U.S. Attorney Damian Williams
Recent News About U.S. Attorney Damian Williams
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Pakistani national pleads guilty to drug-trafficking charges in US court
Muhammad Asif Hafeez, known as "Sultan," has pleaded guilty to charges of drug trafficking in a Manhattan federal court.
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Franciscan friar pleads guilty to wire fraud over fake charity
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Pawel Bielecki, also known as "Paul HRH Saxe-Coburg-Gotha," a Franciscan friar based in Manhattan, has pled guilty to wire fraud.
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New Jersey man charged with multi-million dollar investor fraud
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrest of Arsen Lusher, a resident of Millstone, New Jersey.
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U.S. attorneys prepare for potential election complaints ahead of November polls
United States Attorneys Breon Peace and Damian Williams have announced that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) will lead efforts for the Justice Department’s Election Day Program during the upcoming general election on November 5, 2024. AUSA Erik Paulsen has been appointed as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of New York, while AUSA David J. Kennedy will serve as DEO for the Southern District of New York. These AUSAs are tasked with overseeing complaints related to voting rights concerns, threats against election officials or staff, and...
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U.S. Attorneys prepare for upcoming elections with dedicated complaint handling
United States Attorneys Damian Williams and Breon Peace have announced the appointment of Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) to lead efforts for the Justice Department's Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. David J. Kennedy has been named District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of New York, while Erik Paulsen will serve as DEO for the Eastern District of New York. Their responsibilities include overseeing complaints related to voting rights, threats to election officials or staff, and election fraud.
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Federal inmate charged with murder-for-hire plot using contraband cellphone
Federal authorities have charged three individuals in connection with a murder-for-hire conspiracy orchestrated from within a federal detention center. The announcement came from Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Patrick J. Freaney, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Secret Service.
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U.S army soldier sentenced for attempting assistance to terrorist organization
Cole Bridges, also known as Cole Gonzales, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS and attempting to murder U.S. military service members. The sentence was announced by Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Bridges pled guilty on June 14, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
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Former NYC official charged with obstruction in federal election probe
A former New York City Hall official, Mohamed Bahi, has been charged with witness tampering and destruction of evidence in a federal investigation concerning unlawful contributions to a 2021 mayoral campaign. The announcement was made by Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office; and Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI).
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Atlanta businessman guilty of defrauding ex-NBA stars out of $8 million
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has announced the conviction of Calvin Darden Jr. for defrauding former NBA players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of $8 million. The verdict was delivered after an 11-day jury trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick.
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Former corrections officer charged with narcotics smuggling at Rikers Island
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced charges against Ghislaine Barrientos for her alleged involvement in a scheme to smuggle narcotics into Rikers Island. Barrientos, a former corrections officer, faces accusations of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and making false statements.
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Husband And Wife Found Guilty Of Murder And Car-Jacking
On September 27, 2024, a jury found Jamie Orsini and Nicholas Orsini guilty of carjacking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit carjacking. The verdict came after a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern.
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Sunset Trinitarios leader convicted for racketeering conspiracy & double homicide
On September 20, 2024, a jury convicted Carlos Ramirez, also known as "Guerra," of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and firearms-related charges. The verdict came after a two-week trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman. Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2025.
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Owner pleads guilty in scheme defrauding PAC donors through telemarketing
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Richard Zeitlin, the owner of a telemarketing call center business, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his participation in a scheme to use his call centers to defraud donors of certain political action committees (PACs) through false and misleading statements. Zeitlin pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
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U.S files lawsuit against Legacy Builders over alleged TSCA violations
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Lisa F. Garcia, the Regional Administrator for Region 2 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced today that the United States filed a civil lawsuit against LEGACY BUILDERS/DEVELOPERS CORP. (LEGACY) alleging violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (RRP Rule). The U.S. simultaneously entered into a Consent Decree resolving that lawsuit. The Consent Decree includes a $168,000 civil penalty and requires LEGACY to...
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Former Congressional candidate indicted over alleged illegal campaign financing
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Michelle Bond with conspiring to cause and causing unlawful campaign contributions in connection with her unsuccessful run for Congress in 2022. Bond will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
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Russian-German national extradited over illegal exportation of sensitive US microelectronics
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Lisa Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States; Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Matthew S. Axelrod, the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement of the Commerce Department, announced today that Arthur Petrov, a dual Russian and German national, was extradited from the...
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Ossining man arrested for threatening USPS employees
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), announced today that Anthony Alfano was arrested after making a series of graphic and violent threats to kill U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees and burn down U.S. post offices in Ossining, New York. Alfano was arrested in Yorktown Heights, New York, this morning and is expected to appear this afternoon in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik.
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Manhattan man charged with enticing minors into sex trafficking
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Shymell Ephron, also known as "Shy," with two counts of coercion and enticement of minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity and five drug-trafficking counts. These include two counts of using a minor to distribute narcotics...
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Lev Tahor leaders sentenced up to 14 years for kidnapping sex trafficking crimes
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Yakov Weingarten, Shmiel Weingarten, and Yoil Weingarten were sentenced yesterday to 14 years, 14 years, and 12 years in prison, respectively, for child sexual exploitation and kidnapping offenses. The defendants, leaders of an extremist religious sect called Lev Tahor, masterminded a scheme to kidnap a 14-year-old girl (“Minor-1”) and a 12-year-old boy (“Minor-2”) from their mother in Woodridge, New York. The defendants then smuggled the children across the U.S. border to...
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Adult film actor Austin Wolf charged with distribution of child pornography
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced today the arrest of Justin Heath Smith, an adult film actor who uses the stage name "Austin Wolf." Smith is charged with sending and receiving hundreds of videos of child pornography via the Telegram application. Those videos depicted children as young as infants, including a video showing a 10-year-old child bound and raped. In addition to sharing child...