Attorney General Sessions Delivers Remarks at “West Virginia on the Rise: Rebuilding the Economy, Rebuilding Lives” About the Opioid Epidemic

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser announced today that U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid sentenced Brendt Christensen, 30, to serve the rest of his life in prison with no possibility for release for the June 9, 2017, kidnapping and murder of Chinese student Yingying Zhang. Judge Shadid imposed the mandatory life sentence this afternoon after the jury in the case was unable to reach a decision regarding the sentence.

“By illegally mislabeling hundreds of thousands of pounds of crab meat, the defendant intentionally undermined the local crab processing industry – defrauding customers and, in turn, damaging the public’s trust in an industry that is important to the local economy,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Mr. Casey’s actions are an affront to those who play by the rules when selling blue crab, and The Department will continue to work closely with its partners to prosecute criminals who flout the rule of law.”

Former Tallassee Police investigator Brandan Smirnoff, 27, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for assaulting a handcuffed, 24-year-old man. Smirnoff encountered the victim, J.M., after a vehicle pursuit. After officers pursued J.M. for several minutes on a four-wheeler, J.M. stepped off the four-wheeler, laid face down on the ground, and allowed several Tallassee police officers to handcuff him. While J.M. was handcuffed and compliant, Smirnoff lifted him into the air and slammed him to the ground. Smirnoff then lifted the victim into the air and slammed him to the ground a second time. Moments later, before Smirnoff placed the victim into a patrol car, Smirnoff slammed the victim’s head into the side of the vehicle. Throughout the assault, the victim was handcuffed, compliant, and did not pose a threat.   

“Digital technologies improve our lives in a myriad of ways, but also present challenges for competition authorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim.  “I welcome the opportunity to work closely with our G7 counterparts and other competition agencies to address the important issues arising from the digital economy.”

Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, known by various aliases, including “El Chapo” and “El Rapido,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan to a life term of imprisonment plus 30 years to run consecutive to the life sentence for being a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise – the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel – a charge that includes 26 drug-related violations and one murder conspiracy.  The Court also ordered Guzman Loera to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.

“Today’s guilty plea is the result of the coordinated effort by the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners, including the FBI and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), to root out collusion relating to a $45 million scheme to rig bids and fix prices on contracts to the detriment of taxpayer-funded schools, hospitals, and other businesses,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.  “This plea is a warning to contractors engaged in bid rigging and fraud that they will be held accountable.”

A father and son who ran a complex investment fraud scheme by which they stole more than $10 million over the course of seven years were sentenced today to 60 months and 27 months in prison, respectively.

One year ago, the Justice Department announced the formation of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.