Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Tito Aldemar Ruano Yandun, also known as “Don T,” “Don Ti,” “Don Tito,” “Pedro Linares,” “Pedro AK2,” “Santos,” “Don Tuma,” “Viejo” and “Viejo Loco,” was sentenced by United States District Court Judge William F. Kuntz, II to 20 years in prison for leading an international cocaine distribution conspiracy.

A five-count criminal indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Gautam S. Adani, Sagar R. Adani and Vneet S. Jaain, executives of an Indian renewable-energy company, with conspiracies to commit securities and wire fraud and substantive securities fraud for their roles in a multi-billion-dollar scheme to obtain funds from U.S. investors and global financial institutions on the basis of false and misleading statements.  

“As alleged, the defendants operated a bootleg online streaming service that distributed copyrighted television programs that they stole for their personal enrichment,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “My Office and the Department of Justice are committed to protecting the rights of intellectual property holders from digital pirates like these defendants.”

“The trial evidence provided a behind-the-scenes view of the horrific machinations of a sex trafficking organization in all its inhumanity and violence motivated by greed,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This verdict is a victory for justice and for the victims who were subjected to brutal beatings and degrading treatment at the hands of the defendants.  My Office will stand by the brave victims who assisted prosecutors and law enforcement in holding the perpetrators accountable.”

“With today’s guilty plea, the defendant has added directing the prostitution of a minor and being a felon in possession of a firearm to his criminal history, and he will face the consequences for his lack of respect for the law,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “The Penn Track is a blight on our district, and predators like the defendant who operate there are going to be held accountable by my Office and our law enforcement partners for their ruthless exploitation of women and minors.”

“As alleged, the defendant and his co-conspirators killed the victim for the twisted purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the MS-13 gang,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This prosecution reflects the resolve by my Office and our law enforcement partners to bring gang members to justice for their violent crimes and that we will not be deterred by the passage of time.”

“Flowers is charged with shamelessly lying to investors to get their money and capitalizing on disruptions in the cryptocurrency market to hide the fact that he had pilfered investor funds for his own benefit,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Be it through crypto or traditional banking, my Office is committed to rooting out fraud and protecting our investing public.”

“For more than a year, Azika and Blackwell terrorized and traumatized innocent members of our community through a pattern of violent, armed carjackings,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “My Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work diligently to protect our communities from such violence.”

A federal jury in Central Islip today convicted Michail McKen of two counts of sex trafficking by force and two counts of interstate prostitution in connection with a sex trafficking business he operated in Suffolk and Nassau Counties, New York, Virginia, Arizona, Massachusetts and elsewhere.  

“The defendant knowingly carried a fully automatic weapon, a pistol with a switch device whose only purpose is to make a dangerous weapon all the more deadly – and then carelessly left that gun in the back of a rideshare,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Today’s sentence serves as a warning that those who possess illegal guns, particularly with switches that convert those guns into machineguns, will be held accountable for their actions and for the danger they pose to our community.”

“Semiconductors and other advanced electronics are the lifeblood of Russia’s war machine, and Kahn’s circumvention of U.S. export controls was critical to Russia’s chip design and manufacturing capacity,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Today’s plea marks a significant step in protecting the national security of the U.S. and our allies and partners abroad.  We will continue to use all our law enforcement and national security tools to hold individuals and corporations accountable for flouting the law to aid sanctioned entities in Russia and elsewhere.”   

“The defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison for this ghastly, cold-blooded crime that was motivated by greed and executed after extensive planning,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Martin preyed on Brandy Odom. He saw the victim as a way to make money. He trafficked her for commercial sex, then killed her with his bare hands so he could profit from her death. The defendant believed he could thwart law enforcement and cover up this heinous crime by relying on television shows about murder, but the investigatory efforts of law enforcement brought him to justice. Brandy Odom’s life mattered and I hope that this sentence, which protects our community by ensuring that the defendant cannot2victimize another person, brings some measure of closure to her family.”

“As alleged, Aman was steadfast in his attempts to travel to the Middle East to join ISIS and fortunately his evil plan to wage jihad was thwarted,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office will continue to identify and prosecute would-be terrorists like the defendant before they are able to harm individuals at home or abroad on behalf of ISIS.”

“People seeking care for their mental health conditions should receive high-quality care that is not motivated or driven by greed,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Cerebral sought to increase its bottom line by increasing the prescription of drugs, including controlled substances that can be highly addictive and dangerous.  Since my Office’s investigation came to Cerebral’s attention, the company has cooperated fully and taken significant steps to remediate the institutional failures that allowed this situation to occur in the first place.  This resolution ensures that Cerebral will be financially accountable for its unacceptable conduct and serves as a reminder to the healthcare industry that my Office is committed to ensuring patient safety and protecting the public from business practices like those of Cerebral.”

“My Office and our law enforcement partners have worked tirelessly to hold MS-13 accountable for the unspeakable harm it has done to its victims and our communities.  As these charges make clear, our pursuit of those responsible will not be deterred by the passage of time or by the leaders of MS-13’s futile attempts to hide in the shadows,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This indictment strikes yet another blow at MS-13’s leadership and demonstrates our work to dismantle MS-13 from top to bottom.”

“To facilitate the Russian war machine, the defendant played a critical role in exporting sensitive, dual-use technologies to Russia, facilitating shipping and the movement of millions of dollars through U.S. financial institutions,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This plea highlights my Office and our law enforcement partners continued commitment to use all tools available to prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology to send to Russia.” 

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Michael Kent was sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to nine years in prison for his role in recruiting sham patients, paying off complicit pharmacists and illegally distributing oxycodone in a Brooklyn-based narcotics conspiracy.  

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Edgardo Mejia was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 28 years in prison for sexually exploiting minors. The defendant was charged with causing an 11-year-old girl to create numerous sexually explicit videos of herself, as well as at least two sexually explicit images of her two-year-old niece, all of which was sent to the defendant. 

United States Attorneys Breon Peace and Damian Williams announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys will lead the efforts of their Offices in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024 general election.  AUSA Erik Paulsen has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Eastern District of New York, and AUSA David J. Kennedy has been appointed to serve as the DEO for the Southern District of New York.