of information about Lincks’ life is important—no detail is too small or insignificant.

If you knew Billy Jack Lincks or have any information about him and his life, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Source: US FBI

FORT SMITH, Ark. – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas returned an indictment this week charging a Lavaca man who owned or managed numerous diagnostic testing laboratories with health care fraud in connection with over $100 million dollars in false billings for urine drug testing, COVID-19 testing, and other clinical laboratory services.

According to court documents, Billy Joe Taylor, 42, engaged in a scheme between February 2017 and May 2021 in connection with diagnostic laboratory testing, including urine drug testing and tests for respiratory illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, that were medically unnecessary, not ordered by medical providers, and/or not provided as represented. According to the indictment, Taylor controlled and directed multiple diagnostic laboratories, and used those labs to submit more than $100 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. The indictment alleges that Taylor obtained medical information and private personal information for Medicare beneficiaries, and then misused that confidential information to repeatedly submit claims to Medicare for diagnostic tests that were not ordered by medical providers and were not actually performed by the laboratories. Taylor allegedly then used the proceeds of the fraud to live a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing numerous luxury automobiles, including a Rolls Royce Wraith, as well as real estate, jewelry, guitars, and other luxury clothing and items.

Taylor is charged with 16 counts of health care fraud, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property. Taylor was previously charged by criminal complaint in May 2021. The defendant is scheduled for his arraignment on November 23, 2021, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark E. Ford of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Each of the counts is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson, of the FBI’s Little Rock division; Special Agent in Charge Miranda Bennett of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Dallas Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Altemus of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office, made the announcement.

The FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas and Senior Litigation Counsel Jim Hayes and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section’s National Rapid Response Strike Force are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: US FBI

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – An Anderson, Indiana man was sentenced yesterday to 108 months on each count (to run concurrently) in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Robberies Involving Controlled Substances (Aiding and Abetting) and one count of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Schedule II Controlled Substances. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.

According to court documents, on or about June 7, 2018, Jerome Scott King, 22, along with two (2) other unidentified males, entered the CVS Pharmacy in Hot Springs, Arkansas, brandished a weapon, and forced employees to give them several Schedule II controlled substances.  The amount of controlled substance taken were valued at $22,421.87. In September of 2019, King was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison, out of the Western District of Missouri, Central Division, for a similar pharmacy robbery.  Yesterday’s sentencing was ordered to run consecutive to that 168-month sentence.

Acting U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

The Hot Springs Police Department and the FBI Little Rock investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Donald Day, Jr., 58, of Heber, was arrested on Friday, on a federal arrest warrant after a federal grand jury indicted him on two counts of Interstate Threats.

From January 2022 to February 2023, Day used social media platforms to express a desire to incite violence and threaten a variety of groups and individuals, including law enforcement and government authorities. As to Count One, following the killing of two Queensland (Australia) Police Service officers in December 2022, Day posted a video on YouTube threatening any law enforcement official who came to his residence. Separately, as to Count Two, Day threatened to kill a victim (the Director General of the World Health Organization) in February 2023 on the video platform BitChute, calling on others to join him.

Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, 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 conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-23-8132-PCT-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-196_Day

# # #

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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment against Jeremie Sowerby, 45, of Fountain Hills, Arizona, on November 14, 2023, for wire fraud and transactional money laundering.

The indictment alleges that Sowerby scammed a victim-investor, an Arizona physician, out of $207,000 under the guise of a purported risk-free investment opportunity called “Justice Capital.” Sowerby convinced the victim to invest in what he claimed to be an exclusive hedge fund investment opportunity that supposedly used a “bot” algorithm to invest in a product tied to the stock market. Sowerby claimed that the investment and its guaranteed rates of return could be withdrawn in cash or Bitcoin at any time. Instead, however, Sowerby stole the money and used it for himself, including for an $83,000 cashier’s check made out to an entity he owns and controls.

Sowerby was previously charged in a separate case, along with co-defendant Luis Ortega, in a 55-count indictment alleging that Sowerby and Ortega scammed hundreds of victims out of millions of dollars in a cryptocurrency investment scheme under the guise of three entities: Now Mining, VIP Mining, and Millennium Technologies. That case remains pending.

A conviction for wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, or both. A conviction for transactional money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

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 IRS-Criminal Investigation have conducted the investigation in this case. Further investigation remains ongoing. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

The FBI and IRS-CI believe that additional victims of Sowerby’s investment fraud schemes remain unidentified. Anyone who believes they were defrauded by the defendant in this case should contact the Victim Witness Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona at usaaz.victimassist@usdoj.gov or fill out the questionnaire at this link: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-potential-victims-of-jeremie-sowerby-luis-ortega-fraud-schemes.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-01586-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-194_Sowerby

# # #

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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.