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Source: US FBI

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A California drug supplier was sentenced today to life in prison for his connection to the fatal fentanyl overdose of a Fairbanks man in October 2020.

Junior Gafatasi Tulali, 48, was convicted by a federal jury of distributing fentanyl resulting in death with an enhanced statutory penalty on April 19, 2024. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, around Oct. 13, 2020, Tulali agreed to sell 500 Oxycodone M30 pills to a Florida resident who agreed to distribute the pills in Fairbanks, where they could be sold for a higher price than Outside. The pills were shipped in a parcel from California and arrived in Fairbanks on Oct. 17. Inside the parcel were at least 480 counterfeit Oxycodone M30 pills containing a mixture of acetaminophen and an unknown amount of fentanyl.

The individual who retrieved the shipment distributed the counterfeit pills to several other dealers in the area. On Oct. 26, the victim purchased two pills from the shipment. Sometime between the evening of Oct. 26 and Oct. 28, the victim used the pills he obtained and was found dead in his home on Oct. 28. Medical examiners determined cause of death was acute toxic effects of fentanyl, which was contained in the pills that originated from Tulali.

Evidence presented at trial connected two additional non-fatal fentanyl overdoses to Tulali’s shipment of counterfeit pills. Both of the dealers in Fairbanks who were involved in selling the fentanyl pills to the victim were convicted for their role in the offence in 2022.

“In 2023, Alaska had the highest overdose death rate in the nation. Fentanyl poisoning is devastating our state, largely due to drug suppliers like Mr. Tulali, who gamble with human lives every time they sell a counterfeit pill,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Thanks to the outstanding investigative and prosecutorial work done in this case, we traced the pills that tragically killed the victim back to the source and held three people accountable for the irreparable damage they caused. My office is committed to collaborating with law enforcement at all levels to keep fentanyl out of our communities and prosecute those who jeopardize that mission.” 

“Fentanyl traffickers like Mr. Tulali are willing to risk the lives of their customers in order to make money peddling drugs,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The sentence today shows that these actions have grave consequences, a lesson Mr. Tulali will spend many years learning.”

“This case is a great example of how far our officers are ready to go to make sure we provide justice for victims in our community. We take our job of protecting  Fairbanks seriously and will continue to hold criminals responsible when they threaten the safety of our residents,” said Fairbanks Police Chief Ron Dupee.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Fairbanks Police Department, North Pole Police Department and Alaska State Troopers, with assistance from the FBI Anchorage Field Office, investigated the case as part of the Fairbanks Area Narcotics Team (FANT) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Carly Vosacek and Alana Weber prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, AK—The FBI Anchorage Field Office is seeking information regarding the identity and whereabouts of an individual with alleged involvement in three separate bank robberies that took place in Anchorage. With each robbery, the individual presented a note demanding money to a bank employee and stated he had a weapon. The robberies occurred on September 23, 2024; October 7, 2024; and October 16, 2024.

The individual is believed to have robbed the following banks:

• On September 23, 2024, at approximately 11:45 a.m., the subject allegedly robbed the Credit Union 1, Midtown Branch, located at 3525 Eureka Street in Anchorage. After the robbery, the subject fled the area on a dark-colored bicycle.
• On October 7, 2024, at approximately 10:15 a.m., the subject allegedly robbed the Global Credit Union located at 8475 Hartzell Road in Anchorage. After the robbery, the subject entered a stolen vehicle and drove away.
• On October 16, 2024, at approximately 12:30 p.m., the subject allegedly robbed the Global Credit Union located at 2300 Abbott Road in Anchorage. After the robbery, he departed the area on foot and headed north towards Abbott Road.

The individual is described as a male, approximately 5’5” tall, with black hair and brown eyes, weighing approximately 155 lbs.

Anyone with information concerning the identity and whereabouts of this individual should contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at 907-276-4441 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON – An Arkansas man was sentenced today after he was previously convicted of multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses 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.

            Nathan Earl Hughes, 35, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols to 25 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

            Hughes previously pled guilty to two felony offenses, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and civil disorder. In addition to the felonies, Hughes also pled to the misdemeanor offense of impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings.

            According to court documents and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing, on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., Hughes was present in the vicinity of an area known as the Lower West Terrace Tunnel for almost two hours. The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day. Hughes wore a custom black and camouflage print hat with a frayed brim, distinctive black Mechanix gloves, a gray hooded sweatshirt, and a black “Infowars” branded shirt with an image of a space shuttle and the words ‘Space Force Est. 2020” written on it.

           Court documents say that, at approximately 3:15 p.m., Hughes was at the mouth of the Tunnel and signaled the crowd of rioters, “C’mon! C’mon!” while waving his hand in the direction of the Tunnel. After signaling to the crowd, Hughes entered the Tunnel and charged toward the police line. Inside the Tunnel, Hughes continued to signal others to enter and confront the police line by pushing against the officers at the front of the line. Hughes then stood shoulder-to-shoulder with others and began to rock back and forth in a synchronized movement with the crowd. At about 3:18 p.m., Hughes called out to other officers to “grab” an officer’s shield and then assisted the mob with forcefully removing police riot shields and passing them out of the Tunnel. Hughes also personally attempted to forcefully pull away police shields and pass them out of the Tunnel back to the other rioters.

            At approximately 3:19 p.m., as Hughes was being forced out of the Tunnel by police, he  grabbed a police officer’s baton and tried to pull it from the officer’s grip. Hughes then used his elbow to strike that police officer before striking the officer twice with his fist. The officer was then pulled from the tunnel and was accosted by the rioters on the Lower West Terrace. After he was pushed out of the Tunnel, Hughes remained in the vicinity of the Tunnel for at least 90 minutes. During this time, Hughes encouraged other rioters to “Pull the cops out!”

            The FBI arrested Hughes on Aug. 30, 2023, in Arkansas.

            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 Western District of Arkansas.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Fayetteville Resident Agency and Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 47 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,572 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 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.

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Source: US FBI

As we enter the 2024 holiday season, Arkansas residents must remain mindful of criminals who care less about giving and more about stealing. Shoppers looking for a good deal this holiday season need to be aware of aggressive and deceptive scams designed by criminals to steal money and personal information. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Americans lost over $12.5 billion to fraudsters just in 2023, including more than $34.5 million stolen from Arkansans. This year, FBI Little Rock wants Arkansas shoppers to enjoy a scam-free holiday season by remaining vigilant against the below schemes.

Charity Scams: Charity-related frauds increase during the holidays as individuals look to donate money to those less fortunate. Criminals use phone calls, e-mail campaigns, and fake websites to solicit on behalf of fraudulent charities. Scammers target people who want to donate to charity, then hoard well-intentioned donations while those most in need never see a dime.

Fraudulent Social Media Posts: Consumers should be aware of posts on social media sites that appear to offer special deals, vouchers, or gift cards. Some may appear as holiday promotions or contests. Others may be sent by friends who shared a link on popular social media sites. These scams frequently lead consumers to participate in online surveys designed to steal personal information. Before you click on a social media advertisement, do your due diligence and check the legitimacy of the website before providing any personal or credit card information.

Online Shopping Scams: Criminals often offer too-good-to-be-true deals via phishing emails, text messages, and fake advertisements on social media. Perhaps you were looking to buy tickets to an upcoming concert and found just what you were looking for—at a great price—in an online marketplace. Those tickets could end up being bogus. Or maybe you just located a new, hard-to-find gaming system… but in reality, you clicked on a link that gave criminals the ability to install malware onto your device. Bottom line: if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is! Stay clear of unfamiliar sites offering unrealistic discounts on brand-name merchandise. Scammers frequently prey on bargain hunters by advertising “One-Day Only” promotions for recognizable brands. Without employing a skeptical eye, consumers may end up paying for an item, giving away personal and financial information, and then receiving nothing in return except a compromised identity.

Steps to avoid holiday fraud schemes:

• Routinely check bank and credit card statements, especially after making online purchases and in the weeks following the holiday season.
• Be highly suspicious of promotions and giveaways that require your personal information.
• Never give personal information— such as your date of birth, Social Security number, or home address— to anyone you do not know.
• Before shopping online, secure all your financial accounts with strong passphrases. Additionally, use a different passphrase for each financial account.
• Prior to donating to any charity, verify they have a valid Taxpayer Identification Number by visiting their website or calling the charity directly.

Reporting fraud: Shoppers who suspect they’ve been victimized should immediately contact their financial institution, then call their local law enforcement agency or FBI Little Rock at (501) 221-9100. Victims of holiday scams are also encouraged to file a complaint with the FBI at www.ic3.gov.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a federal inmate for assaulting a corrections officer, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Christopher McCallum to 51 months in prison based on his September 2024 guilty plea to assault of an officer.

According to the plea agreement, McCallum was a federal inmate of the Bureau of Prisons at FCI Talladega, serving a sentence for a previous federal conviction.  On February 29, 2024, McCallum became disruptive, walked toward the staff with clinched fists, and ultimately assaulted a female corrections officer.  McCallum punched her in the head and upper torso area. The corrections officer sustained multiple injuries.

FBI investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Felton prosecuted the case.  

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted four Birmingham men with multiple crimes related to three separate carjacking events in Jefferson County, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. 

Those indicted in January include:

• Dearrius Dontrell Pace, 30, who was charged with carjacking and kidnapping. This incident occurred on July 16, 2024;
• Charles Avery Pruitt, 22, who was charged with carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  This incident occurred on July 10, 2024; and
• Kyone D’Mias Harris and Brandon Taylor Ezell, both 24, who were charged with carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  This incident occurred in October 2024.

FBI investigated each case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys John G. Camp, Daniel S. McBrayer, and Darius C. Greene are prosecuting these cases.

An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: US FBI

      LITTLE ROCK—Raymond Tetzlaff, an inmate incarcerated at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in Forrest City, Arkansas, will spend an additional 10 years in federal prison after his current sentence is complete following his conviction for an assault causing serious bodily injury in which the victim ultimately died. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.

      Following a three-day jury trial, Tetzlaff, 41, of Great Falls, Montana, was convicted by a federal jury on June 12, 2024. The jury found Tetzlaff guilty on one count of assault causing serious bodily injury.

      Tetzlaff is currently serving a 216-month federal sentence for drug crimes from a 2017 case out of Montana. That sentence is expected to expire in 2032. Tetzlaff’s 120-month sentence in the assault case will begin to run when the sentence from the drug case is complete. In addition to the 10 years’ of imprisonment, Judge Moody sentenced Tetzlaff to five years of supervised release. The sentence is the maximum amount of imprisonment under law Tetzlaff could serve. There is no parole in the federal system.

      “It is my sincere hope that today’s sentence will bring a level of comfort and peace to the victim’s family,” said Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Prisoners should be safe while serving their term of imprisonment. The significant sentence handed down by the judge should serve as a warning to all inmates that if you cause harm to a fellow prisoner, our office will work to hold you accountable.

      “The defendant showed no remorse and the sentence is reflective of the defendant’s callous indifference to the loss of another man’s life.”

      Tetzlaff was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 1, 2023, in a two-count indictment that charged him with one count of manslaughter and one count of assault causing serious bodily injury. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on assault but did not reach a verdict on the manslaughter charge.

      Through an investigation, it was revealed that on October 29, 2022, at the federal prison in Forrest City, Tetzlaff punched an inmate in the face, knocking him to the floor. The victim of the assault sustained a fractured skull when he hit the floor. Three days after the assault by Tetzlaff, the victim succumbed to the injuries. It was discovered during the investigation that Tetzlaff assaulted the victim over concerns for a missing contraband cell phone. 

      Witnesses at trial testified that Tetzlaff punched the victim when the victim was not paying attention and was turning away from him. After being punched, the victim was knocked unconscious and crashed to the floor, resulting in a fracture to his skull. Witnesses reported the victim later had a seizure and fell from his top bunk onto the floor. The victim was taken to the hospital, but never regained consciousness.

      In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Moody pointed out Tetzlaff’s lack of remorse and violence of the act, as well as numerous previous incidents in which he had used violence in criminal activities, as reasons for the sentence. 

      This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the BOP. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bart Dickinson and Chris Givens.

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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

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@USAO_EDAR 

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man was sentenced for drug trafficking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Courdarius Lamont Hall, also known as “Skinny,” 26, to 123 months in prison. In April 2024, Hall pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to the plea agreement, during three separate controlled drug transactions in 2023, Hall sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential source. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies obtained a search warrant for Hall’s house.  Deputies recovered a substantial amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl from his daughter’s Minnie Mouse backpack; a Glock .40 caliber pistol equipped with a machinegun-conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch;” a Draco.223 caliber firearm; and a loaded, extended drum magazine.

The FBI investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Vice and Narcotics Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany T. Byrd prosecuted the case.