District of Colorado
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Silvia Paola Sanchez-Hurtado, 23, of Nicaragua, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a federal officer.
According to the plea agreement, on March 11, officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement encountered Sanchez-Hurtado in Fort Collins, Colorado, and attempted to arrest her pursuant to a warrant on immigration violations. When officers attempted to place handcuffs on Sanchez-Hurtado, she resisted and bit one of the officers on the neck.
Sanchez-Hurtado will be sentenced later this year.
United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations handled the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Tonkin handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 26-cr-095-GPG
District of Colorado Indicts Seven Defendants on Alien Smuggling, Forced Labor Charges, as A Result of Human Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER– The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Freddy Alberto Gomez Urena (aka Chun Chun), Ligia Zulay Gonzalez Sanchez, Josue Reinaldo Cordoba Somasa, Narkys Doralddy Gomez Urena, Miguel Eduardo Cardenas Perez, and Wualter Alexander Castellanos Bermeo, have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to provide and obtain forced labor, multiple counts of forced labor, and multiple counts of alien smuggling. A seventh defendant, Franklin Alexis Contreras Carrillo, is charged with one count of forced labor and one count of alien smuggling.
According to the indictment, beginning in about October 2021, and continuing until about December 2023, the defendants worked together to obtain and provide the labor and services of one or more persons by means of force, threats, and abuse. The defendants are also charged with illegally bringing the victims of the forced labor scheme into the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI Denver Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Colorado State Patrol. The Transnational Organized Crime and Money Laundering Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is handling the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:26-cr-00182-GPG
Ute Mountain Ute “Medicine Man” Sentenced to Life in Prison After Multiple Sex Assault ConvictionsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lyndreth Hemp Wall, 60, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted on 15 counts of sexual abuse in Indian Country and abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. Wall’s crimes involved five victims, including a minor.
According to the facts established at trial, Wall held himself out as a traditional Native American healer, sometimes referred to as a “medicine man.” Wall was elected to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council in 2020 and is a former school board member in Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1. Over the course of at least the past dozen years, Wall sexually exploited multiple women on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation under the guise of spiritual treatment. Wall created an elaborate ruse by using traditional elements of Ute healing to trick his victims into believing his actions were part of a healing ceremony. During his “ceremonies,” Wall isolated victims alone and touched them sexually for his own gratification. Wall told multiple victims that, if they told anyone about his sexual touching, the healing would not work.
Over the course of trial, the jury heard from the five women who alleged that Wall had committed sexual abuse in Towaoc, Colorado. The jury returned guilty verdicts for abuse of all five women charged in the indictment. The jury also heard from a sixth woman who alleged Wall had sexually assaulted her in Alamosa and Lone Tree in 2020 and 2021 under a rule of evidence that permits evidence of other sexual assaults.
“Claiming you are a spiritual healer and then using that position of power to sexually abuse people who come to you for help is an abhorrent crime,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “The Department of Justice will work relentlessly to take predators out of our tribal communities and put them behind bars.”
“Female tribal members came to this defendant for spiritual healing. They trusted him to help them in the ways of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, of which he was a leader. Instead of helping them, he took advantage of them, a sickening betrayal that has lasting implications for the survivors of his sexual assaults,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate sexual assaults on tribal lands to identify and remove perpetrators like this one, who now faces the consequence of his treachery.”
Wall also faces two separate allegations of sexual assault in Colorado state court. The charges in those pending cases are only allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing.
The FBI Office in Durango, Colorado, handled the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Towaoc, Colorado.
Assistant United States Attorneys R. Josh Player and Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00003-GPG-JMC
Former Durango Middle School Teacher Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Production of Child Pornography, Coercion and Enticement ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Benjamin Smith, 30, of Durango, was sentenced to forty years in federal prison, and a lifetime of supervision after pleading guilty to a count of production of child pornography, committed against 36 victims; a count of coercion and enticement of minors, committed against 11 minors; and a count of attempted coercion and enticement of minors, committed against eight minors. In total, the defendant admitted to victimizing 37 adolescent boys in the Durango area.
According to the plea agreement and facts established at sentencing, Smith, a former teacher at Escalante Middle School in Durango, posed as a 16-year-old female named “Kristin” on the social media service SnapChat under the username “MTNCHICK69.” So disguised, he reached out to adolescent boys in the Durango area, engaged them in conversation, and sent them naked photos of a young girl. He asked his targets to reciprocate, often directing them to take specific pictures of their bodies. In total, Smith was charged with producing child pornography in this manner with 36 victims.
Smith also used the guise to attempt to lure the targeted adolescents into in-person sexual encounters. Smith used a disguise, props, and a structured protocol to convince the targeted adolescents that they were engaging in sexual acts with “Kristin.” Smith engaged in sexual acts with 11 adolescents; and took a substantial step to engage in sexual acts with eight other minors. Several of his victims were as young as 13-years-old; one was 12 years old.
Several of the targeted adolescents had previously had Smith as a teacher at Escalante Middle School.
“Those who prey on children have no place in a civil society, and I am personally grateful that this abomination is off the streets and will no longer be able to hurt our young people,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will aggressively target people who choose to commit crimes against children in Colorado, and we will make them face justice.”
“Let this sentence send an unmistakable warning: predators who lurk online to manipulate, exploit and coerce children into producing sexually explicit material will be hunted down, exposed, prosecuted and held accountable to the maximum extent of the law,” said Homeland Security Investigations Denver, Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “HSI and our partners will be aggressively relentless in pursuing child predators. It is the mandate of the American people that we will not back down, we will not look away, and we will not stop until those who prey on children are brought to justice.”
“Benjamin Smith’s sentencing illustrates the FBI’s commitment to protecting our most vulnerable citizens, our children,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “The FBI will continue to work diligently with the United States Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute sexual predators and those who victimize children in our communities.”
“Protecting children is one of our most fundamental responsibilities. In this case, investigators used technology lawfully, responsibly, and effectively to identify a prolific sex offender and stop him from victimizing more children,” said Brice Current, Durango Police Chief. “To those who prey on children: you should never assume that a screen, an app, or a false identity will keep you hidden. We will use every lawful tool available to find you, expose your actions, and hold you accountable."
United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Durango Police Department.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffery K. Graves and Alecia Riewerts.
Case No. 1:24-cr-00305-GPG-JMC
Venezuelan Sentenced to 18 Years for Robbing Denver Jewelry Store at the Direction of Tren de AraguaRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jesus Lara del Toro, 22, of Venezuela, was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with the armed robbery of the Joyeria El Ruby Jewelry Store. Lara del Toro pleaded guilty without a plea agreement.
According to the indictment and facts established at sentencing, Lara del Toro and others entered the Joyeria El Ruby Jewelry Store on West 38th Avenue in Denver on the afternoon of June 24, 2024. During the robbery, employees and customers were held at gunpoint, several employees were beaten with firearms, and nearly $4 million worth of gold and jewelry were stolen. Multiple victims were injured in the attack. The suspects were later located in the El Paso, Texas, area. The defendants in this case, including Lara del Toro, committed this crime acting under the directives of international Tren de Aragua (TdA) leadership.
“The District of Colorado continues to pursue the total elimination of the Tren de Aragua gang in Colorado, and sentences like this send a strong message that we will not tolerate this violence in our communities,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I hope the victims of this violent attack take some solace in justice being served as these criminals are sent to federal prison.”
“The violent crime behind this case and HSI’s broader Denver-area investigation into Tren de Aragua marks the beginning of the end for this criminal group,” said HSI Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “The professionalism of HSI Denver and El Paso agents, along with our FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office partners in Colorado and Texas, demonstrate the strength of a whole-of-government law enforcement approach.”
“The video surveillance of the jewelry store robbery was shocking in its violence, prompting an immediate action from local and federal partners. The crew that planned and carried out the robbery knew people would be inside, and they fully intended to terrorize anyone present during the robbery's commission,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “The FBI Violent Criminal Enterprise Task Force in collaboration with our partners tracked them down and brought them back to face justice. This sentence reflects the decisions the defendant chose to make.”
Two other defendants, Jean Torres-Roman and Newman Castillo Delgado were previously sentenced. A fourth defendant will be sentenced later this year.
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Denver, the Denver Police Department, the FBI Denver Field Division, FBI El Paso Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso Police Department, and West Texas Anti-Gang Center. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Leah Perczak.
These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Rocky Mountain HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); United States Marshals Service (USMS); Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO); and United States Customs and Border Patrol with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
Case Numbers: 24-CR-00247-NYW and 25-CR-00331-PAB
Venezuelan Sentenced to 18 Years for Robbing a Denver Jewelry Store at the Direction of Tren de AraguaRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jesus Lara del Toro, 22, of Venezuela, was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with the armed robbery of the Joyeria El Ruby Jewelry Store. Lara del Toro pleaded guilty without a plea agreement.
According to the indictment and facts established at sentencing, Lara del Toro and others entered the Joyeria El Ruby Jewelry Store on West 38th Avenue in Denver on the afternoon of June 24, 2024. During the robbery, employees and customers were held at gunpoint, several employees were beaten with firearms, and nearly $4 million worth of gold and jewelry were stolen. Multiple victims were injured in the attack. The suspects were later located in the El Paso, Texas area. The defendants in this case, including Lara del Toro, committed this crime acting under the directives of international Tren de Aragua (TdA) leadership.
“The District of Colorado continues to pursue the total elimination of the Tren de Aragua gang in Colorado, and sentences like this send a strong message that we will not tolerate this violence in our communities,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I hope the victims of this violent attack take some solace in justice being served as these criminals are sent to federal prison.”
“The violent crime behind this case and HSI’s broader Denver-area investigation into Tren de Aragua marks the beginning of the end for this criminal group,” said HSI Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “The professionalism of HSI Denver and El Paso agents, along with our FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office partners in Colorado and Texas, demonstrate the strength of a whole-of-government law enforcement approach.”
“The video surveillance of the jewelry store robbery was shocking in its violence, prompting an immediate action from local and federal partners. The crew that planned and carried out the robbery knew people would be inside, and they fully intended to terrorize anyone present during the robbery's commission,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “The FBI Violent Criminal Enterprise Task Force in collaboration with our partners tracked them down and brought them back to face justice. This sentence reflects the decisions the defendant chose to make.”
Two other defendants, Jean Torres-Roman, and Newman Castillo Delgado were previously sentenced. A fourth defendant will be sentenced later this year.
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Denver, the Denver Police Department, the FBI Denver Field Division, FBI El Paso Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso Police Department, and West Texas Anti-Gang Center. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Leah Perczak.
These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Rocky Mountain HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); United States Marshals Service (USMS); Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO); and United States Customs and Border Patrol with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
Case Numbers: 24-CR-00247-NYW and 25-CR-00331-PAB
United States Intervenes in False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Colorado Medical CompaniesRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that the United States has intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The United States alleges in its complaint that three Colorado healthcare companies—Front Range Urgent Care, Inc., Comfort Care Family Practice, Inc., and QwikCareMD, LLC (together, QwikCare)—and two individuals, Anita Weiscamp, and Steven L. Wenrich, M.D., engaged in a scheme for nearly a decade to submit fraudulent claims for payment under federal health insurance programs. Specifically, the complaint alleges that the defendants submitted inflated claims for payments using Dr. Wenrich’s provider number even when Dr. Wenrich did not provide nor supervise any services for which the claims were submitted.
The complaint names Front Range Urgent Care, an urgent care medical practice, Comfort Care Family Practice, a family care medical practice, both of which have their primary places of business in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Both entities were established by a doctor, Dr. Steven Wenrich, who later passed away. The complaint also names QwikCareMD, a company that provided medical management services to Front Range Urgent Care and Comfort Care Family Practice. QwikCareMD was established by Dr. Wenrich’s spouse, Anita Wiescamp.
The case involves payments by Medicare and TRICARE, which are federal healthcare programs. Medicare provides health benefits to individuals ages 65 and older as well as to certain other individuals with qualifying conditions. Medicare has several parts, including Part B, which provides benefits to Medicare participants to cover the costs of services provided by physicians and other practitioners, among other things. TRICARE provides health benefits to U.S. Armed Forces civilian personnel, military retirees, and their dependents. Under Medicare Part B and TRICARE, the federal government pays healthcare providers for covered services on a fee-for-service basis. In particular, the federal government pays more for physicians to provide services than for nurse practitioners or physician assistants to provide those same services.
The complaint alleges that defendants violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false claims under Dr. Wenrich’s physician provider number when Dr. Wenrich did not provide or supervise services for which the claims were submitted. Instead, the services were actually provided by nurse practitioners or physician assistants. The complaint alleges that the defendants fraudulently submitted tens of thousands of these inflated requests for payments. These false claims caused the federal government to pay significantly more for the services that were provided by defendants than Medicare and TRICARE otherwise should have paid.
“Our federal healthcare system relies on honest billing,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado. “When companies overbill Medicare and TRICARE by fraudulently submitting inflated requests for payments, they jeopardize important benefits for others under those programs. We will not tolerate such conduct.”
“Fraudulent billing that exploits Medicare is not an error, but deliberate misconduct that steals from a program that millions of Americans depend on,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Schemes that knowingly misrepresent who provided care in order to obtain higher reimbursement — as alleged in this case — are a direct attack on the integrity of federal health care programs, including Medicare. HHS‑OIG will continue to pursue allegations of fraud aggressively, working relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who commit health care fraud are held fully accountable.”
“Healthcare fraud committed against TRICARE, our military’s healthcare benefit program – including schemes in which services are billed at a higher level than what was actually provided – undermines military readiness by diverting critical resources away from beneficiaries who genuinely need medical care,” said Chad Gosch, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Southwest Field Office. “As the investigative arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, DCIS remains steadfast in our commitment to holding accountable those who illegally compromise the integrity and effectiveness of TRICARE for personal gain.”
The lawsuit was originally filed by former employees of QwikCare under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Those whistleblower provisions permit private parties to sue on behalf of the United States based on the submission of false claims to the government. The False Claims Act authorizes the United States to investigate the allegations made by such private parties and, if it elects to do so, to intervene in a whistleblower lawsuit and take over primary responsibility for litigating it, as the United States has done here. The Act permits the government to recover three times its damages, plus civil penalties. The private plaintiffs are then entitled to receive a share of any funds recovered through the United States’s lawsuit.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rels. Young, M.D. and Perez v. Anita Weiscamp., et al., No. 20-cv-02514-DDD-MDB (D. Colo.).
Mexican National Indicted on Charges of Illegal Reentry, False Claim of United States Citizenship, After Assuming Identity of Deceased ChildRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Alejandro Rascon-Perez, 54, of Mexico, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien, and one count of a false claim of United States Citizenship.
According to public court documents, Rascon-Perez illegally entered the United States in March 2012 near El Paso, Texas. Shortly after arriving in the United States, he was prosecuted in Adams County, Colorado, for possessing Flunitrazepam (commonly known as Rohypnol), and was removed to Mexico. Rascon-Perez illegally reentered the United States again in 2012, was convicted of illegal reentry in the Western District of Texas and was again removed to Mexico. He illegally re-entered the United States a third time before being arrested by the Denver Police Department in May 2025 for felony menacing.
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer for Rascon-Perez, but the Denver Sheriff’s Department released Rascon-Perez back into the community. Rascon-Perez was arrested again in July 2026 for failure to appear in his state criminal case. At that point, ICE obtained a federal criminal arrest warrant and arrested Rascon-Perez.
While federal officers were processing the defendant after his arrest, he claimed he was a United States Citizen with a different identity. Rascon-Perez presented federal officers with documents in the name of Jason Raymond Couture and repeatedly insisted he was Jason Raymond Couture. Upon further investigation, and with assistance from the Social Security Administration, federal agents were able to confirm that Rascon-Perez was not in fact Couture because Couture was a child who had died decades ago. Rascon-Perez continued to insist on the false identity and in interviews with federal officers provided a false date of birth and an incorrect spelling of the name he claimed was his identity.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by the Violent Crime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office.
Case Number: 1:26-cr-00174-NYW
Former Denver Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Complex Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER –The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Heath Posey, 39, formerly of Denver, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison, more than $6.2 million in restitution to victims and the IRS, a $10,000 fine, and three years of supervised release for his role in operating a multi-million-dollar fraudulent investment scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately December 2022 through May 2024, Posey was the Chief Financial Officer of the ROI Cash Flow Fund, a fraudulent investment scheme. The ROI Cash Flow Fund was founded in June 2022 by Timothy McPhee. In late December 2022, McPhee hired Posey to serve as the fund’s Chief Financial Officer. In December 2025, McPhee was sentenced to 151 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $59 million in restitution to the IRS and victims of the investment fraud scheme.
The ROI Cash Flow Fund was advertised to prospective investors as an opportunity to earn a 3% monthly return on a principal investment. Investors were told that the ROI Cash Flow Fund generated the 3% monthly returns by lending investor funds to a borrower who engaged in foreign exchange currency (forex) trading to generate a profit. As the fund’s CFO, Posey tracked the money moving in and out of the ROI Cash Flow Fund bank accounts, circulated fund materials, and initiated monthly payments to investors.
In February 2023, unbeknownst to investors, the ROI Cash Flow Fund stopped sending investor funds to the borrower because the borrower was not paying returns as expected. To keep the fund running, McPhee and Posey started using investor funds to make 3% monthly payouts to certain investors. They continued to solicit investments into the fund. Although Posey knew that as of March 2023 the ROI Cash Flow Fund was not operating as advertised, he nevertheless helped McPhee conceal and carry out this fraud scheme until around May 2024. During this time, Posey repeatedly made false statements to investors, including that investors’ funds would be sent to a borrower who engaged in forex trading. Posey also helped recruit investors into the ROI Cash Flow Fund despite knowing that the fund was running out of money.
From January 2023 until its collapse in February 2024, the ROI Cash Flow Fund generated a total of about $8 million in investments. McPhee and Posey used more than $5 million in investor funds to make 3% monthly payouts to certain investors, and Posey helped McPhee siphon off more than $2.2 million in investor funds for McPhee’s own financial gain. Both men also used investor funds to pay Posey’s salary and fund-related expenses, though investors were told their money would not be used to pay salaries, fees, or fund expenses. In total, the ROI Cash Flow Fund scheme caused a loss to investors of approximately $6 million.
“It’s good news for our community that these swindlers are no longer able to hurt trusting clients with their schemes,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding fraudsters who abuse the trust of others accountable.”
“This defendant played a substantial role in orchestrating an elaborate Ponzi scheme that cost investors millions of dollars,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “Pursuing his own greedy ends, the defendant lied repeatedly to investors and led to numerous individuals losing their life savings, retirement funds, and peace of mind. The FBI aggressively pursues fraudsters who try to benefit themselves by stealing from others.”
“This defendant will spend years in prison for participating in a conspiracy that defrauded investors out of their hard-earned savings,” said Todd Wacaser, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation's Denver Field Office. “Criminals who prey on hardworking people for their own financial gain should expect to be held accountable. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to protect taxpayers and investors, safeguard the integrity of our financial system, and work with our law enforcement partners to bring those responsible to justice.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The FBI Denver Field Office and the IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Scott for the District of Colorado and former Trial Attorney Lauren K. Pope of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 24-CR-352-CNS-2
Two Pueblo Men Indicted on Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mario Lucero, 49, Pueblo, and Esai Maestas Torres, 24, Pueblo, were each indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of bank robbery, three counts of using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, three counts of carjacking, and one count each of possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.
According to the indictment, on March 27, 2026, Lucero and Maestas Torres used firearms to rob a U.S. Bank on Bonforte Boulevard in Pueblo. The indictment alleges that the men then used those firearms to commit several carjackings across the city including stealing a Chevrolet Bolt, an Audi Q5, and a Nissan Rogue. Neither of the suspects are allowed to possess firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by the Violent Crime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office.
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.
Case Number: 1:26-cr-00129-SKC
Second Former Trading Firm Executive Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Coloradans and Clients Worldwide of $179 MillionRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Michael Shawn Stewart, 63, of Scottsdale, Arizona, was sentenced to a total of 288 months in federal prison and $93,273,838.16 in restitution after being found guilty by a federal jury in May 2024 on 14 counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Co-defendant, Bryant Edwin Sewall, 59, formerly of Little Elm, Texas, was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison in November 2024 after being convicted on the same counts.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Stewart and Sewall were owners and executives of companies operating on various Caribbean islands under the names Mediatrix Capital and Blue Isle Markets. As part of the scheme, Stewart and Sewall provided false and fraudulent information about an algorithm-based foreign currency exchange (“ForEx”) trading program to potential investors and to salespeople they were using to solicit investors. For example, Stewart and Sewall falsely represented that Mediatrix had a history of successful ForEx trading going back to 2013 with no months of losses when, instead, Mediatrix did not exist until 2014, and its trading history included many months of net losses. Mediatrix promised its investors “100% Transparency,” “100% Liquidity” and “World Class Returns.”
Additional evidence at trial showed that, after luring investors into the scheme, Stewart and Sewall fraudulently induced them to stay by manipulating account statements to show only positive trades while intentionally hiding massive losses that substantially reduced those investors’ accounts. By the end of the scheme, Stewart and Sewall had promised investors over $179 million but had only $9.8 million in their accounts, a gap that they internally referred to as “the hole.” Even as they lost approximately $32 million in trades, Stewart and Sewall rewarded themselves with approximately $28 million in performance fees. They also used their brokerage, Blue Isle, to fraudulently convert investor money into over $45 million in markup fees. They spent the money on real estate, boats, cars, jewelry, and other luxuries.
“Stewart and Sewall stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting clients so they could give themselves lives of luxury. Instead, they bought themselves decades in federal prison and have been ordered to pay $93 million to the people of whom they took advantage,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “To others who think they might want to get rich by defrauding their clients, we look forward uncovering your scheme and bringing you to justice.”
“Mr. Stewart and his co-defendant orchestrated an elaborate foreign currency investment fraud scheme causing significant financial harm to unsuspecting victims; they misled investors with calculated lies about profit potential while diverting the money for personal gain,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “The FBI remains committed to pursuing justice for individuals targeted by financial criminals.”
A third partner involved with Mediatrix and Blue Isle — Michael Young — previously pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison in 2024.
United States District Judge William J. Martinez presided over the sentencing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Denver Field Office conducted the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Fields and former Assistant United States Attorney Anna Edgar handled the prosecution.
Case number: 21-cr-00034-WJM
Rocky Ford Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Drug Distribution, Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mario Rocha, 27, of Rocky Ford, Colorado, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to the plea agreement, following a tip from an informant, the FBI began investigating Rocha. Upon obtaining a search warrant for his residence, FBI agents found 4,772 grams of fentanyl (an estimated 47,720 pills), 1,236 grams of methamphetamine, 1,169 grams of cocaine, 17 firearms (including a sawed-off shotgun), and a live pipe bomb.
“I am grateful that this violent criminal will be off the streets of southern Colorado for a long time,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “Our office is proud to work with our federal, state, and local partners in every corner of our state to get these violent drug dealers off the streets and into prison where they belong.”
“This drug dealer was a menace to everyone he contacted. The FBI worked with the Rocky Ford Police Department to get his illegal weapons and deadly drugs off the streets. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also part of the team that effected the arrest of Rocha during Operation Summer Heat 2025,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “The community is safer now that he will be in federal prison for 20 years.”
United States District Judge Philip A. Brimmer presided over the sentencing.
The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task force handled the investigation in cooperation with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rocky Ford Police Department.
The Violent Crime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 25-cr-00265-PAB-01
Ute Mountain Ute Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Sex Assault in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
DURANGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that Bentley Watts Jr., 22, Towaoc, Colorado, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to one count of assault with intent to commit abusive sexual contact in Indian Country and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country.
According to the plea agreement, on June 15, 2024, Watts Jr. assaulted his former intimate partner within the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation. Watts Jr. dragged the victim to his bedroom, punched her multiple times, placed the victim in a chokehold, sexually assaulted her, and hit her with a crowbar. At the time of the assault, Watts Jr. had a domestic violence protection order from Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Court that prohibited him from contacting the victim.
“This is a just sentence for a terrible crime,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “Seeking justice for victims of violent crimes in our tribal communities is a critical priority for the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado.”
“Violence on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation like that perpetrated by this defendant will always bring a quick response from the FBI,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “We will continue to hold those responsible for violent crimes on tribal lands accountable.”
United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs-Ute Mountain Ute Agency and the FBI Durango Resident Agency conducted the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Franceware handled the prosecution of the case.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00230-GPG-JMC
Colorado Man Charged in Medicaid Fraud Scheme Connected to Arapahoe County Adult DaycareRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado along with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office announces that Mohamed Elias Omer, 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury on twelve counts of illegal remunerations to induce Medicaid beneficiaries to attend Nadina Adult Daycare Center, LLC., located in Arapahoe County.
According to the indictment, Omer offered three $500 kickback payments in exchange for referrals of Medicaid beneficiaries for adult daycare, and $10,000 in other kickback payments described as “marketing expense(s)” or “office supply.”
Medicaid is a federal health care program that is funded through taxpayer dollars that are distributed by the state through the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Medicaid provides adult daycare services to qualified Medicaid beneficiaries.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI Denver Field Office.
The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Medicaid Fraud, Abuse & Neglect Unit in the Colorado Department of Law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (‘Fraud Division’). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Case Number: 26-cr-00140-DDD
Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Indictment Against Digital-Age Drug DealerRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Aleksei L. Sharp of Arvada, 35, was indicted on charges related to trafficking in cocaine, ketamine, and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (commonly referred to as “MDMA” or “ecstasy”) and subsequent efforts to launder the resulting proceeds via cryptocurrency transactions.
The indictment, unsealed upon the defendant’s initial appearance in Court on June 17, 2026, alleges that the defendant used encrypted communications to directly sell illegal drugs to buyers, which he would then distribute through the United States Postal Service. To conceal various aspects of the proceeds the defendant allegedly set up virtual currency wallets, instructed buyers to transfer virtual currencies into those wallets, and then engaged in transactions on cryptocurrency exchanges to hide the money trail and convert the virtual currency into cash.
This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Rocky Mountain HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshals Service (USMS), Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Scott is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 26-cr-00120-GPG
Metro Area Man Sentenced to 216 Months After Social Media Schemes Led to Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Alec Deschryver, 26, who has lived in various cities in the Denver metro area, was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of carjacking involving firearms.
According to the plea agreement, in October 2023, Deschryver used a social media marketplace to contact a woman who was selling a Mercedes sedan and arranged to meet her and see the car. Deschryver, who arrived at the woman’s house with a second defendant, arranged a test drive of the vehicle with the woman’s husband. Once in the vehicle, Deschryver drove the Mercedes onto rural roads, stopped the car and brandished a firearm while threatening the man who was with him for the test drive. Deschryver drove away in the car and later sold it to an unwitting individual.
In a second instance, in November 2023, Denver Police responded to a report of an armed carjacking that resulted in a shooting. In a similar scheme, Deschryver had responded to an advertisement for another Mercedes sedan listed on the same social media marketplace. Deschryver test drove the vehicle. Anticipating a sale, the seller went to remove a child safety seat from the backseat when Deschryver brandished a firearm. The victim backed away but was shot in the leg. Deschryver stole the vehicle. It was later recovered when the second defendant gave the car to a family member.
“This case demonstrates two important things. First, violent criminals in our communities will be prosecuted and held accountable for their behavior,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “Second, this is an important reminder to the general public to use caution when engaging on social media marketplaces to sell or purchase goods.”
“Engrained in the culture of ATF is working alongside our local law enforcement partners which contributed to the success in stopping these multi-jurisdictional violent crimes," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Chris Ashbridge. "Together, we operated as a powerful network that has delivered accountability and made our communities safer.”
United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Denver Police Department, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northglenn Police Department.
The prosecution was handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office.
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.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00012-GPG
Georgia Man Sentenced to 37 Months After Pleading Guilty to Defrauding COVID-19 Era Economic ProgramsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Brian Graham, 49, Lithia Springs, Georgia, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and was directed to pay restitution in the amount of $441,546.876, and forfeiture after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement, between April 2020 and August 2021, Graham prepared and submitted fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications on behalf of several business entities that he controlled. The EIDL and PPP are economic relief programs launched and expanded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In those applications, the defendant made materially false statements regarding the entities’ number of employees, gross revenues, cost of goods sold, and payroll. He also certified that the information provided in the applications was true and accurate, and that the funds would be used to pay payroll and other permissible business expenses when, in fact, he used the bulk of the proceeds for his personal benefit.
“A fraud on the federal government is a fraud on the American taxpayer,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I am proud that our office continues to seek out and prosecute these greed-driven criminals who choose to benefit from funds meant to help their fellow Americans in a time of need.”
“This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to investigate and bring to justice those who victimize the American taxpayer,” said Krystofor Proev, TIGTA Special Agent in Charge. “Fraudulently applying for loans through a federal program meant to assist Americans in need will be met with aggressive investigation and prosecution.”
“Intentional misrepresentation to gain access to Small Business Administration (SBA) program funds intended for the nation’s small businesses is reprehensible,” said SBA Office of Inspector General Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Huang. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs.”
Senior United States District Judge John L. Kane presided over the sentencing.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General handled the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cassidy handled the prosecution.
The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.
Department of Justice efforts support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Case Number: 1:25-cr-00079-JLK
Treasury Department Designates Sinaloa-Connected Mexican National Indicted in ColoradoRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated two distinct networks linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and its fentanyl trafficking activities. An OFAC designation means that an individual, entity, or organization is officially sanctioned by the United States Treasury, and their property and financial interests under U.S. jurisdiction are blocked from use or transfer. In the District of Colorado, a federal grand jury has indicted Rodrigo Alarcon Palomares, a Mexican national and associate of one of those Sinaloa linked networks, with three counts of laundering drug proceeds through cryptocurrency.
According to the indictment, Alarcon Palomares knowingly conducted financial transactions involving the conversion of drug proceeds into cryptocurrency.
This action is taken in coordination with the Government of Mexico’s financial intelligence unit, the Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (UIF). The action was taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059, which targets the proliferation of illicit drugs and their means of production, and pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists and their supporters.
This action is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Rocky Mountain HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); United States Marshals Service (USMS); Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO); and United States Customs and Border Patrol with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
A list of the updates to the specially designated nationals list maintained by OFAC can be found here.
Texas Woman Indicted for Allegedly Defrauding Two Colorado-Based CompaniesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Emily Katherine Merrill, 41, of Cypress, Texas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on ten counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering.
According to the indictment, between July 2021 and November 2024, Merrill worked as both an accounting manager and controller of a Lafayette, Colorado, based company. During that time, it is alleged that Merrill devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money and property from her employer through completing unauthorized financial transactions, altering company bank statements, controlling access to credit card statements, fabricating documents, and communicating misleading financial information.
Additionally the indictment says, between April 2025 and December 2025, Merrill worked as a financial controller for a Denver, Colorado, based company. During that time, it is alleged that Merrill further devised and participated in a similar scheme to wrongfully obtain money and property from her employer.
Through both schemes and a variety of transactions, the indictment alleges Merrill took over $3 million dollars. It is also alleged that fraud proceeds were spent on items such as airfare and hotels, retail stores, a luxury watch, and vehicles, including a BMW, a Ford F150, and a motor home.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI Denver Field Office.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Taylor Glogiewicz.
Case Number: 1:26-cr-00106RMR
Department of Justice’s Grant Program Awards Colorado Department of Public Safety $1.3 Million to Support Victims of Evergreen High School ShootingRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs has awarded the Colorado Department of Public Safety $1.3 million to support the victims and community of the 2025 Evergreen High School shooting.
On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, there was a school shooting at Evergreen High School. During the incident, two students were shot and critically injured but survived. A teacher was also injured.
The funds awarded in this grant will be used to support recovery in several ways, including: providing counseling services to the victims of the shooting, including students and staff; creation of the Evergreen Resiliency Center which will help support victims of crime and other trauma; reimburse the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for overtime pay incurred while supporting victims in the immediate aftermath of the shooting; provide a trauma recovery coordinator, an additional counselor at Evergreen High School, and a half-time counselor at Wilmot Elementary where some victims sought shelter during the shooting; and support for the Colorado Department of Public Safety’s Office for Victims Programs, which provides ongoing support and victim compensation, of which some 400 claims have been filed to date in relation to this incident.
“My thoughts and prayers remain with the Evergreen High School community and those both injured and affected by this heinous act,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I know nothing can change what happened that day, but I hope the Evergreen Community knows that the Department of Justice stands with them and remains their partner today and in the future.”
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is the largest grantmaking component of the Department of Justice and houses the Department’s criminal and juvenile justice-related science, statistics, and programmatic agencies. OJP is committed to advancing work that furthers DOJ’s mission to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and protect civil rights. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis.
United States Attorney Peter McNeilly Appointed to Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
DENVER – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly has been appointed, along with 17 other United States Attorneys, to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting U.S. Attorney’s Offices and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC took place earlier this month.
“I am humbled to join the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and look forward to engaging with my colleagues and Department of Justice leadership on issues that are important both nationally and here in Colorado,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Our office’s tireless work to achieve justice for the United States and the people of Colorado has earned us a reputation as a national leader. I am excited to use this opportunity to advocate not just for the interests of Colorado, but for the U.S. Attorney community and the Department of Justice as a whole.”
The appointees to the AGAC include: United States Attorney Dan Bishop, Middle District of North Carolina; United States Attorney Andrew Boutros, Northern District of Illinois; United States Attorney Scott Bradford, District of Oregon; United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine, District of Arizona; Acting United States Attorney Catherine Crosby, Northern District of Alabama; United States Attorney Michael Dunavant, Western District of Tennessee; First Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Ellison, District of New Mexico; First Assistant United States Attorney Bilal Essayli, Central District of California; United States Attorney Adam Gordon, Southern District of California; United States Attorney Jerome Gorgon, Eastern District of Michigan; Acting United States Attorney John Marck, Southern District of Texas; United States Attorney Peter McNeilly, District of Colorado; United States Attorney David Metcalf, Eastern District of Pennsylvania; United States Attorney Jeanine Pirro, District of Columbia; United States Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, Southern District of Florida; and United States Attorney Lesley Woods, District of Nebraska.
United States Attorney Peter McNeilly was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado by United States Attorney General Pam Bondi on June 16, 2025. On October 14, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado appointed Mr. McNeilly to continue as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado. Before his appointment, Mr. McNeilly had served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Colorado since 2014, primarily working on cases targeting transnational criminal organizations. Mr. McNeilly is also a lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. His full biography appears here.
Nine Indicted in Multi-Count Drug and Money Laundering CaseRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Juan Omar Gonazlez-Guzman, 24, Abel Joshua Thomas, 41, Paris Kayla Gonazles, 33, Karla Lyn Cipares, 46, Diego Yair Hernandez-Barbizani, 24, Pedro Carrillo-Hernandez, 29, Diana Victoria Amador-Rodriguez, 31, and Dustin Gary Trujillo, 38, who all resided in the Denver metro area, and an unidentified individual, are charged in an indictment containing seventeen counts of possession and distribution of fentanyl, possession and distribution of methamphetamine, possession and distribution of cocaine, and possession and distribution of heroin, and a conspiracy to commit the same. Hernandez-Barbizani faces one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Thomas, Cipares, Hernandez-Barbizani, Amador-Rodriguez, and the unidentified individual are also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the indictment, between October 2024 and through 2025, individuals named in the indictment participated in a variety of actions including possession and distribution of illicit substances as well as a variety of financial transactions to, amongst others, conceal the source of the money from alleged drug dealing.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation and was joined by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The Transnational Organized Crime and Money Laundering Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is handling the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:26-cr-00092-PAB
Mexican National Convicted of Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Nancy Maldonado Alvarez, 43, a Mexican national, was convicted on 37 counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for clients.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Alvarez owned and operated a tax preparation business in Denver that she used to prepare false tax returns claiming refunds her clients were not entitled to receive. Alvarez carried out her tax fraud scheme by fabricating business losses, often for non-existent businesses, and by seeking the paid sick and family leave credit, which Congress created to aid struggling businesses and others during the COVID-19 global pandemic, even though many of her clients did not qualify for the credit. She also collected preparation fees that sometimes exceeded $2,000 per return, often unbeknownst to her clients. In total, Alvarez caused a loss to the United States exceeding $150,000.
Alvarez is scheduled to be sentenced in August.
Senior United States District Judge John L. Kane presided over the trial.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Neff for the District of Colorado and Trial Attorney Daniel R. Glenn of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section handled the prosecution.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
26-00324-JLK
Chaffee County Sheriff’s Deputy Honored by United States Attorney for the District of Colorado with the Inaugural Hometown Hero AwardRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is proud to announce the Deputy Donnie Smith of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Department has been awarded the inaugural Hometown Hero Award sponsored by the Department of Justice in honor of America’s 250th birthday.
In a ceremony today, United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly and Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich awarded Deputy Smith the Hometown Hero Award. Deputy Smith, who has worked in law enforcement since 2021, is known for his heroic actions while on duty. In November 2022, Deputy Smith rescued a woman who fell approximately 500 feet down a large ice field on Mount Yale. Deputy Smith was helicoptered to the apex above the severely injured woman, tended to her injuries, and stayed with her until daylight when she could be airlifted to the hospital. Deputy Smith’s actions not only saved this woman’s life but also helped save her feet which were severely frostbitten.
In October 2024, late at night and after a full day of patrol, Deputy Smith was helicoptered to the top of La Plata Peak to rescue a man who had fallen while hiking and sustained severe injuries and was unable to hike down. Because of the late hour, the helicopter was unable to rescue the injured hiker and again Deputy Smith stayed the night with the man in freezing temperatures above 13,000 feet until he could be airlifted at daybreak. These actions saved the hiker’s life.
Deputy Smith’s bravery has also extended into the face of other dangers, including an incident in 2025 when he continued to deploy tear gas into a building while a suspect fired multiple shots at him. Deputy Smith created a medical program to teach agency staff tactical medicine including how to treat bullet wounds in the field. He also serves as a Tactical Medical Party on the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office tactical team and has worked as a paramedic and as a ski patroller. On his days off, Deputy Smith is a volunteer for the Chaffee County Search and Rescue team.
“Today we get to honor one of our absolute best,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “The District of Colorado is proud to honor Deputy Smith for his exceptional work and service to his fellow Coloradans. He is an extraordinary example of what a law enforcement officer can be, and I am grateful for his continued service.”
"When I think of the word hero, I immediately picture Deputy Smith,” said Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich. “Whenever a job is too difficult for the rest of us, Deputy Smith steps in to accomplish the mission. Donnie is a hero for the heroes.”
The Hometown Hero Award was created in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States of America. The Department of Justice is proud to honor law enforcement across the country with recognition of the extraordinary service to their fellow citizens.
Two Venezuelan Nationals Charged with Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
DENVER - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jeremmy Andres Boscan-Delfin, and Wilmer Jose Bolano-Sanchez, both of Venezuela, have been charged with one count of each of illegally trafficking firearms. Boscan-Delfin is also charged with distributing “tusi,” a drug containing ketamine and MDMA.
According to the complaint and indictment, the defendants are alleged to have sold numerous firearms, including firearms with obliterated serial numbers and several high-capacity firearms and magazines and ammunition, to an undercover agent. Twelve firearms and “tusi,” containing ketamine and MDMA, were seized in this ongoing investigation.
Bolano-Sanchez pleaded not guilty in federal court in Denver today. Boscan-Delfin is scheduled to appear in the Middle District of Tennessee this week.
A third individual, identified as co-conspirator one in the complaint, is alleged to have been operating out of the Nashville, Tennessee area.
The charges contained in the complaint and indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is handling the prosecution.
These arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Denver comprises agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Secret Service with the prosecutions being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
Case Number: 1:26-mj-00079, 26-cr-00102-SKC
Twin Brothers Plead Guilty to Robbery, Brandishing Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Javae McClain, 19, of Aurora, and Javaris McClain, 19, of Aurora, each pled guilty to robbery affecting commerce and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the plea agreements, in September of 2024, the McClain brothers committed an armed robbery of a convenience store in Denver. Both were charged with aggravated robbery in Denver and then released on state bond. Between December 23, 2024, and January 12, 2025, while on state bond, Javae McClain committed an additional ten armed convenience store robberies across the Denver Metro area, and was taken into custody on January 12, 2025. After Javae McClain was taken into custody, Javaris McClain, who was also still on state bond, continued the robbery spree by robbing an additional nine Denver area convenience stores with a gun. Javaris McClain was arrested on February 4, 2025.
Senior United States District Judge William J. Martinez presided over the hearing.
Both McClains are scheduled to be sentenced in September.
The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force handled the investigation in cooperation with Denver, Commerce City, Westminster, Lakewood, Sheridan, Littleton, Aurora, and Parker Police Departments, and the Arapahoe County Sherriff’s Office.
The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 25-cr-134-WJM
Aurora Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Robbery, Brandishing A FirearmRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Euriah Hymes, 23, of Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the plea agreement, between January 17 and February 14, 2024, Hymes committed 12 armed robberies of convenience stores in three different counties across the Denver Metro area. In each of these robberies, workers in the convenience stores were threatened with a gun as Hymes demanded cash and stole tobacco products.
“Euriah Hymes’s robbery spree spanned three counties and victimized more than a dozen people,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “This strong sentence will keep a violent criminal off of our streets for a significant time.”
“Those who commit brazen, violent crimes targeting our community will be identified, pursued, and held accountable,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “Clerks in 12 convenience stores were held at gunpoint and traumatized. Partnerships like the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force continue to be a force multiplier in our work and our success in crushing violent crime.”
United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office, the Safe Streets Task Force, Broomfield Police Department, Westminster Police Department, Federal Heights Police Department, Thornton Police Department, Denver Police Department, and Aurora Police Department.
The prosecution was handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office.
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.
Case Number: 25-cr-00204-GPG
Former Loveland, Colorado Police Department Officer Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting a Minor ChildRead the Press Release
Today, a federal judge in Denver, Colorado, sentenced Dylan Miller, 30, a former Loveland, Colorado Police Department (LPD) officer, to 17 years in prison and five years of supervised release for sexually assaulting a minor while he was on duty.
The sentence comes after a jury returned a guilty verdict on Dec. 2, 2025, on the one-count indictment charging Miller with depriving the victim of her civil rights while acting under color of law.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Miller was on duty as a LPD officer the evening of Aug. 3, 2023, through the early morning of Aug. 4, 2023. Miller contacted the victim and her friend in North Lake Park and told the victim’s friend to leave. Miller then guided the victim to a more secluded area of the park, where he sexually assaulted her.
“Dylan Miller abused his power as a police officer to target, isolate, and sexually assault a minor in his care,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that the Civil Rights Division will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who betray their duty to protect and serve.”
“Dylan Miller sexually assaulted a minor while on duty as a sworn law enforcement officer. His abuse of power and betrayal of trust are abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado. “Today, I think of the victim and hope she takes some solace knowing that a jury unanimously condemned the defendant’s criminal conduct and the court has now expressed how serious that conduct was with this lengthy prison sentence.”
“The actions of Mr. Miller were not only harmful to the individual he swore under oath to protect, but they also undermined public trust and confidence in law enforcement. The FBI will not tolerate those who abuse their positions of authority,” said Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski of the FBI Denver Field Office. “Thank you to Larimer County Sheriff's Office for their participation in the joint the investigation, as well as to Loveland Police Department for their cooperation.”
The FBI’s Denver Field Office, Loveland Resident Agency and the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with cooperation from the Loveland Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts for the District of Colorado and Trial Attorney Sarah E. Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Former Loveland Police Department Officer Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting a Minor ChildRead the Press Release
DENVER - Today, a federal judge in Denver, Colorado, sentenced Dylan Miller, 30, a former Loveland, Colorado Police Department (LPD) officer, to 17 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor while he was on duty.
The sentence comes after a jury returned a guilty verdict on Dec. 2, 2025, on the one-count indictment charging Miller with depriving the victim of her civil rights while acting under color of law.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Miller was on duty as a LPD officer the evening of Aug. 3, 2023, through the early morning of Aug. 4, 2023. Miller contacted the victim and her friend in North Lake Park and told the victim’s friend to leave. Miller then guided the victim to a more secluded area of the park, where he sexually assaulted her.
“Dylan Miller abused his power as a police officer to target, isolate, and sexually assault a minor in his care,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that the Civil Rights Division will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who betray their duty to protect and serve.”
“Dylan Miller sexually assaulted a minor while on duty as a sworn law enforcement officer. His abuse of power and betrayal of trust are abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado. “Today, I think of the victim and hope she takes some solace knowing that a jury unanimously condemned the defendant’s criminal conduct and the court has now expressed how serious that conduct was with this lengthy prison sentence.”
“The actions of Mr. Miller were not only harmful to the individual he swore under oath to protect, but they also undermined public trust and confidence in law enforcement. The FBI will not tolerate those who abuse their positions of authority,” said Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski of the FBI Denver Field Office. “Thank you to Larimer County Sheriff's Office for their participation in the joint the investigation, as well as to Loveland Police Department for their cooperation.”
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the sentencing.
The FBI’s Denver Field Office, Loveland Resident Agency and the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with cooperation from the Loveland Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts for the District of Colorado and Trial Attorney Sarah E. Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Case Number: 24-cr-00083-NYW
Two Sentenced in Connection with Fraud Ring That Stole Millions in Government Funds, Thousands of IdentitiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that Ikponmwosa Erhinmwinrose, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Nyerhovwo Presley Agbure, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, each sentenced in connection to a fraud ring that stole millions in government funds and victimized thousands of people nationwide. Erhinmwinrose will spend 17 years in federal prison after a federal jury in Denver convicted him on six counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of wire fraud conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Agbure will spend 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Two other codefendants await sentencing.
According to the evidence presented at the trial and sentencing of Erhinmwinrose, he and other conspirators including Agbure, applied for more than $90 million in government benefits and stole more than $7.6 million in government benefits from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, multiple state unemployment insurance programs including from the state of Colorado, and tax refunds. The PPP and EIDL are economic relief programs launched by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To obtain these benefits, Erhinmwinrose, Agbure, and other conspirators in the fraud ring used the stolen identities of more than 1,000 victims. As a result of Erhinmwinrose and Agbure’s actions, identity-theft victims never received IRS stimulus payments, received letters in the mail stating that they had to start repaying loans that were taken out in their names, and faced backlash on social media because others thought they had taken out large loans that in fact went to Erhinmwinrose, Agbure, and other members of his fraud ring. To facilitate the criminal activity, the defendants created dozens of email accounts under false names to impersonate real individuals and businesses, worked with conspirators to submit fraudulent applications for benefits, and then instructed a network of conspirators to launder the proceeds through multiple bank accounts before converting the money to cash or transferring it overseas.
“Driven by greed and selfishness, these criminals ran an aggressive fraud scheme which stole millions of dollars from American taxpayers and victimized more than a thousand innocent people,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “The United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Colorado in partnership with the National Fraud Enforcement Division will continue to vigorously seek out and prosecute those who defraud and victimize American taxpayers.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, FDIC Office of Inspector General, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General handled the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Fansler and Sonia Dave handled the prosecution.
The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.
Department of Justice efforts support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Case Number: 1-23-cr-00300-CNS
Action Across the Country Today Prosecute Schemes to Defraud over $260 Million in Taxpayer Funded COVID Relief and Social Security Disability ProgramsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the following actions of the Department of Justice across the country today to hold individuals accountable for schemes that attempted or succeeded in defrauding taxpayer-funded programs of over $260 million.
“The National Fraud Enforcement Division will vigorously pursue those who steal taxpayer dollars. We will find you and bring you to justice for the American people,” said Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
In the District of New Jersey: U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced that tax preparer Leon Haynes, 52, of Teaneck, New Jersey, who sought more than $170 million in fraudulent COVID-19-related tax refunds was sentenced today to 12 years in prison. Haynes was also ordered to pay more than $55 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Following a six-day jury trial in November 2025 before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini, Haynes was convicted of 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, one count of mail fraud, and two counts of tax evasion. This is the largest COVID-19 tax relief fraud case to be tried to date in the country.
In the District of Colorado: U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly announced that Ikponmwosa Erhinmwinrose, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Nyerhovwo Presley Agbure, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, were each sentenced in connection with a fraud ring that stole millions in government funds and victimized thousands of people nationwide. Erhinmwinrose will spend 17 years in federal prison, and Agbure will spend 57 months in federal prison for their involvement in this fraud ring.
According to the evidence presented at the trial and sentencing of Erhinmwinrose, he and other conspirators, including Agbure, applied for more than $90 million in government benefits and stole more than $7.6 million in government benefits from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, multiple state unemployment insurance programs including from the state of Colorado, and tax refunds. The PPP and EIDL are economic relief programs launched by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the Middle District of Florida: U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe announced that Viviana Barnwell was sentenced this morning in Tampa to two years in prison. Barnwell’s adult son, P.C., was a beneficiary of Social Security disability benefits. P.C. went missing in 2016 and remains missing to this day. Despite reporting him missing to the local police, Barnwell concealed his death from the Social Security Administration, which continued to make monthly benefit payments onto P.C.’s debit card. Barnwell had control of that card and used it to withdraw and spend P.C.’s benefits for her own use. The total loss was $96,186.
In the Eastern District of Missouri: U.S. Attorney Thomas Albus announced that the owner of a fossil replica company was indicted Wednesday and accused of fraudulently seeking disability benefits. Scott A. Taylor, 50, is still on probation from a prior disability fraud case. In September 2025, Taylor pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft of government money. In December 2025, Taylor was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $106,923 to the Social Security Administration. The new indictment accuses Taylor of applying for Social Security disability benefits in January 2026, falsely claiming that he had not worked since 1993.
A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The Fraud Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice.
Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Colorado Man Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Terrorist Financing ChargeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Humzah Mashkoor, 20, of Westminster, Colorado, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to concealing the nature, source, or ownership of funds with the knowledge or intent that such funds would be provided to a foreign terrorist organization.
According to the plea agreement, between September 2022 and December 2023, Mashkoor communicated with FBI online covert employees regarding his intent to travel to join ISIS, to provide money to ISIS in support of their efforts, and to recruit others to support ISIS through travel and/or financial contributions. Mashkoor told various FBI online covert employees that he planned to travel in December 2023 to the United Arab Emirates, where he would transfer funds to ISIS and stay until he continued on to either Afghanistan or Syria to serve as a fighter for ISIS. In advance of his travel, Mashkoor took steps to conceal the nature, source, or ownership of funds while he was in the United States that would allow him to covertly transfer funds to ISIS via cryptocurrency upon his planned arrival in the UAE. On December 18, 2023, federal agents arrested Mashkoor at the Denver International Airport before he boarded the first leg of his trip to the UAE.
“Providing material support to a terrorist organization is a serious crime against the United States and I am glad the defendant will spend years in federal prison for what he did,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly.
“This investigation was the result of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (comprised of federal, state, and local partners) as well as the Thornton and Westminster police departments,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “We vigorously pursue investigations when an individual crosses the line from espousing particular views into planning or committing acts of violence, in this case in support of a foreign terrorist organization. Defending the homeland continues to be an FBI top priority.”
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing.
The FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cramer-Babycz and Jasand Mock for the District of Colorado prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Case Number: 24-cr-0018-RMR
Colorado Springs Man Sentenced to 46 Months After Being Convicted on Charges Arising from Hate Crime HoaxRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Derrick Bernard, 36, of Colorado Springs was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment after being found guilty by a federal jury for conspiring to threaten or convey false information about a threat when he burned a cross in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign defaced with a racial slur and publicized the threatening activity. The cross burning took place on April 23, 2023, just over three weeks before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election was being held.
Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that ten days before the cross burning, Bernard sent a message to the threatened candidate in which he explained he was “mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother” and then immediately texted co-defendant Ashley Blackcloud, “I got a plan.” After the burning occurred, Bernard and Blackcloud then worked together to send an email to the candidate, media outlets, and other local, state, and national organizations. Attached to the email was a short video of the cross burning and a still photograph. The email falsely blamed the candidate’s political opponent for the crime. The defendants then worked together to maliciously convey false information about the cross burning via social media platforms.
The conspiracy was uncovered when the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) gathered surveillance footage around the scene of the cross burning. The CSPD’s extensive review of the footage revealed three people prowling through the darkness between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning to stage the crime. Additional investigative work by the CSPD and exhaustive efforts by the FBI ultimately identified Bernard and Blackcloud, self-declared activists and social media personalities, as two of the culprits.
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Denver Field Office, with substantial assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Candyce Cline.
CASE NUMBER: 24-cr-00320-RMR
Castle Rock Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Victims in Romance ScamsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lori Ann Kimball, 52, Castle Rock, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison and ordered to pay $3,112,990.13 in restitution after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the plea agreement, from January 2023 through at least February 2025, Kimball conspired with a person to move proceeds of mail and wire fraud to Nigeria. Conspirators other than Kimball engaged in what’s known as a ‘pig butchering scheme,’ in which individuals use a fictitious identity to cold contact a victim, typically via a social media or dating application, where they build trust and then induce the victim to send money in the form of wire transfers, checks, or virtual currency. Kimball was initially a victim of the pig butchering scheme before she began laundering money received from other victims. After being warned by local law enforcement about the nature of her conduct, Kimball continued to carry out illegal financial transactions, including transferring over $3.4 million she received from victims to cryptocurrency accounts in her own name before eventually transferring those holdings to digital wallets being held by individuals primarily in Nigeria. Kimball also provided false information to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges to conceal and disguise her activity. During her involvement in this conspiracy, Kimball utilized at least 20 bank accounts and at least seven cryptocurrency accounts.
“Sadly, Ms. Kimball was herself a victim of this malicious scheme, but she then joined those who targeted her to help steal millions of dollars from others. She continued even after local law enforcement warned to stop her criminal behavior,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I urge all Coloradans to use caution when placing their trust in people they meet online, especially when those people ask for money.”
“Romance scams leave deep emotional and financial scars, and the bad actors like Kimball, who help launder the proceeds of these scams, cause significant harm to victims and enable criminal networks,” said Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Denver Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to follow the money to expose and disrupt these schemes and hold the network of criminals involved accountable.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Fansler.
Case Number: 1:25-cr-00054-CNS
Colorado Springs Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison After Being Found Guilty of Drug Trafficking, Conspiracy, and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Nathan James Meek, 43, Colorado Springs, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison after being found guilty on multiple counts including: one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to evidence presented at trial, Meek sold large quantities of narcotics in the Colorado Springs area, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. When he was arrested in late January 2024, investigators recovered a cellphone, a firearm, 10 fentanyl pills, 6.2 grams of methamphetamine, and over $3,000 in cash on his person. Officers obtained a search warrant for Meek’s apartment and recovered 2,202 grams of methamphetamine, 131 grams of fentanyl, 80 grams of cocaine, 698 grams of marijuana, and three firearms.
“Getting violent, repeat drug dealers off the streets of Colorado is a key objective of our office and I am glad to see that this criminal will spend the next 25 years in federal prison,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “This case is an excellent example of what strong federal and local law enforcement partnerships can do in the quest to keep our communities safe.”
“Here we have a violent felon who has repeatedly chosen to engage in criminal activity. Because of the steadfast partnership between the FBI and the Colorado Springs Police Department, a jury found the defendant guilty of selling drugs while illegally possessing firearms,” said Marvin Massey, acting special agent in charge of FBI Denver. ‘Now, Mr. Meek is going to federal prison for a long time, and the people of Colorado Springs are safer because he can no longer victimize their community.’
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department.
The prosecution was handled by the Violent Crimes and Immigration Enforcement Section at the United States Attorney's Office.
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.
Case Number: 24-cr-00082-RMR-1
Second Southern Colorado Funeral Home Operator Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Defrauding Grieving Families, COVID-19 FundsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Carie Hallford, 49, of Colorado Springs was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and $1,070,413.74 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Hallford, who owned and operated Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado Springs and Penrose with her then husband and codefendant, Jon Hallford, mishandled at least 190 bodies over four years and defrauded the Small Business Administration (SBA) through fraudulent COVID-19 loan applications. Jon Hallford was sentenced in June 2025 to 240 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,070,413.74 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy.
According to the plea agreement, from as early as September 2019 through October 2023, Hallford and her husband failed to cremate or bury at least 190 bodies, despite having collected more than $130,000 from grieving families for funeral services that were never provided. The defendants failed to provide the basic core service it promised to some of its customers, either a cremation or a burial, and continued to collect payment from victims for funeral services and goods.
The plea agreement further states that Carie Hallford handled much of the banking, invoicing, contracting with customers, filing of required paperwork, bookkeeping and communications with customers. Both defendants routinely prepared death certificates for the deceased and then filed those certificates with the State of Colorado’s Electronic Death Registry. On many of the death certificates for the bodies found at the Penrose location, the defendants falsely stated that the “method of disposition” was by either cremation or burial when in truth there was no disposition as the bodies were left decomposing at the Penrose location. To carry out and execute the above fraud scheme, the defendant and her husband worked together to cause multiple interstate wire communications to occur.
The plea agreement goes on to state that from March 2020 to March 2022, Hallford and her husband conspired to defraud the SBA by submitting loan applications containing false information to obtain COVID-19 relief funds. As a result of this fraud, they received three separate disbursements from the SBA, totaling $882,300. The funds were obtained through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which was established to provide emergency support to businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On October 5, 2023, federal and state officials searched the Penrose location, where they discovered multiple decomposing human remains in hazardous conditions. The toxic environment posed serious health risks to first responders and the public, requiring hazmat suits and strict decontamination protocols. The EPA later condemned and demolished the building, classifying it as a toxic waste site.
“It takes an exceptionally sick person to even think of a fraud scheme like Jon and Carie Hallford’s, let alone carry it out. Their disregard for fundamental human dignity is almost beyond belief,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I hope the victims take some solace in the serious sentences handed down to both Hallfords. This case doesn’t right the wrongs the victims have suffered, but it does stand as an unequivocal condemnation of the Hallfords’ horrific criminal conduct.”
"The defendant defrauded grieving families she agreed to serve while deceiving the federal government in order to obtain benefits meant to assist businesses during the pandemic,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “She denied families well deserved dignity and showed blatant disregard for government rules. She lied and exploited families and systems to enrich her lifestyle with absolutely zero regard for the great harm she caused to so many."
The District of Colorado’s U.S. Attorney’s Office heads one of five national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams, which is focused on combatting and preventing COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the hearing.
The FBI Denver Field Office and the United States Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Several other state and local law enforcement agencies including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fremont County Coroner’s Office have made significant contributions to this case.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Neff and Craig Fansler.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00113-NYW
Jury Finds Castle Rock Man Guilty of Fraud, Money Laundering Charges for $2.4 Million COVID-Era Hand Sanitizer SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that a federal jury convicted Rico Tomas Garcia, 51, of Castle Rock, of nine counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering for devising a scheme in which he falsely promised to procure bulk quantities of hand sanitizer during the early months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
According to the facts established at trial, beginning around April 2020 and continuing until June 2021, Garcia, doing business as Botani Labs, LLC., claimed he would source millions of bottles hand sanitizer as part of a multi-million-dollar deal to supply the product upstream to large national retailers. After receiving a $2.4 million deposit from victim businesses to finance the product, Garcia instead procured none and falsely claimed under oath in civil arbitration that he had wired the deposit to a Chinese hand sanitizer manufacturer. He provided false documents to support his claim. Investigation by the FBI revealed that Garcia established shell companies to use the $2.4 million deposit to pay off personal debts and buy property in California, Nevada, and Colorado, and also move over a million dollars of the remaining money into offshore accounts in the Caribbean.
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the trial.
The FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Albert Buchman, Bryan Fields, Laura Hurd, and Aly Mance handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00106-NYW
Former Medical Case Management Coordinator Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Prescription MedicationsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Shelbi Wolken, 35, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product.
According to the plea agreement, as a case management coordinator for Intermountain Health, Wolken had access to electronic medical records and patients’ personal identifying information. In July 2024, officials at Intermountain Health discovered that the Wolken had used a patient’s information to pick up a prescription for oxycodone at the in-house pharmacy at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Denver. Wolken replaced the stolen medication with loratadine, an allergy medication. During further investigation, Wolken admitted to being addicted to opiates, and investigators found she had picked up approximately 139 prescriptions for approximately 127 patients between December 2023 and July 2024. Wolken replaced the stolen medications with a variety of ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, and lotradine. Several patients whose prescriptions were tampered with reported significant pain and post-surgical complications because they were unknowingly ingesting the wrong medication.
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the hearing.
Sentencing will be held June 10, 2026.
The investigation was handled by Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Fields is handling the prosecution.
Case Number: 26-cr-00023-NYW
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 78 Months for COVID Relief Fraud and International Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Adepoju Babtunde Salako, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy. As part of the plea agreement, Salako also agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of wire fraud in the District of Alaska. The defendant was ordered to pay $2,581,002.50 in restitution to the victims of his crimes.
According to the plea agreement, throughout most of the year 2021, Salako was part of a conspiracy that stole more than $5 million in funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, and 30 state unemployment programs through several complex schemes. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government launched the PPP and EIDL economic relief programs and provided federal funds to state unemployment programs. In one scheme, Salako and two co-conspirators used information of identity theft victims to fraudulently obtain PPP Loans and unemployment benefits and submitted fraudulent applications for EIDL Loans. In another scheme, co-conspirators, who were primarily located in Nigeria, used stolen identities and enlisted romance scam victims to obtain government money. Salako’s role was then to receive money from the romance scam victims and government agencies and to launder fraud proceeds, primarily to China and Nigeria, for a fee of approximately 25 percent.
“Mr. Salako and his criminal associates exploited innocent people and stole millions of dollars from American taxpayers,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “We are committed to finding and prosecuting fraudsters and, as this sentence demonstrates, these criminals will pay a serious price for their actions.”
“Salako was the point man in the U.S. for an international criminal organization that preyed on honest business owners and taxpayers, while also jeopardizing our national security,” said Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Denver Field Office. “Our special agents are experts at uncovering complex financial crimes and today’s sentence is an example of their great work, our relationships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal and state law enforcement partners.”
“The U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General is committed to upholding the integrity of the Postal Service and its workforce. Our office will continue to investigate those who choose to breach the public’s trust and engage in fraudulent activity. The sentence imposed on the defendant stands as a clear warning that serious consequences await anyone who exploits government resources to commit criminal acts,” said Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office. “USPS OIG is thankful for the great longstanding relationships we have developed with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat fraud.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment handled the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig Fansler handled the prosecution.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Case Number: 25-cr-00162-CNS
Two Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Fentanyl Related DeathsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Thomas Galiano III, 26, of Colorado Springs, and Hailee Anne Helton, 26, of Colorado Springs were separately sentenced after each pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with an intent to distribute a substance containing fentanyl. Galiano III was sentenced to 144 months. Helton was sentenced to 168 months.
According to the plea agreements, in August 2022, the Colorado Springs Police Department responded to a call to a unit at the Mountain View Apartment Homes on West Meadow Drive. Inside the unit, police found a 31-year-old man who was deceased. Evidence gathered at the scene included one blue tablet bearing an M-30 imprint, which later tested positive for fentanyl. Evidence collected at the scene, and electronic data, including CashApp payments and social media communications, demonstrated that Helton and Galiano sold the deceased man the drugs.
In October 2022, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a residence on Park Road in Rye, Colorado, after a call about an unresponsive 18-year-old woman. At that scene, investigators found a small black bag with three blue tablets bearing an M-30 imprint, which later tested positive for fentanyl. Evidence, including electronic data from social media, connected the pills to Helton and Galiano.
In a third incident, also in October 2022, an undercover officer in Colorado Springs engaged Helton and Galliano in a drug deal in which the undercover officer purchased 16 fentanyl pills for $150 from Helton and Galiano.
“Fentanyl is a scourge on our society, and it has claimed the lives of two more young people in our community,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “These cases should serve as a warning to other fentanyl dealers that selling even just a handful of pills can put you in federal prison for a very long time.”
“Fentanyl continues to take lives within our community, and two lives are lost due to the careless actions of these drug dealers,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “Working jointly with the Colorado Springs Police Department, FBI Denver was able to bring a measure of justice to their families and accountability to those responsible. We will not stop and will continue to target drug traffickers who bring violence and misery to our community.”
“While no sentence can bring the victims in this case back, we hope this outcome provides a measure of justice and comfort to their families and loved ones,” said Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to aggressively pursuing those who profit from poisoning our community.”
“The loss of a life to fentanyl is devastating, and we take every overdose death seriously. Our crime scene and narcotics detectives’ exceptional work in this case ensured that those who supplied the drugs were brought to justice,” said Pueblo County Sheriff David J. Lucero, “This outcome reflects our commitment to treating these cases with the seriousness they deserve.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencings.
The FBI Colorado Springs Resident Agency, the Colorado Springs Police Department, and the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation.
The Transnational Organized Crime and Money Laundering Section handled the prosecution.
Case Numbers: 23-cr-00371-CNS
Arvada Man Indicted on Charges Related to Manufacture of ‘Bath Salts’Read the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Nicholas T. Benevento, also known as Derrick Jones, 44, of Arvada, was indicted on one count of knowingly manufacturing and possessing with the intent to distribute a substance containing alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP) near a playground, and one count of maintaining a drug house to manufacture alpha-PVP. This illegal substance is more commonly known by the name ‘bath salts.’
According to the indictment, from approximately April 2025 to October 2025, Benevento purchased precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of alpha-PVP and had them shipped to himself at several addresses across Colorado and Utah. The indictment also alleges that on or about November 10, 2025, Benevento manufactured alpha-PVP at his apartment on Ralston Road in Arvada, which was located within 1,000 feet of the Ralston Central Park and Splash Pad. The manufacture of alpha-PVP resulted in and created a toxic fume smell and combustible gas emanating from the apartment.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is handling the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Scott is handling the prosecution.
Case Number: 26-CR-00041-SKC
Norwood Man Sentenced for Making Violent Threats Against Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
DURANGO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Bryan Cornwell, 42, formerly of Norwood, Colorado, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after being convicted by a jury of two counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. Cornwell was also sentenced to serve a three-year term of supervised release.
According to the facts established at trial and at sentencing, from late August through later October 2023, Cornwell knowingly sent over 80 emails containing graphic and threatening messages to a law enforcement official. The messages included threats to kill and seriously injure the official, such as “You will beg me… beg and plead and scream in pain by my hand tick tok m***** f***er,” and repeated statements that “I AM GOING TO KILL YOU.” At the time that Cornwell sent the threatening messages, he was pending sentencing on a prior case where he admitted to threatening to blow up the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office.
“Do not make threats against law enforcement officials,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “Doing so will land you in federal prison.”
“This FBI will not tolerate threats against any law enforcement professionals. The defendant sent more than 80 emails threatening violent death in a calculated scheme to terrorize his target -- all while on bond in a similar case,” said Amanda Koldjeski, Special Agent In Charge of FBI Denver. “It is not permissible to tell an agent, deputy, or officer ‘I am going to kill you.’ The FBI will identify you, arrest you, and ensure justice is served.”
United States District Judge Gordon Gallagher handled the sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 24-cr-047-GPG-JMC
Two Tren de Aragua Members Sentenced in Connection with Armed Robbery of Denver Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jean Torres-Roman, 22, of Venezuela, and Newman Castillo Delgado, 23, of Venezuela were each sentenced after pleading guilty to charges related to the armed robbery of the Joyeria El Ruby Jewelry Store in Denver in June 2024. Torres-Roman was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison. Castillo Delgado was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison. The court also ordered each defendant to pay restitution of $3,939,076.26.
Torres-Roman, who pleaded guilty without an agreement, pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Castillo Delgado pleaded guilty, pursuant to a plea agreement, to one count Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Facts established in the plea agreement and at sentencing show that, on the afternoon of June 24, 2024, Torres-Roman, Castillo Delgado, and other suspects entered the Joyeria El Ruby Jewelry Store on West 38th Avenue in Denver. During the armed robbery, suspects pointed weapons at employees, brutally beat several employees with their weapons, and took nearly $4 million in gold and jewelry. Multiple victims were injured in the attack. The suspects were later located in the El Paso, Texas area.
At sentencing, the court found that Torres-Roman and Castillo Delgado are members of Tren de Aragua (TdA). A separate indictment in United States District Court for the District of Colorado alleges that this robbery was approved and authorized by senior leaders of TdA, and that those leaders approved and directed that proceeds from the robbery be transported, laundered, and transmitted to enrich the leadership of TdA located outside the United States (United States v. Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, 25-cr-331-PAB).
“Tren de Aragua members brutally robbed a Denver business and left multiple people with significant injuries,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I am thankful to our team of federal prosecutors, special agents, and task force officers who are making real progress toward eliminating Tren de Aragua in Colorado, and I am grateful that these serious crimes were met with appropriately severe sentences.”
“FBI Denver is focused on protecting our neighborhoods and communities from violent crime and the fear it creates," said Amanda Koldjeski, Acting Special Agent In Charge, FBI Denver. "Our Violent Criminal Enterprise Task Force will continue to work with local, state and federal partners to pursue the most violent and persistent offenders and hold them accountable.”
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the sentencings.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Denver, the Denver Police Department, the FBI Denver Field Division, FBI El Paso Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso Police Department, and West Texas Anti-Gang Center. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Leah Perczack.
Case Numbers: 24-CR-00247-NYW and 25-CR-00331-PAB
Venezuelan Man Illegally in the United States Charged with Assault on Federal Officer, Destruction of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jorge Torres-Perez, 29, of Venezuela, is facing one count of assault on a federal officer, one count of threatening to assault or kill a federal officer, and one count of destruction of government property.
According to the complaint, Torres-Perez was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE/ERO) in December 2025 in Colorado Springs when he was released from the El Paso County Jail. As federal officers detained and began to transport Torres-Perez, he began exhibiting disruptive behavior and verbal aggression in which he made repeated threats of serious bodily injury toward the federal agents transporting him. Despite the officers’ attempts to de-escalate the situation, Torres-Perez began striking the vehicle’s doors and windows, pulling apart interior panels and wiring, while continuing to make threats and spit on officers. Estimated damage to the vehicle is $3,898.62.
The charges contained in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Chief United States Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak presided over the hearing.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is handling the prosecution.
Case Number:1:26-mj-00022-STVFederal Charges Filed in Two Separate Cases Involving Non-Emergent Medical Transportation FraudRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office announce that Ashley Marie Stevens, 40, of Mesa County, and Wesam Yassin, 42, of Douglas County, have been separately charged with defrauding Medicaid’s non-emergent medical transportation program. Stevens faces six counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of health care fraud, and six counts of money laundering. Yassin faces six counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of health care fraud, and eight counts of money laundering.
Colorado Medicaid is a federal health care program that is funded through taxpayer dollars that are distributed by the state. Colorado Medicaid provides Non-Emergent Medical Transportation (NEMT) to qualified Medicaid beneficiaries who do not have access to transportation when transportation is required to obtain medically necessary non-emergency services.
According to the indictment filed against Stevens, from approximately July 2022 to February 2023, Stevens billed Colorado Medicaid under the business name Armistead Twin Rides, LLC., for over one million dollars of non-emergent medical transportation rides for Medicaid beneficiaries. Of those one million dollars, Stevens billed Colorado Medicaid for more than $400,000 for rides for herself and family members, most of which did not have corresponding medical appointments. The indictment alleges that Stevens also billed Colorado Medicaid for over $150,000 for rides for four beneficiaries for whom the rides either did not occur at all or involved a destination unrelated to any medical provider or service. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Stevens billed Colorado Medicaid for more than $450,000 for rides that were 400 or more miles long per patient, per day. Only a handful of those rides corresponded to medical appointments or services, and those destinations were less than 400 miles away. Proceeds from the scheme were allegedly used for personal gain including travel and the purchase of a luxury vehicle.
According to the indictment filed against Yassin, from approximately March 2022 to October 2023, Yassin billed Colorado Medicaid under the business name Sama Limo for approximately $3.3 million in non-emergent medical transportation rides. Alleged in the scheme is one instance where Yassin billed Colorado Medicaid for approximately $283,000 for 64 rides for a beneficiary of which approximately $165,000 represented billing for rides after the date of the beneficiary’s death. Additionally, the balance of those rides do not correspond to any medical appointments in Colorado. In other instances, Yassin billed Colorado Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of dollars for rides that beneficiaries say never occurred. Proceeds from this scheme were allegedly used for personal gain including the purchase of a home, furnishings, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and cosmetic surgery.
The charges contained in the indictments are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Colorado First Assistant Attorney General and Director of the Medicaid Fraud, Abuse & Neglect Unit Rebecca Weber serving as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Colorado.
The Colorado Medicaid Fraud Abuse and Neglect Unit receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $4,026,641.50 for federal fiscal year 2026. The remaining 25%, totaling $1,342,213.83, is funded by the state of Colorado for the federal fiscal year.”
Case Numbers: Stevens – 25-CR-0344-PAB; Yassin – 26-CR-34-PAB
Eight Indicted in Denver Metro Area on Drug, Weapon, and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Dario Perez Quintero, 34, formerly of Denver, Colorado; Guadalupe Mendoza Martinez, 46, of Aurora, Colorado; Pedro Mendoza Martinez, 54, of Aurora, Colorado; Abimael Felix Luque, 32, of Aurora, Colorado; David Uvaldo Mora Sanchez, 32, formerly of Aurora, Colorado; Hector Joel Quijada Portillo, 30, of Commerce City, Colorado; Oscar Noel Ruelas Molina, 44, of Aurora, Colorado; and Jose Alexis Guzman Felix, 30, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, were indicted this week on charges related to weapons possession, money laundering, and drug trafficking in the Denver metro area.
According to the eighteen-count indictment:
- Each of the aforementioned defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; fentanyl; and cocaine.
- Perez Quintero is also charged individually and with others with six additional counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, as well as one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Guadalupe Mendoza Martinez is also charged individually and with others with:
- Four counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl;
- Four counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
- One count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine;
- One count of possessing a firearm as an alien who is illegally and unlawfully present in the United States; and
- One count of promotion of unlawful activity using funds represented to be proceeds of illegal controlled substances distribution.
- Pedro Mendoza Martinez faces one additional charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Luque and Mora Sanchez face one additional charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Quijada Portillo faces one additional charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; one additional charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and one count of promotion of unlawful activity using funds represented to be proceeds of illegal controlled substances distribution.
- Guzman Felix faces one additional charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
If convicted of count one, conspiracy, defendants face a sentence of up to life in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Rocky Mountain HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); United States Marshals Service (USMS); Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO); and United States Customs and Border Patrol with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
The prosecution is being handled by the Transnational Organized Crime and Money Laundering Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
Case Number 26-CR-27-DDD
Colorado Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Creation and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Justin Welsh, 32, of Peyton, Colorado, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Additionally, Welsh will serve a 20-year-term of supervised release and is ordered to pay a $10,000 special assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act (AVAA).
According to the plea agreement, the defendant came to the attention of law enforcement after an internet service provider submitted a Cyber Tipline Report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in July 2024. The resulting investigation revealed that the defendant had created sexually explicit pictures and videos of a three-year-old minor victim and distributed the content he created to another individual. According to the plea agreement, the defendant also memorialized sexual contact he engaged in with a second minor and distributed that content as well.
“This defendant committed horrific crimes against young people in his care. This sentence puts him exactly where he belongs for the next several decades,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly.
United States District Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alecia L. Riewerts and Dustin André-Vandenberg handled the prosecution of the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Rocky Ford Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mario Rocha, 27, Rocky Ford, Colorado, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them, one count of knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.
According to the plea agreement, in August 2025, investigators learned that Rocha was distributing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine out of his Rocky Ford home and that he was in possession of numerous firearms. After obtaining a search warrant for his residence, FBI agents recovered 1169.3 grams of cocaine, 4742.3 grams of fentanyl (approximately 45,000 individual pills) and 1,236 grams of methamphetamine, all of which Rocha possessed with the intent to distribute. Agents also found a large amount of United States currency, and seventeen firearms which included a short-barreled shotgun and a short-barreled rifle in Rocha’s home.
Chief United States District Judge Philip A. Brimmer presided over the hearing. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 29, 2026.
The FBI Denver Field Office and the Rocky Ford Police Department handled the investigation.
The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 25-cr-00265-PAB
Denver Man Sentenced to 144 Months After Denver Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jason Cisneros, 34, Denver, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence after a crime spree in Denver in March 2025.
According to the plea agreement, on the afternoon of March 1, 2025, Cisneros stole a case of beer from a Denver area convenience store. When the store manager confronted him outside of the store, Cisneros showed the manager a 9mm firearm in his waistband and sped away from the scene. A short time later, Cisneros’ car broke down. The defendant got out of his stalled car and carjacked a vehicle from a woman who was loading her grandchildren into the car at the time. Cisneros took the car and sped away from that scene, but a short time later ran a red light and hit another car that contained two adults and three children. The defendant fled that scene on foot. He then approached a parked vehicle with his firearm brandished and opened a third victim’s driver door, pulled her out by her hair, and fled in that vehicle. Officers pursued Cisneros into downtown Denver until they were able to apprehend him near 14th and Blake. Inside the last stolen car, police found the loaded 9mm handgun with a live round in the chamber.
“This man went on a rampage across Denver and left a trail of victims in his wake,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and the federal prosecutor who stopped his crime spree and made sure he no longer poses a danger to the community.”
“When you threaten people with guns, carjack more than one individual and lead police on a chase, you get the attention of the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force,” said Marvin Massey, Acting Special Agent In Charge, FBI Denver. “This individual didn’t learn from a prior state prison sentence, and now he will serve federal time. “
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing.
The investigation was handled by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Denver Police Department
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn.
Case Number: 1:25-cr-00093-RMR
Colorado Springs Woman Sentenced to 12 Months, One Day, After Being Convicted on Charges Arising from Hate Crime HoaxRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ashley Blackcloud, 40, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after a jury found her guilty in May 2025. Blackcloud and co-defendant Derrick Bernard were convicted after a trial on charges that they conspired to threaten or convey false information about a threat: a burning cross placed in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign, which they had defaced with a racial slur written in red spray paint. After staging the cross burning, Blackcloud, Bernard and a third convicted co-conspirator used email and social media to publicize the threat in the weeks before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election.
Evidence presented at the week-long trial showed that ten days before the cross burning, Bernard sent a message to the threatened candidate in which he explained he was “mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother” and then immediately texted Blackcloud, “I got a plan.” After the burning occurred in the early morning hours of April 23, 2023, Bernard and Blackcloud then worked together to send an email to the candidate, media outlets, and other local, state, and national organizations. Attached to the email was a short video of the cross burning and a still photograph. The email falsely blamed the candidate’s political opponent for the crime. The defendants then worked together to maliciously convey false information about the cross burning via social media platforms.
The conspiracy was uncovered when the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) gathered surveillance footage around the scene of the cross burning. The CSPD’s extensive review of the footage revealed three people prowling through the darkness between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning to stage the crime. Additional investigative work by the CSPD and exhaustive efforts by the FBI ultimately identified Bernard and Blackcloud, self-declared activists and social media personalities, as two of the culprits.
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing of Blackcloud.
Sentencing for Derrick Bernard is scheduled for March 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with substantial assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Candyce Cline.
CASE NUMBER: 24-cr-00320-RMR