FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Non-profit Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House (“LBDNH”) has agreed to pay the United States $100,000 and enter into a compliance agreement to resolve a civil False
Claims Act investigation relating to the operation of its AmeriCorps program, U.S. Attorney Steven
D. Weinhoeft announced today.
AmeriCorps is a federally funded network of national service programs addressing
critical community needs including increasing academic achievement, mentoring youth, fighting
poverty, sustaining national parks, preparing for disasters, and more. AmeriCorps
volunteers (called members) commit to service for a period of three months to a year
in exchange for a living allowance, education awards, and other benefits. From 2015 to 2018,
LBDNH received over $1.9 million in federal AmeriCorps funding.
The settlement stems from investigations conducted by the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task
Force and the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General (“OIG”). The Task Force
investigation resulted in Christopher Coleman pleading guilty to embezzling more than $250,000 from
LBDNH by generating false invoices and receiving cash kickbacks. Coleman was the
Executive Director of LBDNH from July 2016 to February 2018.
Leonard Johnson, of St. Louis, Missouri, and Jeremy Turner, of Dallas, Texas, were convicted in
federal court for aiding and abetting Coleman’s embezzlement. Tiffany Taylor, of
Maryville, Illinois, was charged with making false statements to federal agents during the
investigation. She successfully completed a pre-trial diversion program.
AmeriCorps OIG opened a civil investigation looking for violations of the False Claims Act. As a
result of the OIG investigation, the United States alleges that from 2015 through 2019 LBDNH,
through Coleman and others, failed to implement internal controls sufficient to
prevent embezzlement of federal grant funds and misrepresented it AmeriCorps expenses on
periodic expense reports submitted to the AmeriCorps prime grantee.
In addition, grant recipients like LBDNH are required to verify and certify the number of service
hours each individual volunteer completes. Each volunteer must complete a specified number of
service hours, along with other requirements, to receive an AmeriCorps education award. The
United States also alleges, from 2015 through 2019, LBDNH falsely certified to AmeriCorps that some
of its members had performed the service hours necessary to qualify for an education award, when
they, in reality, had not.
“The Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House was a mess, and we used our criminal and civil authority
to clean it up,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Four criminal indictments and a civil
settlement have resulted in federal criminal convictions, prison time, restitution orders, civil
payments, and a compliance agreement to ensure that this never happens again. Our decisive action
is a clear message that programs administering taxpayer funds must do so responsibly.”
“The Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House was easy prey to fraud because it had none of the
internal controls needed to protect the organization from unscrupulous actors,” said AmeriCorps
Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey. “Every director of a nonprofit should ask executives and
independent auditors what their organization does to prevent and detect fraud, and what more it
could do to ensure that all of its funds are being used to support community needs.”
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; no lawsuit was filed in court, and
there has been no determination of civil liability. The individuals responsible for the fraud at
LBDNH are no longer employed there. LBDNH cooperated with the OIG investigation and voluntarily
outsourced its accounting and finance functions to a third-party firm. As part of the settlement,
LBDNH entered into a five-year compliance agreement with AmeriCorps. Included among the terms of
the compliance agreement are that LBDNH must implement fraud detection and prevention
policies and trainings. The agreement also mandates certain bi-annual reporting
requirements to AmeriCorps. LBDNH has represented it intends to maintain its outsourced
accounting arrangement through the compliance agreement period.
The investigation was conducted by the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General. Assistant United
States Attorney Ray M. Syrcle handled the settlement for the United States.
An American citizen who spent over a year running the day-to-day operations of a fraudulent tech
support call center in Costa Rica is heading to prison. Michael Cary Lawing, 34, of Lincolnton,
North Carolina, has been sentenced to serve 18 months behind bars for his role as the CEO of ABC
Repair Tech (ABC) from 2015 to 2016. Lawing pleaded guilty in October 2018 to a one-count felony
information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, Lawing’s company was affiliated with another fraudulent tech support
business in South Florida known as First Choice Tech Support, which later changed its name to
Client Care Experts (CCE). Both ABC and CCE purchased pop-up advertisements that would appear
suddenly on a person’s computer screen. The pop-ups were made to look like system warnings and
falsely informed the victims that serious problems, such as viruses or malware, had been detected
on their computers. Often, the pop-ups caused the person’s internet browser to freeze up and stop
responding. The pop-ups also typically warned the victims not to shut down their computers or else
they would lose all their data. Instead, the ads directed them to call a toll-free number, where
they were connected to sales representatives who continued the fraud.
The sales representatives at ABC and CCE would convince the victims to grant them remote access to
their computers, where normal computer functions and routine processes were highlighted as evidence
of serious computer problems. Victims were never told that the pop-ups that had hijacked their
computers were just advertisements purchased by the tech support company, or that in most instances
they could make the pop-ups go away simply by rebooting their computers. Instead, they were sold
remote “tune-ups” for $250 and anti-virus protection software for another $400. If victims balked
at the steep prices, the sales representatives would offer them a discount for being a senior
citizen or a military veteran or something else.
From 2013-2016, the two companies – CCE and ABC – combined to defraud more than 40,000 people.
Victims were located in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several
U.S. territories, all 10 Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, and several other
foreign countries. At least 57 victims of the scams were residents of the Southern District of Illinois,
representing 22 of the district’s 38 counties, including St. Clair and Madison. All told, the two
companies took in over $25 million.
In handing down the 18-month sentence, Chief United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel
explained that the need to deter other would-be scammers was a “big factor” in her decision. “The
general public needs to see that this kind of crime is taken seriously,” she said.
As part of his sentence, Lawing was ordered to pay back over $266,000 in restitution to ABC victims
– a figure that represents ten percent of the roughly $2.6 million in actual losses incurred by
over 10,000 victims during Lawing’s tenure as the company’s top executive. Evidence presented in
court showed that Lawing himself made only about $90,000 from the scam. The bulk of ABC’s
fraudulent earnings were reportedly reinvested in the company.
Lawing’s sentence comes just one week after CCE’s Vice President, Grand Clark Wasik, 36, of Oakland
Park, Florida, was sentenced to 125 months in prison and ordered to pay over $10 million in
restitution. Wasik pled guilty to count one of a 14-count superseding indictment earlier this year.
Two former owners of CCE, Michael Austin Seward, 32, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and Kevin James
McCormick, 46, of Delray Beach, Florida, also pled guilty to their role in the conspiracy and are
due to be sentenced on November 18. The Honorable Joe Billy McDade from the Central District of
Illinois, who presided over Wasik’s case, will also conduct the sentencings of Seward and
McCormick.
Since April 2017, 14 other employees of CCE and ABC have also pleaded guilty to federal fraud
violations in the Southern District of Illinois:
• Joseph Ralph Aievoli, IV, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Cory Steven Bachman, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Andrew Douglas Broad, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Director of Training at CCE
• Ryan Stocker Carr, 24, of Mount Laurel, NJ – Team Leader at CCE
• Joshua Dennis Cortez, 38, of Lake Worth, FL – Director of Training at CCE
• Erica Marie Crowell, 30, of Maple Shade, NJ – Salesperson at CCE
• Nicholas James Davidson, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Patrick M. Dougherty, 36, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Tatum Elyse Espenshade, 27, of West Palm Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Eric M. Iannaccone, 33, of Monroe Township, NJ – Sales Manager at CCE
• Anthony Vincent Ludena, 30, of Boca Raton, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Robert Thomas McCart, 33, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader at CCE
• Timothy James Miller, II, 28, of Schwenksville, PA – Salesperson at CCE
• Jonathan Matthew Richardson, 28, of Lake Worth, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Kyle Evan Swinson, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader at ABC/CCE
Eleven of these additional defendants have been sentenced already:
Date
Defendant
Prison Sentence
Restitution
Mar. 8, 2018
Ryan Carr
12 months + 1 day
$20,384.36
May 7, 2018
Joshua Cortez
18 months
$3,034.00
June 8, 2018
Patrick Dougherty
12 months + 1 day
$240,966.94
June 14, 2018
Anthony Ludena
12 months + 1 day
$176,692.26
June 29, 2018
Nicholas Davidson
5 years probation
$181,808.40
July 26, 2018
Timothy Miller
5 years probation + 200 hours
community service
$127,042.06
Aug. 3, 2018
Tatum Espenshade
1 day + 18 months home detention
$132,683.68
Sept. 11, 2018
Andrew Broad
12 months + 1 day
$55,238.28
Sept. 20, 2018
Jonathan Richardson
12 months + 1 day
$78,638.99
Oct. 4, 2018
Cory Bachman
1 day
$156,806.25
Oct. 10, 2019
Joseph Aievoli
1 day
$106,355.82
Because the crimes allegedly took place in connection with telemarketing and victimized 10 or more
persons over the age of 55, the maximum punishment in each case is 30 years imprisonment. The
defendants could also be ordered to serve up to five years of supervised release and pay a fine of
up to $250,000. Under federal law, restitution to identified victims is mandatory.
These cases are part of an ongoing investigation by the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago
Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service and are being prosecuted by Assistant
United States Attorneys Nathan D. Stump, Scott A. Verseman, and Ranley R. Killian.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office raided CCE in June 2016 and has been cooperating with the
federal investigation, in addition to bringing its own civil enforcement action against CCE under
Florida state law.
The Federal Trade Commission has been working for some time to shut down illegal tech support
scams. For more information about the FTC’s “2019 Tech Support Takedown,” please visithttps://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/03/ftcs-tech-support-takedown-2019.
Some consumers who were victimized by ABC or CCE / First Choice Tech Support have
received additional fraudulent calls. These calls typically come from companies claiming either
(a) that the technical support the victims purchased has been transferred to them and additional
funds are now needed; or (b) that they can help the victims obtain a refund. Victims should be
advised that no companies have been authorized to provide them with any tech support services on
behalf of ABC or CCE / First Choice Tech Support, or to provide them with a refund for any
previous purchases.
The former vice president and sales manager of a fraudulent tech support business known as Client
Care Experts, LLC (CCE) will be spending the next 10½ years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Steven
D. Weinhoeft announced today. Grant Clark Wasik, 36, of Oakland Park, Florida, was sentenced
yesterday in federal district court in East St. Louis, Illinois, to 125 months in prison for
conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The court also ordered Wasik to pay over $10.5 million in
restitution to the victims of the fraud scheme.
Wasik was the vice president and sales manager of CCE, formerly known as First Choice Tech Support,
which was based in Boynton Beach, Florida. The company also operated a similar tech support
business called ABC Repair Tech (ABC), located in Costa Rica.
According to court documents, the defendants purchased pop-up advertisements that would appear
suddenly on a person’s computer screen. The pop-ups were made to look like system warnings and
falsely informed the victims that serious problems, such as viruses or malware, had been detected
on their computers. Often, the pop-ups caused the person’s internet browser to freeze up and stop
responding. The pop-ups also typically warned the victims not to shut down their computers or else
they would lose all their data. Instead, the ads directed them to call a toll-free number, where
they were connected to sales representatives who continued the fraud.
The sales representatives would convince the victims to grant them remote access to their
computers, where normal computer functions and routine processes were highlighted as evidence of
serious computer problems. Victims were never told that the pop-ups that had hijacked their
computers were just advertisements purchased by the tech support company, or that in most instances
they could make the pop-ups go away simply by rebooting their computers. Instead, they were sold
remote “tune-ups” for $250 and anti-virus protection software for another $400. If victims balked
at the steep prices, the sales representatives would offer them a discount for being
a senior citizen or a military veteran or something else.
From 2013-2016, the two companies – CCE and ABC – combined to defraud more than 40,000 people.
Victims were located in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several
U.S. territories, all 10 Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, and several other foreign
countries. At least 57 victims of the scams were residents of the Southern District of Illinois,
representing 22 of the district’s 38 counties, including St. Clair and Madison. All told, the two
companies took in over $25 million.
Wasik pled guilty to count one of a 14-count superseding indictment earlier this year. Two former
owners of CCE, Michael Austin Seward, 32, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and Kevin James McCormick,
46, of Delray Beach, Florida, also pled guilty to their role in the conspiracy and are set to be
sentenced on November 18. The Honorable Joe Billy McDade from the Central District of Illinois, who
presided over Wasik’s case, will also conduct the sentencings of Seward and McCormick.
The former CEO of ABC, Michael Cary Lawing, is due to be sentenced on October 15 before the
Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel, Chief United States District Judge for the Southern District of
Illinois. Lawing, 34, of Lincolnton, North Carolina, pled guilty to a felony information late last
year. Since April 2017, 14 other employees of CCE and ABC have also pleaded guilty to federal fraud
violations in the Southern District of Illinois:
• Joseph Ralph Aievoli, IV, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Cory Steven Bachman, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Andrew Douglas Broad, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Director of Training at CCE
• Ryan Stocker Carr, 24, of Mount Laurel, NJ – Team Leader at CCE
• Joshua Dennis Cortez, 38, of Lake Worth, FL – Director of Training at CCE
• Erica Marie Crowell, 30, of Maple Shade, NJ – Salesperson at CCE
• Nicholas James Davidson, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Patrick M. Dougherty, 36, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Tatum Elyse Espenshade, 27, of West Palm Beach, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Eric M. Iannaccone, 33, of Monroe Township, NJ – Sales Manager at CCE
• Anthony Vincent Ludena, 30, of Boca Raton, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Robert Thomas McCart, 33, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader at CCE
• Timothy James Miller, II, 28, of Schwenksville, PA – Salesperson at CCE
• Jonathan Matthew Richardson, 28, of Lake Worth, FL – Salesperson at CCE
• Kyle Evan Swinson, 27, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader at ABC/CCE
Because the crimes allegedly took place in connection with telemarketing and victimized 10 or more
persons over the age of 55, the maximum punishment in each case is 30 years imprisonment. The
defendants could also be ordered to serve up to five years of supervised release and pay a fine of
up to $250,000. Under federal law, restitution to identified victims is mandatory.Ten of these additional defendants have been sentenced already:
Date
Defendant
Prison Sentence
Restitution
Mar. 8, 2018
Ryan Carr
12 months + 1 day
$20,384.36
May 7, 2018
Joshua Cortez
18 months
$3,034.00
June 8, 2018
Patrick Dougherty
12 months + 1 day
$240,966.94
June 14, 2018
Anthony Ludena
12 months + 1 day
$176,692.26
June 29, 2018
Nicholas Davidson
5 years probation
$181,808.40
July 26, 2018
Timothy Miller
5 years probation + 200 hours community service
$127,042.06
Aug. 3, 2018
Tatum Espenshade
1 day + 18 months home detention
$132,683.68
Sept. 11, 2018
Andrew Broad
12 months + 1 day
$55,238.28
Sept. 20, 2018
Jonathan Richardson
12 months + 1 day
$78,638.99
Oct. 4, 2018
Corey Bachman
1 day
$156,806.25
These cases are part of an ongoing investigation by the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago
Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. The cases are being prosecuted by
Assistant United States Attorneys Scott A. Verseman, Ranley R. Killian, and Nathan D. Stump.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office raided CCE in June 2016 and has been cooperating with the
federal investigation, in addition to bringing its own civil enforcement action against CCE under
Florida state law.
The Federal Trade Commission has been working for some time to shut down illegal tech support
scams. For more information about the FTC’s “2019 Tech Support Takedown,” please visit https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/03/ftcs-tech-support-takedown-2019.
Some consumers who were victimized by ABC or CCE / First Choice Tech Support have received
additional fraudulent calls. These calls typically come from companies claiming either
(a) that the technical support the victims purchased has been transferred to them and additional
funds are now needed; or (b) that they can help the victims obtain a refund. Victims should be
advised that no companies have been authorized to provide them with any tech support services on
behalf of ABC or CCE / First Choice Tech Support, or to provide them with a refund for any
previous purchases.
Attorney General Focuses on Threats Posed by Technical-Support Fraud
East St. Louis, IL – Attorney General William P. Barr and U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft today announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history, surpassing last year’s nationwide sweep. The cases during this sweep involved more than 260 defendants from around the globe who victimized more than two million Americans, most of them elderly.
The Department took action in every federal district across the country, through the filing of criminal or civil cases or through consumer education efforts. In each case, offenders allegedly engaged in financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors. In total, the charged elder fraud schemes caused alleged losses of millions of more dollars than last year, putting the total alleged losses at this year’s sweep at over $750 million.
"Crimes against the elderly target some of the most vulnerable people in our society," Attorney General William P. Barr said. "But thanks to the hard work of our agents and prosecutors, as well as our state and local partners, the Department of Justice is protecting our seniors from fraud. The Trump administration has placed a renewed focus on prosecuting those who prey on the elderly, and the results of today’s sweep make that clear. Today we are announcing the largest single law enforcement action against elder fraud in American history. This year’s sweep involves 13 percent more criminal defendants, 28 percent more in losses, and twice the number of fraud victims as last year’s sweep. I want to thank the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, which led this effort, together with the Department’s Criminal Division, the more than 50 U.S. Attorneys’ offices, and the state and local partners who helped to make these results possible. Together, we are bringing justice and peace of mind to America’s seniors."
"Fraud is a multi-billion dollar problem that impacts banks, retailers, health care providers, industries, and individuals. Truly, none of us are beyond the reach of these thieves who constantly find new and innovative ways to lie, cheat, and steal," said Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States
Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Weinhoeft also noted that according to a 2018 FTC report, while Americans of all ages are susceptible to fraud schemes, people ages 80 and older reported the highest median losses – over twice the median loss amount reported by those under age 60.
Telemarketing fraud is a primary tool for those who target the elderly. For this reason, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois has made telemarketing fraud a top priority. The Southern District of Illinois is recognized as a national leader in telemarketing fraud prosecutions, particularly on schemes that victimize seniors. This year’s sweep included three Canadian citizens – Fawaz Sebai, 41, Vassilios Klouvatos, 34, and Lefkothea Klouvatos, 27 – charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in the Southern District of Illinois. According to the indictment, Sebai and Vassilios Klouvatos owned and operated a telemarketing business located in Quebec, Canada. Lefkothea Klouvatos managed the call center for the business. The telemarketers employed by the business allegedly made unsolicited telephone calls to elderly victims in the United States. By making false statements and misrepresentations, the telemarketers convinced the U.S. victims to purchase supposed prescription drug discount cards. The fee for these products was typically $299. The Office of International Affairs sought extradition in 2015. Canada extradited Sebai to the United States on Sept. 19, 2018. Vassilios and Lefkothea Klouvatos were surrendered to the United States on Oct. 4, 2018. The trio pleaded guilty earlier this year and are set to be sentenced on March 26, 2019.
This year’s sweep also includes additional Southern Illinois prosecutions and convictions of defendants engaged in tech support scams. In May 2018, two former owners of a Florida-based company, Client Care Experts, LLC (formerly known as First Choice Tech Support, LLC), and a Costa Rican-based company, ABC Repair Tech, Ltd., were indicted by a federal grand jury in East St. Louis with criminal conspiracy and 13 counts of wire fraud. Michael Austin Seward, 31, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and Kevin James McCormick, 45, of Delray Beach, Florida, were named in a superseding indictment charging them and their former vice president, Grant Clark Wasik, 35, of Boynton Beach, Florida, with running a fraudulent tech support scheme. The inbound call center they operated allegedly generated calls through pop-up messages that falsely claimed consumers had serious viruses or malware on their computers. According to the charging documents, telemarketers convinced consumers to grant remote access and ultimately used false representations and scare tactics to induce consumers to send money. In three years, the scheme allegedly brought in over $25 million, a large portion of which came from older Americans. At least 57 victims of the alleged scams were located in 22 counties within the Southern District of Illinois, with multiple victims in both St. Clair and Madison Counties.
Sixteen other defendants involved in the same fraudulent scheme have been prosecuted in the Southern District of Illinois, including three during the sweep. Michael Cary Lawing, 33, of Lincolnton, North Carolina, Kyle Evan Swinson, 27, of New Bern, North Carolina, and Erica Marie Crowell, 29, of Marlton, New Jersey, were recently charged in separate cases for their
involvement in the conspiracy. The cases against Seward, McCormick, and Crowell are scheduled for trial in the coming months. The other defendants have all entered guilty pleas.
Members of the public are reminded that all charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. The Justice Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.
Fact sheets with more information on the Department’s tech support fraud cases, mass mailing fraud cases, and cases involving extradition in which the Office of International Affairs played a substantial role can be found here.
More information on the tech support fraud prosecutions being brought in the Southern District of Illinois is available here.
Description: The fiscal year of the data file obtained from the AOUSC
Format: YYYY
Description: The code of the federal judicial circuit where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: The code of the federal judicial district where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: The code of the district office where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: Docket number assigned by the district to the case
Format: A7
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which cannot be modified by the court
Format: A3
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which can be modified by the court
Format: A3
Description: A sequential number indicating whether a case is an original proceeding or a reopen
Format: N5
Description: Case type associated with the current defendant record
Format: A2
Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, defendant number, and reopen sequence number
Format: A18
Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, and reopen sequence number
Format: A15
Description: The status of the defendant as assigned by the AOUSC
Format: A2
Description: A code indicating the fugitive status of a defendant
Format: A1
Description: The date upon which a defendant became a fugitive
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which a fugitive defendant was taken into custody
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date when a case was first docketed in the district court
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which proceedings in a case commenced on charges pending in the district court where the defendant appeared, or the date of the defendant’s felony-waiver of indictment
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: A code used to identify the nature of the proceeding
Format: N2
Description: The date when a defendant first appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: A code indicating the event by which a defendant appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: A2
Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant
Format: N2
Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the highest severity
Format: A20
Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE1
Format: N2
Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE1
Format: A3
Description: The FIPS code used to indicate the county or parish where an offense was committed
Format: A5
Description: The date of the last action taken on the record
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which judicial proceedings before the court concluded
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which the final sentence is recorded on the docket
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which the case was closed
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The total fine imposed at sentencing for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and a fine was imposed
Format: N8
Description: A count of defendants filed including inter-district transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants filed excluding inter-district transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of original proceedings commenced
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants filed whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated including interdistrict transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated excluding interdistrict transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of original proceedings terminated
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period including long term fugitives
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period excluding long term fugitives
Format: N1
Description: The source from which the data were loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: A10
Description: A sequential number indicating the iteration of the defendant record
Format: N2
Description: The date the record was loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: Statistical year ID label on data file obtained from the AOUSC which represents termination year
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois today announced the availability of more than $65 million in Department of Justice grants to help communities combat human trafficking and serve adults and children who are victimized in trafficking operations.
"Our nation is facing difficult challenges, none more pressing than the scourge of human trafficking. Human traffickers pose a dire threat to public safety and countering this threat remains one of the Administration’s top domestic priorities," said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). "The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight against this insidious crime. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions."
The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including programs that support human trafficking task forces and services for human trafficking survivors. A number of funding opportunities are currently open, with several more opening in the near future.
Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance Program
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment charging a St. Elmo man on several assault and firearms charges after he allegedly opened fire on federal law enforcement agents who attempted to serve an arrest warrant at his residence in Fayette County.
Dax Baldrige, 46, is facing seven counts of assault of a federal officer, seven counts of using a firearm in during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
“Fortunately, the law enforcement officers returned home safely to their families after the incident in Fayette County,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Attacks on those who protect us will not be tolerated.”
“As the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois, I am thankful and relieved that none of our task force personnel were injured or worse during this incident,” said David Davis, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois. “This incident highlights the danger our task force members and other law enforcement encounter on a daily basis.”
“This case serves as a grim reminder of the dangers that federal law enforcement officers face every day, while protecting our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge, Bernard Hansen, ATF, Kansas City Field Division. “As we did in this investigation ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to focus on those that use firearms to facilitate acts of violence in Illinois, and across the country.”
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day and those who attack the people charged with protecting the public’s safety will be held accountable and brought to justice,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.
“Fayette County Sheriff’s Office would like to reiterate that we are extremely thankful that no law enforcement , local or federal officers were injured during this incident. We are also extremely proud of all the assisting agencies response to the incident that aided in a peaceful resolution and that no one was injured,” said Fayette County Sheriff Ronnie Stevens.
On Oct. 17, 2022, task force members with the U.S. Marshals attempted to serve an arrest warrant to Baldrige at his residence in Fayette County when he allegedly used a rifle to fire multiple shots at the officers. After a 10-hour stand-off with police, Baldrige was taken into custody without incident, and no injuries were reported.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, the defendant is presumed to be innocent of the charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
If convicted, Baldrige could face more than 70 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshal Service Great Lakes Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Illinois State Police and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department are contributing to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Arshi is prosecuting the case.
Shawn Lyberger, 35, of Kell, Illinois, was sentenced today in federal court to 25 years in prison for inducing a 10-year-old boy to engage in sex acts over webcam and possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors. Lyberger previously pled guilty to a three-count superseding indictment charging the same conduct, which included a charge for committing the offenses while being a registered sex offender. Lyberger has a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography in the Eastern District of Missouri dating back to 2003.
During the proceedings, Lyberger admitted that in December 2015, while he was a registered sex offender, he went on the website Omegle and began chatting with the victim – identified in court documents only as T.W., a resident of England. During their initial chat, the defendant engaged in a sex act on webcam. At Lyberger’s suggestion, they later switched over to Skype, whereupon the defendant induced T.W. to perform sex acts on webcam as well. Lyberger admitted knowing at the time that the boy was only 10 years of age.
At some point, T.W. tried to end the sexual aspect of their chats and, specifically, to no longer transmit sexually explicit pictures to Lyberger. However, Lyberger told T.W. that this was not acceptable, and that T.W. had to continue sending him images of his genitals or Lyberger would make him a "cyber boy" – a threat to post T.W.’s explicit videos online for others to see. T.W. became afraid and told his mother, who notified the police.
On July 6, 2016, a federal search warrant was executed at the residence the defendant shared with his mother. A laptop computer and a USB storage device belonging to Lyberger were seized and found to contain approximately 77 child pornography images and 200 child pornography videos respectively. All of the contraband files were found in unallocated space, signifying that they had been deleted. At that time, the defendant provided a voluntary audiotaped statement in which he admitted to chatting online about child pornography and to chatting with minors over Skype and Omegle. He also admitted that he had solicited underage males to perform sex acts online, but confessed only to viewing the webcam transmissions, not recording them. None of the images or videos recovered during the search depicted T.W.
Because he was a registered sex offender at the time of the offenses, federal law mandated a 10-year term of imprisonment to run consecutive to any sentence Lyberger received for his enticement conviction. His prior conviction from 2003 also meant that Lyberger faced a 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for possessing child pornography. In addition to his 300- month prison term, Lyberger was also sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release.
Today’s sentencing hearing was the culmination of an investigation conducted by Interpol, officials from the United Kingdom, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, the Woodland, California, Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Fourteen indictments were unsealed today charging 47 alleged members of an Imperial Valley, California-based, Sinaloa Cartel-linked fentanyl-and-methamphetamine distribution network with drug trafficking, firearms, and money laundering offenses.
In a coordinated takedown this morning, more than 400 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested 36 defendants and executed 25 search warrants in Imperial County; San Diego; Fresno, California; Los Angeles; Phoenix; and Salem, Oregon. As of this afternoon, the search continues for 11 fugitives.
Including seizures today and throughout the long-term investigation, authorities have confiscated more than four kilograms of fentanyl, which amounts to about two million potentially fatal doses; more than 324 kilograms (over 714 pounds) of methamphetamine; significant quantities of cocaine and heroin; and 52 firearms, including handguns and rifles.
The investigation also resulted in the arrest of Alexander Grindley for alleged methamphetamine trafficking while employed as a U.S. Border Patrol agent and multiple spin-off investigations in this district and others.
Crimes charged in the indictments include drug trafficking, money laundering, and gun-related offenses. Court documents indicated the defendants were operating throughout the Imperial Valley — in Brawley, El Centro, Westmoreland, Imperial, Calexico, Niland, Holtville, Calipatria — and in Mexicali, Mexico.
“With this takedown, the Justice Department has dealt yet another blow to the Sinaloa Cartel and its associates,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to the more than 400 law enforcement officers whose work in this operation resulted in dozens of arrests, charges against 47 defendants, and the seizure of firearms, meth, cocaine, heroin, and two million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. We will continue to be relentless in our fight to protect American communities from the cartels.”
“The Department of Homeland Security and our federal, state, and local partners are unrelenting in our work to keep deadly fentanyl off our streets and bring those who traffic in it to justice,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The indictments unsealed today are the direct result of our multipronged and coordinated law enforcement approach — one that utilizes all of our government’s resources and capabilities. Together, we are preventing fentanyl and other deadly drugs from being produced, distributed, or consumed, and saving countless lives.”
“This investigation tore apart a drug trafficking network responsible for supplying dealers in communities across the region,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “But there is still much work to be done. If you’re a parent and today’s price of fentanyl terrifies you, talk to your kids about the dangers of drug use. If you’re an addict and your dealer was arrested today, seek treatment. And if you’re a dealer but your supplier was arrested today, look out – we are coming for you next.”
“Today’s coordinated operation, involving, over 400 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, marks a decisive blow against an Imperial Valley-based, Sinaloa Cartel-linked distribution network and significantly disrupts the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Davis of Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego. “This operation is a testament to the power of law enforcement collaboration and our unwavering commitment to bringing these criminals to justice.”
“Today, the El Centro Border Patrol Sector teamed with allied law enforcement agencies to support both Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California in this operation,” said Chief Gregory Bovino of the U.S. Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector. “Our successful collaboration should be a reminder to criminal organizations in the Imperial Valley and elsewhere that justice will be served.”
“This operation shows what can be accomplished when there is collaboration between federal and local law enforcement agencies,” said Imperial County District Attorney George Marquez. “The Imperial County District Attorney’s office will continue to work together with our partners to bring to justice those that harm or are a danger to our community.”
According to the indictments and search warrants, the defendants belonged to various trafficking organizations that were part of an extensive network supplying all of Imperial County and beyond with dangerous drugs.
According to court records, on June 30, 2021, agents seized two pounds of methamphetamine and a cache of ghost guns and ammunition, including: 15 lower receivers, three upper receivers, multiple barrels and stocks, 18 magazines, 40 Luger 9mm rounds, and approximately 400 rounds of .223 Red Army ammunition, which are made in Russia. None of the firearms or firearm parts had any identifying serial numbers or markings. They were all ghost guns. Wiretap intercepts showed that defendant Cory Gershen supplied other members of the organization with ghost guns in exchange for methamphetamine. The investigation also revealed the assault rifles (depicted below) were destined for the organization’s source of supply in Mexico.
On June 30, 2021, agents seized additional ghost guns, ammunition, and methamphetamine from another member of the same drug trafficking organization. Specifically, agents seized two AR-style ghost guns and a Colt .380 semiautomatic handgun, and additional Russian rifle ammunition from defendant Guadalupe Molina-Flores, one of the alleged members of the trafficking organization. According to a search warrant, after seizing the firearms, agents searched Molina-Flores’ residence and found 309.4 grams (0.68 pounds) of methamphetamine.
Fentanyl continues to be a prolific killer. Imperial County experienced 24 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2022, the most recent full year of data available from the California Department of Public Health. The annual mortality rate for 2022 was 13.57 deaths per 100,000 residents — an increase of 41% over 2021.
The investigation revealed that the price per fentanyl pill has plummeted. For example, in June 2021, targets of the investigation were obtaining fentanyl pills in Imperial Valley at approximately $1.65 to $1.75 per pill. By December 2021, the prices being discussed had dropped to approximately $1.25 per pill. By May, the same pills were being sold at only 45 cents per pill — less than one-third of the price three years earlier. The precipitous drop in price reflects the increased supply and availability of fentanyl being smuggled into the United States and the close ties between targets of this investigation and their Sinaloa Cartel supplier of fentanyl pills.
This prosecution 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.
An indictment, complaint, or information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced the unsealing of a 37 count indictment against Jason Laut, 39, of O’Fallon, Illinois. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in East St. Louis, Illinois on January 18, 2017. Laut who was arrested by the FBI, was arraigned today in East St. Louis, Illinois, on six counts of wire fraud, 29 counts of making false statements and two counts of identity theft.
The indictment returned by the grand jury alleges that Laut, who was a paramedic supervisor for MedStar Ambulance, changed, altered, and falsified documents and records, between January of 2013 and May of 2015 to conceal the theft of Fentanyl and Morphine. Both Fentanyl and Morphine are addictive Schedule II controlled pain killers. The indictment alleged that the theft of these controlled substances was from narcotic boxes that are maintained on ambulances in order to render aid to injured individuals consistent with operating procedures approved by a medical director or hospital orders.
Counts 1 through 6 of the indictment allege a wire fraud scheme claiming that Laut, using his administrator access for MedStar Ambulance, altered records stored outside of Illinois, known as patient care reports, to falsely indicate that controlled substances were given to patients when they were not. The theft of these drugs and acts to conceal the theft caused a loss to Memorial Hospital who was responsible, at their own cost, for keeping ambulance narcotic boxes filled.
Counts 7 through 35 of the indictment allege that Laut made false statements on narcotics logs submitted to Memorial Hospital. Narcotics logs are used by paramedics to record the circumstances of the administering of drugs including Fentanyl and Morphine while treating patients. The indictment alleges that Laut claimed to have given Fentanyl and Morphine to patients
that did not exist (phantom patients) or to patients that did not receive Fentanyl or Morphine.
Counts 36 and 37 allege that Laut concealed his theft of Fentanyl and Morphine by utilizing the name of a former doctor at Memorial Hospital on a narcotics log as authorization for the administering of Fentanyl and Morphine, when none was actually administered.
Wire fraud as charged in Counts 1 through 6 each carry a possible penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,00, followed by up to 3 years of supervised release.
False statements as alleged in Counts 7-35 each carry a possible penalty of up to 5 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,00, followed by up to 3 years of supervised release.
Aggravated identity theft as alleged in Counts 36 and 37 each carry a mandatory 2 years of imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence, a fine of up to $250,000, followed by one year of supervised release.
Trial has been set in the United States District Court in East St. Louis on March 27, 2017.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sparta, Illinois Police Department and Diversion Investigators of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ranley R. Killian.
MedStar Ambulance of Sparta, Illinois, and Memorial Hospital participated in the investigation.
Guatemala Man Charged With Smuggling 13 Illegal Aliens in Southern Illinois
An alien smuggling enterprise has been disrupted in the Southern District of Illinois. A Guatemalan citizen has been indicted for smuggling 13 illegal aliens from Guatemala and Ecuador through southern Illinois, seven of whom have been charged with illegally reentering the country after deportation, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
The case began on February 25, 2019, when a task force officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration made a traffic stop on an SUV travelling eastbound on Interstate 64 near New Baden, Illinois. During the traffic stop, the officer quickly saw that the vehicle was overloaded with numerous people crammed in the seats and on the floor. The driver of the vehicle, Domingo Tomas-Zacarias, 20, was discovered to be a citizen of Guatemala who was unlawfully present in the United States.
Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) responded to the scene, with assistance from local police officers from Lebanon and New Baden. The officers discovered a total of fourteen people, including six who were found hiding under a blanket in the back of the SUV. All fourteen men were taken into administrative ICE custody.
The driver, Tomas-Zacarias, has been charged with alien smuggling, which alleges that he knowingly transported illegal aliens for financial gain. He faces a maximum possible punishment of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
Seven of the passengers in the vehicle had been previously arrested in the United States and deported. Those seven individuals are now also under federal indictment for illegally reentering the country after deportation, which is a federal crime punishable by up to two years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release. They are Segundo Porfirio Ordonez-Japon, 34, of Ecuador, and Alejandro Mejia-Hernandez, 24, Silvestre Bopp-Mendoza, 30, Miguel Raymundo Velasco, 19, Rigoberto Heredia-Lopez, 30, Fidencio Quizar-Sharshente, 32, and Diego Brito-Bernal, 24 – all of Guatemala.
The remaining six passengers were determined to have illegally entered the United States through various locations in Arizona or Texas at various times. None of these six had been previously deported, and so they remain in administrative ICE custody pending deportation proceedings.
All eight charged defendants appeared in federal district court on March 13, 2019, for Initial appearances following the filing of a criminal complaint against them. Now that they have been indicted, the eight are expected to be arraigned on the indictment on March 20, 2019, at which time a trial date will be set.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Description: The fiscal year of the data file obtained from the AOUSC
Format: YYYY
Description: The code of the federal judicial circuit where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: The code of the federal judicial district where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: The code of the district office where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: Docket number assigned by the district to the case
Format: A7
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which cannot be modified by the court
Format: A3
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which can be modified by the court
Format: A3
Description: A sequential number indicating whether a case is an original proceeding or a reopen
Format: N5
Description: Case type associated with the current defendant record
Format: A2
Description: Case type associated with a magistrate case if the current case was merged from a magistrate case
Format: A2
Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, defendant number, and reopen sequence number
Format: A18
Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, and reopen sequence number
Format: A15
Description: The docket number originally given to a case assigned to a magistrate judge and subsequently merged into a criminal case
Format: A7
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a magistrate case
Format: A3
Description: The status of the defendant as assigned by the AOUSC
Format: A2
Description: A code indicating the fugitive status of a defendant
Format: A1
Description: The date upon which a defendant became a fugitive
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which a fugitive defendant was taken into custody
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date when a case was first docketed in the district court
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which proceedings in a case commenced on charges pending in the district court where the defendant appeared, or the date of the defendant’s felony-waiver of indictment
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: A code used to identify the nature of the proceeding
Format: N2
Description: The date when a defendant first appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: A code indicating the event by which a defendant appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: A2
Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant
Format: N2
Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the highest severity
Format: A20
Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE1
Format: N2
Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE1
Format: A3
Description: The FIPS code used to indicate the county or parish where an offense was committed
Format: A5
Description: The date of the last action taken on the record
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which judicial proceedings before the court concluded
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which the final sentence is recorded on the docket
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which the case was closed
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The number of days from the earlier of filing date or first appearance date to proceeding date
Format: N3
Description: The number of days from proceeding date to disposition date
Format: N3
Description: The number of days from disposition date to sentencing date
Format: N3
Description: The code of the district office where the case was terminated
Format: A2
Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant at the time the case was closed
Format: N2
Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense that carried the most severe disposition and penalty under which the defendant was disposed
Format: A20
Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with TTITLE1
Format: N2
Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with TTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with TTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: A code indicating the severity associated with TTITLE1
Format: A3
Description: The code indicating the nature or type of disposition associated with TTITLE1
Format: N2
Description: The number of months a defendant was sentenced to prison under TTITLE1
Format: N4
Description: A code indicating whether the prison sentence associated with TTITLE1 was concurrent or consecutive in relation to the other counts in the indictment or information or multiple counts of the same charge
Format: A4
Description: The number of months of probation imposed upon a defendant under TTITLE1
Format: N4
Description: A period of supervised release imposed upon a defendant under TTITLE1
Format: N3
Description: The fine imposed upon the defendant at sentencing under TTITLE1
Format: N8
Description: The total prison time for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and prison time was imposed
Format: N4
Description: The total fine imposed at sentencing for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and a fine was imposed
Format: N8
Description: A count of defendants filed including inter-district transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants filed excluding inter-district transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of original proceedings commenced
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants filed whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated including interdistrict transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated excluding interdistrict transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of original proceedings terminated
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period including long term fugitives
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period excluding long term fugitives
Format: N1
Description: The source from which the data were loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: A10
Description: A sequential number indicating the iteration of the defendant record
Format: N2
Description: The date the record was loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: Statistical year ID label on data file obtained from the AOUSC which represents termination year
Description: The fiscal year of the data file obtained from the AOUSC
Format: YYYY
Description: The code of the federal judicial circuit where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: The code of the federal judicial district where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: The code of the district office where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: Docket number assigned by the district to the case
Format: A7
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which cannot be modified by the court
Format: A3
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which can be modified by the court
Format: A3
Description: A sequential number indicating whether a case is an original proceeding or a reopen
Format: N5
Description: Case type associated with the current defendant record
Format: A2
Description: Case type associated with a magistrate case if the current case was merged from a magistrate case
Format: A2
Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, defendant number, and reopen sequence number
Format: A18
Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, and reopen sequence number
Format: A15
Description: The docket number originally given to a case assigned to a magistrate judge and subsequently merged into a criminal case
Format: A7
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a magistrate case
Format: A3
Description: The status of the defendant as assigned by the AOUSC
Format: A2
Description: A code indicating the fugitive status of a defendant
Format: A1
Description: The date upon which a defendant became a fugitive
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which a fugitive defendant was taken into custody
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date when a case was first docketed in the district court
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which proceedings in a case commenced on charges pending in the district court where the defendant appeared, or the date of the defendant’s felony-waiver of indictment
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: A code used to identify the nature of the proceeding
Format: N2
Description: The date when a defendant first appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: A code indicating the event by which a defendant appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: A2
Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant
Format: N2
Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the highest severity
Format: A20
Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE1
Format: N2
Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE1
Format: A3
Description: The FIPS code used to indicate the county or parish where an offense was committed
Format: A5
Description: The date of the last action taken on the record
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which judicial proceedings before the court concluded
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which the final sentence is recorded on the docket
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which the case was closed
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The number of days from the earlier of filing date or first appearance date to proceeding date
Format: N3
Description: The number of days from proceeding date to disposition date
Format: N3
Description: The number of days from disposition date to sentencing date
Format: N3
Description: The code of the district office where the case was terminated
Format: A2
Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant at the time the case was closed
Format: N2
Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense that carried the most severe disposition and penalty under which the defendant was disposed
Format: A20
Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with TTITLE1
Format: N2
Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with TTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with TTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: A code indicating the severity associated with TTITLE1
Format: A3
Description: The code indicating the nature or type of disposition associated with TTITLE1
Format: N2
Description: The number of months a defendant was sentenced to prison under TTITLE1
Format: N4
Description: A code indicating whether the prison sentence associated with TTITLE1 was concurrent or consecutive in relation to the other counts in the indictment or information or multiple counts of the same charge
Format: A4
Description: The number of months of probation imposed upon a defendant under TTITLE1
Format: N4
Description: A period of supervised release imposed upon a defendant under TTITLE1
Format: N3
Description: The fine imposed upon the defendant at sentencing under TTITLE1
Format: N8
Description: The total prison time for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and prison time was imposed
Format: N4
Description: The total fine imposed at sentencing for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and a fine was imposed
Format: N8
Description: A count of defendants filed including inter-district transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants filed excluding inter-district transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of original proceedings commenced
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants filed whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated including interdistrict transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated excluding interdistrict transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of original proceedings terminated
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period including long term fugitives
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period excluding long term fugitives
Format: N1
Description: The source from which the data were loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: A10
Description: A sequential number indicating the iteration of the defendant record
Format: N2
Description: The date the record was loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: Statistical year ID label on data file obtained from the AOUSC which represents termination year
