U.S. Attorney Breon S. Peace
Recent News About U.S. Attorney Breon S. Peace
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U.S Attorney announces new leadership for criminal division
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today the appointment of Alixandra E. Smith as Chief of the Criminal Division and John J. Durham as Chief of the Long Island Division and Chief of the Criminal Section of the Long Island Division. Additionally, in September 2023, Richard K. Hayes was named Chief of the Civil Division.
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Five juvenile center employees charged with bribery-related contraband smuggling
Five criminal complaints were unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn, charging current New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) employees Da’Vante Bolton, Roger Francis, Christopher Craig, and Nigel King, along with former ACS employee Octavia Napier, with conspiracy to commit Travel Act bribery. All five defendants were Youth Development Specialists at the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brownsville, Brooklyn. They were arrested this morning and are scheduled for initial appearances this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo.
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Former Popular Bank executive convicted on multiple fraud charges linked with COVID-19 relief schemes
Anuli Okeke, the former vice president and manager of a New York branch of Popular Bank, was convicted yesterday afternoon by a federal jury in Brooklyn on all four counts of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. The charges arose from a scheme led by Okeke to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The verdict followed a one-week trial before...
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Staten Island men sentenced for drug trafficking causing death
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Keith Wyche was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 40 years in prison for the distribution of heroin and fentanyl causing the death of a Staten Island man, distribution of heroin causing the overdose of a Staten Island woman, conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Wyche and co-defendant Oneil Allen were convicted by a federal jury in February 2023 following a three-week trial. Allen was previously sentenced to 30 years in prison.