Eastern District of California

Former Sanger Police Department Officer J. DeShawn Torrence, 41, was sentenced today by visiting U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson, to five consecutive life sentences for sexually assaulting four women whom he encountered during the course of his official duties. After a two-and-a-half-week trial in January 2025, a federal jury in the Eastern District of California convicted Torrence of eight counts of deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law.  The jury found that five of the counts involved kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, or attempted aggravated sexual abuse.

“The defendant’s conduct was premediated and depraved. He repeatedly abused his official authority to exploit women who expected the police to protect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While no prison sentence can undo the extraordinary pain and suffering the defendant caused these women, today’s sentence of five consecutive life sentences holds the defendant accountable for his heinous conduct and sends a clear message that the Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who violate the constitutional rights of the people they are sworn to protect.”

“I commend the court’s decision to impose life sentences on this former police officer, who betrayed the public’s trust and abused his authority to perpetrate heinous acts of sexual violence,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “This sentence sends a clear message: no one is above the law, and those who exploit their position to violate the civil rights of others will face the full force of justice. Our office stands with the victims and remains committed to protecting our communities from such egregious abuses of power.”

“We commend the courageous women who came forward, trusting law enforcement to ensure J.D. Torrence was held accountable for his crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Their bravery has prevented this predator from harming anyone else. The FBI recognizes the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office for their unwavering partnership. Justice has been served, making our community safer.”

The evidence at trial proved that Torrence kidnapped a 21‑year-old woman who was walking to a store to buy groceries for her young children, drove her outside of town in his police car, and sexually assaulted her at an isolated dead end. As Torrence drove the woman away from town, he taunted her by saying, “no one is going to look for you.” After the assault, he warned that if she reported him, “no one’s going to believe you.”

Torrence forcibly raped a second victim, a 67‑year-old woman, after following her into her home during a DUI investigation. After the assault, Torrence frequently parked his police car in front of the woman’s home to stalk and intimidate her. On one of these occasions, Torrence cornered the woman behind her home and sexually assaulted her.

With a third victim, Torrence showed up at her door in his police uniform after midnight, entered her home, pinned her against the kitchen counter, and sexually assaulted her. Torrence showed up multiple times at the home of a fourth victim, a domestic violence victim, supposedly to investigate a prior domestic violence incident. During those follow up visits, Torrence forced the victim to expose sensitive parts of her body by falsely telling her that he had to “photograph” her injuries. On one occasion, Torrence trapped the woman in her bedroom and sexually assaulted her.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

J. DeShawn Torrence, 41, a former Sanger, California, police officer, was sentenced today to five consecutive life sentences for sexually assaulting four women whom he encountered during the course of his official duties. After a two-and-a-half-week trial in January 2025, a federal jury in the Eastern District of California convicted Torrence of eight counts of deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law. The jury found that five of the counts involved kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, or attempted aggravated sexual abuse.

“The defendant’s conduct was premediated and depraved. He repeatedly abused his official authority to exploit women who expected the police to protect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While no prison sentence can undo the extraordinary pain and suffering the defendant caused these women, today’s sentence of five consecutive life sentences holds the defendant accountable for his heinous conduct and sends a clear message that the Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who violate the constitutional rights of the people they are sworn to protect.” 

“I commend the court’s decision to impose life sentences on this former police officer, who betrayed the public’s trust and abused his authority to perpetrate heinous acts of sexual violence,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “This sentence sends a clear message: no one is above the law, and those who exploit their position to violate the civil rights of others will face the full force of justice. Our office stands with the victims and remains committed to protecting our communities from such egregious abuses of power.”

“We commend the courageous women who came forward, trusting law enforcement to ensure J.D. Torrence was held accountable for his crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Their bravery has prevented this predator from harming anyone else. The FBI recognizes the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office for their unwavering partnership. Justice has been served, making our community safer.”

The evidence at trial proved that Torrence kidnapped a 21-year-old woman who was walking to a store to buy groceries for her young children, drove her outside of town in his police car, and sexually assaulted her at an isolated dead end. As Torrence drove the woman away from town, he taunted her by saying “no one is going to look for you.” After the assault, he warned that if she reported him, “no one’s going to believe you.”

Torrence forcibly raped a second victim, a 67-year-old woman, after following her into her home during a DUI investigation. After the assault, Torrence frequently parked his police car in front of the woman’s home to stalk and intimidate her. On one of these occasions, Torrence cornered the woman behind her home and sexually assaulted her.

With a third victim, Torrence showed up at her door in his police uniform after midnight, entered her home, pinned her against the kitchen counter, and sexually assaulted her. Torrence showed up multiple times at the home of a fourth victim, a domestic violence victim, supposedly to investigate a prior domestic violence incident. During those follow up visits, Torrence forced the victim to expose sensitive parts of her body by falsely telling her that he had to “photograph” her injuries. On one occasion, Torrence trapped the woman in her bedroom and sexually assaulted her.

The FBI Sacramento Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

This case was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Anibal Hernandez Santana, 63, of Sacramento, over the weekend, and a three-count amended criminal complaint was filed against him on Monday morning, charging him with possessing a firearm within a school zone, discharging a firearm within a school zone, and interfering with a radio communication station, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, Hernandez Santana fired one shot towards, and three shots into, the KXTV/ABC 10 station on Broadway in Sacramento. While standing on the sidewalk around the block from the station, in front of 2555 3rd Street, Hernandez Santana fired the first shot into the air in the direction of the station. He then drove to the front of the station and fired three shots directly into the building’s lobby. A KXTV/ABC 10 employee was inside the lobby at the time, although no one was injured. The location from where Hernandez Santana discharged the first shot was within a school zone.

Law enforcement executed a search of Hernandez Santana’s person, home, and vehicle. There was a weekly planner attached to the refrigerator in his home. Under “Friday,” there was a handwritten note that stated, “Do the Next Scary Thing.” Law enforcement also found in his car a handwritten note that read, “For hiding Epstein & ignoring red flags. Do not support Patel, Bongino, & AG Pam Bondi. They’re next. – C.K. from above.”

The Sacramento Police Department initially arrested Hernandez Santana on Friday evening, but Hernandez Santana was released on bail the next day. The FBI arrested him hours later. Hernandez Santana is scheduled to make his initial appearance on the amended criminal complaint on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Hernandez Santana faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing and discharging a firearm within a school zone, and a maximum of one year in prison and a $10,000 fine for interfering with a radio communication station. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Cole Bradley Martin, 39, of Vallejo, charging him with being a felon in possession of firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 14, 2025, Martin possessed a Springfield XD 9 mm pistol and a KelTec P32 .32‑caliber pistol. Martin is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions in Solano County including, possessing a controlled substance and robbery in the first degree.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Solano County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zulkar Khan is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Martin faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN

George Thomas, 72, formerly of Fresno and Clovis, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for selling thousands of stolen catalytic converters for millions of dollars in profits and conducting financial transactions to conceal those illicit profits, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced today.

“George Thomas fueled a black market for stolen catalytic converters that victimized hardworking people who were forced to either pay thousands of dollars to replace their converters or go without their vehicles,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “Thomas thought that he could cover his tracks, lie to the jury, and get away with it. Not so. Today’s sentencing shows that there will be significant consequences for such behavior. My Office will continue to partner with law enforcement to take out organized criminal networks like this one.”

“This case was truly a team effort. When local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies work together, we can eradicate crime in the communities we serve,” Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office explained. “Catalytic converter theft was a pervasive problem in the greater Fresno area, largely because of George Thomas’s multi-million-dollar criminal scheme. Together, justice was served.”

“Clovis Police Department detectives worked diligently on this lengthy investigation,” said Clovis Police Detective Corporal Kedric Anderson. “After Thomas’ arrest, we observed immediate results, leading to a significant reduction in catalytic converter thefts throughout our community. We extend our gratitude to the FBI for their valuable partnership in this investigation. The Clovis Police Department remains committed to protecting the community through proactive investigations and strong partnerships with federal agencies.”

A jury convicted Thomas of dealing in stolen converters and engaging in unlawful financial transactions on March 27, 2025, following a four-day trial that included over 120 exhibits and testimony from more than 15 witnesses. The evidence showed that, from January 2021 through November 2022, Thomas purchased stolen converters from a group of recurring thieves in the Fresno area who cut the converters off people’s vehicles. The sales occurred in the parking lots of motels, gas stations, and similar places at all hours of the day and night. 

Thomas gave the thieves instructions on the types of converters he was looking for and how to best cut the converters off vehicles. He also loaned the thieves money to pay for their motel rooms, saws, and bail. The loans were contingent on the thieves continuing to steal for him.

After law enforcement officers executed an initial search at Thomas’ home and storage unit in mid-2021, Thomas continued with the illegal activities and tried to cover up the illegal activity by taking photographs of the thieves and their IDs each time he made the sales, requesting Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) for the vehicles from which the converters were supposedly cut, and having the thieves sign pieces of paper stating that the converters were not stolen.

But Thomas did not actually change anything. For example, he continued conducting sales in the same places with the same thieves. He allowed the thieves to use fake and stolen IDs and provide him with false VINs. In some instances when the thieves did not provide VINs, he went out on his own after the sales were completed and collected VINs from random vehicles. Thomas also completed sales to undercover law enforcement where he said that he did not care where the VINs or converters came from. 

The following are examples of photographs of Thomas purchasing stolen converters from thieves, along with the stolen converters that were found at his home and storage unit.

Thomas drove the stolen converters to Oregon where he sold them to a metal recycling company for more than $2.7 million. The recycling company paid Thomas by wire transfer. He then withdrew the money from his bank accounts through hundreds of cash withdrawals that were under the $10,000 reporting threshold. The jury found that these transactions were designed to conceal his illegal activities.

After Thomas was arrested in April 2023, reports of converter theft in the Fresno area decreased by more than 90 percent.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Clovis Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Justin Gilio prosecuted the case.

A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Jose Tobias Jimenez-Martinez, 35, a Mexican national residing in Madera, charging him with trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on March 4, 2025, probation officers arrived at Jimenez’s residence in Madera to conduct a probation search. Jimenez is on probation for a prior state felony conviction. During the search, officers found and seized several thousand fentanyl pills and more than 75 pounds of methamphetamine. Jimenez later admitted to transporting the methamphetamine from San Diego and was planning to distribute it in Reno, Nevada. The methamphetamine was individually packaged in several plastic bags.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Madera Police Department; the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is composed of personnel from the California Department of Justice, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Madera County Narcotics Enforcement Team (MADNET); the Madera County District Attorney’s Office; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Jimenez faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Roosevelt Gulley III, 41, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, from July through September 2020, Gulley participated in a Covid-fraud scheme targeting the Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefit program administered by the California Employment Development Department (EDD). He collected personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and other information, and electronically submitted fraudulent applications for UI benefits to the California EDD in those persons’ identities. He electronically submitted at least 79 of these fraudulent applications to California EDD, which resulted in UI benefits debit cards being mailed to addresses he listed in the fraudulent applications. Gulley then retrieved the debit cards and removed money from them at various ATMs. The government alleges that the actual loss attributed to this fraudulent scheme was more than $575,000, with an intended loss exceeding $1.5 million.

“Roosevelt Gulley collected the personally identifiable information of individuals without their knowledge to fraudulently collect unemployment insurance benefits intended for American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Quentin Heiden, Special-Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “I would like to thank the Eastern District of California and the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force for their continued efforts to hold accountable those who committed pandemic-related fraud.”

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and the California EDD’s Investigation Division, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.

Gulley is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Gulley faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and a mandatory additional sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

A federal jury convicted a Stanislaus County man today for receipt of child pornography. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California Eric Grant; Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha Patel of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office; and Chief Jason Hedden of the Turlock Police Department made the announcement.

“Today, a jury found Cragg guilty of crimes that encouraged the gross abuse of our society’s most vulnerable members,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “The U.S. Department of Justice will continue to target for prosecution and imprisonment those who contribute to this vile conduct.”

“The defendant was convicted by a jury for collecting videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including toddlers and infants who were subject to horrific abuse,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Galeotti. “This content is vile and illegal, and we will aggressively prosecute those who engage with it.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edward Cragg, 46, of Turlock, used a file-sharing program in 2015 and 2016 to search for and download more than 130 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Turlock Police Department investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Justice Department’s High Technology Investigative Unit within the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa of the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of CEOS are prosecuting the case.

Cragg is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Cragg faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A federal jury convicted a California man today for receipt of child pornography.

“The defendant was convicted by a jury for collecting videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including toddlers and infants who were subject to horrific abuse,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This content is vile and illegal, and we will aggressively prosecute those who engage with it.”

“Today, a jury found Cragg guilty of crimes that encouraged the gross abuse of our society’s most vulnerable members,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Department of Justice will continue to target for prosecution and imprisonment those who contribute to this vile conduct.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edward Cragg, 46, of Turlock, California, used a file-sharing program from approximately Aug. 1, 2015, through March 1, 2016, to search for and download more than 130 child sexual abuse videos. He would then watch these videos, sort them, and move them to an external hard drive. Some of the videos depicted images of infants or toddlers being subjected to sadistic or masochistic abuse. Cragg told law enforcement that the child sexual abuse videos were “interesting … like a dead cat on the side of the road.” He also stated that he did not think looking at child sexual abuse material was wrong.

Cragg is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and the Turlock Police Department investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Justice Department’s High Technology Investigative Unit within the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa of the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment today against James Kenney, 45, and Kevin Leacy, 31, of West Sacramento, charging them with various drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

In addition, Leacy is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2025, Leacy knowingly possessed a .40-caliber Glock 23, a .40-caliber Sig SP 2340, and a .380 Ruger LCP. Because Leacy was previously convicted of second-degree robbery with use of a firearm in 2013, he is prohibited from possessing firearms.

According to court documents, in May 2025, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization located in West Sacramento. Over the course of the investigation, Kenney and Leacy were found to have sold fentanyl powder and methamphetamine. On Aug. 28, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the motel where Kenney and Leacy were residing and discovered additional quantities of drugs including fentanyl powder, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the West Sacramento Police Department and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Harman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DeMoura are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Kenney faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. If convicted, Leacy faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

In a coordinated arrest by several law enforcement agencies, three defendants were arrested today for their roles in a Covid-fraud scheme targeting the California Employment Development Department (EDD), U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

Yolanda Butler, 49, was arrested in Oklahoma, and her son Legerrius Holt, 28, was arrested in Colorado. Both are formerly of Stockton. The third defendant, Quamaine Massey, 33, formerly of North Carolina, was arrested in Ohio. On Aug. 7, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging the defendants with mail fraud; Butler and Holt are additionally charged with aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, between April 2020 and June 2021, the defendants perpetrated a mail fraud and identity theft scheme that targeted the Unemployment Insurance benefit program that California administers through EDD. Under the 2020 CARES Act and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, EDD was responsible for administering unemployment insurance benefits for qualifying residents who could no longer find employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of dozens of individuals and filed at least 69 fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit claims under their identities. EDD approved many of these applications and mailed benefits in the form of prepaid debit cards to addresses under the defendants’ control, including dozens to Butler and Holt’s home address in Stockton and at least three to Massey’s home in North Carolina.

Once received, the defendants activated the cards and spent the benefits on themselves. In total, the defendants’ conduct resulted in EDD and the United States paying out more than $1.1 million, with an intended loss of more than $1.4 million.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, and California EDD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, all defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud, and Butler and Holt face a mandatory additional sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. The defendants also face a maximum fine of $250,000 on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 

Monique Marie Gonzales Grado, 32, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between Aug. 7, 2022, and Oct. 3, 2022, Gonzales Grado executed a scheme to defraud credit unions. She unlawfully used the identity of a victim to obtain a car loan to buy a Mercedes-Benz, a second car loan to buy a Jaguar, and a personal loan for purported “medical expenses.” In a credit union account associated with these loans, Gonzales Grado also deposited two checks that had been stolen and altered to reflect the name of the victim as payee, thus allowing Gonzales Grado access to the funds. She also used the victim’s identity to open an account with a mobile phone provider and to lease an apartment. And she provided law enforcement authorities with the victim’s driver’s license in order to avoid a traffic citation. Gonzales Grado was caught when she drove to a meeting with law enforcement regarding probation terms; she drove the fraudulently obtained Jaguar to the meeting. On searching the Jaguar, law enforcement found a driver’s license, Social Security card, and several other debit and credit cards in the victim’s name, among other items.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma is prosecuting the case.

Gonzales Grado is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Jan. 6, 2026. Gonzales Grado faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine on the bank fraud charge, as well as a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence on the aggravated identity theft charge. In addition to pleading guilty, Gonzales Grado agreed to pay up to $150,000 in restitution to the victims of her crimes. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Alberto Ojeda Lopez, 69, of Mexico, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Ojeda Lopez conspired with his wife and daughter, co‑defendants Maria Medina Silvas, 66, of Mexico, and Alecsa Ojeda de Oregel, 44, of Stockton, to distribute heroin in and around Stockton. In September 2022, Ojeda Lopez and Medina Silvas sold an ounce of heroin to an undercover officer. In August 2023, they sold a kilogram of heroin to the undercover officer. The next day, law enforcement seized 2 kilograms of heroin from Ojeda Lopez’s and Medina Silvas’s vehicle. Law enforcement then searched the Stockton residence of Ojeda de Oregel, which was used as a drug and money stash house for the conspiracy, and seized 2.8 kilograms of fentanyl, 2 kilograms of heroin, almost a half of a kilogram of methamphetamine, and $83,119 in cash drug proceeds.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

Medina Silvas and Ojeda de Oregel are scheduled for jury trial on Feb. 17, 2026. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Ojeda Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Jan. 27, 2026. Ojeda Lopez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Parampreet Singh, 59, of Davis, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, opium, and ketamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Parampreet Singh and his co-conspirators, including co‑defendants Amandeep Multani, 37, of Roseville, and Ranvir Singh, 42, of Sacramento, coordinated cocaine, heroin, opium, and ketamine deals in Canada. They coordinated these deals from California over encrypted cellphone applications. Parampreet Singh was the leader and organizer of the conspiracy. In total, between October 2020 and April 2021, they coordinated sales to undercover officers of approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, 1.5 kilograms of opium, 2 kilograms of ketamine, and multiple samples of heroin, for a total of $637,600 in Canadian dollars and $75,190 in U.S. dollars, in deals in Canada and Sacramento.

As part of his plea agreement, Parampreet Singh agreed to forfeit $2 million to the United States.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the York Regional Police in Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Placer County Special Investigations Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Spencer and Haddy Abouzeid are prosecuting the case.

Multani pleaded guilty on Dec. 13, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2025.

Ranvir Singh is scheduled for a jury trial to begin on Oct. 6, 2025. The charges against Ranvir Singh are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Parampreet Singh is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Jan. 27, 2026. Parampreet Singh faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Charles Billingsley Jr., 55, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to 15 years and eight months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between March and December 2019, Billingsley conspired with other members of a Stockton-based drug trafficking organization to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. Billingsley regularly obtained and distributed methamphetamine and heroin on behalf of the organization. On Dec. 5, 2019, law enforcement officers searched Billingsley’s two adjacent residences in Stockton and seized more than 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 30 ounces of heroin, six ounces of cocaine, four loaded firearms, and more than $33,000 in cash. Agents also eradicated 451 marijuana plants that Billingsley was growing in one of the residences and seized more than 52 pounds of processed marijuana.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, the California Highway Patrol, and the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

On Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, a federal grand jury in Fresno brought two indictments for drug trafficking and one for illegal gun possession, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

Modesto

Manuel Rodriguez Diaz, 41, of Modesto, was charged with possessing more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. According to court documents, on July 10, 2025, Diaz was pulled over by law enforcement officers while driving north on California State Road 99 in Madera County. Officers seized 16 individually wrapped packages of cocaine from Diaz’s car. In total, Diaz was transporting approximately 27.65 kilograms (61 pounds) of cocaine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol, the Madera Police Department, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team, the Madera County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

Bakersfield

Individually Packaged Methamphetamine Seized from Garcia’s Car.

Steven Paul Garcia, 53, of Bakersfield, was charged with possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2025, Garcia was pulled over by law enforcement officers while driving north on California state road 99 in Fresno County. During the stop, deputies seized approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine individually packaged in 1-pound bags.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Bakersfield Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

Fresno

Thomas Carter Beasley, 20, of Fresno, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Nov. 16, 2024, when law enforcement officers attempted to pull Beasley over in Fresno, he led them on a highspeed chase, speeding through stop signs and nearly hit bystanders. After crashing into a parked car, he fled on foot through a nearby apartment complex before he was caught and arrested. Officers later seized a loaded Glock 27 .40‑caliber pistol hidden under a doormat in a breezeway that Beasley fled through. The serial number of the firearm matched the gun box left behind in the crashed car. At the time, Beasley was on probation, and the firearm was loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition. Beasley is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction for receiving a stolen motor vehicle.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Robert Veneman-Hughes are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Diaz and Garcia face a statutory minimum of 10 years with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted, Beasley faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; all of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The case involving Beasley is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Eric Grant and Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho announced today the appointment of Deputy District Attorney Brad Ng to be a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney to prosecute cases in federal court relating to transnational drug organizations with ties to the Sacramento region.

Ng will work on the Homeland Security Task Force, a team of federal and state prosecutors, agents, and analysts dedicated to combatting transnational organized crime and targeting cartels. As a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ng will remain employed by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and will be able to prosecute cases in both state and federal court. Ng will work in this role for a two-year term.

“We see the impact of dangerous drugs throughout our community, from homelessness, violence and property crimes, and even fatalities,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “Partnering with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office will allow our offices to bring more cases targeting transnational drug organizations that impact Sacramento County. Brad Ng is a talented and experienced lawyer who will work to ensure that those who distribute large amounts of drugs in the Sacramento region are held accountable. I am grateful to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and District Attorney Ho for their collaboration and commitment to keeping our community safe.”

“This partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office is a continuation of our fight to eradicate the fentanyl crisis, which has already resulted in Sacramento fentanyl deaths dropping 70% since 2023,” said Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho. “With Brad’s prosecutorial skills, he will play a key role in taking down transnational organizations that are flooding our communities with fentanyl and other deadly drugs.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office currently has Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the District Attorney’s Offices of Yolo, Placer, and Fresno Counties.

Hewer Berlany Santos, 30, of Los Angeles, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins to 21 months in prison for assaulting a federal officer, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 21, 2023, Santos intentionally struck a federal correctional officer in the face while he was working at a federal prison in Herlong in Lassen County. The correctional officer sustained cuts and abrasions to his face which necessitated medical attention.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case. 

A Visalia construction company CEO was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he fraudulently obtained more than $4 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds and federally guaranteed small business loans, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between April and June 2020, Joey Wayne Mackey, 45, of Visalia, submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for three of his companies: Forcum-Mackey Construction Inc., a general contractor based in Ivanhoe; JWM Inc., a purported construction consulting company for which Mackey is the sole proprietor based in Mackey’s Visalia home; and Mack Aviation LLC, a provider of refueling and hangar‑rental services for charter jets at Visalia Municipal Airport.

All three of these applications contained fraudulent numbers of employees and monthly payroll cost calculations, which caused a bank, serving as a lending partner funding the COVID-19 relief through guaranteed small business loans, to disburse $4,082,550 in funds it otherwise would not have given. Over the following months, Mackey laundered the PPP loan funds through fraudulent payroll payments to family members (including his minor children), while Mackey controlled the bank accounts of those family members. In October 2020, Mackey then pulled the funds out of the family member accounts to buy revenue-generating real estate acquisitions, such as office parks and luxury apartment complexes from which he enriched himself further through rent payments from tenants. Mackey continued making real estate investments and luxury goods purchases traceable to PPP funds through at least 2023.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Lee and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Mackey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 

On Wednesday, after a one-day trial, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd found Jawana Washington, 45, of Fresno, guilty of aiding and abetting a felon’s possession of a firearm as well as disposing of a firearm to a felon, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Jawana Washington knowingly provided a firearm to her son, Taylor Washington, a documented gang member and convicted felon. On March 25, 2022, Jawana Washington agreed to lend him her firearm, cautioning him not to do anything “crazy,” to use his own ammunition, and not to get her sent to jail. Minutes later, agents observed Taylor Washington arrive at his mother’s apartment complex, meet with her, and leave in a vehicle. During a subsequent traffic stop, officers recovered a Springfield Armory XD-9 handgun, registered to Jawana Washington, from the car’s center console. After the stop, Jawana Washington exchanged messages with others in which she acknowledged that Taylor Washington had her firearm and urged deletion of incriminating text messages.

Jawana Washington is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15, 2025, by Judge Drozd. Jawana Washington faces a maximum sentence of 10 years prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Taylor Washington, a co-defendant in this case, was separately convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced by the district court to a term of imprisonment.

The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno-area Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the California Department of Justice Special Operations Unit, the California Department of Justice Human Trafficking / Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, the California Highway Patrol, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are prosecuting the case.

Justin Damonte Mitchell, 32, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, two counts of distributing methamphetamine, and one count of distributing fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Mitchell was recruited by his brother, co-defendant Kristopher Thomas, 37, who is serving a gang-related murder sentence at the Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, to assist in drug transactions outside of prison. In September 2022, Mitchell agreed to and did deliver one-half pound of fentanyl to co-defendant Natasha Michelle Bailey, 46, of Bakersfield, to smuggle into the prison for another inmate, co-defendant Derrick D. Charles, 43. Later that month, Mitchell assisted Thomas in the shipment of packages containing approximately 48 pounds of methamphetamine intended for delivery in Oklahoma and Alabama. The fentanyl and methamphetamine seizures followed wire intercepts of Thomas’s contraband cellphone.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Dec. 1, 2025. Mitchell faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest‑level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor‑led, intelligence‑driven, multi‑agency approach. Learn more at Justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. —Timothy Scott Chenot, 34, of Fresno, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff to seven years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Chenot drove around a residential neighborhood in Southeast Fresno late at night on August 2, 2024. As he drove, he fired an AR-15 .223 caliber rifle out his truck’s window. Chenot unloaded several rounds into unoccupied cars parked on the side of the road before discarding his firearm on the street and driving away. Responding officers, however, pulled Chenot over and arrested him. They found several empty shells, ammunition, and open alcoholic containers in the truck. Police also found and seized the firearm and several spent shells at the scene of the shooting.

.223 Caliber AR-15 Chenot Fired Out of His Moving Vehicle

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community‑based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Learn more at Justice.gov/PSN.

FRESNO, Calif. — Ady Perez, 26, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to five years in prison for possessing over 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Perez was arrested while trying to sell 1,500 fentanyl pills. Perez attempted to flee in his car but quickly ran into a police vehicle and was arrested. Shortly after his arrest, law enforcement searched his apartment and seized two loaded firearms, large amounts of cash, and additional fentanyl and Farmapram (Benzodiazepine) pills packaged for distribution.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin Heinz prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Roman Rodriguez, 26, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 15.5 years in prison for receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between Feb. 18, 2024, and Feb. 22, 2024, Rodriguez used an iPhone and the internet to receive and distribute images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Rodriguez received more than 600 images, which included depictions of the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children and at least one toddler. 

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment Thursday against Cruz Tinajero, 25, of Napa, and Ashan Naeem, 24, of Stockton, charging them with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm without a serial number, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between April 11, 2024, and Nov. 13, 2024, Tinajero and Naeem conspired to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl. Tinajero and Naeem also possessed a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle manufactured without a serial number.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Taskforce (METRO), and the Stockton High Intensity Narcotics Enforcement (SHINE), which is part of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (CVC HIDTA). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This investigation and prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location.  The specific mission of the OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, and prosecute the most significant criminal organizations operating in the Eastern District of California.  OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS-CI, USMS, ATF, USPIS, BLM, USFS, Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, California National Guard, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, and Central Valley CA HIDTA.  The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California with the assistance of the Yolo County and Placer County District Attorney.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Thursday against Roland Edward Bain, 40, of Sacramento, charging him with two counts of sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Bain sexually exploited two minors, one between 2021 and 2023, and another in 2024. Bain is currently in state custody on related charges.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Sacramento Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Harman is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Bain faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO​, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment Thursday against James Key III, 45, of Eustis, Florida, charging him with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, ​U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.   

According to court documents, between Dec. 16, 2024, and Aug. 17, 2025, Key conspired with Federal Bureau of Prisons inmates to introduce fentanyl and contraband cellphones into BOP facilities in Atwater, California, Florida, and South Carolina. Key and his conspirators applied fentanyl onto paper, bundled that paper, wrapped it in synthetic grass, and then delivered it by drone into the prisons.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case. 

If convicted, Key faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment Thursday against Isaac Rodriguez, 26, of Arvin, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Rodriguez was found to be in possession of a firearm after he was arrested on warrants for violations of probation. Rodriguez cannot legally possess firearms because he has been previously convicted of several felony offenses, including taking a vehicle, evading arrest, and being felon in possession of a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Baty is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Rodriguez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Brian Hindman, 49, of Madera, was arrested today on criminal complaint for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court records, on July 25, 2025, as Hindman pulled into a casino parking lot, law enforcement officers arrested him for an outstanding state warrant for burglary. Hindman was found with a loaded 9 mm Ruger pistol that he was prohibited from possessing due to several prior felony convictions for which he spent over four years in state prison. Hindman was also found with six counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys that are commonly used by thieves to steal mail, and several driver’s licenses and debit cards in other people’s names.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Hindman faces maximum penalties of 15 years in prison for the gun charge and 10 years in prison for the possession of counterfeit USPS keys charge. He also faces up to a 250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Rayshawn Williams, 20, of Stockton, pleaded guilty today to illegally dealing in firearms and two counts of possessing machine guns, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between May and July 2024, Williams sold 10 firearms to a confidential informant in illegal deals conducted on the streets in exchange for cash. Of the firearms sold to the informant, two of them were Glock pistols with machine gun conversion devices, popularly known as “switches,” that allow the Glock pistols to fire in a fully automatic mode.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Stockton Police Department Crime Gun Intelligence Center. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Zulkar Khan are prosecuting the case.

Williams is set for sentencing before U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Dec. 9, 2025. Williams faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the machine gun charges, a five-year maximum penalty on the illegal firearms trafficking charge, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Salvador Vega Rendon Jr., 33, of Turlock, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 16 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Nov. 29, 2020, in Stanislaus County, Rendon was driving while intoxicated and crashed his vehicle into a parked car. Witnesses observed Rendon remove an ice chest and several other suitcases and bags from his vehicle and place them on the side of the road and in the driveway of a nearby property. Law enforcement officers arrived and apprehended Rendon. The ice chest, bags and suitcases and Rendon’s vehicle were found to contain more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, 7,000 pills containing fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, LSD, marijuana, firearms, and body armor. Three of the four firearms that Rendon possessed in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime were outfitted with devices that enabled them to function as fully automatic weapons.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Michael G. Tierney prosecuted the case.

Fresno restaurant operator Robert “Bobby” Salazar, 63, has been arrested on a federal complaint for arson of commercial property and arson in furtherance of a felony for directing a motorcycle gang member to set fire to an underperforming restaurant property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on April 2, 2024, a fire broke out at the vacant Bobby Salazar’s restaurant on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno. Fire investigators determined that the cause of the fire was arson, with partially burned gas cans located inside the restaurant and extensive fire damage to the interior:

Fire damage inside the restaurant

Partially burned gas cans

According to court documents, agents learned that the person who set the fire was the president of the local Screamin’ Demons Motorcycle Club. Salazar allegedly hired the motorcycle gang member to start the fire and then claimed to his insurance company that he had nothing to do with the arson. He was ultimately paid out at least $980,739 for his insurance claim.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fresno Fire Department, with assistance from the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Veneman-Hughes and Brittany M. Gunter are prosecuting the case.

Salazar is expected to make an initial court appearance on Aug. 27, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe in Fresno at 2:00 P.M.

If convicted, Salazar faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for commercial arson, as well as 10 years in prison mandatorily consecutive for arson in furtherance of a felony. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Criminal Complaint

Timothy McCulley, 35, of Escalon, was arrested today after a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging him with production of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Nov. 9 and 14, 2024, McCulley used a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which includes the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department, as well as Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, McCulley faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of production of child sexual abuse material. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Javier Aguilera Rosas, 43, residing in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty today to transfer of a false identity document, misuse of a social security number, and reentry of a removed alien, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between August 2020 and December 2023, Rosas transferred at least 20 false identification documents to multiple buyers in the Eastern District of California. On multiple occasions, buyers submitted orders to Rosas through text message asking for fraudulent passports, driver’s licenses, and/or Social Security cards. After obtaining the fraudulent IDs as specified by the particular buyer, Rosas mailed the false IDs to the buyer. On at least four occasions, he provided IDs containing the true name, birthdate, and Social Security number of identity theft victims.

At least one buyer used the false IDs Rosas provided to sell marijuana out of state, pay for short-term rentals, and travel, including passing through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Moody is prosecuting the case.

Rosas is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on Jan. 12, 2026. Rosas faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Jesus Perez Garcia Jr., 25, of Arleta, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 19 years and seven months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Garcia worked for a Mexico-based drug-trafficking ring that imported from Mexico into the United States large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. That drug ring was dismantled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in June 2024, in an operation dubbed “Toxic Waste.”

Garcia was arrested in June 2022, trying to smuggle 25 pounds of methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico. He was charged but skipped bail. While a fugitive, he began serving as a “stash house” operator for a Mexican-based drug ring. Between July 2023 and March 2024, he maintained the organization’s drugs in the United States and distributed them to others who resold them. He was involved in trafficking over 3,500 pounds of methamphetamine and 6 pounds of fentanyl. In March 2024, he was arrested while transporting methamphetamine and a firearm.

Garcia was indicted along with 14 others in an investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than 12,900 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 50 pounds of fentanyl mixture, 39 pounds of cocaine, and 22 pounds of heroin. As evidenced by tens of thousands of recorded communications, the organization smuggled methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl (in powder and pill form) in portable projectors and batteries, under the guise of a legitimate transportation business. The organization also secreted thousands of pounds of methamphetamine inside semi-trucks and hundreds of pounds of liquid methamphetamine in the gas tanks of cars and brought it across the border.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Marshals Service, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Inland Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Merced Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team, and the Los Angeles Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is part 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. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

Alejandro Galvan-Silvestre, 26, pleaded guilty today to knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, Air One, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 5, 2021, Galvan-Silvestre was drinking with his family and friends outside his residence when he noticed the Sheriff’s helicopter. Galvan-Silvestre then began to shine the laser pointer toward the helicopter, which was conducting routine patrol in the area.

In the year of Galvan-Silvestre’s laser strike, there were 9,723 reported incidents involving laser strikes of aircraft across the country. At the time, that was an annual record high according to data kept by the Federal Aviation Administration.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Galvan-Silvestre is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 17, 2025. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Jeffrey Caldwell, 37, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 14 years and seven months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

On May 13, 2025, following a two-day trial before Judge Coggins, a jury found Caldwell guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Caldwell is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to his 14 prior felony convictions, which include convictions for assault, burglary, and stalking.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Dec. 16, 2024, when multiple guests of a motel in Vallejo called 911 to report that Caldwell was firing a gun inside the building. Officers from the Vallejo Police Department (VPD) quickly responded and evacuated the building, at which point Caldwell barricaded himself in his room and refused to surrender. The Vallejo Police deployed their SWAT and Hostage Negotiation Teams, beginning a multi-hour standoff which lasted into the early morning of the next day.

The standoff finally ended when the SWAT Team deployed chemical agents into Caldwell’s room, which forced him out. Caldwell attempted to flee but was quickly arrested. A search of Caldwell’s person did not locate the firearm, but when the officers entered his room, they found a large hole in the bathroom wall. Stuffed inside the hole were multiple items, including a shower curtain, clothing, a canister of bear spray, and a pistol. Officers inspected the gun and determined that it was a privately manufactured firearm, commonly referred to as a ghost gun due to its lack of a traceable serial number. Caldwell had left the gun with a single round of ammunition still in the chamber.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Campbell and R. Alexander Cárdenas prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Armond Bass, 40, of Vacaville, pleaded guilty Thursday to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on two days in October 2024, Bass possessed and sold illegal firearms and ammunition in the parking lot of a softball field in the city of Vacaville. On the first day, October 23, Bass sold an AR-15-style privately manufactured firearm and more than 200 rounds of ammunition. Less than a week later, Bass returned, this time to sell a Colt M16 semi-automatic rifle. Bass is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to his multiple prior felony convictions, including two felony convictions for domestic violence.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vacaville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.

Bass is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on Dec. 11, 2025. Bass faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

Julian Arellano-Taylor, 21, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to nine years in prison for dealing firearms without a license and distribution of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between May 3, 2023, and March 3, 2024, Arellano-Taylor advertised and sold firearms on Instagram. Unbeknownst to Arellano-Taylor, one customer was a confidential informant and purchased 11 firearms from him. These firearms included ghost guns without serial numbers that were designed to replicate Glock pistols and AR-15-style rifles. At the same time as he was selling firearms, Arellano-Taylor was also selling cocaine.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department, the Lodi Police Department, the Stockton Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Gang Suppression Unit, and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura prosecuted the case.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

The Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury in Fresno returned a five-count indictment yesterday charging former California Superior Court Judge Adolfo Corona, 66, with federal offenses for sexually assaulting a court employee (Victim 1), making false statements to cover up the assault, and with obstructing the investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted another court employee (Victim 2) in his chambers.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant of the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement.

The indictment alleges that on March 14, 2024, Corona, while serving as a California Superior Court Judge, led Victim 1 into a courthouse stairwell where he sexually assaulted her. The indictment further alleges that Corona, during separate interviews with the FBI and court administrators, made false statements about the circumstances of his assault on Victim 1. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Corona obstructed the investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted Victim 2. Corona was alone with Victim 2 in his chambers for approximately two hours on Dec. 5, 2023, and she was later found alone in the judge’s chambers after being passed out. The indictment charges that Corona falsely told the FBI that he left Victim 2 alone in his chambers while he drove to pick up a motorcycle. Corona allegedly attempted to persuade a motorcycle dealership employee to change company records to falsely reflect that he had picked up his motorcycle in order to corroborate his alibi.

If convicted, Corona faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison on the sexual assault charge and 20 years on each of the obstruction charges. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact their local FBI office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or submit a tip to tips.fbi.gov.

The Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury in Fresno, California, returned a five-count indictment yesterday charging former California Superior Court Judge Adolfo Corona, 66, with federal offenses for sexually assaulting a 33-year-old court employee (Victim 1), making false statements to cover up the assault, and with obstructing the investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted a 43-year-old court employee (Victim 2) in his chambers.

The indictment alleges that on March 14, 2024, Corona, while serving as a California Superior Court Judge, led Victim 1 into a courthouse stairwell where he sexually assaulted her. The indictment further alleges that Corona, during separate interviews with the FBI and court administrators, made false statements about the circumstances of his assault on Victim 1. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Corona obstructed the investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted Victim 2. Corona was alone with Victim 2 in his chambers for approximately two hours on Dec. 5, 2023, and she was later found alone in the judge’s chambers after being passed out. The indictment charges that Corona falsely told the FBI that he left Victim 2 alone in his chambers while he drove to pick up a motorcycle. It also charges that Corona attempted to persuade a motorcycle dealership employee to change company records to falsely reflect that he had picked up his motorcycle in order to corroborate his alibi.

If convicted, Corona faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison on the sexual assault charge and 20 years on each of the obstruction charges. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment, unsealed Thursday, charging Oleg Gregorvich Fursov, 52, of Elk Grove, with wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Fursov fraudulently obtained more than $1 million as part of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program to purportedly assist his business in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Fursov used the funds for his own personal use.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Fursov faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 

A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against Stanislav Yelizarov, 35, an inmate in the United States Penitentiary, Atwater, charging him with threatening the family of a federal official, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Yelizarov had been previously convicted in the District of Maryland and was undergoing further proceedings in the District of Maryland and the Fourth Circuit. The prosecutor in those cases was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Maryland.

On March 23, 2024, Yelizarov, using a recorded prison telephone line, communicated a threat to the Assistant U.S. Attorney that he intended to kill the prosecutor’s “whole family.” Yelizarov had previously sent threatening letters to the prosecutor.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California was assisted by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Yelizarov faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Michael Keith Rubino, 37, of Vacaville, pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of a minor, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Rubino used his iPhone to record a video of himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a 17-year-old girl who resided with him for approximately six weeks in late 2024. After his victim was admitted to a local hospital, Rubino told law enforcement officers that he never engaged in sexual conduct with her despite knowing that he had done so while she was seventeen.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Vacaville Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.

Rubino is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Nov. 11, 2025. Rubino faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Manuel Cisneros, 48, of Fresno, appears for arraignment today after a federal grand jury indictment charged him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Feb. 20, 2025, Cisneros possessed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and several rounds of .40-caliber ammunition. Cisneros is prohibited from possessing ammunition because of prior felony drug trafficking convictions in Fresno County.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Cisneros faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part 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. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

A federal grand jury returned an indictment, unsealed today, charging Marcos Gonzalez-Reyes, 43, of Vallejo, with distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, in December 2024, Gonzalez-Reyes used a peer-to-peer software client known as eMule to distribute hundreds of depictions of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct to undercover law enforcement agents over the course of only three days. Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Gonzalez-Reyes’s Vallejo residence in May 2025 and seized electronic devices containing thousands of additional depictions of children—including toddlers—engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of distributing child sexual abuse material, Gonzalez-Reyes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material, Gonzalez-Reyes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Jeff Lorenzo, 40, of Winters, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sean C. Riordan to 30 days in prison for sexual assault in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 9, 2024, Lorenzo was flying from Seattle to Sacramento. A 20-year-old woman was one of the last passengers to board the flight. She took the last remaining seat between Lorenzo and his co-worker in the back of the aircraft. During the flight, Lorenzo willfully and repeatedly touched the woman without her consent. He grazed her leg with his hand, put his head near her crotch under the guise of picking up his dropped phone, and pressed his arm into her breast multiple times throughout the flight.

Lorenzo’s co-workers reported that Lorenzo has a history of behaving inappropriately, including harassing women.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Moody prosecuted the case.

Brayan Missael Nunez-Mendoza, 24, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to four years and three months in prison for distribution of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 29, 2022, Nunez-Mendoza sold approximately 1,000 pills that contained fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, to a confidential source for $2,500 in Sacramento, on behalf of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization. The pills were made to look like prescription oxycodone “M-30” pills.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Spencer and Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Felix Ortiz-Plata, 44, a Mexican national residing in Stockton, and Anuar Castaneda Ortiz, 29, a Mexican national residing in Sacramento, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges arising out of a seizure of more than 260 pounds of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Dec. 5, 2022, law enforcement officers stopped Castaneda Ortiz’s vehicle. During a search of the car, they discovered more than 260 pounds of crystal methamphetamine packaged in 90 plastic bags on the backseat of Castaneda Ortiz’s car and in the trunk.

On Aug. 8, 2025, Ortiz-Plata entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine for his involvement in the crime. Today, Castaneda Ortiz entered his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Forest Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Land Management, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.

Ortiz-Plata is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena C. Coggins on Nov. 21, 2025. Castaneda Ortiz is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 19, 2025. Each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jagninder Singh Boparai, 49, of Manteca, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to nine years in prison for conspiring to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

“This defendant met on five separate occasions with a person he thought to be a hitman and provided payments for the services he desired in order to ‘teach a lesson’ to two of his enemies,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “Fortunately, there was no hitman, and today’s sentence teaches a lesson that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will use all its tools to bring to justice those who endanger the safety of the public.”

“The FBI has a zero tolerance for violent crimes and will take action to prevent assaults and homicides from happening,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the Sacramento Field Office. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their support and collaboration that ensured both the safety of the victims and a successful outcome to a critical investigation.”

According to court documents, Boparai conspired with Ramesh Kumar Birla Jr., 47, of Dublin, and Shaminderjit Singh Sandhu, 51, of Tracy, to murder a man with whom they had a dispute. In February 2023, Boparai met with a person he believed to be a hitman at a Starbucks in Manteca. Unbeknownst to Boparai and his co-defendants, throughout their interactions, the hitman was a confidential informant working for the FBI. Boparai told the supposed hitman that the first job involved the assault of another man with whom the defendants were feuding. Once the hitman proved his trustworthiness, he would be given another job.

According to court documents, the following day, Boparai met the confidential informant again and offered to pay $6,000 for the assault. In March 2023, in the presence of Birla and another individual, Boparai met with the confidential informant, and Boparai gave the confidential informant $1,000 as a down payment for the assault. After more time had passed, the confidential informant showed Boparai a staged photo of the supposed assault victim lying on the ground covered in bruises, dirt, and blood to indicate the assault had occurred. Boparai said he liked the photo and told the confidential informant that he had two other “jobs,” one of which involved robbing a business, and the other involved making a person “disappear.”

According to court documents, in March 2023, Boparai met with the confidential informant to pay the confidential informant $10,000 as a down payment for the murder for hire job. Sandhu provided the second victim’s address, and Boparai instructed the confidential informant that the victim must disappear without any evidence remaining. On March 24, 2023, Sandhu and Birla met with the confidential informant in a parking lot in Manteca. Sandhu and Birla claimed that Boparai was out of town, but Boparai was observed by surveillance remaining in a car in the same parking lot. Sandhu and Birla instructed the confidential informant to kill the victim and take his remains to Mexico in a suitcase.

All three defendants were arrested on March 31, 2023, and are currently in federal custody.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Highway Patrol, the Ceres Police Department, the Dublin Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lathrop Police Department, the Modesto Police Department, the San Joaquin County Probation Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, the Turlock Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.

Sandhu pleaded guilty to the same charge on July 31, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13, 2025, by Judge Calabretta. Sandhu faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Charges are pending against Birla, and he is scheduled for a status conference on Oct. 23, 2025. If convicted, he faces the same penalties as Sandhu. The charges against Birla are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.