News from May 2023
Valdosta Resident Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
Young Woman First Reported Defendant for Taking Suspicious Photos of Her at Work
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Sex Trafficking
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
On April 28, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Joseph Harris, also known as “Luis Santana,” and “Joey Moscato,” was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to 21 years in prison for sex trafficking multiple victims by force, fraud, and coercion.
St. Louis County Woman Accused of Sex Trafficking
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
A woman from St. Louis County, Missouri has been accused of prostituting a minor online.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Fayette County Law Enforcement Officer of Child Sex Trafficking and Obstruction Crimes
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
After four days of trial, a federal jury convicted Larry Allen Clay Jr., 57, of Fayetteville, of sex trafficking a 17-year-old minor female.
Dauphin County Woman Charged With Child Pornography Offenses
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Gerard M. Karam, announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment on April 26, 2023 charging Tammie Jo Hooks, 60, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
Fruitland Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Derek Lorin Blackhorse pleaded guilty to sexual abuse.
Ohio Man Charged for Attempting to Burn Down a Church that Planned to Host Drag Show Events
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
A federal indictment was returned charging an Ohio man with a violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act for using Molotov cocktails against the Community Church of Chesterland, in Chesterland, Ohio, in an attempt to burn the church to the ground.
North Korean Foreign Trade Bank Representative Charged in Crypto Laundering Conspiracies
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
Two federal indictments were unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging a North Korean Foreign Trade Bank (FTB) representative for his role in separate money laundering conspiracies designed to generate revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea through the use of cryptocurrency.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen Delivers Remarks Announcing Significant Nation-State Threats Cases
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
I am Matt Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice. I am joined by my colleagues in the Justice Department: the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves, and FBI Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division, Suzanne Turner.
United States Obtains $629 Million Settlement with British American Tobacco to Resolve Illegal Sales to North Korea, Charges Facilitators in Illicit Tobacco Trade
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
Cases Part of Greater Disruption Effort to Combat Funding of North Korean Nuclear Program and Counter Nation-State Threats
New York Attorney Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Money Laundering to Promote Sanctions Violations by Associate of Sanctioned Russian Oligarch
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
A New York attorney pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to make approximately $3.8 million in U.S. dollar payments to maintain six real properties in the United States that were owned by Viktor Vekselberg, a sanctioned oligarch.
Ohio Man Charged for Attempting to Burn Down a Church that Planned to Host Drag Show Events
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with the Sheriff of Mobile County, Alabama, to resolve the department’s lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
Ohio Man Charged for Attempting to Burn Down a Church that Planned to Host Drag Show Events
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
A federal indictment was returned charging an Ohio man with a violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act for using Molotov cocktails against the Community Church of Chesterland, in Chesterland, Ohio, in an attempt to burn the church to the ground.
Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Joins Officials from CFPB, EEOC and FTC Pledging to Confront Bias and Discrimination in Artificial Intelligence
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and officials from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) jointly pledged today to uphold America’s commitment to the core principles of fairness, equality and justice as emerging automated systems, including those sometimes marketed as “artificial intelligence” or “AI,” become increasingly common in our daily lives – impacting civil rights, fair competition, consumer protection and equal opportunity.
Justice Department Challenges Tennessee Law that Bans Critical, Medically Necessary Care for Transgender Youth
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
The Justice Department today filed a complaint challenging Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), a recently enacted law that denies necessary medical care to youth based solely on who they are.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Fire to a Church
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act for setting fire to a house of worship.
Former Mississippi Department of Corrections Official Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force Against an Inmate
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
A former case manager with the Mississippi Department of Corrections pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Tom Lee for using excessive force against an inmate, involving the use of a dangerous weapon and resulting in bodily injury.
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to Little Rock and Pine Bluff, Arkansas
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Little Rock and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on April 24 and 25 to continue the Civil Rights Division’s tour to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas joined her for the meetings and events on both days.
Former West Virginia Parole Officer Sentenced for Witness Tampering
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
A former West Virginia regional director of parole for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Parkersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in the Southern District of West Virginia to 87 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release for witness tampering.
Justice Department Announces National Human Trafficking Coordinator and National Coordinator for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction
By DOJ Newswire Report | May 1, 2023
The Justice Department today announced the designation and appointment of a National Human Trafficking Coordinator and a National Coordinator for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction.