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Source: US FBI

ST. LOUIS – Two men who robbed two dollar stores at gunpoint have both been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced Deon Walker, 27, to 11 years and nine months in prison. Samuel Nance, 33, of Black Jack, Missouri, was sentenced in July to 14 years in prison. Both men pleaded guilty to three felonies: two counts of robbery and one count of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

On Oct. 9, 2022, just after 6 p.m., Walker and Nance robbed a dollar store in Berkeley, Missouri. Both men entered the store wearing clothing with hoods and black ski masks. When an employee asked them to remove their hoods, Walker pointed a black handgun at the employees and customers, demanded money and ordered everyone to get on the floor. One customer was able to escape out of the rear of the store with two children. An employee opened one cash register, which Nance emptied. Walker grabbed a customer and escorted her to the front of the store at gunpoint before forcing her to the floor. He and Nance then took money from another cash register and then stole about 18 packs of Newport cigarettes along with about $481 in cash.

About 90 minutes later, the two men robbed a dollar store in Ferguson, Missouri. Walker and Nance walked behind the checkout counter and Walker pointed a handgun at a cashier before demanding money. Nance jumped over the checkout counter to stop a customer who was trying to leave the store. Walker then took the entire cash drawer and both Nance and Walker ran out of the store. Walker and Nance stole about $486.

The FBI and the Berkeley Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

Former Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Chief Financial Officer

Sentenced for Embezzling over $40 Million from the Conservancy

DETROIT – Former Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Chief Financial Officer William A. Smith was sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment today for embezzling over $40 million from his employer over an eleven-year period. Smith was also sentenced to a three-year term of supervised release, ordered to pay approximately $48 million in restitution, and ordered to forfeit ill-gotten gains that were traceable to his scheme, said Julie A. Beck, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Beck was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, and Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigations Detroit Field Office.

Smith, 52, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering before United States District Judge Susan K. DeClercq.

Acting United States Attorney Beck stated,“William Smith stole an astonishing amount of money from an important community institution, and he spent that money to finance an extravagant lifestyle. Every dollar that Smith spent on luxury goods for himself is a dollar that the Conservancy could not spent beautifying and improving our city’s riverfront. This is one of the most egregious economic crimes in recent memory in this District. Smith has now been held accountable for his criminal activity, and we hope that today’s sentence deters any others who contemplate enriching themselves at the expense of a public trust.”

“Today’s sentencing of William Smith marks the conclusion of a scheme, spanning more than a decade, deeply violating the trust of his employer and the community,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Mr. Smith exploited his position of authority for personal financial gain. This outcome is the hard work and dedication from members assigned to the FBI Detroit’s Complex Financial Crimes (CFC) Squad and the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan. We remain committed to working with our partners to investigate and pursue those who violate federal laws.”

“As the trusted leader of a local advocacy nonprofit, William Smith had a duty to be a responsible steward of the organization’s funds, especially the money raised to beautify and increase access to the Detroit Riverfront,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Mr. Smith proved he did not deserve that trust when he stole over $40 million from the Conservancy and by proxy, everyone who would enjoy the riverfront for many years to come. IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to work with the US Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan and our law enforcement partners to ensure that justice is served and Mr. Smith is held accountable for such an egregious breach of trust:  stealing a huge amount of money to fund his personal lifestyle.”

According to court documents, Smith was employed as the Chief Financial Officer for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Inc. (the Conservancy) from 2011 through May 2024.  The Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) organization formed with the mission of developing access to the Detroit riverfront. The Conservancy envisions creation of a continuous Riverwalk from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Gabriel Richard Park in the east, along with plazas, pavilions, and green spaces. Funding for the Conservancy is provided by both private donors and public grants. In his position as Chief Financial Officer of the Conservancy, Smith enjoyed substantial discretion in overseeing and managing the Conservancy’s financial affairs.

Court Documents indicate that beginning no later than November 2012 and continuing until May 2024, Smith orchestrated a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars in funds belonging to the Conservancy. The embezzlement scheme took three principal forms:

•             First, Smith diverted Conservancy funds from the organization’s bank accounts to a bank account in the name of  “The Joseph Group, Inc.,” an entity owned and controlled by Smith. The Joseph Group was not an approved vendor for the Conservancy and provided no goods or services of any kind to the organization. However, between February 2013 and May 2024, Smith transferred approximately $24.4 million from the Conservancy’s bank accounts to an account in the name of “The Joseph Group.”

•             Second, Smith maintained an American Express account in the name of another of the many entities he owned and controlled, this one called “William Smith & Associates LLC.”  There were four American Express credit cards issued on this account. Between November 2012 and May 2024, Smith used approximately $14.9 million in Conservancy funds to pay off purchases made on this account. None of these expenditures was authorized by the Conservancy, which maintained other credit card accounts for Conservancy purchases. Smith used the American Express account to purchase furniture, designer clothing, handbags, lawn care services, airline tickets, and other consumer goods and services for himself and his family.

•             Third, Smith used Conservancy funds to purchase cashier’s checks from various financial institutions. These cashier check purchases were unauthorized, and Smith used the cashier’s checks for his own purposes without the knowledge or approval of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors.

Court documents show that Smith engaged in various practices to cover up and sustain this massive fraud scheme. In some instances, Smith falsified bank statements that he provided to the Conservancy’s bookkeeper, altering or deleting unauthorized transfers on the statements in order to keep them off of the Conservancy’s books. In at least one other instance, he took out a line of credit with a financial institution (Citizen’s Bank) on behalf of the Conservancy. Smith claimed to be acting with the authorization of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors in taking out this line of credit. In fact, Smith had no such authority, and the documents he provided Citizen’s Bank purporting to show that he had such authorization were forgeries.  Smith used the funds from this line of credit (which eventually totaled $5 million) to infuse monies into the Conservancy’s bank accounts to help cover up his substantial embezzlement from those accounts.

Sentencing documents indicate that Smith spent the money he appropriated from the Conservancy to live a lavish and extravagant lifestyle. Over the course of his scheme, Smith spent enormous sums of money on basketball tickets, cruises, private jet travel, designer clothing, jewelry, and the like.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John K. Neal and Robert A. Moran. Assistant United States Attorneys K. Craig Welkener and Jessica Nathan handled the asset forfeiture and restitution. The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Division conducted the investigation.

Source: US FBI

Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant, John T. Mantanona, age 67, was sentenced by designated Senior District Judge John C. Coughenour in the District Court of Guam to 60 months imprisonment for Obstructing Justice by Endeavoring to Influence a Juror, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1503.  The Court also ordered two years of supervised release, a $30,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

From October 12, 2018, through November 13, 2018, Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood conducted a federal jury trial in the criminal case of United States v. Raymond Martinez and Juanita Moser, 15-CR-00031.  Mantanona was retired from the Guam Police Department, including work as an FBI task force officer.  Martinez and Moser hired him as an investigator during the trial.  Mantanona tried to influence Gregorio Tyquiengco while Tyquiengco served as a juror in the case.  During the trial, and prior to jury deliberations, Mantanona contacted Tyquiengco to discuss what verdict Tyquiengco would render and to influence him to vote “NG” (not guilty) despite the evidence against Martinez and Moser.  Mantanona also wanted Tyquiengco to persuade other jurors to do the same, with the intent to cause a hung jury and mistrial.  A mistrial was declared on November 13, 2018.  Mantanona met with Tyquiengco and gave him $1,000, in addition to $100 afterward.

Tyquiengco pled guilty to Contempt of Court, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 401(3).  He was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment and one year of supervised release. Tyquiengco was also ordered to reimburse the district court for any money he received for serving as a federal juror.

William Topasna Mantanona pled guilty to False Statement to Government Agent, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). During a wiretapped telephone conversation, he communicated with his brother, John T. Mantanona, to facilitate the above-described scheme.  He later falsely denied this conduct during an investigative interview with a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations.  On August 26, 2021, the district court sentenced William Topasna Mantanona to six months imprisonment, two years of supervised release, and a mandatory $5,000 fine.

“The public should have faith in our justice system, which includes fair and impartial court proceedings.  Mantanona violated this fundamental concept of trial by jury.  The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who obstruct justice,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.   “I applaud our law enforcement partners for pursuing an investigation beyond the initial crimes by Martinez and Moser.”

“Great trust is placed in those who call law enforcement their mission,” said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “Violating that trust by working to dilute the integrity of our judicial process is a complete betrayal of that mission and brings down every person who seeks to serve the public.  This sentence sends a clear message to those currently in or retired from law enforcement that if you break that trust, there will be consequences.”

“The FBI’s anti-corruption work remains one of our highest priorities. Those who criminally influence jurors and their deliberations through bribery strike at the very foundation of our criminal justice system,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Mr. Mantanona tampered with the integrity of our legal process, and in so doing, attempted to deny our community the justice it deserves. As reflected by this investigation, the FBI is committed to protecting our legal system and will bring to justice those who act to corrupt it.”

“While this conviction is for obstructing justice, this is a direct result of a firearms trafficking case from a number of years ago in which we seized more than $1.2 million in cash, $2 million more in additional seizures, and 67 firearms,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais.  “It’s discouraging to see that a retired law enforcement officer was involved in these illegal actions, but we are glad to see the passing of this sentence.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.

Assistant United States Attorney Rosetta L. San Nicolas prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: US FBI

A Houston, Texas man pleaded guilty to the “jugging” robbery of an ATM technician that occurred on July 3, 2024, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.  A “jugging” robbery is a type of theft where thieves follow a victim as they service or withdraw cash from ATMs or banks and then rob them.

In December 2024, Houston residents Johnny Juwan Clark, 32, Corey Dashun Holloway, Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg, and Roosevelt Ford Valentine were charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in a jugging robbery in Midlothian, Texas.  On April 22, 2025, Clark pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery before Senior United States District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn.  

Clark, Brandyberg, Holloway, and Roosevelt have been linked to a Houston-based criminal organization called the “Hiram Clarke Money Team.”  HCMT members are known to routinely travel to areas outside of Houston and engage in “jugging” style robberies and other forms of theft.

Clark admitted that at approximately 5:35 p.m. on July 3, 2024, he approached the ATM technician as he was servicing an ATM at a Chase Bank located in Midlothian, Texas.  Clark was wearing a hoodie and face covering to disguise his appearance.  Clark approached the technician from behind and forced him to the ground.  Clark kept his fist to the back of the victim’s head as cannisters containing United States currency were removed from the ATM by codefendants.  Approximately $247,000 in United States currency was taken during the robbery.  According to court documents, Clark admitted that he was the individual forcing the technician to the ground, captured in a security photo. 
 

After the robbery, Clark and two of his codefendants fled from the Chase Bank in the rental car and met a fourth accomplice at an apartment complex in close proximity to the bank. The stolen money was loaded into a Range Rover and driven back to Houston, Texas.

Clark’s sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2025.  He faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Codefendant Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg has filed documents advising the court of her intention to plead guilty.  A rearraignment date for Brandyberg has not been set.  Codefendants Holloway and Valentine are set for jury trial in September 2025.

The FBI (Dallas Division) investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

Around the same time, the FBI established a relationship with and a presence on the Marine Corps Base at Quantico. FBI agents had been given the authority to carry firearms and needed a firing range to learn to use those weapons safely and effectively.

The FBI’s presence at Quantico grew with the National Academy’s development and a growing number of special agents. By the 1940s, the FBI had created a three-story brick building with classrooms, dining facilities, and dormitories to serve students in both the FBI Academy and National Academy.

But most of the training for both programs still occurred in Washington, D.C., and the facilities were limited in size and scope. “The firearms training unit was in Quantico,” said Jim O’Conner, who retired in 1989 as the deputy assistant director of the FBI Training Division, where he helped plan for the new training academy. “And there was a small academy building where you would go for a portrait of your new agents training class, but not very much else.”

With a 1965 request from President Lyndon Johnson, Congress approved funding for a larger training campus, and planning for the FBI’s modern 547-acre campus at Quantico began.

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

“The Italian government and the U.S. government work very closely on art crime matters, and we’ve been doing so for years,” said Special Agent Marc Gervasi of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, who worked this case. “We’ve had a lot of success in repatriating items stolen from Italy, and Italy helps the FBI with investigations in significant ways.”

Gervasi and his colleagues approached the owner, who had bought the tapestry 22 years prior, and explained that the piece belonged to Italy. It had been stolen before the current owner bought it. The owner graciously agreed to return it.

Considering the owner purchased the piece for $27,000, it was no small sacrifice.

“They could’ve said talk to my attorney, or Italy can talk to my attorney,” Gervasi said. “It could’ve been a battle, but they chose to help law enforcement. They really wanted it to go back to the original owner.”

Similarly, the FBI’s Miami Field Office learned in May that a gallery in Jacksonville had another Italian tapestry, also believed to be from the 16th century, for sale on their website.

It had been stolen from the same gallery in Milan, Italy, in 1995. It entered the legitimate art market sometime after that and was sold for $55,000 in 2003.

Neither the gallery owner nor the homeowner had the provenance, or the ownership history, of the tapestries.

“Requesting a provenance on a piece of art can help the buyer determine the veracity and history the art,” Gervasi said. “If a seller cannot provide a provenance, the buyer should consider if they want to continue with that purchase.”

The gallery, upon learning of the history of the tapestry agreed to turn it over. “The gallery owner showed us the tapestry and said it was his favorite piece in the gallery. He had an emotional attachment to it,” Gervasi said.

By June, the FBI had the second tapestry.

Both tapestries, along with several other pieces of Italian art that the FBI had helped track down in the U.S., were then returned.

Historic Gold Coins

In 1977, 6,000 gold coins were stolen from the National Archeological Museum in Naples, Italy, as part of a massive art heist.

Source: US FBI

Another area the FBI helps our state and local partners is by investigating groups of violent criminals, just as the agency has done throughout its history.

“We can supplement local resources and bring that expertise to the table. We can help our partners investigate the full scope of a violent criminal organization that’s maybe not immediately visible and then come up with ways to disrupt or dismantle that organization,” Perez said.

As a result of these joint efforts, law enforcement was able to disrupt the operations of nearly 845 gangs and violent criminal enterprises and get to the heart of more than 100 of these groups by arresting key leaders and seizing their assets. 

“I believe the FBI’s most sacred duty is to ensure people can live free from fear in their own homes and neighborhoods,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “To that end, we dedicate agents, analysts, and technical resources across the country to work with state and local law enforcement on these operations.”

Learn more about the FBI’s work in investigating violent crime at fbi.gov/violentcrime. Report tips to tips.fbi.gov; you can remain anonymous.

Source: US FBI

“He used deceit and lies and vindictiveness to torture the young women he caught in his snare,” Green said. “And we believe that he will continue to look for the opportunity to victimize more women and more people for his own financial gain.”

Several of Pratt’s co-conspirators have faced justice for their roles in the scheme. The websites’ cameraman and its bookkeeper each pleaded guilty to trafficking charges in 2021. One of the websites’ lead recruiters and producers, Ruben Garcia, of San Diego, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the trafficking conspiracy. Pratt’s alleged co-owner, Matthew Isaac Wolfe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Wolfe is scheduled to be sentenced in October 2022.

Pratt is the only major player in the conspiracy who is still at large.

Pratt is 6 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes, and speaks with the accent of his native New Zealand. In addition to his connection to New Zealand, Pratt has ties to Australia and the financial means to travel the world.

“We feel that there are people out there who have been helping Michael Pratt to hide,” Green said. “He has probably promised them the world—giving them money, buying them gifts in return for providing him a safe haven.” Green encouraged anyone who may be aiding Pratt to consider their own best interests—along with the interests of the many victims in this case—and come forward with information.

To provide a tip or information about the whereabouts of Michael James Pratt, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. You can also call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Source: US FBI

The next challenge was logistical. The mosaic had to be carefully packed and shipped in such a way that it would arrive undamaged. Luckily, the anonymous individual who had possession of the work agreed to pay for specialized shipping crates.

“We worked with the owner and made sure we documented the condition and had everything we needed to ship it back to Italy,” Grove said. “We then worked with the Italian consulate here in Los Angeles. This is something of great interest to Italy; they came and inspected the mosaic and helped us facilitate the logistics of actually getting it back to Italy.”

The art arrived safely in April, and experts are now working to clean and restore it so the art can be enjoyed by generations to come.

“The mosaic was handcrafted from an age where people put an amazing amount of care and effort into it. It really speaks to the ingenuity and creativity of the time,” Grove said. “It’s not meant to be in Los Angeles. The mosaic belongs to the people of Rome. It allows us to understand a bit about the history of humans 2,000 years ago.”

The ability to work closely and collaboratively with the Italian government was key to the success of the repatriation, as was the willingness of the art lawyer to reach out to Special Agent Rivas about the piece.

“We were very happy they contacted us,” Rivas said. “If they hadn’t, it could’ve been in storage for another hundred years. It’s a successful example of how we can work together to get pieces back to where they belong.”