This Week at Justice - May 3, 2024

Title: This Week at Justice May, 2024 Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the Shootings of Law Enforcement in North Carolina During U.S. Marshals Task Force Operation April 29, 2024 “Every single day, Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers put their lives on the line to apprehend some of our country’s most dangerous criminals. Today, three of those dedicated public servants made the ultimate sacrifice. Multiple other officers were critically injured while carrying out this operation to protect their community. The Justice Department is heartbroken by the deaths of three of our own law enforcement colleagues, and we extend our deepest condolences to their loved ones as they grieve this unfathomable loss.” Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons May 3, 2024 AG Garland: “The crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons has shattered the lives of generations of victims, their families, and Tribal communities. On Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, we join together to honor and remember those who have been lost. And at the Justice Department, we recommit ourselves to the urgent work of putting an end to these tragedies and helping communities heal, in partnership with Tribes.” Former NSA Employee Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Prison for Attempted Espionage April 29, 2024 “This defendant, who had sworn an oath to defend our country, believed he was selling classified national security information to a Russian agent, when in fact, he was outing himself to the FBI. This sentence demonstrates that that those who seek to betray our country will be held accountable for their crimes.” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Sixteen Defendants Charged in Connection with Transnational “Grandparent Scam” Operated from Dominican Republic Tuesday April 30, 2024 “Elder fraud significantly harms our senior population. Financially, the consequences are often severe. Seniors are sometimes defrauded of their life savings, retirement funds, or assets they had intended to pass on to their families. These financial losses can harm victims’ quality of life, making them less able to afford health care or other necessary expenses and increase their dependency on social services or family members.” -Arun G. Rao Deputy Assistant Attorney General - Civil Division California Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking and Related Offenses for Forcing Victim to Engage in Commercial Sex Across the Country May 1, 2024 “This significant sentence imposed by the court reflects the severity of the defendant’s abuse and exploitation of the victim. This defendant traumatized the victim, robbed her of her dignity and deprived her of the choice and control essential to her personal autonomy by forcing her to engage in prostitution for his own profit. The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute human trafficking crimes to hold offenders accountable and to seek justice for survivors of these heinous crimes.” Kristen Clarke Assistant Attorney General - Civil Rights Division