USAO General Crimes Unit Ends 2024 with Notable Achievements (DOJ)

CLEVELAND - The General Crimes Unit of the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio is responsible for prosecuting individuals who violate a wide variety of federal laws in any of the 40 northern counties in the state of Ohio which the district serves.

These Assistant U.S. Attorneys focus on prosecuting crimes that involve firearms violations, illegal drugs, and violent crimes such as armed robberies, carjackings, and/or make threatening communications. They also hold those accountable who sexually abuse children, fail to register as sex offenders, possess and/or distribute pornographic images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and engage in human trafficking.

Reducing violent crime has been a top focus of the Department of Justice and the USAO. To further those efforts, a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) was opened in the District in June 2024. Attorney General Merrick Garland and ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, alongside U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko, announced the center's opening at a press conference earlier this year. The CGIC serves as a hub for federal and local law enforcement to investigate and prevent gun violence in the region. It utilizes cutting-edge technology and tracing systems to rapidly develop and pursue investigative leads that have helped to drive violent crime rates down in Northern Ohio this year. With these experts located in the same facility, this team of firearm evidence examiners, intelligence analysts, and investigators can rapidly collect, analyze, and share information about guns used in violent crimes.

"Driving down violent crime has, without a doubt, been one of our office's top priorities," said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. "With the CGIC now fully operational, it allows us to connect the dots between crimes so we can prosecute, convict, and lock up the bad actors who commit violent crimes and remove "crime guns" from the streets faster, so neither continue to endanger innocent people in neighborhoods throughout Northern Ohio."

Notable operations and cases for fiscal year 2024 include the following:

Violent Crime Reduction Operation - After a three-month, violent crime reduction initiative in the summer of 2023, a total of 84 defendants were charged in connection with firearms-trafficking, straw purchasing firearms, narcotics, conspiracy, and other firearms offenses. The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and resulted in the seizure of more than 255 firearms, of which 47 were traced back to other crimes. The seizure also included 17 untraceable firearms, also known as "ghost guns." Seventy defendants were charged federally and the remaining 14 faced state charges. Sixty of those entered guilty pleas, 49 of which have been sentenced to date. Of the 14 defendants charged in the state, 12 have pled guilty and been convicted and sentenced. Some notable prison sentencings for various federal firearms violations include Darvell Jackson, sentenced to 168 months; Cortez Buggs sentenced to 132 months; Kenneth Smith sentenced to 135 months; Darion Shelton, sentenced to 100 months; Willie Earl Jackson sentenced to 84 months.

U.S. v. Conner Walker - In early January 2024, the FBI Cleveland Division received a lead that a sexually explicit picture of a two-year-old was likely a child residing in Northeast Ohio. After the FBI confirmed the child's identity, they learned that she spent time at an in-home day care in Parma, Ohio. Walker was identified as a friend of the day care owner's adult son who frequented the home and often stayed the night. During an interview, he admitted to sexually abusing the child, filmed it on his phone, and distributed the video online. Walker entered guilty pleas to sexual exploitation, receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography and is currently awaiting sentencing.

U.S. v. Shannon Matheny - On Oct. 26, 2022, a bank in Lorain, Ohio, was robbed by a man armed with a small silver semi-automatic firearm. The teller reported that the suspect entered, approached counter, slid a note under plexiglass indicating that it was robbery, that he had a gun, not to touch the alarm, and to hand over all fifty, hundred, and twenty-dollar bills. When the teller retrieved the cash from her drawer and handed it to him, he walked away with more than $4,000 from the bank. The Lorain Police Department investigated anonymous tips and reviewed surveillance videos. Two days later, Matheny was located and then arrested after a police chase. A bookbag containing a loaded firearm, fentanyl, cocaine, and two cellphones were seized from Matheny. Matheny was convicted on all counts after a five-day trial in April 2024. In August, he was sentenced to 78 months in prison, plus 84 months consecutive for brandishing a firearm during the course of a robbery, for a total of 162 months.

Additionally, to address regional crime issues, the USAO conducted numerous outreach efforts to diverse members of the community. These included discussions with religious and ethnic groups with concerns about the rise in hate crimes.

To report crimes, visit https://tips.fbi.gov/home.