Tag: February 2018
Port Arthur Felon Robert Lee Johnson Jr. Caged for Gun Crimes
Robert Lee Johnson Jr., a 43-year-old Port Arthur, Texas man, is headed to federal prison for 44 months after being caught with a loaded semi-automatic handgun—illegal due to his prior felony convictions. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark, marks the latest blow against gun violence in the Eastern District of Texas.…
Jason Tooley Gets 85 Months for Meth Lab on Relative’s Property
Jason Tooley, 35, of Lowden, Iowa, was sentenced to 85 months in federal prison for attempting to manufacture methamphetamine on his cousin’s property, where two young children also lived. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Linda R. Reade in Cedar Rapids, marks the end of a case rooted in evasion, chemical hazards, and…
Michael Ron David Kadar Indicted in Hate Crime Spree
Michael Ron David Kadar, 19, a dual U.S. and Israeli citizen, is facing federal indictment in three jurisdictions for a string of hate-fueled threats that terrorized Jewish Community Centers, the Israeli Embassy, and the Anti-Defamation League in early 2017. The charges, unsealed by the Department of Justice, detail a calculated campaign of fear stretching from…
Cox, Stashchyshyn Charged in Ukraine Arms Export Scheme
Feds say Michael Cox, 42, of Beverly Hills, Michigan, and Michael Stashchyshyn, 55, of Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, ran an underground pipeline shipping night vision gear, firearms, and ammunition to Ukraine—bypassing federal export laws meant to control warzone arms flow. The indictment, unsealed in Pittsburgh, charges both men with conspiracy to illegally export defense articles…
White Supremacist Benjamin McDowell Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges
Benjamin Thomas Samuel McDowell, 30, of Conway, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, a charge under Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g). The plea was entered in Florence, South Carolina, before United States District Judge Bryan Harwell, who will sentence McDowell after…
Eric Barbati Pleads Guilty to 6-Robbery Spree in Western PA
Eric Barbati, 32, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, admitted in federal court to terrorizing convenience stores and banks across Lawrence and Mercer Counties in a brazen three-week robbery spree that ended with his guilty plea. The former New Castle resident pleaded guilty to four counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of bank robbery before…
William J. Hampton Convicted in Meth, Firearm Sting
A Lincoln County man is headed for a federal prison cell after a jury found William J. Hampton guilty of moving heavy-weight methamphetamine across state lines while packing a loaded .40-caliber pistol. Convicted on February 27, 2018, in U.S. District Court in Lexington, Hampton now faces a hard minimum of 10 years—plus five more tacked…
West Mifflin Man Admits Fentanyl Distribution
James Kadish, 27, of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, stood before a federal judge and admitted to dealing poison on Pittsburgh streets. Kadish pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times deadlier than heroin, according to U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady. The guilty…
Gulfport Man Gets 103 Months for Rx Drug Conspiracy
Gulfport, Miss. — Tyrone Leonard Thomas, Jr., 37, has been sentenced to 103 months in federal prison for his central role in a sprawling prescription drug conspiracy that turned a mental health clinic into a pill mill. U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden handed down the sentence today, marking the end of a three-year federal investigation…
Florence Four Face Federal Time for Counterfeit Scheme
FLORENCE, SC – Four Florence County residents are facing federal prison time after pleading guilty to charges related to a sophisticated counterfeit money operation that spanned both Carolinas. The scheme, active since 2015, involved the production and distribution of fake $100 and $50 bills, ultimately totaling over $100,000 in fraudulent currency. Shadrick Jarmarcus Jett, age…
