Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Mani Deng, 31, of Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 13 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for giving false information during the purchase of firearms. After he completes his prison sentence, Deng will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On November 8, 2021, Deng purchased two firearms from Scheels in Omaha, Nebraska, a federally licensed firearms dealer. In connection with each firearm purchase, Deng had to fill out paperwork to include a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) form requiring a purchaser to list a current address. A current address is significant to the purchase of the firearm because, among other reasons, a federally licensed firearms dealer cannot legally sell a firearm to a person without accurate address information on the purchase paperwork. Deng wrote on the form and confirmed to the sales representative from Scheels that his address was located at a residence on North 28th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska; when in fact that was not where he was living on November 8, 2021. Witnesses, including the owners of the North 28th Street residence, told investigators that Deng was not living at that residence as of November 8 when Deng purchased the firearms. Deng admitted that he falsely represented his address with intent to deceive Scheels.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Woman and Oakland Couple Sentenced for Government Loan Program Fraud
July 7, 2023
Contact: Donald J. Kleine - Chief, General Crimes Unit
(402) 661-3700
Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Jazmyne L. McMiller, 36, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 6, 2023, by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher to twelve months and one day of imprisonment for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. After McMiller’s release from prison, she will begin a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. McMiller was also ordered to pay restitution of $267,040.20.
McMiller was the third defendant to be convicted and sentenced in connection with this case. On February 8, 2023, Sharon M. Thompson, 62, of Oakland, Nebraska, was sentenced by Judge Buescher to four years of probation for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Sharon Thompson was also ordered to pay restitution of $355,020.30.
On May 31, 2023, Todd A. Thompson, 57, of Oakland, Nebraska, was sentenced by Judge Buescher to 41 months’ imprisonment for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. He will serve two years of supervised release. Todd Thompson was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,193,957.10.
During 2020 and 2021, all three defendants submitted applications for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program loans. The PPP and EIDL loan programs were created or expanded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The applications submitted or caused to be submitted by all three defendants misrepresented how much the applicant businesses had paid employees in past compensation and how much revenue each had received, resulting in significantly inflated loan amounts under the PPP and EIDL programs. The PPP applications were supported by false documents that Todd Thompson helped prepare, including false tax forms that each defendant signed.
In total, McMiller submitted or caused to be submitted fraudulent applications seeking loans in the amount of approximately $404,324 and obtained $254,324. The fraudulent applications Sharon Thompson signed sought loans totaling approximately $469,886, and she obtained $344,786. The fraudulent applications Todd Thompson signed sought loans totaling approximately $1,368,892.00, and he obtained $552,892.00. In total, the three defendants submitted fraudulent applications seeking loans totaling $2,243,102.00 and obtained $1,152,002.00.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Falls City Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute of Methamphetamine
July 7, 2023
Contact: Matt Lierman – Chief, Drug Enforcement Unit
(402) 661-3700
Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Taylor Zimmerling, 27, of Falls City, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 6, 2023, by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 42 months’ imprisonment following her conviction for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. After she completes her prison sentence, Zimmerling will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Between January and June of 2021, Zimmerling and co-defendant Daniel Lock distributed methamphetamine in and around Falls City. Several cooperating witnesses told investigators that Zimmerling and Lock, who was also sentenced to 42 months’ incarceration and three years of supervised release, delivered distribution quantities of methamphetamine to them. On June 3, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at Lock and Zimmerling’s residence in Falls City. Investigators located approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine, scales, packaging material, cash, and a police scanner. A search of cell phones belonging to Lock and Zimmerling revealed messages consistent with drug delivery, sales, and distribution. Zimmerling admitted that she and Lock had been going to another state to obtain methamphetamine which they delivered to others. She admitted that they had just picked up another batch of methamphetamine one day before the residential search warrant. A forensic scientist at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab found the drug seizure to contain at least 44 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Richardson County Sheriff’s Office.