Category: Security

Source: US FBI

The FBI seeks qualified candidates to apply to become the next forensic accountant for our downtown Cleveland, Ohio, location.  This is an on-site role and mission-critical hiring position not posted on fbijobs.gov or usajobs.gov. 
  
Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S.-accredited college or university in accounting or a related field, such as business administration, finance, or public administration that included or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accounting. The 24 hours may include up to six hours in business law. 
 
Preferred professional experience includes: 

• A minimum of three to five years of full-time, post-collegiate experience in public accounting/audit, forensic accounting, and/or internal audit 
• Certifications such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), or Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) are a plus.  

Information regarding FBI work eligibility can be found at fbijobs.gov/eligibility.   

Information regarding the Forensic Accountant position can be found in our “Forensic Accountant” PDF.

GS-9-12 
$62,630-$118,069 

To apply: Please send resumes by November 15 to applicants.cv@fbi.gov with “Forensic Accountant” in the subject line.

Source: US FBI

CLEVELAND – Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials have unsealed an indictment that charged 15 members of a Drug Trafficking Operation (DTO) based in Lorain County, Ohio.

According to court documents, the DTO was allegedly trafficking fentanyl in counterfeit pill form in the cities of Elyria and Lorain and the surrounding Northeast Ohio areas. This announcement was made by United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene, FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen, and Lorain Police Department Chief James P. McCann.

The investigation that led to the indictment took place over the last year and a half. Agents apprehended individuals in a series of coordinated arrests.  They seized large quantities of fentanyl that included thousands of fentanyl pills made to look like legitimate prescription medications. Agents also discovered cash and several illegally possessed firearms during the investigation.

“Given its extreme potency, fentanyl is extraordinarily dangerous—it has poisoned and killed over 3,500 Ohioans in 2023 alone.  Distributing it disguised as legitimate prescription medication, as the indictment alleges the defendants did here, is particularly condemnable because it heightens the overdose danger for those who ingest it,” said United States Attorney Lutzko. “I commend the incredible cooperation among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to take thousands of these deadly pills off the streets. Their dedication and hard work led to a successful disruption of this organization, helping to make our neighborhoods safer and free from the criminals who peddle these poisons on our streets.”

The following defendants were charged in the 19-count indictment:

Ronald Whittaker, 31, Cleveland, Ohio

Tyvez McCullum, 30, Elyria, Ohio

Ivan Barrios, 45, Lorain, Ohio

Tavon Martin, 28, Lorain, Ohio

Jaivon Wint, 27, Lorain, Ohio

Katlynn Caudill, 22, Lorain, Ohio

Nicholas Thomson, 47, Elyria, Ohio 

Max Kennedy, 19, Wellington, Ohio

Jordan Johnson, 29, Elyria, Ohio

Angela Shuck, 35, Lorain, Ohio

Stacey Thomson, 48, Elyria, Ohio

Tyrone Phillips, 25, Elyria, Ohio

Joseph Kushner, 32, Berea, Ohio

Nicholas Burkholder, 29, Elyria, Ohio

Aubrey Brown, 29, Elyria, Ohio

According to the indictment, from about May 2023 to October 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, mixtures and substances containing amounts of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.

It is alleged that McCullum and Whittaker led the conspiracy. After receiving pill supplies from Whittaker, McCullum would redistribute the fentanyl pills to the others listed in the indictment. Those individuals would, in turn, further distribute the fentanyl pills to their own networks throughout the Elyria and Lorain region. The named defendants are allegedly responsible for the distribution of at least 4,406.25 estimated grams of fentanyl and/or 42,793 blue fentanyl pills.

“We will continue leveraging every available resource to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Drug Trafficking Organizations spreading deadly poisons in Ohio. Our collaboration with local, state and federal partners is not just about enforcement, but it’s about safeguarding the future of our communities and ensuring they remain safe and drug-free,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene.

“Illegal drugs are devastating lives and corrupting communities all across northern Ohio,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “This indictment underscores the commitment not only of the FBI, but our multi-agency partners who work collaboratively to identify local drug traffickers and disrupt and dismantle their drug trafficking networks.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, each defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the DEA, FBI Cleveland Division, HSI, City of Lorain Police Department, City of Elyria Police Department, Lorain County Drug Task Force, United States Marshals Service, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, and the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Corts and Paul Hanna for the Northern District of Ohio.

Source: US FBI

CLEVELAND – Brian Patterson, 44, of Canton, Ohio, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese after pleading guilty to multiple charges including sexual exploitation of children, receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and must register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, law enforcement officials discovered that Patterson possessed 766 images of CSAM that included 50 images of children under the age of 12. The remaining images were of a child known to law enforcement and who was unaware that she was being surreptitiously recorded by a hidden camera. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Canton Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.

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

Source: US FBI

CINCINNATI – Six Texans convicted as part of a large-scale dark web drug trafficking organization have been sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati.

According to court documents, from July 2019 through December 2020, the co-conspirators distributed significant quantities of methamphetamine – pressed to look like legitimate Adderall pills – over the dark web. The defendants sold at least 11.98 kilograms total of methamphetamine in pills and laundered between $15,000 and $50,000 per month using cryptocurrency. The group shipped the drugs nationwide, including into the Southern District of Ohio, using the United States Postal Service.

The defendants used the vendor name “Loverbois,” along with several other usernames, and averaged 20 orders per day.

Those sentenced in this case include:

Name	Age	City of Residence	Sentence Imposed
Hung Ahn Huy Phung	26	Houston, Texas	84 months in prison
John G. Dang	24	Houston, Texas	75 months in prison
Bernardo Guzman	31	Houston, Texas	72 months in prison
Stephanie R. Pray	35	Houston, Texas	Five years’ probation
Kevin Tran	25	Houston, Texas	60 months in prison
Chazton Harris	29	Houston, Texas	74 months in prison

Court documents detail that Phung created and ran the Loverbois account(s) for much of the conspiracy period. He took orders online and obtained pills from Tran and Guzman. Phung also coordinated the receipt of cryptocurrency in exchange for the pills and laundered those proceeds.

Guzman had a pill press and industrial mixer at his apartment in Houston, where Phung also lived for a period of time. Harris also lived in the Houston apartment, where he pressed his own pills for distribution. Pray aided Guzman by helping obtain, pack, and ship the pills.

Dang packaged pills for shipment and delivery and helped move and launder cryptocurrency. Dang laundered approximately $15,000 per month.

The Loverbois online drug trafficking organization sold and shipped pills to undercover law enforcement officers in the Southern District of Ohio in a series of transactions.

A federal grand jury indicted the defendants in June 2021. The final defendant, Kevin Tran, was sentenced on Sept. 30.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Charles L. Grinstead, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Kansas City Field Office; Lesley C. Allison, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Mason Police Chief Levi Wells; Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz and the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team announced the sentences imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Deputy Criminal Chief Frederic C. “Fritz” Shadley is representing the United States in this case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON – An Ohio man pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct 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.

            Dustin Martin, 30, of Grove City, Ohio, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder and a misdemeanor charge of disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds before U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan. Judge AliKhan will sentence Martin on Feb. 7, 2025.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Martin and a friend – Cody Lee Tippett – arrived in Washington, D.C., from Columbus, Ohio, and made their way to the Ellipse to attend the former president’s speech. After the speech, Martin and Tippett walked from the Ellipse to the U.S. Capitol, arriving on the west side of Capitol grounds by at least 1:30 p.m. Martin then approached the Lower West Terrace, where he observed a crowd of people standing across from a line of bike rack barricades and police officers behind them, some dressed in riot gear.

            At approximately l:36 p.m., several rioters in Martin’s vicinity began to push against one of the barricades. As officers fought to prevent rioters from breaking the police line, Martin walked forward and joined with the rioters, leaning forward, bracing himself against those in front of him, and using his body weight to help push the barricade against the police officers on the other side. Court documents say that the group, including Martin, pushed the barricade directly into the officers, forcing them several feet back and requiring a dozen officers to drive the crowd back. The tussle caused Martin to fall, after which he retreated into the crowd.

            Later, at about 1:50 p.m., rioters on the Lower West Terrace pushed a line of police officers up a set of stairs leading to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol. Other rioters, including Martin and Tippett, followed that group of rioters up onto the stairs. However, another police line prevented the crowd from advancing further up the stairs. At approximately 2:10 p.m., the rioters again pushed past the police line on the steps and gained access to the Capitol building for the first time that day. Martin and Tippett followed.

            At approximately 2:15 p.m., Martin and Tippett entered the Capitol building via the Senate Wing Door. Inside, Martin and Tippett walked to the Crypt and Capitol Visitor’s Center before exiting the building at about 2:57 p.m. Martin and Tippett remained on the Upper West Terrace, the area immediately outside the building, for nearly an hour.

            That day, Martin posted pictures, videos, and written descriptions on Facebook illustrating his participation in the riot at the Capitol. In one post, he included a photo of himself and Tippett inside the Capitol and wrote, “Trump 2021!!!” In another post, he included a photo of himself outside the Capitol and a video of rioters on the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol, writing, “So now I can say I’ve been hit with rubber bullets, bear mace, pepper spray, teargas, and wrestle with Capital Police f— yeah ‘America B— I’ll do it all over again too!”

            The FBI arrested Martin on June 21, 2023, in Ohio.

            Cody Lee Tippet was previously sentenced to 30 days in prison for his role in the events of January 6^th.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 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.

Source: US FBI

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Law enforcement agents arrested a Columbus man this morning on federal charges alleging he sexually exploited high school girls and coerced them into engaging in commercial sex acts.

Terrance P. Cummings, 29, has a criminal history of unlawful sexual conduct with minors dating back to 2016. In this case, Cummings’s federal child exploitation charge carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years and up to 50 years in prison and the coercion and enticement charge pending against him is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.

The FBI asks anyone with information related to the criminal allegations against Cummings to text 740-428-0739.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, in July 2024, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force received information about a 16-year-old victim allegedly receiving gifts and illicit substances from Cummings in exchange for sex acts.

The court documents allege Cummings had sex with numerous minor victims in exchange for drugs in addition to requesting nude images of them. On some occasions, Cummings would allegedly provide the drug to the minor victims before engaging in sex acts with them. It is alleged that Cummings sold or provided fentanyl, marijuana, Xanax, cocaine, acid and ecstasy. 

While executing a search warrant at Cummings’s apartment in August, agents discovered a variety of narcotics, along with two iPhones submerged in the water tank on the back of the bathroom toilet, which Cummings had allegedly attempted to destroy after learning about the warrant.

Cummings’s electronics and other accounts contained more than 18,000 sexual images and videos including child pornography. The investigation revealed that Cummings requested sexually explicit content in exchange for money, gifts and drugs.

Cummings is charged with sexually exploiting a minor, distributing, receiving or possessing child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and obstruction of justice. His case was unsealed today, and he appeared in federal court at 1:15pm.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer Rausch are representing the United States in this case.

The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and includes resources from the Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, The Ohio State University Police Department, Marysville Division of Police, Salvation Army, Southeast Healthcare, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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Source: US FBI

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A sixth co-conspirator in a network of defendants connected to six local armed robberies of postal carriers pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today.

Malachi S. Royster, 21, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting aggravated robbery of property of the United States and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Royster admitted that he helped pre-plan a May 11, 2023, robbery of a postal carrier. He accompanied co-conspirators that morning while they scouted for potential postal workers to rob; served as the getaway driver before, during and after the robbery on West Broad St.; and accompanied co-conspirators while they returned the firearm used in the robbery to other co-conspirators. Royster’s plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 60 to 84 months in prison.

Royster is one of six men charged in connection with six central Ohio postal robberies between November 2022 and May 2023.

Anthony J. “A.J.” Williams, 20, of Columbus, was the gunman in a Nov. 9, 2022, postal carrier robbery. Williams committed the armed robbery of a USPS letter carrier who was delivering mail on Michigan Ave. in Columbus. The postal carrier was delivering mail to an apartment complex’s “cluster box” at the time. Williams approached the mail carrier and brandished the handgun directly at the victim. Williams demanded the victim’s postal keys and then yanked the postal keys off of the carrier’s belt. Williams also admitted to planning a postal robbery and conspiring to commit the robbery on Christmas Eve 2022. Williams pleaded guilty in July 2024 and faces a sentence of 84 to 108 months in prison.

Theirno S. Bah, 20, of Columbus, used firearms and robbed postal carriers of their U.S. Postal Service keys on four occasions between December 2022 and May 2023. Cameron D. Newton, 20, of Westerville, aided and abetted the aggravated robberies of mail and the use of a firearm during the crimes of violence.

Bah used a handgun to rob a postal carrier in German Village on Dec. 29, 2022. Bah pointed the handgun at the victim’s stomach and demanded his vehicle and service keys. Newton, who was on probation and consequently wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time, recruited two juveniles to assist with the robbery. Newton also arranged for Bah to use the handgun, which was provided by co-conspirator Jaemaun Evans, 20, of Columbus.

On Jan. 3, 2023, Bah pushed a postal carrier into her mail truck while she was sorting mail in the back of the truck on East Columbus Street. He then pushed a gun into the victim’s side before stealing her keys. At this robbery, Newton provided surveillance from his vehicle nearby, using the cover of making DoorDash deliveries to evade his home confinement.

Later that day, Bah committed another armed postal robbery, this time in Whitehall. Bah approached the victim and pushed the handgun into her stomach before stealing her personal car keys and the USPS service keys. Newton again provided surveillance in the vicinity. He also worked to arrange buyers for the stolen postal keys.

On May 11, 2023, Bah robbed a postal worker at the Post Office Retail Store on West Broad Street. Bah approached the victim while she was outside on a break. Bah asked the victim for her keys, and when she asked, “What keys?” he pistol-whipped her in the head with his handgun. Bah forcibly accompanied the victim into the post office to retrieve her service keys. Newton obtained a firearm for Bah to use during this robbery from Kenan M. Lay, 21, of Columbus. Lay provided the 9mm handgun used in the armed robbery of the elderly female postal worker in exchange for $100.

Bah faces a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison and Newton faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison. Lay was sentenced in April to 66 months in prison. Evans was sentenced in September 2024 to a 24-month term of imprisonment to be followed by a 12-month term of house arrest.

Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler; and Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen announced the guilty plea entered this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in these cases.

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Source: US FBI

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former medical director at an Ohio health care system pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to possessing child pornography.

Garrett Norvell, 44, of Westerville, was charged by a bill of information and appeared in federal court this morning to enter his guilty plea.

According to court documents, in June 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an international investigation targeting offenders who used dark web sites and forums dedicated to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

HSI Boston and the FBI obtained information from Norvell’s IP address that showed that, in April 2019, Norvell had an account username and password for a website that offered child pornography of girls 4 to 14 years old.

At the time of the investigation, Norvell served as the medical director of OhioHealth in Ashland, Ohio. He previously worked as an emergency medicine physician at OhioHealth.

In February 2022, agents with HSI and the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a search warrant on Norvell’s person at the Emergency Care Center at OhioHealth in Ashland and seized his phone, laptop, tablet and a thumb drive. Less than a week later, Norvell was removed from all OhioHealth services and facilities and a State Medical Board of Ohio investigation was initiated. In March 2022, Norvell permanently surrendered his license to practice medicine in Ohio.

Forensic analysis of Norvell’s electronics revealed at least 18 files of child pornography, including “Pre-Teen Hard Core” content.

Norvell admitted had an addiction to child pornography and had been watching child pornography since he was approximately 21 years old. He said in interviews that the youngest victim he had viewed in a pornographic setting was an infant.

Norvell pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography of prepubescent minors, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Detroit; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Cincinnati; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; Stephanie Loucka, Executive Director of the Ohio State Medical Board; and other members of the Franklin County ICAC Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski and Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case.

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Source: US FBI

Jesus Manual Hernandez, 33, of Charlotte, has been sentenced to 151 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine.

Source: US FBI

RALEIGH, N.C. – An Ahoskie gang member was sentenced to 100 months in prison and five years of supervised release, after authorities found drugs and a firearm in his home.  On September 30, 2024, Rodney Lamont Evans, a.k.a. “Woo,” pled guilty to the charges.

“This case is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our local, state, and federal partners,” said Hertford County Sheriff Dexter Hayes. “Their relentless efforts to investigate, prosecute, and bring to justice those who threaten the safety of our citizens reflect our shared commitment to a safer community.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, authorities in Ahoskie received information on August 8, 2022, that Evans, 47, a member of the Bloods gang, was distributing narcotics out of his home on McGlohon Street. On that date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Evans’s residence.  Upon their arrival, Evans fled through a window and attempted to hide on the roof but was soon found.  Inside Evans’s home, authorities discovered nearly 360 grams of cocaine, over 5 grams of crack, over 1,700 grams of marijuana, a firearm, ammunition, multiple digital scales, and drug packaging materials.  The investigation also revealed that Evans had previously participated in the sale of homemade machinegun conversion devices, or “switches,” with a fellow member of the Bloods.

Evans was previously convicted of indecent liberties with a child and multiple charges of possession with intent to sell cocaine in North Carolina. 

Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); the Down East Drug and Violent Crime Task Force; and the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Lori Warlick and Sarah Nokes prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-CR-23-BO-RN.