'Greed and corruption': Federal jury convicts veteran DEA agents in bribery conspiracy
A federal jury convicted two longtime U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration supervisors Wednesday of leaking confidential information to defense attorneys as part of a bribery conspiracy that prosecutors said imperiled high-profile cases and the lives of overseas drug informants.
Orange Park man accused of selling machine gun conversion devices pleads not guilty
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A Clay County man accused of selling unregistered devices online that can convert semiautomatic firearms into machine guns pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court to a single-count indictment. The not-guilty plea came hours after the U.S. Attorneyโs Office for announced a federal indictment charging Kristopher Ervin, 41, of Orange Park, with possession of an unregistered machine gun conversion device. The federal government said Ervin had the devices manufactured at a Jacksonville machine shop for $5 each and then sold them for up to $139 a piece. The one-count indictment stems from a tip a federal agent received in January that Ervin was selling the devices online. Agents recovered $3,700, over 1,500 auto-sear devices, machinery that was used to manufacture the devices, guns, computers, and packaging materials.
Feds threaten funds to NYC, Seattle and Portland over unrest
In Portland, they pointed to 100 consecutive nights of protests โmarred by vandalism, chaos, and even killingโ and in New York City, the Justice Department pointed to a skyrocketing number of shootings throughout the five boroughs. It is not the first time the Justice Department has attempted to take action against city officials for the violent demonstrations. The department also explored whether it could pursue either criminal or civil rights charges against city officials in Portland after clashes erupted there night after night between law enforcement and demonstrators. In a joint statement, de Blasio, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan decried the designation as โthoroughly political and unconstitutional.โ"The President is playing cheap political games with Congressionally directed funds. ___Associated Press writers Karen Matthews in New York and Eugene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report.
Jacksonville man charged with having Molotov cocktail at protest
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. A man arrested during a protest in downtown Jacksonville on May 31 had a Molotov cocktail in his backpack and has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, federal prosecutors announced Monday. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, a Molotov cocktail is an incendiary bomb and destructive device that is considered a firearm under federal law. As a previously convicted felon, Ivan Jacob Zecher is prohibited from possessing a firearm, prosecutors said. If convicted, Zecher faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count. Zecher refused to leave when officers told the crowd to disperse, and he was arrested on an unlawful assembly charge.
Actress Lori Loughlin, husband to serve prison time for college scam
FILE - In this April 3, 2019, file photo, actress Lori Loughlin, front, and her husband, clothing designer Mossimo Giannulli, left, depart federal court in Boston after a hearing in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal. Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, are scheduled to plead guilty Friday via video conference before a federal judge in Boston, who must approve the deal. They agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud in a plea agreement filed in Bostons federal court. Giannulli will also plead guilty to a charge of honest services wire and mail fraud, prosecutors said. Others parents who've been sent to prison for participating in the scam include Desperate Housewives actress Felicity Huffman.
Men accused of creating explosions to rob ATMs in 2 states
TAMPA, Fla. โ Two men are facing federal charges in Florida for using small explosions to rob ATMs in the Tampa Bay area, authorities said Monday. Sallah and Johnson took nearly $70,000 from several Florida ATMs between November and January and vandalized others without taking any cash, according to a criminal complaint. Investigators believe the men injected some type of flammable fuel into the machines and used a spark to ignite it. The men were arrested Sunday after setting off an explosion at an ATM in Watkinsville, Georgia, prosecutors said. That ATM was damaged, but Sallah and Johnson were unable to retrieve any cash, authorities said.
Man pleads guilty to taking North Carolina woman to Jacksonville for prostitution
According to the plea agreement, Jenkins met the victim July 14 after she had posted an online advertisement for prostitution in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Federal prosecutors said Jenkins told her that she could make a lot more money in Jacksonville. An arrest report previously obtained by News4Jax from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office shows that on July 15, the two checked in to the Ramada Inn on Hartley Road. That's where, according to prosecutors, Jenkins set up three prostitution meetings involving the woman and arranged a fourth meeting for July 16. While the victim was in the bathroom at the shop, she called a family member, and her mother then called the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
FBI agents arrest man accused of trying to meet child for sex
FreeImages.com/foxumonJACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 29-year-old man accused of trying to meet a child for sex was arrested, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Friday. According to court documents, an undercover FBI agent, who was posing online as a 12-year-old, was contacted Wednesday by the user "Awesome_Jack," who was later identified as Lama. Later that day, Lama rode his motorcycle to a location in Jacksonville to meet the "child" and was arrested by FBI agents, prosecutors said. The case was investigated by the FBI in Jacksonville. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Feds decline to charge officers in death of Stephon Clark
(CNN) - Federal authorities said Thursday they will not file civil rights charges against two Sacramento, California, police officers who fatally shot Stephon Clark in his grandmother's backyard last year. The Sacramento Police Department also cleared the officers of any wrongdoing and is returning them to active duty. The U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI and prosecutors in the Civil Rights Division reviewed the killing of Clark on March 18, 2018, the statement said. The officers were not charged with crimes, a decision that prompted protests when local prosecutors announced it in March. Officers return to 'full, active duty'After the federal announcement Thursday, Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn said the department also cleared the officers of any wrongdoing.
Woman charged with fraudulent use of Social Security number, ID theft
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A woman has been indicted on charges of fraudulent use of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Prosecutors said Elizabeth Farina-Torres, 42, an "undocumented alein" who is a citizen of the Dominican Republic, has been charged with five counts of fraudulent use of a Social Security number and five counts of aggravated identity theft. In about 2008, Farina-Torres began using a Social Security number belonging to a U.S. citizen with a similar name and the same date of birth, according to court documents. Hospital records showed that the person who had used the Social Security number was Farina-Torres. The Clay County Sheriff's Office learned during the investigation that Farina-Torres had used the victim's Social Security number at an Orange Park rental furniture store in April 2015.
Men plead guilty to attempting to distribute meth in Georgia
WAYCROSS, Ga. โ Two men pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine from Atlanta and throughout the Southern District of Georgia, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the district. The U.S. Attorney's Office said the investigation began when agents received information Camacho-Pineda was connected to a Mexican cartel and was supplying other members of the conspiracy operating in Waycross, Georgia and elsewhere. The U.S. Attorney's Office said he fled in his vehicle for about 10 miles and traveled in excess of 130 mph, ultimately wrecking the vehicle. Agents arrested Santana-Hernandez after he traveled from Atlanta to Dublin, Georgia to collect drug proceeds for a previous drug deal involving two kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The charge carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison and potential fines of up to $10 million each, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Gang member sentenced to 12ยฝ years for selling child for sex
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A 22-year-old Jacksonville man was sentenced Thursday to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for sex trafficking a child, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard also ordered Harper to serve a five-year term of supervision after his release from prison and to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, Harper met a 15-year-old girl in December 2015 and advertised her for prostitution on the internet. He was paid for the girl to perform sexual acts with his associates and fellow members of the PYC street gang. The local charges were dropped when the case was turned over to the federal courts for prosecution.