Northern District of Georgia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Griffin man charged with dogfighting and CARES Act fraudRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Norman Dixson has been arraigned on federal charges of sponsoring and exhibiting a dog in an animal fighting venture, promoting an animal fighting venture, animal crushing, and wire fraud.
“The indictment alleges that Dixson viciously abused dogs and repeatedly lied to obtain COVID relief funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This depraved and deceitful conduct cannot be tolerated and commands aggressive prosecution.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving the unemployment insurance program. This collaborative investigative effort with our federal partners reaffirms our commitment to investigate these types of allegations,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Dixson is accused of sponsoring and exhibiting dogs in animal fighting ventures on seven occasions. He is also accused of promoting an animal fighting venture and purposefully suffocating a dog.
In addition to the dogfighting- and animal abuse-related offenses, Dixson was charged with defrauding the Small Business Administration and a commercial lender by corruptly obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The indictment alleges, among other untruths, that Dixson submitted a false tax form when obtaining the PPP loans and then lied again when seeking forgiveness for the PPP loans he received.
Finally, Dixson was charged with conducting Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud by submitting fraudulent claims to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. The indictment alleges that, to steal UI benefits, Dixson filed false and fraudulent applications for UI benefits on behalf of himself and others.
Norman Dixson, 34, of Griffin, Ga., was arraigned on December 4, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 28, 2025.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Sistla and Samir Kaushal are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Clayton County jailer pleads guilty to using excessive force against detaineeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A former correctional officer, Jabin Bethea, has pleaded guilty to depriving a pretrial detainee at the Clayton County Jail of his civil rights by tasing him multiple times without justification.
“Corrections officers work long hours in challenging circumstances to maintain order in our district’s jails and prisons, but wanton abuse cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This former officer must be held accountable for using excessive force against a detainee who was complying with his orders and was not acting violently.”
“Correctional officers are entrusted with authority, and with that authority comes the responsibility to treat every detainee with basic dignity and respect. This officer chose to abuse that trust and violate the civil rights of someone in his custody,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable anyone who uses unlawful force inside our jails and prisons.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and information presented in court: On May 16, 2024, while employed as a correctional officer at the Clayton County Jail in Jonesboro, Georgia, Jabin Bethea was transferring two detainees between housing units. One of the detainees asked Bethea, “Where am I going?” In response, Bethea handcuffed that detainee and told him to shut up. The two argued on the way to the second housing unit before Bethea removed the detainee’s handcuffs and dared the detainee “to buck.”
After the detainee cursed and insulted Bethea, Bethea slammed the detainee’s head into a wall, threw him on the floor, and ordered him to put his hands behind his back. Video evidence from surveillance and body worn cameras confirms that, even though the detainee remained on the floor and obeyed Bethea’s orders, Bethea tased the detainee at least six times. The detainee suffered bodily injury during the assault.
Sentencing for Jabin Bethea, 29, of Chamblee, Georgia, is scheduled for March 10, 2026 at 11:00, before U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Athens-Clarke County Police Officer charged with child exploitation and bestiality-related crimesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Former Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Amber Nicole Ferguson has been indicted on charges of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material, possession of child sexual abuse material involving a minor under the age of 12, and production of obscene material.
"Sexual predators who prey upon children or sexually abuse animals for the purpose of disseminating images of the abuse face significant prison time if convicted in federal court,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “To protect the community and its most vulnerable members, my office will aggressively prosecute anyone who commits such crimes.”
“The actions alleged in this indictment represent a profound betrayal of the trust and responsibility placed in law enforcement officers. Those who are sworn to protect our communities—especially our children—must be held to the highest standards, said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “Homeland Security Investigations is committed to ensuring that individuals who exploit their positions to harm the most vulnerable will be brought to justice.”
“Few crimes are as vile as those committed against children. When the offender is someone who swore an oath to protect the public and uphold the law, it is an even deeper violation. We remain unwavering in our commitment to working alongside our partners to safeguard our most vulnerable and bring offenders, regardless of their title or authority, to justice,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: After a family member of the two minors reported suspicions to the Commerce Police Department, an investigation led to the discovery of child sexual abuse material on Ferguson’s phone. As the investigation continued, images involving horse and dog bestiality allegedly possessed by Ferguson were discovered as well. The indictment alleges that Ferguson produced the bestiality images and child sex abuse material.
Amber Nicole Ferguson, 34, of Commerce, Ga., was arraigned on December 4, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anna W. Howard. She was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 2, 2025. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
If convicted of production or attempted production of child sex abuse material, Ferguson would face at least 15 years in prison. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Commerce Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keen is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Decatur man pleads guilty to illegally operating drone over Truist Park during MLB All-Star GameRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Mitchell Parsons Hughes has pleaded guilty to committing a federal crime by flying a drone over Truist Park during the Major League Baseball All-Star game in July 2025 and was sentenced to six months’ probation.
“Anyone attempting to fly a drone in a prohibited manner can expect to be prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Flight restrictions are implemented for the safety of everyone, whether at the event or nearby. My office and its partners will enforce the law to protect the community whenever a major event, such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup, is hosted in our district.”
“Flying a small drone means you are flying an aircraft, and unsafe behavior will cost you,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “These actions can be dangerous to the public and interfere with security operations.”
"Drone regulations protect the public and ensure the safety of our national airspace,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region. “Flying drones illegally—especially above large sporting events filled with families, friends, and fans—poses serious risks. This guilty plea highlights our continued dedication to working with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and avert dangerous incidents.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put a temporary flight restriction (TFR) in place for Truist Park during the July 15, 2025, Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star game, designating it a No Drone Zone. A TFR restricts certain aircraft, including an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), commonly known as a “drone,” from operating within a one nautical mile radius of the stadium.
Introducing a TFR for stadiums or sports venues hosting regular or post-season contests is standard practice for the NFL, MLB, NCAA Division I, Major League Soccer, and NASCAR. The TFR goes into effect one hour before the scheduled start time and lasts until one hour after the end of a qualifying event.
There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding drone use anywhere within the FAA’s No Drone Zone. Anyone who attempts to fly a drone in any prohibited manner is subject to arrest, prosecution, fines, and/or imprisonment.
During the MLB All-Star game, Mitchell Parson Hughes flew a drone directly over Truist Park despite being warned about the flight restrictions on his UAS’s control panel. Hughes also admitted that his drone was not registered and that he lacked the required training and licensing, including a remote pilot certificate, to operate a UAS.
On December 5, 2025, Mitchell Parsons Hughes, 47, of Decatur, Ga., pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with knowingly violating national defense airspace. Hughes was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell Vineyard to six months’ probation and a $500 fine.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Transportation - Office of the Inspector General. U.S. Attorney Hertzberg also commended the FAA and the Cobb County Police Department for their work in the investigation.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Georgia State Representative charged with pandemic unemployment fraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Sharon Henderson, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, was arrested today and should appear in court this afternoon after a federal grand jury charged her with two counts of theft of government funds and ten counts of making false statements.
“It is shocking that a public official would allegedly lie to profit from an emergency program designed to help suffering community members,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Politicians who violate the public trust and steal from the needy to enrich themselves will be held accountable.”
“Sharon Henderson allegedly chose greed over compassion by fraudulently obtaining funds meant to help those in need, some in her own Georgia House district,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “We remain committed to find those who take advantage of federal programs meant to help those truly in need.”
“An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate these types of allegations,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Nobody is above the law, especially Georgia’s elected officials. This indictment should send a clear message that theft of government funds intended for qualified citizens will not be tolerated,” said Georgia State Inspector General Nigel Lange. “GA-OIG appreciates the efforts of our state and federal partners in bringing this case for prosecution.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2020, in response to the forced closures of businesses and unprecedented economic hardship resulting from the COVID-19 emergency, the U.S. Congress created special unemployment compensation programs to provide cash assistance to individuals who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Applicants for the programs had to provide their recent work histories and confirm, among other things, that COVID-19 was the reason they were unemployed. Applicants also had to provide a certification for every week for which they wished to claim benefits, attesting to whether they were actively seeking work for the week and the reason they were unemployed.
In June 2020, while a candidate for a Georgia House seat, Henderson allegedly applied for federal pandemic unemployment benefits claiming that her current employer was Henry County Schools. Although Henderson had worked as a substitute teacher for Henry County Schools for five days in 2018 (almost two years prior), she had not worked for Henry County Schools since then. Additionally, the Substitute Teacher Agreement Henderson signed in 2018 included an acknowledgment that substitute teachers are not eligible to draw unemployment wages. Nevertheless, Henderson allegedly stated in the application that she had worked for the school system throughout 2019 and as recently as March 10, 2020; that she had paystubs as evidence of that employment in 2019; and that her place of employment was closed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. She then allegedly submitted weekly certifications stating that she was unable to reach her place of employment because of a COVID-19 quarantine. She allegedly submitted eight of those certifications in June 2021, after she was sworn in and serving as the state representative for District 113, which covers western Newton County and part of Covington, Georgia.
Henderson allegedly collected $17,811 of pandemic unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled as a result of false statements in her application and weekly certifications.
Henderson should appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand at 1:00 p.m. today and is expected to enter a not-guilty plea. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Georgia Office of the State Inspector General, and DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal alien and Atlanta man face federal charges after massive seizures of methamphetamine concealed in fruit shipmentsRead the Press Release
Atlanta – Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, an illegal alien from Mexico who previously served time in federal prison, and Nelson Enrique Sorto face federal drug charges related to a recent seizure of a combined 1,585 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in blackberry shipments at locations in Southeast Atlanta and Gainesville, Georgia.
“These repeat offenders, including an illegal alien, allegedly attempted to conceal and traffic an enormous quantity of deadly methamphetamine in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We are thankful for the quick action of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who apprehended these individuals and stopped nearly 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine from hitting the streets.”
“The FBI will never waver in our commitment to disrupt traffickers and prevent their dangerous drugs from reaching our streets, no matter where they try to hide them," said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Thanks to the quick response and dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners, these repeat offenders will be held responsible for their crimes.”
“This indictment serves as a clear message that drug trafficking has no place in our communities. It shows what can be accomplished when law enforcement works together with determination and purpose. We remain committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to pursue and disrupt the plans of those who threaten our communities through drug trafficking,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
“These arrests and the confiscation of this massive amount of methamphetamine represent a major disruption to the criminals who traffic this dangerous poison in our communities,” said Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch. “Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators worked tirelessly in this case to hold accountable those who threaten the well-being of people in our county and communities across Georgia. I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork displayed by our investigators and our state and federal partners.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On November 20, 2025, law enforcement surveilled a cold storage warehouse in Fulton County, Georgia, and observed three refrigerated box trucks parked outside. Agents followed one of the trucks as it traveled in tandem with an SUV, driven by Sorto, to a residence in southeast Atlanta. Sorto then opened the rear door of the truck and examined the storage area and its contents. Shortly after midnight, Sorto departed in the SUV with two passengers. Georgia State Patrol troopers initiated a traffic stop on the SUV and located two firearms and several containers of blackberries in the vehicle. During a subsequent search of the box truck parked outside the Atlanta residence, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents assisted by the FBI recovered approximately 924 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in pallets of blackberries.
At the same time, another team of federal agents and sheriff’s deputies followed a second box truck from the cold storage facility to a gas station in Gainesville. Solorio-Alvarado arrived, picked up the box truck driver, and departed the gas station. After a K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics, agents searched the abandoned box truck and recovered approximately 661 pounds of methamphetamine hidden amongst pallets of blackberries. Solorio-Alvarado was later arrested at his Gainesville residence as he attempted to flee from the back of the home. Inside the home, deputies found keys to the abandoned truck.
The investigation revealed that Solorio-Alvarado, an illegal alien from Mexico, has a prior federal conviction for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Solorio-Alvarado served 17 years of imprisonment for those offenses. Law enforcement also learned that Sorto is currently on probation for a 2024 conviction for possession of methamphetamine in Hall County, Georgia.
Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, 44, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 2, 2025, on charges of conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Nelson Enrique Sorto, 36, of Atlanta, Ga., was charged in a criminal complaint on December 1, 2025, with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment and criminal complaint only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Georgia State Patrol, and the Hall County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Keen and Dwayne Brown, Jr. are prosecuting the cases.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
These prosecutions are also 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 Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two-Time Convicted Felon CEO and His Dietary Supplement Company Convicted of $4.7 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Following a six-week trial, Jared Wheat and his dietary supplement company, Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Hi-Tech”), were convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud after fabricating documents to deceive customers into believing that the company was certified as compliant with industry manufacturing standards. Hi-Tech, which is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, was also convicted for laundering millions of dollars in proceeds from the fraudulent scheme.
“After two prior federal felony convictions, Wheat yet again put profits over product quality and consumer safety by forging documents purporting to show that an independent, third-party audit company had certified Hi-Tech as complying with Good Manufacturing Practices. As a result of the defendants’ deceit, Hi-Tech received millions of dollars from customers who relied on the fabricated documents,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The defendants’ fraudulent scheme was uncovered through years of dedicated investigation and collaboration among law enforcement partners, and the verdict signals that companies that lie will face stern consequences.”
“Making fraudulent claims about FDA-regulated products shows a reckless disregard for public health and safety,” said Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly McCoy. “We remain committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who misrepresent key aspects of their products to unsuspecting customers.”
“Hi-Tech’s conviction for money laundering provides the expected outcome for any business engaging in this illegal activity,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS-CI special agents are experts at following the money to uncover the various money laundering schemes carried out by business entities or criminals to hide illegal profits, including their use of layering, cyber laundering, and shell companies.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and information presented at trial: Wheat is the founder, owner, and Chief Executive Officer of Hi-Tech, a large dietary supplement company that claims to have $100 million in annual revenue. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued new mandatory rules governing proper sanitary, hygienic, and production and process control standards for dietary supplement companies, called Good Manufacturing Practices (“GMP”), that were designed to ensure the safety of dietary supplements. The FDA does not certify that companies are following GMP, so many dietary supplement manufacturers seek certification from third-party, independent audit companies to provide a marketing advantage in a competitive industry.
In November 2010, the Defendants retained a reputable third-party audit company to inspect its facilities, and the audit company identified grave deficiencies in Hi-Tech’s compliance with GMP. For example, the audit report listed 75 categories that were not compliant with GMP, which was roughly 40 percent of the total criteria, including gaps and holes in facility doors that could permit rodents to enter, products exposed to dust and other contaminants before packaging, and critical lapses in its product specifications and testing for both raw materials and finished products.
Instead of fixing these quality and safety issues, Wheat and Hi-Tech fabricated a certificate in March 2011 purportedly issued from a company called PharmaTech Consulting (“PharmaTech”) stating that Hi-Tech complied with GMP. The defendants listed one of Wheat’s former attorneys in Belize as the General Manager of PharmaTech and forged the attorney’s signature on the certificate. The defendants did not disclose that PharmaTech was owned by Wheat, had conducted no inspection or audit of Hi-Tech, and was not an independent third-party auditor.
In addition, Hi-Tech doctored the inspection report issued by the third-party audit company to make it appear that PharmaTech had issued a favorable audit report. Specifically, after the legitimate audit report revealed 75 GMP deficiencies, Hi-Tech changed each category from “Not Acceptable” to “Acceptable,” and listed PharmaTech as the auditor.
Hi-Tech also fabricated FDA export certificates called Certificates of Free Sale, which indicate that food products are marketed in the United States and eligible for export, by altering dates and product names. Between 2011 and 2013, Hi-Tech sent fraudulent PharmaTech audit reports and GMP certificates, as well as Certificates of Free Sale, to its customers on dozens of occasions.
In many cases, customers forwarded the fraudulent documents to foreign regulators, which permitted Hi-Tech products to be sold abroad based on the fabricated certifications of its compliance with GMP. From March 2011 through April 2013, customers who received the fraudulent documents paid at least $4,763,292 to Hi-Tech.
On November 21, 2025, a jury convicted Wheat, 53, of Alpharetta, Georgia, of wire fraud. He faces a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Wheat was previously convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in 1991, and he was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and to introduce misbranded, adulterated, and unapproved drugs into interstate commerce in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in 2009.
The jury also convicted Hi-Tech of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering. Hi-Tech faces a fine of up to twice the value of the criminal proceeds involved in the offenses, which could total nearly $10 million, and probation of up to five years. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
The sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg has not yet been scheduled.
This case is being investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation.
First Assistant United States Attorney Nathan P. Kitchens and Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Connors are prosecuting the case. The FDA Office of Chief Counsel provided substantial assistance during the prosecution.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two men face federal charges after task force seizes 21 kilograms of fentanyl and over $380,000 from residenceRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Rico Deville Buice and David Estevan Montillo Diaz have been arrested and charged by criminal complaints with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Buice and Diaz appeared in federal court on November 19, 2025, to face charges after law enforcement executed a search warrant on at a Forest Park rental home, where they discovered and seized 21 kilograms of fentanyl, $380,000 in suspected drug proceeds, and a firearm.
“These arrests and seizures demonstrate the live-saving impact the Homeland Security Task Force has in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The collaborative effort of different law enforcement agencies united in the fight to eliminate transnational criminal organizations kept a staggering amount of deadly fentanyl from hitting our streets. The resulting charges send a strong message: fentanyl traffickers in our district may run, but they cannot hide. Instead, they will find themselves in federal custody, and their drugs and money seized.”
“This operation is an example of the power of the Task Force in disrupting deadly drug trafficking operations,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The seizure of 21 kilograms of fentanyl and over $380,000 in drug proceeds is a direct hit to those who seek to poison our communities. The FBI, in partnership with our law enforcement colleagues, will relentlessly pursue these criminals and hold them accountable.”
“This seizure is a clear reminder of the devastation these criminal networks are willing to inflict on our communities for profit,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Working as part of the Homeland Security Task Force, our agents are committed to stopping these dangerous organizations before their poison ever reaches our streets. This result reflects the power of our partnerships and our shared resolve to protect families from lethal narcotics and the violence that comes with them.”
“It is with great honor that the Clayton County Police Department partnered with the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) during the execution of a search warrant in Forest Park, Georgia. Members of the Clayton County Police Department’s Narcotics Unit and CAGE Unit assisted in the operation,” said Clayton County Police Chief Kevin Roberts. “This significant seizure will undoubtedly save thousands of lives affected by this highly addictive opioid. The efforts of HSTF have made the streets of Clayton County safer by removing two suspected drug traffickers, disrupting a criminal network, and intercepting dangerous narcotics and illicit proceeds.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and information presented in court: On November 14, 2025, agents from the FBI Atlanta and DEA Atlanta field offices, along with officers from the Clayton County Police Department, executed a search warrant at a rental property in Forest Park, Georgia. As law enforcement approached the house, Rico Deville Buice ran out of a side door and attempted to flee. Agents quickly apprehended Buice and found approximately $4,000 in cash in his possession.
After David Estevan Montillo Diaz exited the residence, law enforcement discovered in the kitchen and a bedroom an estimated 21 kilograms of fentanyl, approximately $300,000 in rubber-banded stacks of cash, a money counter, a food sealer machine, and a Glock 19 pistol. Approximately $80,000 of additional cash was found in a designer bag allegedly belonging to Buice.
Rico Deville Buice, a/k/a Casino, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia, and David Estevan Montillo Diaz, 23, of Coachella, California, are currently in custody.
Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Clayton County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Forsyth, III and Calvin A. Leipold, III are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This prosecution 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. HSTF Atlanta comprises agents and officers from FBI Atlanta Field Office, the DEA Atlanta Division, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal alien pleads guilty to assaulting Immigration OfficerRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Ricardo Trejo-Martinez, an illegal alien from Mexico, has pleaded guilty to assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officer. The defendant, during a traffic stop, shoved a deportation officer into oncoming traffic, endangering the officer’s life.
“All law enforcement officers must be allowed to perform their duties free from violent attacks,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office will prosecute anyone who assaults a federal officer in this district.”
“Violence against law enforcement is unacceptable and will never be tolerated,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, is committed to holding accountable those who resort to violence against the brave men and women who work tirelessly to protect our communities.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On May 20, 2025, an ICE deportation officer conducted a vehicle stop in Commerce, Georgia to execute an administrative arrest warrant for an illegal alien. The driver, Ricardo Trejo-Martinez, was the sole occupant of the vehicle. He refused to comply with the officer’s requests to provide identification and identify himself. Once outside the vehicle, Trejo-Martinez shoved the deportation officer into the four-lane highway where vehicles were passing.
Ricardo Trejo-Martinez, 41, of Querétaro, Mexico, pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer. Trejo-Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 1, 2025. Sentencing has been scheduled for January 20, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathelynn Tio is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Drug Trafficker Zhi Dong Zhang, aka “Brother Wang,” Returned from Mexico to Face International Narcotics and Money Laundering Charges in New York and GeorgiaRead the Press Release
Zhi Dong Zhang, also known as “GG,” “Kun Li Hernandez,” “Chang Li Gong Sun,” “Memo,” “Brother Wang,” “BW,” “Pancho,” “HeHe,” “HaHa,” “Chino,” and “Summor Ownor,” 38, was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky for the Eastern District of New York at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, on a second superseding indictment (the Indictment) charging him with international cocaine distribution conspiracy, international cocaine distribution, cocaine importation conspiracy, cocaine and methamphetamine possession and distribution conspiracy, and money laundering crimes. The defendant, a Chinese citizen, was arrested in Mexico after Mexico issued an arrest warrant based on extradition requests from the Eastern District of New York and the Northern District of Georgia and was returned to the United States on October 23. The defendant was ordered detained pending trial. On October 24, the defendant had an initial appearance in the Southern District of Texas, where he was arraigned on this Indictment and on the indictment in the Northern District of Georgia.
The defendant has been designated a Consolidated Priority Organization Target (CPOT) by the Department of Justice, a designation given to the most significant narcotics traffickers in the world.
“The defendant stands accused of running a global enterprise that pumped massive quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine into our communities and laundered millions in narcotics proceeds,” said U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd W. Blanche. “His return to the United States is a major step in dismantling a network that has fueled addiction, violence, and death. I’m grateful for the outstanding work of our prosecutors, agents, and international partners who refused to let him hide behind aliases, shell companies, or foreign borders. The Department of Justice will continue to target the world’s most dangerous traffickers, wherever they operate, and bring them to justice.”
“As alleged, the defendant is a leader of one of the most prolific drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the world who, together with his co-conspirators, imported thousands of kilograms of narcotics, including cocaine and methamphetamine, into the United States and other countries,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “The indictments he faces in the Eastern District of New York and the Northern District of Georgia will hold him responsible for the great harm he has caused.”
“Zhang’s transnational network was allegedly intricate, well-coordinated, and well-funded,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “However, through the great work of dedicated law enforcement agencies and valued cooperation from our international partners, Zhang’s poison pipeline has been shut off. Whether the perpetrators are here or hiding abroad, my office will continue to vigorously pursue anyone who is trafficking illegal narcotics in and through the Northern District of Georgia.”
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)’s arrest of Zhi Dong Zhang marks a decisive blow against the ruthless criminal enterprises responsible for flooding our streets with cocaine, meth and deadly fentanyl,” said Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of HSI New York. “The defendant’s alleged actions on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG have bolstered the operations of transnational criminal organizations responsible for peddling death in nearly every form – fueling an overdose epidemic, spreading violence, and destabilizing communities across the United States and beyond. One by one, year after year, the HSI New York Homeland Security Task Force will continue to wage an unyielding campaign against those who empower cartels to sow destruction and death for greed, ensuring that no corner of their criminal empire is beyond the reach of justice.”
“This arrest represents a critical milestone in a long-running investigation into an alleged high-level narcotics trafficker with international reach,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division. “A defendant wanted on warrants out of Eastern District of New York and the Northern District of Georgia has now been taken into custody, thanks to years of coordinated work by DEA and our partners. We will continue to follow the evidence and the money until the leadership of these organizations is dismantled.”
The Justice Department also expressed appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, HSI Mexico City, HSI Rio Grande Valley, and the Government of Mexico.
The EDNY Indictment
As set forth in court filings, since June 2016, Zhang has operated a massive narcotics trafficking and money laundering organization in Mexico and the United States, importing thousands of kilograms of narcotics, including cocaine and methamphetamine, into the United States and other countries. Law enforcement has made numerous seizures of narcotics traced to the defendant’s organization, including 46 kilograms of cocaine, 58 kilograms of methamphetamine, and almost seven kilograms of fentanyl.
Zhang and members of his organization also laundered millions of dollars of criminal proceeds from these narcotics sales through the creation and use of shell companies in the United States, which were opened using false social security numbers and other fraudulent documents. The organization recruited individuals known as “banqueros” to open bank accounts at various banks on behalf of the shell companies, engage in money pickups at different money drop locations throughout the United States, deposit that money into the shell company bank accounts, and wire the funds to other beneficiary accounts to be laundered outside of the United States. The organization employed supervisors in Mexico, known as “coordinators,” who directed the banqueros at every step of the process, including coordinating the money pick-ups, buying and booking travel, and providing the fraudulent documentation to open bank accounts. In total, law enforcement identified more than 100 shell companies tied to Zhang’s organization that were used to launder at least $77 million in narcotics proceeds.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
This case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miranda Gonzalez and Vincent Chiappini of the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution.
The NDGA Indictment
As set out in Court filings, Zhang was allegedly a leader of a vast drug trafficking and money laundering organization that began operating in Mexico at least as early as 2016. Zhang allegedly used an extensive network of coordinators and couriers to get cocaine and fentanyl to multiple destinations in the United States. In January and February 2022, Zhang personally negotiated and coordinated the delivery of 11 kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of fentanyl to Atlanta for distribution.
Once the cocaine and fentanyl were distributed, Zhang allegedly oversaw the use of stash houses in Georgia and California to collect the drug proceeds which were then deposited into bank accounts. The money laundering was massive and involved 150 companies, 170 bank accounts and approximately $20 million in drug proceeds.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Armed felon who fled from police convicted of federal drug distribution and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - After a four-day jury trial, a federal district court jury found Traon Turk guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Turk previously pleaded guilty in the same case to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
“Turk is a multi-convicted felon who peddled deadly drugs and illegally carried a loaded firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office is proud to partner with federal and local law enforcement so we can aggressively prosecute violent drug dealers like Turk in order to keep the community safe.”
“This case is a reminder of the critical work we do to combat violent crime and drug trafficking. The ATF’s partnership with local police and federal prosecutors is vital in our mission to keep our neighborhoods safe. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that offenders like Turk face justice for their actions,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On April 4, 2020, Cobb County Police officers observed a vehicle that allegedly had been involved in a drive-by shooting in Marietta days earlier. Law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver, Turk, fled at a high rate of speed. Turk bailed out of the vehicle while it was still in motion, leaving his five passengers inside. While running from the police, Turk dropped a loaded .40 caliber pistol, which was quickly recovered by law enforcement. About an hour later, the police found Turk hiding in a different abandoned vehicle.
Law enforcement found a bag of 24 pills containing methamphetamine in Turk’s pants pocket. Additionally, Turk was carrying an iPhone that was replete with evidence of drug dealing activity. From the vehicle Turk had been driving, law enforcement seized a larger bag of ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine, numerous pieces of pills that matched the pills recovered from Turk’s pocket, counterfeit Percocet pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit Xanax pills, and individually packaged bags of marijuana.
Prior to his arrest, Turk had been convicted of numerous felonies, including violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and theft by receiving stolen property.
Traon Turk, 31, of Austell, Georgia, will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. on February 24, 2026. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cobb County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Hwang, Michael Herskowitz, Laurel Milam, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters are prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Felon arrested for allegedly selling opioidsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Rodericus San Juan Warner has been charged on a criminal complaint with allegedly distributing hundreds of carfentanil and fentanyl pills, as well as methamphetamine. Carfentanil, a fentanyl analogue, is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl, and is used by veterinarians to sedate large animals like elephants. Warner was denied bond and will remain in custody.
“Synthetic opioid abuse continues to claim lives, and now fentanyl has become a gateway to an even more dangerous drug, carfentanil,” said U.S Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “A convicted felon, Warner allegedly showed no fear of the law and absolutely no concern for the deadly risk drugs and guns posed to the small children at the residence he occupied.”
“Carfentanil is a deadly synthetic narcotic — used to tranquilize elephants, not meant for human consumption. Yet this offender chose to sell it alongside fentanyl and methamphetamine, showing total disregard for human life,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. Our agents are relentless in targeting those who bring this level of danger into our communities.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: During an investigation in October 2025, DEA agents identified Rodericus San Juan Warner as a drug trafficker in Atlanta. Agents allege Warner sold hundreds of pills containing carfentanil and fentanyl and over 100 grams of methamphetamine. While continuing to investigate, agents obtained federal search warrants to search four residences and multiple vehicles that Warner used to further his drug trafficking enterprise.
On November 6, 2025, DEA agents executed the search warrants, and Warner was arrested in the home he shared with his girlfriend and her three school-aged children. From that home, law enforcement recovered two loaded firearms, $20,000 in U.S. currency, and assorted high-end jewelry. Warner, a five-time convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Additionally, in one of Warner’s vehicles outside the residence, law enforcement recovered suspected fentanyl pills and suspected oxycodone pills.
At another residence Warner allegedly used to sell drugs, DEA agents searched another vehicle registered to him and found four loaded firearms, approximately 6,000 suspected fentanyl pills, 258 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 201 grams of suspected cocaine, 60 suspected oxycodone pills, and one kilogram of suspected marijuana.
Rodericus San Juan Warner, 45, of Atlanta, Ga., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon, on a federal criminal complaint. Warner was remanded to custody and ordered detained pending the outcome of his case.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Schwarzl is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two vendors plead guilty to conspiring with former Facebook diversity program manager to defraud companyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Brice E. Anderson and Terrance Lockett have pleaded guilty to conspiring with Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a former diversity program manager at Facebook, to steal from the company. The defendants’ fraud schemes involved fraudulent vendors, fictitious invoices, and cash kickbacks.
“These defendants conspired with a DEI executive at Facebook to steal significant sums from the company, based on false claims that they had worked on various DEI projects,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Instead, the defendants did little to no work, paid kickbacks to the Facebook executive, and lined their pockets with stolen money. They are now being held accountable for their brazen fraud.”
“Furlow-Smiles created a complex web of lies, all for her personal gain. Anderson and Lockett joined in this fraud for their own excessive greed,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to root out financial fraud.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Barbara Furlow-Smiles served as Lead Strategist, Global Head of Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Engagement at Facebook, Inc., now known as Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta. From January 2017 to September 2021, she led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at Facebook and was responsible for developing and executing DEI initiatives, operations, and engagement programs. She later held a similar position at Nike, Inc. At both companies, Furlow-Smiles had access to corporate credit cards and was able to submit purchase requisitions and approve invoices for authorized vendors.
Furlow-Smiles used her positions at Facebook and Nike to cheat and defraud the companies. She caused the companies to pay friends, relatives, and others associates for goods and services that were never provided, and she then directed those individuals to kick back the fraudulent proceeds to her, often in cash. Anderson and Lockett were two of the individuals who conspired with her at Facebook.
Anderson owned a business called Titan Branding LLC. Using that business, he conspired with Furlow-Smiles to fraudulently obtain nearly $1.2 million from Facebook. First, Furlow-Smiles used her Facebook credit cards to pay Titan Branding for work that was never done. She then submitted fraudulent expense reports to Facebook to cover up the bogus charges. Second, Furlow-Smiles caused Facebook to approve Titan Branding as an authorized vendor. She then approved fraudulent and inflated invoices for fake work. Furlow-Smiles and Anderson fraudulently claimed that Titan Branding had provided media services related to a Juneteenth event, for example, and other DEI projects.
After Anderson received fraudulent payments from Facebook, he kicked back substantial sums to Furlow-Smiles. He paid the kickbacks in cash and through transfers to accounts held in the names of Furlow-Smiles’s husband and others. Anderson sometimes wrapped cash in other items, such as T-shirts or hats, which he sent by FedEx to Furlow-Smiles. When Furlow-Smiles was in Los Angeles, California, Anderson flew there with cash and drove with Furlow-Smiles to ATMs and banks to withdraw cash to pay her.
In a separate conspiracy, Lockett conspired with Furlow-Smiles to steal over $243,000 from Facebook. Lockett hosted a podcast called the “Officially Outed Podcast” and owned a business called Officially Outed Media. Using her Facebook credit cards, Furlow-Smiles paid Lockett for services that were not provided. She also caused Facebook to approve Officially Outed Media as an authorized vendor. Furlow-Smiles and Lockett fraudulently claimed that Officially Outed Media had provided marketing services related to a Global Pride Initiative project, for example, and other DEI events. Lockett paid kickbacks to Furlow-Smiles by returning a substantial portion of the fraudulent proceeds that he received from Facebook to her.
On November 13, 2025, Brice E. Anderson, 31, of Fairburn, Ga., pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Sentencing for Anderson is scheduled for March 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg.
On November 5, 2025, Terrance Lockett, 52, of College Park, Ga., pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Sentencing for Lockett is scheduled for February 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr.
Barbara Furlow-Smiles, 40, of Marietta, Ga., previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She stole more than $5 million through her schemes. On May 13, 2024, Judge Grimberg sentenced her to five years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,981,783.58 to Facebook and $121,054.50 to Nike, for a total of $5,102,838.08.
These cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Bernita B. Malloy are prosecuting the cases.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Inmate sentenced to additional time in prison for attacking federal officerRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Fabian Taylor, Jr. has been sentenced to additional time in prison for headbutting a federal correctional officer while Taylor was an inmate at the federal prison in Atlanta.
“Corrections officers have a demanding job, and they must be allowed to perform their duties free of violent attacks,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Inmates are not beyond the reach of the law, and they may not perpetrate assaults or other crimes with impunity while in custody. Anyone who assaults a federal officer in North Georgia, whether on the street or in a prison, will be prosecuted and held accountable.”
“Every day, corrections officers go to work not knowing what dangers they may face,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI stands ready to investigate such crimes against federal officers and we thank our law enforcement partners for their collaboration.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Fabian Taylor, Jr. was serving a sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Atlanta for unlawfully possessing a firearm, violating conditions of release, and escape. Correctional officers noticed Taylor had covered the window on his cell door with paper. As officers approached to investigate, Taylor threw urine on one officer. When the officers entered his cell, Taylor swung his arms and kicked his legs.
Once guards restrained Taylor, prison staff performed medical checks to ensure his safety Taylor then berated all of the officers verbally and headbutted one in the face. The officer who Taylor attacked suffered from headaches, dizziness, vomiting, sleepiness, and was later diagnosed with a concussion.
On November 12, 2025, Fabian Taylor, Jr., 38, of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty to one year, four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Taylor was convicted of assault on a federal officer on July 31, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Boylan prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Bibb County murderer sentenced to 25 years on federal firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Sterling Breynard Bell was sentenced to federal prison for firearms charges related to the murder of a young woman whose body was found along a highway near Macon, Georgia, nearly a decade ago.
“The diligence of a federal special agent solved a murder and prevented the conviction of an innocent man,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “By using tools designed to test ballistics, the federal agent linked a gun seized from Bell to shell casings recovered from a murder scene two years earlier. The man initially charged the murder was exonerated, and Bell was brought to justice.”
“This case underscores the vital role that the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network plays in solving violent crimes,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “By linking the firearm used in this tragic murder to Sterling Bell, our agents demonstrated the power of technology in the pursuit of justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On August 7, 2016, the body of 27-year-old Kendra Roberts was found along a highway near Macon, Georgia. Roberts had been shot multiple times at close range, including twice to the face and once to the back of the head. The next day, Roberts’s boyfriend was charged with the murder.
Roberts’s boyfriend remained in custody for months. However, without realizing any connection to Roberts’s murder, the Clarkston Police Department seized a Glock 9mm pistol from Sterling Bell just ten days after the murder. The Bibb County deputies who were investigating Roberts’s murder were unaware that Bell had purchased that Glock mere weeks before the murder by lying to the seller about his daily drug use.
In 2018, an ATF special agent used the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to confirm that Bell’s gun was the murder weapon. ATF continued to investigate Bell and learned that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and refused to take his prescribed medication. Bell was arrested on federal firearms charges in October 2018, while the charges against Roberts’s boyfriend were dismissed. Bell later admitted to killing Roberts and was sentenced by a state judge to 20 years of imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving 1/3 of the sentence.
On October 1, 2025, Chief U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May sentenced Sterling Breynard Bell, 35, of Clarkston, Georgia, to 25 years in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. While on supervised release, Bell will be required to submit to mental health and substance abuse treatment. On July 3, 2025, Bell pleaded guilty to one count of false statements to a federal firearms licensee and two counts of illegal possession of a firearm as an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel B. Milam and Phyllis Clerk prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Violent felon convicted of running drug distribution and money laundering operation from state prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - After a five-day trial, Jarvis Matthews was convicted for his role in leading a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking and money laundering operation from the confines of Calhoun State Prison. A jury found Matthews guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl, five counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. At the time of his federal crimes, Matthews was serving sentences of life without parole for murder and felony murder.
“Matthews audaciously used contraband cell phones to run a drug trafficking operation from his state prison cell,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Now, as a result of a diligent federal investigation and close coordination with state and local partners, this convicted murderer faces a substantial sentence in federal prison on top of his state sentence.”
“Jarvis Matthews used the confines of a prison cell to orchestrate a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking and money laundering operation, exploiting his family and the prison system to further his criminal enterprise,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case underscores the FBI’s commitment to dismantling transnational criminal organizations and holding accountable those who think they can operate beyond the reach of the law.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: While imprisoned at Georgia Department of Corrections facilities, Jarvis Matthews used contraband cellphones to direct the distribution of drugs in and around Atlanta. Matthews used his fiancée, girlfriends, nephew, and his own two adult sons to distribute drugs and collect and launder money.
In early 2022, FBI agents identified a social media account that Matthews used to conduct dozens of drug deals. Agents made a controlled purchase of two kilograms of methamphetamine from Matthews in April 2022, through his adult son, Charvis Harris, who previously pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. Ultimately, the FBI obtained a court-authorized wiretap on Matthews’s phone and installed a camera at one of his drug trap houses. With these tools, the FBI was able to apprehend Matthews’s drug customers after they received drugs from Matthews’s sons. Testimony at trial showed that Matthews masterminded the distribution of multiple kilograms of internationally-sourced drugs in the metro-Atlanta area and laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars of drug proceeds.
Jarvis Matthews, 46, of Morgan, Georgia, faces a mandatory minimum 25 years in federal prison, to run consecutively to the state prison sentence he is already serving. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. The sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia State Patrol, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, Dooly County Sheriff’s Office, Etowah County (Alabama) Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police Department, Newton County Sheriff’s Office, Marshall County (Alabama) Drug Task Force, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer and John DeGenova are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
This prosecution is also 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 Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal alien indicted following seizure of 325 pounds of methamphetamine from Norcross storage facilityRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Marco Cueto-Rosales, an illegal alien from Mexico, has been arraigned in connection with the seizure of 325 pounds of methamphetamine from a Norcross storage unit on October 10, 2025.
“Cueto-Rosales, who was illegally in the United States, allegedly hid a large amount of methamphetamine in a public storage unit,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Although the Mexican cartels stockpile and peddle their poison in our community, the quick actions of law enforcement thankfully took these deadly drugs off the streets.”
“This operation is about more than drugs – it’s about protecting families and giving our communities a chance to live free from the violence and addiction that meth brings,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On October 10, 2025, agents from the DEA observed Cueto-Rosales enter an outdoor storage unit in Norcross and move items around in plastic tote bins and trash bags. Later that same day, a Gwinnett County Police Department K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics emanating from the storage unit. Agents then obtained a federal search warrant for the unit.
Upon execution of the search warrant, agents found nearly 1,500 rectangular packages of methamphetamine located in trash bags and plastic tote bins. The methamphetamine weighed a total of 325 pounds.
Prior to the search, agents detained Cueto-Rosales, who they determined was an illegal alien unlawfully in the United States.
Marco Cueto-Rosales, 47, of Malinalco, Mexico, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon, on federal charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Cueto-Rosales was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 28, 2025.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. LaGrone is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Bartow County felon who shot at police sentenced to decade in federal prisonRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. – Shane Jacquces Barfield, a multi-convicted felon and domestic abuser, has been sentenced to federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm that he shot at local law enforcement.
“Dangerous felons like Barfield forfeit the right to bear arms,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Barfield broke the law when he possessed and discharged a stolen gun, endangering the safety of police officers and bystanders alike. Thanks to the brave, on-scene efforts of the Cartersville Police Department and subsequent collaboration with the FBI, Barfield will now serve a significant sentence in federal prison without the possibility of parole.”
“Shane Barfield knew he was not supposed to be in possession of a gun, much less fire one, but he violated the law,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “His actions could have been deadly. Thankfully, no law enforcement nor citizens were hurt.”
“Not only was Barfield a threat to our officers that day, but a violent, convicted felon with an illegal firearm is a continual threat to our community,” said Cartersville Police Chief Frank McCann. “A threat that the Cartersville Police Department will not tolerate. We appreciate the FBI for their assistance, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their steadfast commitment to supporting the Cartersville Police Department in its public safety mission.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On September 17, 2023, Shane Barfield was driving through Cartersville, Georgia, with a stolen gun and methamphetamine in his vehicle. Barfield lost control of his vehicle, skidded through an intersection, and crashed into the side of the road. Bystanders called 911 to report the accident and told dispatchers that Barfield had walked away from his vehicle with a gun in his hand.
Barfield returned to his vehicle with the gun, and the Cartersville Police Department (CPD) responded shortly thereafter. Despite clear instructions to toss the firearm and exit his car, Barfield ignored law enforcement. As a CPD officer crossed in front of his vehicle, Barfield fired a shot. Three officers returned fire, striking Barfield’s vehicle multiple times. Officers then arrested Barfield and seized a spent 9mm casing, a stolen pistol, and methamphetamine from his vehicle. A federal investigation requested by CPD determined that the spent casing had been expelled from the stolen firearm.
On November 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II sentenced Shane Jacquces Barfield, 39, of Cartersville, Georgia, to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Barfield was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence on May 15, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cartersville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Terry prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former U.S. Postal Service employee pleads guilty to stealing Treasury checks and committing PPP fraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Former mail carrier Vershun Weaver has pleaded guilty to stealing U.S. Government treasury checks from recipients on his U.S. Postal Service mail route and fraudulently obtaining a pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
"Weaver abused his position and undermined the work of honest public servants,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Citizens should have absolute confidence that their mail is being handled, and delivered, by carriers of impeccable integrity. We will continue to work with our federal partners to root out and hold accountable government employees who compromise their integrity and violate the public’s trust.”
“This case sends a strong message to any U.S. Postal Service employee who decides to violate the public’s trust in this manner,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “Our special agents, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate these federal crimes to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail and maintain the public’s trust.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2023, Vershun Weaver worked as a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service. In July 2023, a postal employee who borrowed Weaver’s mail delivery truck found Weaver’s wallet and turned it in to a supervisor. The supervisor looked inside the wallet for identification and saw two U.S. treasury checks addressed to customers on Weaver’s delivery route. One check was for approximately $2,500, and the other was for $1,500.
During a subsequent investigation, federal agents located in Weaver’s personal vehicle several additional pieces of mail addressed to other victims on Weaver’s delivery route. Agents also discovered that Weaver had fraudulently obtained a PPP loan. To support his application for the loan, Weaver submitted a fake income tax document that he knew had not been filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Weaver spent the proceeds of his PPP fraud on clothes and other personal items that were prohibited under the terms of the pandemic relief loan.
Vershun Weaver, 33, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with making a false statement to the Small Business Administration and two counts of theft of mail by a Postal Service employee. Sentencing is scheduled for February 9, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General with valuable assistance from the Small Business Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwayne A. Brown, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the Department’s resources in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Cartersville man charged federally after allegedly threatening to “shoot up the airport”Read the Press Release
ATLANTA – Billy Joe Cagle, a convicted felon, has been charged via criminal complaint with attempted violence at an international airport, interstate communications containing threats to injure the person of another, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“As alleged in this complaint, Cagle senselessly threatened to do heinous violence to innocent travelers, at the world’s busiest airport, with a high-powered weapon that he had no legal right to possess,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the vigilance of other citizens and the quick action of law enforcement, a horrible tragedy was averted.”
“This is a perfect example of ‘See Something, Say Something’ in action,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “When Billy Joe Cagle’s family noticed something wasn’t right, they alerted authorities. Their quick thinking—combined with the swift, heroic response of our law enforcement partners—undoubtedly saved lives.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On October 20, 2025, Billy Joe Cagle was on a FaceTime call where he allegedly threatened to “shoot up the airport.” The airport he referenced was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. On the call while he was driving, Cagle allegedly stated, “I’m at the airport, and I’m gonna go rat-a-tat-tat,” after which he abruptly ended the call.
The person he was talking to drove to the Cartersville Police Department to report his threat. Officers then contacted the Atlanta Police Department to alert them, passed along images of Cagle, along with a description of the vehicle he was alleged to be driving.
After a brief search, officers located Cagle in the airport terminal and arrested him. Just outside the terminal doors, officers located his Chevrolet truck parked blocking a crosswalk in front of the terminal entrance. Inside the vehicle, officers discovered an AR-15-style firearm, and 27 rounds of ammunition.
Billy Joe Cagle, 49, of Cartersville, Ga., has been charged with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 37(a) attempted violence at an international airport, 875(c) interstate communications containing threats to injure the person of another, and 922(g)(1) possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony offense.
The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Cartersville and Atlanta Police Departments, and the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Jones is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Social Media Provocateurs Charged with Threatening to Harm Federal Agent and His WifeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A federal grand jury has charged two out-of-state men with knowingly transmitting threats to injure a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer and his wife.
“Federal agents deserve to perform their duties free of harassment from keyboard warriors and other agitators,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Threatening law enforcement officers and their families is not only illegal—it’s disgusting. My office will ensure that anyone who threatens a federal agent in North Georgia, or who hides behind a computer screen to intimidate that agent’s immediate family, is found, arrested, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
“Threats of violence against law enforcement officers and their families are not only reprehensible, but also a direct attack on the safety and integrity of our justice system,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “These charges serve as a clear reminder that threats of this nature will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Frank Andrew Waszut allegedly posted a video on Instagram that identified and displayed photographs of an ICE deportation officer who resides and works in the Northern District of Georgia. With those images on the screen, Waszut said: “And he’s an ICE agent. This is him unmasked . . . . So, go ahead and make him famous. And if you see this [expletive] out in public give him the cell block one treatment. You know, catch him when he’s alone.” “Cell block one treatment” allegedly refers to subjecting a detainee to physical violence.
Similarly, Anthony Patrick Noto allegedly posted a comment on Instagram under the picture of the same deportation officer’s wife, with Noto saying: “Anybody wanna test the sites [sic] on their new A-R? There’s a pretty good target right there!” “A-R” refers to a semiautomatic rifle.
Noto, 63, of Ronkonkoma, New York, was taken into federal custody and arraigned on his federal indictment. Waszut, 41, of Knoxville, Tennessee, is currently in the custody of state law enforcement officials in Texas, where he has been charged for making separate terroristic threats against Republican lawmakers there. Both defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury on September 23, 2025.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Eric White are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Georgia Tech Research Corporation Agrees to Pay $875,000 to Resolve Civil Cyber-Fraud LitigationRead the Press Release
Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) has agreed to pay the United States $875,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and federal common law by failing to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with certain Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contracts. GTRC contracts with government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), for research performed at its affiliate, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
“When contractors fail to follow the required cybersecurity standards in their DoD contracts, they leave sensitive government information vulnerable to malicious actors and cyber threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with DoD and other agency partners, the Department of Justice will continue to pursue and litigate violations of cybersecurity requirements to hold contractors accountable when they violate their cybersecurity commitments.”
“Defense contractors’ adherence to their cybersecurity obligations is essential to safeguarding sensitive government information from malicious actors,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “Contractors who fail to implement required cybersecurity controls, provide false information to the government, and otherwise fail to fulfill their cybersecurity obligations will be held accountable.”’
“Failure to follow required cybersecurity requirements puts all of us at risk,” said Stacy Bostjanick, Chief Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity, Deputy Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity, Office of the Chief Information Officer. “Those who knowingly provide deficient cybersecurity products or services, misrepresent their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or violate obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches must be held accountable. Enforcement efforts like this should serve as a reminder to industry to prioritize DoD cybersecurity compliance.”
“Deficiencies in cybersecurity controls pose a significant threat to our national security and jeopardize sensitive DoD programs that put our servicemembers at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “As force multipliers, we place a substantial amount of trust in our contractors, and those who ignore the rules will be held accountable.”
“AFOSI is committed to pursuing allegations related to the security of our information systems and neutralizing threats malicious actors pose when contractors fail to meet their contractual obligations,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrell Freeman of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Procurement Fraud Detachment 5.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit against GTRC and Georgia Tech where the United States alleged that until December 2021, those entities failed to install, update or run anti-virus or anti-malware tools on desktops, laptops, servers and networks at Georgia Tech’s Astrolavos Lab while the lab conducted sensitive cyber-defense research for DoD. The United States also alleged that until at least February 2020, there was no system security plan in place for the Astrolavos Lab to set out the cybersecurity controls that GTRC’s contracts required.
Finally, the United States alleged that in December 2020 GTRC and Georgia Tech submitted a false summary level cybersecurity assessment score to DoD which supposedly applied campus-wide. That summary level score of 98 was allegedly false because (1) there was no campus-wide IT system at Georgia Tech and (2) the score was premised on a “fictitious” or “virtual” environment and did not apply to any actual covered contracting system at Georgia Tech that would process, store or transmit covered defense information. The United States alleged the submission of a cybersecurity assessment score was a condition of contract award for GTRC’s DoD contracts. The obligation to implement security controls specified in National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST SP 800-171) to protect certain DoD information has applied to DoD contracts, subcontracts, and similar contractual instruments since 2017 and will continue under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program that DoD recently finalized. The CMMC program further bolsters the assessment requirements applicable to DoD contractors and subcontractors.
The settlement announced today stems from a complaint filed by Christopher Craig and Kyle Koza, former members of Georgia Tech’s Cybersecurity Team, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private persons to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The Act also permits the Government to intervene and take over the lawsuit, as it did in this case as to certain allegations. The United States intervened in the qui tam suit and filed its complaint in August 2024. The settlement in this case provides for Craig and Koza to receive $201,250 as their share of the recovery.
The investigation, litigation, and resolution in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, DCIS, AFOSI, the Air Force Materiel Command Law Office Procurement Fraud Division, and DARPA. The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Joanna Persio of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie D. Hendry and Adam D. Nugent for the Northern District of Georgia.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Craig v. Georgia Tech Research Corporation et al., No. 1:22-cv-02698 (N.D. Ga.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Calhoun drug dealer who bit a federal agent sentenced to more than a decade in federal prisonRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - DeWayne Allen McGill, a convicted felon and methamphetamine dealer who bit two law enforcement officers and unlawfully possessed a firearm, has been sentenced to prison.
"Caught red-handed with almost three-quarters of a pound of methamphetamine, McGill violently—but unsuccessfully—resisted arrest by brave, front-line crimefighters,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office will aggressively prosecute anyone who threatens or injures a federal agent. In North Georgia, criminals will be held accountable for any attack on law enforcement.”
“This violent repeat offender thought he could continue to distribute deadly drugs with impunity,” stated Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This sentencing protects innocent families and shows DEA’s commitment to stopping violent drug traffickers.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On March 10, 2023, McGill sold approximately 56 grams of methamphetamine from his apartment in Calhoun, Georgia. On April 6, 2023, agents followed McGill from Calhoun to the Atlanta metro area, where he picked up methamphetamine from another man in a parking lot. Law enforcement stopped McGill and found over 300 grams of pure methamphetamine in his vehicle.
McGill tried to run from officers and resisted arrest, biting a DEA special agent and a Calhoun Police detective in the fracas. Agents later executed a search warrant on McGill’s apartment where they found additional methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm handgun. As a twice-convicted felon, McGill was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
DeWayne Allen McGill, a/k/a “Domino,” 40, of Calhoun, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II, to 11 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. McGill was convicted of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, assaulting a federal officer, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on March 3, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the Calhoun Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Forsyth, III prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at;[email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is;http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Pipe bomber sentenced to 12 years in prison for blowing up ATMRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Abdurrahim Jalal has been sentenced for blowing up a bank automated teller machine and possessing illegal explosive devices at his home.
“Jalal used deadly explosives to steal tens of thousands of dollars and then shamelessly gambled with the loot at a casino,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Although Jalal refused to wager his own money at the gaming tables, he will now pay the price for his crimes.”
“Abdurrahim Jalal chose greed over the safety of our community when he used an explosive to steal money,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Violence and destruction of property will never be tolerated, and the FBI and our partners will continue to work together to ensure criminals like Jalal are held accountable.”
“The successful prosecution of Abdurrahim Jalal is a testament to our unwavering commitment to public safety. We will not tolerate the use of explosives in criminal activity, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those who threaten our communities are brought to justice said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: At approximately 3:11 a.m. on March 29, 2023, Jalal blew up an ATM at the Bank of America branch located at the North DeKalb Mall in Decatur, Georgia. After the explosion, Jalal took approximately $90,000 from the vault of the machine. He then embarked on a multi-day gambling spree at a North Carolina casino. Investigators identified Jalal and obtained a warrant to search his home. They found eight fully assembled or nearly completed pipe bombs during that search.
On September 22, 2025, U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown sentenced Abdurrahim Jalal, 55, of Decatur, Georgia to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Jalal was found guilty of bank theft, use of an explosive to commit a felony, arson, and two counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device, after a bench trial on June 25, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DeKalb County Police Department and the DeKalb County Fire Rescue.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dash A. Cooper prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
This release has been corrected to accurately reflect that the defendant was sentenced for 12 years, not 14 as previously published.
Five Mexican Nationals Face Federal Charges Following Seizure of over a Thousand Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Atlanta – Wilber Castellanos Villazana, Yamilet Calixto Sotelo, Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez, and Damien Gomez-Guijarro, four of whom are illegal aliens from Mexico, appeared in federal court on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, following the combined seizure of more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine last week from an apartment complex and single-family residence in unincorporated DeKalb County. DEA identified one of the primary traffickers as allegedly working on behalf of the violent Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”).
“Within just a few days, undercover investigations in the metro Atlanta area led to the seizure of more than half a ton of methamphetamine, the arrests of four illegal aliens allegedly responsible for distributing those deadly drugs, and the disruption of two drug trafficking rings,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office will continue to proudly partner with federal, state, and local crimefighters to protect the public and eliminate the scourge of drug trafficking.”
“The CJNG cartel is a significant threat to public safety, public health, and the national security of the United States,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA will target every level of their supply chain to disrupt and destroy their networks.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court:
On September 15, 2025, Wilber Castellanos Villazana allegedly sold one kilogram of methamphetamine to a DEA undercover agent at an apartment complex in DeKalb County. Law enforcement thereafter saw Castellanos Villazana allegedly sell additional narcotics to two other people from an Acura vehicle.
The next day, agents observed Castellanos Villazana, Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez, and Yamilet Calixto Sotelo leave an apartment at the complex, pull a collapsible wagon to a parked Acura, and move two large black trash bags from the wagon into the Acura. Law enforcement arrested the defendants and searched the car and apartment. Agents found approximately 22 kilograms of methamphetamine in the car trunk and approximately 309 kilograms of methamphetamine in the apartment.
One day later, on September 17, 2025, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez and Damien Gomez-Guijarro allegedly sold a kilogram of methamphetamine to an undercover agent at a gas station on the outskirts of Stone Mountain, Ga. After this transaction, agents followed Jacobo-Suarez and Gomez-Guijarro to a nearby residence.
The next day, after DEA scheduled a second undercover drug purchase, agents observed Jacobo-Suarez and Gomez-Guijarro leave the residence and place a black trash bag in the backseat of a car. A DeKalb County police officer stopped that car after Jacobo-Suarez and Gomez-Guijarro arrived at the designated meeting spot for the drug buy. Subsequent searches allegedly revealed 10 kilograms of methamphetamine in the car and approximately 131 kilograms of methamphetamine, one firearm, and approximately $12,000 cash in the residence.
On September 19, 2025, Wilber Castellanos Villazana, 38, Yamilet Calixto Sotelo 22, Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez, 35, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez, 44, and Damien Gomez-Guijarro, 32, who are all citizens of Mexico, were charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in federal criminal complaints. Castallanos Villazana, Calixto Sotelo, Lorenzo Manzanarez, and Jacobo-Suarez are illegal aliens. Jacobo-Suarez was previously deported from the United States twice.
Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
These cases are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, with valuable assistance provided by Homeland Security Investigations, the DeKalb County Police Department, and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Herskowitz is prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Three-Time Convicted Felon Faces Federal Charges after Purple Fentanyl and Numerous Weapons SeizedRead the Press Release
Atlanta – Dontrell Lamar Brown, a three-time convicted felon, was arraigned in federal court earlier today on charges related to his alleged distribution of large amounts of “purple” fentanyl and possession of numerous firearms in his Midtown Atlanta condominium. Brown’s girlfriend, Karleah Edwards, also faces charges for allegedly moving the fentanyl out of Brown’s condominium to conceal it from law enforcement.
“Despite three prior drug felony convictions, Brown allegedly continued his criminal activities by distributing fentanyl and illegally possessing numerous weapons to protect his drugs and money,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Due to strong law enforcement partnerships, Brown now faces serious federal drug and weapons charges, and his lethal fentanyl and weapons cache are off of the street.”
“This case exemplifies the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian “Chris” Johnson. “By working together, we can effectively combat the threats posed by drug traffickers and keep our neighborhoods safe from violence and illegal firearms.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On June 19, 2025, Brown was arrested on outstanding warrants after he fled from a traffic stop in DeKalb County. While in the DeKalb County Jail, Brown allegedly made recorded jail calls instructing Edwards, in coded language, to remove drugs from his midtown condominium and give them to another individual. Using a ruse concocted by Brown, Edwards allegedly gained access to the condominium and removed a briefcase containing over eight pounds of fentanyl. The DeKalb County Police Department later recovered this “purple” fentanyl at a residence in Stone Mountain. On June 24, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Brown’s condominium and seized six firearms scattered throughout the residence, including a rifle with a large capacity magazine, over $30,000 in cash, a wrapper containing purple residue, a kilogram press, and a money counter.
Brown has three prior felony convictions from the Gwinnett County Superior Court, including sale of methamphetamine and cocaine, in 2015; possession of cocaine, in 2017; and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and theft by receiving stolen property, in 2023.
Dontrell Lamar Brown, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2025, on charges of conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment also charges Karleah Edwards, 26, of Scottdale, Georgia, with conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the DeKalb County Police Department’s HIDTA, Narcotics, and Gang Units. Valuable assistance has been provided by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Herskowitz is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Jury Convicts Illegal Alien for Operating Atlanta-Area Methamphetamine Labs and Unlawfully Possessing a .50 Caliber RifleRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Following a five-day federal trial, a jury convicted Ramiro Contreras-Sandoval, 41, an illegal alien originally from Michoacan, Mexico, of distributing over 135 kilograms of a liquid methamphetamine mixture and possessing firearms as an illegal alien and in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
“Without any regard for the safety of our community, Contreras-Sandoval operated two methamphetamine conversion labs in homes in the Atlanta area,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “He also possessed a firearm to protect his methamphetamine operation, as well as a Bushmaster .50 caliber rifle. Thanks to the relentless efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement partners, the methamphetamine, weapons, and nearly $100,000 in drug proceeds were seized, and Contreras-Sandoval was convicted by a jury for his crimes.”
“This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This guilty verdict is a critical step toward protecting our neighborhoods and ensuring these violent drug traffickers are removed from our streets.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between March 2019 and October 2021, Contreras-Sandoval and Genaro Davalos-Pulido operated two clandestine liquid methamphetamine conversion laboratories in the Atlanta area. On April 23, 2019, DEA agents seized over 135 kilograms of a methamphetamine mixture in paint buckets that Contreras-Sandoval and Davalos-Pulido attempted to transport in a vehicle driven by a conspirator. Both men fled to avoid arrest.
In August 2021, DEA located Contreras-Sandoval and Davalos-Pulido at a second methamphetamine conversion lab in a Norcross, Ga. residence. On October 21, 2021, agents searched the home and found Davalos-Pulido inside with a full-scale liquid methamphetamine conversion operation; a loaded firearm on the couch’s center armrest, which also concealed over $84,000 in cash; and a .50 caliber rifle that appeared ready to be shipped to Mexico. Agents arrested Contreras-Sandoval outside the home and found approximately $12,000 in his vehicle and pockets.
On September 16, 2025, following a jury trial, Contreras-Sandoval was convicted of all charges against him: one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.Contreras-Sandoval’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled soon. U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced Davalos-Pulido to 20 years in federal prison on October 11, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with substantial assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Long Beach (California) Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, Lawrenceville Police Department, and Clayton County Police Department.Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Thomas M. Forsyth, III are prosecuting the case.
This case was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal Alien and Arizona Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Mailing Kilograms of Fentanyl to AtlantaRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Walter Alexander Argueta-Aguilar, an illegal alien from El Salvador, and Jorge Manuel Zamora Cano have been sentenced for their roles in shipping and distributing tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription medication.
“Argueta-Aguilar and Cano profited from the opioid epidemic and endangered thousands of lives by trafficking fentanyl-laced pills resembling actual medicine,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg “Thanks to collaboration among our law enforcement partners, these defendants, including an illegal alien, have been prevented from causing further harm in our community.”
“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is committed to combating the deadly fentanyl crisis facing our nation by holding those accountable that believe they can misuse the U.S. Mail to traffic drugs,” said Tammy Hull, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service. “Our special agents, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will always work together to aggressively investigate these federal crimes to ensure the integrity of the nation’s postal system. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta for their support and prosecution of this case.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In February 2024, federal agents began investigating Argueta-Aguilar, an illegal alien who was living in Norcross, Georgia, for receiving mail parcels containing counterfeit pills with the imprint M30, which is a common imprint on legitimate oxycodone tablets. On March 19, 2024, federal agents intercepted a package Cano shipped to Argueta-Aguilar from Arizona. The package contained more than 125 grams of fentanyl-laced blue M30 pills in a vacuum-sealed plastic baggie.
The investigation revealed that, between July 2023 and March 2024, Cano mailed dozens of packages containing over 50,000 blue M30 fentanyl pills to the Atlanta area. Argueta-Aguilar received more than 28,000 of the pills. The pills were often concealed in items such as stuffed animals to avoid detection.
Both defendants subsequently pled guilty to drug trafficking-related offenses and received the following sentences:
- Walter Alexander Argueta-Aguilar, 21, of Sonsonate, El Salvador, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on March 5, 2025. He was sentenced to five years in prison on July 7, 2025, and will face deportation from the United States.
- Jorge Manuel Zamora Cano, 23, of Mesa, Arizona, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and unlawful use of a communication facility on May 8, 2025. He was sentenced to ten years in prison and five years of supervised release on September 17, 2025.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with support from Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamil A. Favors, Laurel B. Milam, and Benjamin Wylly prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at www.justthinktwice.gov and www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov. Additional resources on fentanyl and fentanyl pills, as well as prevention and treatment, are available at www.dea.gov/onepill.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Hiram Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Maintaining Drug, Weapons, and Money StashRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Darrlin Vernard Warner was sentenced to fifteen years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine while in possession of multiple firearms and more than $175,000 in drug proceeds.
“Fentanyl and methamphetamine are wreaking havoc on north Georgia, leading to addiction, crime, and loss of life,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of key collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, a significant drug trafficker is out of the community. His deadly drugs are off the street, his weapons have been seized, and his drug proceeds now belong to law enforcement.”
“Drug traffickers like Warner fuel addiction and violence by pushing fentanyl and meth into our communities while stockpiling weapons and cash,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to the outstanding partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement, we have dismantled a dangerous operation and made northern Georgia safer.”
“This sentencing is a significant victory in protecting the citizens of Georgia from the dangers drug traffickers bring into our communities. Traffickers of deadly substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine leave behind addiction, violence, and devastation that tear families apart,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI, alongside our local, state, and federal partners, remains committed to ensuring these criminals face justice and that these dangerous drugs are removed from our communities.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In October and November 2024, Warner conspired with others to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine in Paulding and Douglas counties. On November 13, 2024, federal, state, and local agencies searched Warner’s home and car, and seized more than two pounds of fentanyl, one pound of methamphetamine, five firearms, and $177,119 in cash.
Earlier today, United States District Judge William M. Ray, II sentenced Darrlin Vernard Warner, a/k/a “Juice,” 40, of Hiram, Georgia, to fifteen years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. As part of the sentence, Warner forfeited the cash seized from his residence. Warner was convicted on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on June 5, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Northwest Georgia Drug Task Force, with valuable assistance provided by the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Paulding County Fire Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III, Thomas M. Forsyth, III, and Jeffrey Brown prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Anyone with information about drug sales/trafficking in their area can report it to the GBI at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477) or DEA’s Atlanta Division Office at (404) 893-7000. Online tips can be submitted at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip.
The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia encourages parents and children to learn about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs at the following websites: www.justthinktwice.gov, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com, www.operationprevention.com/, www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov, and www.dea.gov/onepill.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Court Appoints Theodore S. Hertzberg as United States Attorney for the Northern District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ATLANTA, Ga. – Theodore S. Hertzberg will remain as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia after the judges of the United States District Court voted on Monday for him to serve in that role indefinitely.
“I am deeply honored that the Court has entrusted me with the continued leadership of the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Hertzberg. “I pledge that the prosecutors under my charge will act decisively and aggressively to excise dangerous offenders from our community, and our litigators will represent the interests of the United States zealously. The citizens of the Northern District deserve nothing less.”
Pursuant to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, Attorney General Pamela Bondi previously appointed Mr. Hertzberg to serve as U.S. Attorney on May 13, 2025. Under 28 U.S.C. § 546(c)(2), a U.S. Attorney appointed by the Attorney General may only serve up to 120 days. Accordingly, Mr. Hertzberg’s term will expire today. However, based on the court’s vote yesterday, Mr. Hertzberg will continue to serve until the confirmation of a Presidentially appointed successor.
Today, Chief United States District Judge Leigh Martin May administered Mr. Hertzberg’s oath of office in front of an audience of U.S. Attorney’s Office staff, judges, federal law enforcement officers, and court personnel.
As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Hertzberg is the chief law enforcement officer for the Northern District of Georgia, which spans 46 counties in northern Georgia and is home to more than seven million citizens. The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute federal crimes occurring in the district and to litigate and defend civil cases in which the United States is a party.
Since his initial appointment in May, Mr. Hertzberg has led the Office to take swift action targeting transnational criminal organizations, violent repeat offenders, drug traffickers, and cybercriminals. Under U.S. Attorney Hertzberg’s leadership, the Office has also sought to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in government by charging defendants with criminal misappropriation of federal funds and recovering tens of millions of dollars in civil settlements.
Mr. Hertzberg previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for nearly ten years. His tenure with the Justice Department began in the Savannah headquarters of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia. In Savannah, Mr. Hertzberg prosecuted violent criminals, drug dealers, fraudsters, and money launderers while also serving as chief of the asset forfeiture section. Upon relocating to Atlanta in 2018, Mr. Hertzberg transferred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, where he prosecuted gang leaders, child sex predators, gun traffickers, armed felons, and other dangerous offenders. Even as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Hertzberg has maintained his presence in the courtroom, personally prosecuting child exploitation and violent crime cases throughout the District.
Before joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Hertzberg practiced law in the New York office of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, and he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Kristi K. DuBose of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. He is a graduate of Amherst College and New York University School of Law.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Lieutenant in Sinaloa and Beltran-Leyva Cartels Detained in Atlanta After Years of Hiding in MexicoRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Roberto Lopez, a/k/a Shrek, a/k/a NWA, was arraigned and detained in federal court on Friday following his transfer from Mexico to face federal charges of cocaine importation and distribution and money laundering. Lopez, who was hiding in Mexico for more than a decade before his capture, allegedly smuggled hundreds of machineguns and assault weapons and helped manage a vast cocaine smuggling network in support of high-level cartel leaders.
“Lopez allegedly moved tons of cocaine and millions of dollars through Atlanta and other cities while supplying machineguns and other tools of war to fuel cartel bloodshed in Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Though it took years to find and arrest him, he will now finally be held accountable for his crimes.”
“This violent cartel member is part of a ruthless criminal network that profits from drugs, guns, and bloodshed,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA will not stop until every member of these organizations is taken off of our streets.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In the early 2000s, Edgar Valdez-Villareal, a/k/a “La Barbie,” was an infamous and ruthless enforcer for the Sinaloa and Beltran-Leyva Cartels in their war against the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas. Valdez also partnered with U.S.-based trucking businessman Carlos Montemayor to operate a distribution network that moved up to 300 kilograms of cocaine per week to Atlanta, Memphis, and other cities while smuggling cash back to Mexico in shipments carrying no less than $1 million per load. In just a six-month period, the organization distributed 1,500 kilograms of cocaine in Atlanta alone.
In 2018, a federal judge in Atlanta sentenced Valdez to 49 years and one month in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. In 2019, Montemayor was sentenced to 34 years and three months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Lopez is alleged to have been the primary lieutenant for Valdez and Montemayor’s network, handling various logistics, including payments to truck drivers and stash house operators and the repackaging and transportation of money over the border. Lopez is also alleged to have been in charge of supplying weapons and other equipment to the cartels, obtaining high-powered rifles, silencers, ammunition, magazines, night vision goggles, ballistic vests, helmets, and other gear in the United States and smuggling them into Mexico. He also allegedly developed skills to convert semiautomatic rifles to function as fully automatic machineguns and manufactured silencers for handguns. He is estimated to have smuggled over 1,000 rifles, 100-200 converted machineguns, and over 1,000 magazines and ammunition drums into Mexico from the United States. As part of the cartel’s intimidation campaign and reign of terror, Lopez is also alleged to have played a critical role in distributing a video of the assassination of one of Valdez’s rivals to media and law enforcement in the United States and Mexico.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker detained Lopez, 45, of Texas, on Friday after he pled not guilty to charges of conspiring to import, possess with intent to distribute, and distribute cocaine; possessing cocaine with intent to distribute; distributing cocaine; and conspiring to commit money laundering. A federal grand jury indicted Lopez for those crimes on December 15, 2009, nearly 16 years ago. Lopez faces a statutory maximum of life imprisonment for each of the drug counts and up to 20 years of imprisonment for the money laundering count.
In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Elizabeth M. Hathaway are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood
This effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Convicted Felon Charged with Arson and Destruction of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Federal charges were unsealed today against Ronald Watson, a/k/a Sarah Watson, a/k/a Miranda Kyle, a/k/a Emily Smith, 28, of Kennesaw, Ga., for arson and destruction of government property. The charges stem from an attack on the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) building located in downtown Atlanta during the summer of 2020.
“The right to peacefully protest never excuses acts of violence, like smashing windows and attempting to set fire to a government building,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Anyone who perpetrates or threatens violence against federal officers or property must be identified, found, and held accountable.”
“The First Amendment does not allow individuals to commit arson or destroy property,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our communities while respecting individuals’ First Amendment rights.”
“Those who attack our government institutions with fire and violence will be held accountable. Setting fire to a government building is not only an attack on bricks and mortar—it is an attack on the rule of law and the safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “Homeland Security Investigations, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue those who endanger lives and destroy public property. HSI remains committed to protecting the people, safeguarding government facilities, and ensuring that justice is served.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information filed in court: On July 25, 2020, shortly before midnight, a crowd gathered at the Atlanta ICE building and protested outside a fenced area. At the same time, several masked individuals wearing dark clothing breached the fences and vandalized the building.
The rioters used rocks, cinder blocks, modified fireworks, Molotov cocktails, lighter fluid bottles, and other materials to cause more than $78,000 in damage. Inside the building, law enforcement found blood near a broken window and a lighter fluid bottle near an unexploded Molotov cocktail.
Although the vandals attempted to conceal their identities, law enforcement identified Watson based on evidence collected following his January 2023 felony conviction for assaulting a public safety officer in Oregon.
Prior to the attack on the ICE building, Watson posted numerous anti-ICE messages on social media, including a depiction of an ICE agent about to be struck in the head with a baseball bat. Watson also claimed on social media to have “thrown bricks, done other things not to be mentioned, . . . [and] Doxxed people” as examples of “taking action.”
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations.
If you know Watson’s whereabouts or have information that may lead to Watson’s arrest, please contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 800-CALL-FBI. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of Watson.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal Alien Who Concealed Kilos of Fentanyl in a Diaper Box and Hid Firearms Under a Bed Faces Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Atlanta – Alexis Carreon Bocanegra, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested and detained in federal court on charges related to his alleged distribution of fentanyl and possession of firearms.
“Bocanegra, an illegal alien, allegedly tried to hide a significant amount of deadly fentanyl and unlawfully armed himself to protect his stash,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the diligent investigation of our law enforcement partners, Bocanegra is now in federal custody. His fentanyl will never hit the streets, and his guns will no longer threaten the safety our community.”
“Fentanyl is a poison that continues to claim lives, and combining it with firearms only increases the danger,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA is committed to removing both from our streets.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between February and March 2025, DEA agents conducting surveillance allegedly saw Bocanegra handle suspected illegal drug proceeds worth approximately $400,000. Additionally, in March 2025, Bocanegra allegedly distributed a vacuum-sealed package containing approximately a kilogram of fentanyl.
On August 25, 2025, DEA agents arrested Bocanegra and searched his Stone Mountain home. They found two firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, hidden under a bed. Agents also located approximately 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl concealed in a Huggies diaper box inside a nearby shed.
Alexis Carreon Bocanegra, 25, a Mexican citizen with no legal status in the United States, was charged in a criminal complaint on August 27, 2025, with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On August 28, 2025, a federal magistrate judge ordered Bocanegra to remain in federal custody without bail.
Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office; the Atlanta Police Department; the DeKalb County Police Department; and the Sandy Springs Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney James Hwang is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Violent Drug Dealer Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Royce Cobb, a/k/a “Rapp,” 47, of Atlanta, Georgia, a multi-time convicted felon who was distributing kilogram quantities of dangerous drugs from an Atlanta stash house, will serve a 23-year prison sentence following his convictions for cocaine trafficking and illegal possession of a loaded semiautomatic firearm. Cobb previously served prison sentences in Georgia and North Carolina for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, trafficking and attempted trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Cobb’s aggravated assault conviction followed a 2001 shooting during which Cobb killed one of his drug customers.
“More than a decade behind bars failed to deter Cobb from trafficking large amounts of drugs from an Atlanta stash house while armed,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thankfully, the determined investigation of the DEA and their state and local partners finally halted Cobb’s illicit activity.”
“Far too many victims have suffered at the hands of repeat offenders who show no remorse for the chaos they create,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA is committed to dismantling criminal networks and protecting our communities.”
“When we team our resources with the resources of our local, state, and federal partners, gang members better beware,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “The removal of drugs, weapons and gang members from the streets immediately makes those communities safer.”
“This case underscores the powerful impact that can be achieved when law enforcement agencies unite with purpose, harnessing their collective strength to dismantle complex drug trafficking networks and deliver a decisive blow to criminal organizations,” said Acting Director Andy Dimond of the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA).
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Cobb, a large-scale drug trafficker, was responsible for distributing at least 50 kilograms of cocaine, 4 kilograms of methamphetamine, and various quantities of fentanyl and heroin. In 2022, DEA investigators began surveilling Cobb’s southwest Atlanta drug stash location, which enabled them to seize kilograms of illegal drugs, firearms, and thousands of dollars of drug proceeds from Cobb’s customers and associates. Agents observed dozens of drug traffickers, including some from neighboring states, visit Cobb’s residence for suspected drug deals. Agents’ seizures included approximately 17.6 kilograms of cocaine concealed under the bed of a tow truck and approximately 22 kilograms of cocaine in an associate’s vehicle in South Carolina. In 2023, DEA agents seized multiple kilograms of cocaine and other narcotics, and drug proceeds, from drug transporters working with Cobb and his conspirators.
In July 2023, agents executed a search warrant at Cobb’s primary drug stash house, where they seized counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, three bricks of marijuana, and a loaded semiautomatic firearm with a large-capacity magazine. Agents also seized ammunition for two other firearms, money counters, and a pill counter. At another of Cobb’s Atlanta stash locations, agents seized seven kilograms of cocaine. Agents recovered more than a quarter-million dollars of cash from the two stash houses combined.
Yesterday, United States District Judge J.P. Boulee sentenced Cobb to 23 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Cobb was convicted on April 16, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Suwanee Police Department, and Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Georgia State Patrol, Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office (South Carolina).
Assistant United States Attorneys John T. DeGenova and Dwayne A. Brown, Jr., along with former Assistant United States Attorney Rebeca M. Ojeda, prosecuted the case.
This case was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
GoodFellas Gang Members Sentenced to Prison for Selling Drugs and MachinegunsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Corey Boyer, a/k/a Baby Joker, 26, of Atlanta, Ga., and Antonio Smith, a/k/a Ace, 27, of Atlanta, Ga., were sentenced for distributing methamphetamine and other drugs throughout the metro-Atlanta area as members of the Atlanta-based GoodFellas street gang.
“Boyer and Smith operated a fortified trap house to fund the violent GoodFellas gang by dealing drugs and trafficking firearms, including machineguns” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office continues to closely coordinate with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate, prosecute, and punish gang members who pose a clear and present danger to our community.”
“Corey Boyer and Antonio Smith were key players in a dangerous drug trafficking operation that fueled gang activity and harmed our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Their sentencing sends a strong message that the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to dismantle drug networks and remove violent offenders from our streets to ensure the safety of metro-Atlanta residents.”
“This case exemplifies the importance of collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “Together, we can effectively combat violent gang activity and ensure that those who engage in illegal activities face the consequences of their actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: GoodFellas is an Atlanta-based gang that primarily recruits members in Atlanta neighborhoods and jails and prisons within the state of Georgia. GoodFellas members generate money for the gang through criminal activities, including drug trafficking, robbery, carjacking, fraud, and firearms trafficking. In spring 2024, the FBI learned that GoodFellas members were trafficking drugs in a west Atlanta apartment complex. Over several months of surveillance, federal agents saw Boyer and Smith conducting hand-to-hand drug transactions at the apartment complex.
In August 2024, law enforcement searched an apartment at the complex. When law enforcement entered the apartment, Smith jumped out of a window and attempted to flee. When Smith was apprehended, he was carrying an unserialized machinegun in his waistband. Boyer was located inside the apartment with six firearms, body armor, approximately 500 rounds of ammunition, more than $1,000 in counterfeit currency, several suspected machinegun conversion devices; approximately 10 kilograms of marijuana, more than a kilogram each of methamphetamine and MDMA, and various quantities of cocaine and psilocybin mushrooms. Further investigation revealed that Smith had been trafficking firearms and machinegun conversion devices.
Today, U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert sentenced Smith to 14 years, 2 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Smith was convicted on May 28, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a machine gun, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On July 23, 2025, Judge Calvert sentenced Boyer to 12 years, 6 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Boyer was convicted on April 18, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office; and the Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Renaud prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga
Armed Atlanta Drug Dealer Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Omari A. Nicks, a convicted cocaine trafficker, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl out of his Atlanta apartment while illegally possessing a loaded AR-style rifle.
“Nicks is a serial drug trafficker who posed a serious threat to public safety by dealing fentanyl and other dangerous drugs while armed with a loaded, high-powered rifle that he was not allowed to have,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Nicks’s sentence is just one more example of the positive, collaborative impact that law enforcement partners in north Georgia achieve in our communities.”
“When criminals mix deadly drugs with guns, the danger is magnified,” sad Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This sentence makes clear they will be held accountable.”
“Bartow County continues to aggressively target those who sell fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in our community,” said Major Mark Mayton of the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force. “We will continue to work with our partners to identify and arrest those people who are furthering the fentanyl crisis.”
“The Cartersville Police Department takes great pride in working with our federal law enforcement partners, especially when our collaboration results in holding criminals accountable who bring dangerous weapons and drugs into our community,” said Chief Frank McCann of the Cartersville Police Department. “By continuing these partnerships, our goal is to make it clear to all criminal organizations that the City of Cartersville will not be a haven for your illicit activity.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In January 2025, Nicks was selling methamphetamine and fentanyl from his apartment complex in Atlanta, Georgia to customers who traveled from as far as Bartow County. On February 6, 2025, DEA agents searched Nicks’s apartment after seeing him sell methamphetamine and fentanyl. When agents entered the apartment, Nicks attempted to flee by climbing out a third-story window, but he fell off the side of the building and was arrested by agents.
Inside Nicks’s apartment, agents found approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, 50 grams of fentanyl, a hydraulic press to form powdered drugs into bricks, approximately $5,400 in cash, and an AR-15 style rifle loaded with a 30-round magazine. Law enforcement also recovered approximately 100 grams of heroin that Nicks’s co-conspirator dumped out the window when agents entered the apartment.
Yesterday, United States District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced Nicks, 47, of Smyrna, Ga., to twelve years and six months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Nicks was convicted of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 8, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, and the Cartersville Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III and Thomas M. Forsyth, III prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
68-Year-Old Moonshiner Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Michael Ferrell Price, a/k/a “Cheese,” a Cherokee County drug user, has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine from a backwoods shed in which he stored explosive devices, unregistered silencers, machineguns, and other firearms. In an adjacent structure, Price operated an illegal moonshine still.
“Price posed a clear danger to the community by selling methamphetamine and distilling moonshine while maintaining an illegal stash of explosive devices and more than 150 firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the collaboration of federal agents and local law enforcement, Price has been brought to justice for his crimes.”
“This case demonstrates the results we achieve when federal, state, and local law enforcement work hand-in-hand,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “By combining resources and expertise, we were able to dismantle a criminal operation that threatened both public safety and the rule of law.”
“Stockpiling weapons while trafficking drugs is a recipe for tragedy,” said Major Walter Jones, Director of Drug Enforcement-Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad. “Price’s sentencing should make clear that those who choose that path will face serious consequences.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In September 2024, agents of the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad began investigating Price for trafficking methamphetamine from his 90-year-old mother’s home in eastern Cherokee County. On October 22, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at the property and recovered more than three ounces of highly pure crystal methamphetamine, several gallons of homemade moonshine, dozens of illegal explosive devices, and more than 150 firearms.
Among Price’s 150 firearms were two machineguns, a short-barreled rifle, a privately manufactured firearm without a serial number, five firearm silencers, and a stolen revolver. Because Price was a years-long abuser of methamphetamine, federal law prohibited him from possessing firearms or explosives.
On August 21, 2025, United States District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced Michael Ferrell Price, 68, of Ball Ground, Ga., to 87 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Price was convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user, after he pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad. The Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance.
U.S. Attorney Hertzberg prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at www.justthinktwice.gov and www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Coweta County Sex Offender and Bartow County Man Plead Guilty to Child Enticement CrimesRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. – On August 15, 2025, three defendants, including a convicted sex offender on post-release supervision, pled guilty to federal child enticement and evidence tampering charges. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg handled the court proceedings himself.
“Protecting children from sexual predators is among the highest priorities for law enforcement at every level,” said U.S. Attorney Hertzberg. “In northwest Georgia, state and local officers collaborate closely with federal agents to keep our kids safe. My office is fully committed to supporting their efforts, and, while I serve as United States Attorney, I will continue to prosecute these important cases personally.”
“These crimes are especially disturbing. Those who engage in child exploitation will be held accountable for their conduct,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI will remain vigilant and continue our active role to ensure children are protected and justice is sought for victims.”
“The GBI remains dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities and ensuring offenders face justice,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. “We will continue working alongside our partners to safeguard children from those who seek to exploit them. These guilty pleas send a clear message: those who prey on children will be held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On March 4, 2025, Christopher Welcher, a registered sex offender who served more than six years in federal prison following a 2016 conviction for distributing visual depictions of child sex abuse, exchanged sexually explicit text messages with an undercover law enforcement officer he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Welcher told the undercover officer that he “happen[s] to think that 14 is the perfect age [for] kissing, talking, sexting, having sex, and more.” Welcher encouraged the purported 14-year-old to skip school so he could engage in sexual conduct that would constitute aggravated child molestation under Georgia law. Welcher then drove to Floyd County, Georgia to meet the girl near a public high school. Police arrested Welcher upon his arrival at the meeting location and seized his cell phone. A subsequent search of the cell phone revealed hundreds of images of child sex abuse.
On March 12, 2025, Welcher called his wife, Connie Thompson, from the Floyd County Jail. The call was recorded. Welcher and Thompson discussed a plan for Thompson to destroy electronic devices at their home in Grantville, Georgia. Thompson told Welcher, “I’m fixing to bust the f*** out of” the devices, at least one of which contained pornographic images Welcher possessed in violation of his conditions of supervised release. FBI promptly obtained a warrant to search Thompson’s home, but, by the time agents arrived, Thompson had already smashed two digital storage drives and discarded them in the kitchen trashcan. Law enforcement recovered the damaged devices from the trashcan but could not repair them.
Approximately one week later, in an unrelated case, FBI agents arrested William Eric Cooper, a Bartow County, Georgia resident. Between February 6, 2025 and February 24, 2025, Cooper exchanged over 1,000 chat messages with a 15-year-old child. Within the first few messages, the child identified herself as a ninth grader. Many of the subsequent messages were sexual in nature. Cooper directed the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct and send him depictions of it in exchange for his promise to meet her in North Carolina and help her run away from her family. The child did what Cooper instructed. When agents arrested Cooper, they seized cellphones from his car and home. Searches of those devices revealed a sexually explicit video of the 15-year-old child and more than 250 images and videos depicting other minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The enticement charges to which Welcher, 45, and Cooper, 45, pled guilty carry a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years of imprisonment. Welcher faces an additional 5-year mandatory minimum term for the violation of his supervised release conditions. Thompson, 52, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
The defendants’ sentencing hearings have been scheduled for November 21, 2025, before United States District Judge William M. Ray, II.
These cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance from the Rome/Floyd Metro Drug Task Force, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Police Department, and Grantville Police Department.
United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg and Assistant United States Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III are prosecuting the cases.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Ten Individuals Charged with $9 Million Federal Loan Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Ten individuals face federal charges stemming from a fraud and money laundering operation that targeted government loan programs offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, including the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and Paycheck Protection Program. In addition, two of the defendants were charged with laundering the proceeds of a fraudulent unemployment insurance scheme.
“Fraud schemes, like the ones perpetrated by these defendants, stole valuable resources meant to assist small businesses and citizens during difficult times,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting and punishing cold-hearted criminals who target government aid programs for their personal gain.”
“PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “FBI Atlanta and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who exploited the pandemic as a means to enrich themselves.”
“An important mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of unemployment insurance fraud targeting state workforce agencies. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Between November 2020 and June 2023, David Nathaniel Black, Jr. and others used real companies’ information to submit unauthorized and false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications. The loan applications allegedly included false information about the companies, such as the number of employees, the need for the loan, the intended use of the funds, average monthly payroll, and gross revenue. The applications were supported by fraudulent documents, including false tax records, bank statements, and payroll. In addition, the defendants used stolen identification information belonging to the owners or officers of the companies to submit the applications without their knowledge. In total, the defendants allegedly obtained over $9 million in fraudulent loans.
After the loans were obtained, the defendants allegedly conducted cash withdrawals and transferred funds, sometimes using the funds to purchase luxury items. For example, Black used fraud proceeds for the following expenditures:
- $200,000 for a 2022 Bentley Bentayga;
- $350,000 for a 2020 McLaren 720S convertible;
- $142,680 for the down payment of a 2023 Mercedes Benz G-Class Wagon; and
- $180,645 to pay the annual rent for a luxury home.
David Nathaniel Black, Jr., 31, of Newnan, Georgia, was charged with 17 counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment per count, and 17 counts of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory, consecutive term of imprisonment of two years per count. Black was also charged with over 100 counts of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment per count.
In addition to Black, the following individuals were charged with multiple counts of money laundering:
- Rashad Avery, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia;
- Tara Batson, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia;
- Chris Elvins Constant, 25, of Ft. Pierce, Florida;
- Nicole Cooley, 35, of Baltimore, Maryland;
- Reginald Douglas, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia;
- Yvenord Guerilus, 24, of Miami, Florida;
- Carson Merice, 25, of Miami, Florida;
- Rise Robinson, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia; and
- George Thompson, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia.
Black and Constant are also charged with money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, for allegedly laundering proceeds from a fraudulent unemployment insurance scheme.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Connors and Sarah E. Klapman are prosecuting the case.
Nine of the defendants appeared in federal court this week following their arrests. If you know Rise Robinson’s whereabouts or have information that may lead to her arrest, please contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 800-CALL-FBI.
On May 17, 2021, the Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the Department’s resources in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Federal Employee and Two Other Women Plead Guilty in Pandemic Fraud CasesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Rena Barrett, a former Small Business Administration (“SBA”) loan officer, pled guilty on August 11, 2025 to making false statements to the SBA in connection with applications for more than $550,000 in fraudulent COVID-19 pandemic loans.
“The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provided critical relief to small businesses and supported our economy during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “It is intolerable that Barrett—who was entrusted to process loans for desperate small businesses—placed her personal greed ahead of doing her job honestly. With the help of our law enforcement partners, we are committed to rooting out and punishing government employees who betray the public’s trust.”
“Abusing authority to fraudulently obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds betrays the trust of small businesses relying on critical relief,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of SBA Office of the Inspector General’s Eastern Region. “OIG is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring accountability for those who exploit vital programs for personal gain.”
“Government employees who exploit their positions for personal gain betray the public trust and undermine critical programs designed to help those in need,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our partners to hold accountable those who abuse their authority and harm the integrity of pandemic relief efforts.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Rena Barrett, 45, of Covington, Ga., became an SBA employee in October 2020. In May 2021, she submitted a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) application for $170,000. SBA initially declined to approve this loan, but in July 2021, Barrett approved the loan herself. SBA shortly thereafter discovered that Barrett had abused her position by approving that loan and other loans she or her relatives submitted. Barrett received nearly half of the approximately $550,000 she sought to obtain and resigned from the SBA after her wrongdoing was discovered.
In a related case, on April 15, 2025, Sheena Thompson, 49, of Conyers, Ga., pled guilty to a criminal information charging her with making false statements to the SBA. Thompson admitted to trying to obtain more than $150,000 in fraudulent EIDL loans. Barrett is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, 2025, and Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 28, 2025.
Separately, on August 12, 2025, Detra Lewis, 40, of Atlanta, Ga., pled guilty to making false statements to the SBA. Lewis obtained more than $1.25 million after submitting a false Paycheck Protection Program loan application on behalf of God’s Anointed Youth Ministry. Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2025.
The case against Barrett and Thompson is being investigated by the United States Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case against Lewis is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting each case.
On May 17, 2021, the Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the Department’s resources in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Floyd County Felon Charged with Threatening to Assassinate President TrumpRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Jauan Rashun Porter was arrested and detained today on federal charges of knowingly and willfully making a threat against the President of the United States.
“The allegations against Porter are serious and required a swift, decisive, and collaborative response,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We do not tolerate threats against public officials or law enforcement officers, and Porter will now face the consequences of his actions.”
“The United States Secret Service takes threats against a protectee very seriously. We will investigate every threat, and if warranted, prosecute those who make threats to the fullest extent of the law,” said Robert Donovan, Deputy Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office, United States Secret Service.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 26, 2025, Porter allegedly joined a TikTok livestream about President Trump captioned “Alligator Alcatraz,” commenting: “So there’s only one way to make America great and that is putting a bullet in between Trump’s eyes.” Over the next several minutes, Porter allegedly made further comments about killing President Trump, including the following statements:
- “I’m gonna kill Donald Trump. I’m gonna put a 7.62 bullet inside his forehead.”
- “I’m gonna watch him bleed out and I’m gonna watch him die . . . I’m gonna do that.”
When asked by the livestream host about federal agents coming to his door, Porter allegedly stated, “I’m gonna kill them too.”
During their investigation, Secret Service agents, Floyd County police officers, and State of Georgia probation officers conducted searches of Porter’s apartment and found two pipes, pistol ammunition, and Tannerite (an explosive). Porter has prior convictions for terroristic threats, influencing a witness, mutiny in a penal institution, drug possession, battery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and domestic violence. He is currently on probation.
Jauan Rashun Porter, 29, of Rome, Georgia, was charged by a criminal complaint on August 7, 2025, with making threats against the President. U.S. Magistrate Judge Walter E. Johnson ordered that Porter be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for August 12, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.
Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service. The Floyd County Police Department, Floyd County District Attorney’s Office, and Georgia Department of Community Supervision provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian Michael Pearce is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Three Charged with $2 Million Pandemic Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Salimot Akande, Garey Henderson, and Jacqueline Rollizo were arraigned today on federal fraud and money laundering charges after they allegedly defrauded COVID-19 pandemic relief programs on multiple occasions and then laundered nearly $2 million in proceeds.
“The federal government created programs to provide critical relief to small businesses and support our economy during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Unfortunately, unscrupulous fraudsters exploited these programs for personal gain, stealing from taxpayers and legitimate business owners who desperately needed help. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who broke the law to enrich themselves.”
“Stealing from pandemic relief programs is a betrayal of the public trust and a direct attack on the businesses that truly needed help during a time of crisis,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit these programs for personal gain.”
“These defendants are accused of stealing from programs meant to keep small businesses afloat during a national emergency,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Their alleged fraud not only siphoned off vital resources from those in real need but also undermined public trust. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to ensure that those who exploit national crises for personal profit are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Salimot Akande, 41, of Atlanta, Ga., Garey Henderson, 45, of Marietta, Ga., and Jacqueline Rollizo, 52, of Woodstock, Ga., allegedly obtained approximately $1.6 million of fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans for seven businesses associated with Akande, Henderson, and others. To obtain the loans, the defendants submitted fabricated tax filings and loan applications containing false information.
Akande and Henderson also allegedly obtained fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) for their businesses. Akande’s business received a $48,900 EIDL loan, and Henderson’s two businesses received $299,800.
The indictment alleges that, after receiving the loan proceeds, Akande, Henderson, and Rollizo moved the funds through multiple bank accounts to conceal the true source and control of the money.
The 38-count indictment charges the defendants with bank fraud, wire fraud, bank and wire fraud conspiracy, concealment and transactional money laundering, and money laundering conspiracy.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove each defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Klapman is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the Department’s resources in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Suburban Atlanta Man Faces Federal Charges After Posting Social Media Threats to Kill Jews and BlacksRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Christopher Robertson, 42, of Fairburn, Georgia, made his initial court appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas on federal charges of communicating interstate threats. Robertson was charged after he posted to Facebook multiple videos of himself making racial threats to kill Jews and Blacks. Robertson, who also calls himself James Lomak, was arrested on Friday, August 1, 2025, after a lengthy stand-off with the FBI. Magistrate Judge Salinas ordered Robertson held in custody until his next hearing at 9:30 a.m. on August 7, 2025.
“The allegations against Robertson, which include menacing visits to Jewish facilities and vile online threats against Jews and Blacks, are of great concern,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Protecting the community from hate-fueled violence is a foundational part of the Department of Justice’s mission, and we will aggressively prosecute criminals who abuse the internet to terrorize and intimidate others.”
“Mr. Robertson’s alleged actions serve as a disturbing reminder of the terrifying hatred our Jewish communities encounter simply because of their beliefs,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta Paul Brown. “The FBI will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement and community partners to investigate any individual who threatens the safety of our residents.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: During the afternoon of July 30, 2025, staff members at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta (JFGA), located in Midtown Atlanta notified the Secure Community Network (SCN) staff in their building that they observed a man, later identified as Robertson, wandering around the parking lot inside the secure area of the facility. SCN staff engaged Robertson in the parking lot and determined he drove inside the gated area of the JFGA without permission.
Robertson told the security staff that he was “the official spokesperson for the white race” and said that he wanted to speak with a high-ranking Jewish official. After being asked to leave the JFGA, Robertson drove to The Temple, a Jewish synagogue, also located in Midtown Atlanta. At The Temple, Robertson encountered two staff members and asked to speak to a rabbi. Robertson made derogatory remarks about Jewish people and ranted about the decline of the white race. An Atlanta Police Department officer was present inside The Temple, and Robertson left.
Following these incidents, SCN and the FBI discovered several social media accounts used by Robertson that featured recent antisemitic and threatening video posts. A YouTube post showed Robertson singing, “F*** the Jews, f*** you if you Jewish, one shot, two shot, leave you in the sewage.” A Facebook post from July 28, 2025, showed Robertson holding a black pistol loaded with a magazine while speaking about the “cultural genocide” of the white race. A caption on the video read, “I will not tolerate cultural genocide get that understood -- I will fight for it, I will die for it, I will kill for it.”
During the investigation, additional law enforcement patrols were added for approximately 80 Jewish facilities in and around Atlanta. But on July 31, 2025, just after Robertson posted to Facebook that he wanted to “chop it up with a rabbi,” Robertson entered a Jewish Chabad building in Peachtree City, Georgia. The Chabad rabbi called 911 while members of the staff barricaded themselves in an office. Robertson recorded the encounter and posted it on Facebook. In the post, Robertson identified himself as the “official delegate of the white race” and told the rabbi that Jewish people were on the “verge of extermination.” After police arrived at the Chabad, Robertson left.
On August 1, 2025, Robertson posted yet another video to Facebook. In the video, he threatened to murder Black people who “lash out openly at the white man,” stating, “We will kill the s*** out of you guys. . . . We will f***ing murder you.”
Later that evening, a federal court issued a warrant to arrest Robertson for communicating interstate threats. When the FBI tried to arrest him at home, Robertson barricaded himself inside for hours. Eventually, Robertson surrendered, and agents recovered a firearm from the scene.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Bret R. Hobson are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga
Mexican Man Sentenced for Falsely Claiming U.S. Citizenship in Passport ApplicationRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - German Madrigal, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison following his conviction at trial for falsely claiming that he was a U.S. citizen in an application for a U.S. passport.
“Because Madrigal lied about his foreign citizenship and used a fake birth certificate to try to obtain a U.S. passport, his next trip will be to a federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Madrigal’s sentence sends a message to those who would use fraudulent identity documents to conceal their nationality: you will be caught, prosecuted, and punished.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to investigating and pursuing anyone who applies for or obtains a United States passport using false documents,” said Acting Director of Diplomatic Security Service Domestic Operations Gregory Batman. “The U.S. passport is the most coveted travel document in the world. There are foreign nationals who attempt to fraudulently acquire U.S. passports to carry out criminal activities, including terrorism, inside our borders. These crimes threaten the national security of the United States.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 1976, Madrigal was born in Jalisco, Mexico. The following year, Madrigal and his parents crossed into the United States illegally. In the 1990s, Madrigal and his family relocated to Hall County, Georgia, where Madrigal was later arrested for statutory rape and multiple drug trafficking offenses. At the time of those arrests, Madrigal reported Jalisco, Mexico as his place of birth.
On December 9, 2021, Madrigal fraudulently applied for a U.S. passport at a Gainesville, Georgia post office, posing as a U.S. citizen by presenting a Georgia driver’s license and a fraudulently obtained California birth record. Madrigal’s parents obtained the fake birth record to hide Madrigal’s lack of American citizenship, and Madrigal had used the same document in 2010 to evade deportation proceedings.
On April 29, 2025, following a two-day jury trial, Madrigal was convicted of passport fraud.
On July 29, 2025, United States District Judge Steve C. Jones sentenced German Madrigal, 49, of Jalisco, Mexico, to 18 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian Pearce prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Marietta Man Convicted of $9.6 Million PPP Loan Fraud and $3.4 Million Tax Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Following a weeklong trial, Carl Delano Torjagbo, a/k/a Karl Lucius Delano, was convicted by a federal jury of bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering after obtaining a fraudulent $9.6 million Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan and filing fraudulent tax returns that generated a $3.4 million IRS refund.
“This defendant’s massive PPP fraud abused a valuable program intended to assist struggling Americans during a global pandemic. The defendant then compounded his harm by claiming a fraudulent $3.4 million tax refund,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Torjagbo’s conviction signals my office’s relentless pursuit and prosecution of those engaged in fraud, waste, and abuse at the expense of honest taxpayers.”
“Legitimate PPP loans saved small businesses across our country,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Torjagbo chose greed over compassion. He will now be held accountable for his actions.”
“Torjagbo defrauded a federal loan program of which its intended use was to assist businesses in covering rent, utility payments, and other job saving needs during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Taxpayers’ money that should have gone to these businesses instead went to Torjagbo, who then used it to fund his lavish lifestyle. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents, along with our federal and state law enforcement partners, will continue identifying, investigating, and bringing to prosecution individuals and companies who took advantage of a program Americans desperately needed during a period of economic hardship.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively pursues those who abuse the tax administration process for unlawful purposes,” said TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge Joel Weaver. “We appreciate the efforts of our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure individuals engaged in such criminal activity are held accountable to the American people."According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and information presented at trial: On February 13, 2021, Torjagbo submitted two individual tax returns to the IRS. Each tax return was submitted using a different social security number and associated date of birth. The tax returns falsely alleged that Torjagbo had millions of dollars in losses that offset earnings from his purported African gold mine business, Kremkov Industries. The false representations resulted in a U.S. Treasury check being issued to Torjagbo in the amount of $3,366,240.76.
Just days later, on February 16, 2021, Torjagbo signed a PPP loan application requesting a $9,554,425 PPP loan for Kremkov Industries. He falsely certified that Kremkov Industries was in operation on February 15, 2020, which was required for a company to be eligible for a PPP loan; that he had 493 employees whose principal places of residence were in the United States; and that the company had an average monthly payroll of nearly $4 million. Torjagbo also falsely certified that all loan proceeds would be used only for business-related purposes and submitted fraudulent documents to the bank, including false tax returns and fake payroll reports that listed nearly a dozen celebrities and fictional characters as purported employees of Kremkov Industries.
On March 29, 2021, Torjagbo received approximately $9.6 million in PPP loan proceeds. Instead of using it for purposes consistent with the PPP, he commingled the funds with the fraudulently obtained $3.4 million tax refund and paid personal debts and expenses, including the following:
- $1,677,861.01 for his personal residence;
- $332,999.80 for a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador;
- $120,799.79 for a 2022 BMW M850xi;
- $90,520 for a 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar;
- $51,000 for the downpayment on a 72-foot yacht;
- over $1,000,000 for real estate, trucks, and trailers to start a new business; and
- more than $15,000 for plastic surgery.
On July 25, 2025, a jury convicted Torjagbo, 49, of Marietta, Georgia, of bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. He faces a maximum of 170 years of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before United States District Judge Michael L. Brown.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General provided considerable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Connors and Nicholas L. Evert are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Manager Charged with Embezzling $500,000 from Gainesville Trucking CompanyRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – A former operations manager at Tribe Transportation, Dustin Jarrard, was arraigned on federal charges after he allegedly embezzled more than half a million dollars from the company.
“Jarrard allegedly stole more than $500,000 that was intended to help truckers on the road,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will hold accountable those who abuse their positions of trust and embezzle funds for their personal use.”
“This case is a clear example of financial fraud fueled by greed,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Jarrard allegedly manipulated internal processes to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. The FBI is committed to uncovering and stopping this kind of corporate theft.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From May 2018 through May 2024, Dustin Jarrard served as an operations manager for Tribe Transportation, a large trucking business located in Gainesville, Georgia. As an operations manager, Jarrard had the authority to request expense reimbursements on truck drivers’ behalf. To submit a request, Jarrard would send the company’s accounting department the driver’s name, the reason for the expense, and the amount of the reimbursement.
Over the course of more than three years, Jarrard sent fraudulent reimbursement requests to Tribe Transportation. In certain cases, Jarrard requested reimbursement for drivers who were not actually employed by the company, which resulted in payments Jarrard personally redeemed for his own use. In other cases, Jarrard enlisted Tribe Transportation drivers in his scheme and falsely submitted payment requests for expenses never incurred and layover bonuses that were not earned. After receiving funds that were not owed to them, the drivers transferred some of the money to Jarrard for his personal use.
Dustin Jarrard, 38, of Gainesville, Ga., was arraigned yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Anna W. Howard after he was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 22, 2025 for wire fraud.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Keen is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
La Nueva Familia Michoacana Drug Cartel Member Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Pablo Tabares-Martinez, 50, a member of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel who was arrested in Guatemala and extradited to the United States, will serve a ten-year prison sentence following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“The successful extradition and prosecution of Tabares-Martinez reflect my office’s commitment to eliminating dangerous cartels that seek to introduce drugs into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This case also sends a strong message to cartel members who transport deadly drugs destined for the Northern District of Georgia: we will find you and bring you here to face justice.”
“This investigation demonstrates DEA’s commitment to protecting our communities,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA remains focused on keeping America safe by removing dangerous drugs from our communities and bringing criminals to justice.”
“We will relentlessly pursue and dismantle cartels and criminal organizations that threaten our communities with deadly drugs,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “The extradition and conviction of Pablo Tabares-Martinez, a key member of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel, is a direct result of the unwavering dedication of HSI and our law enforcement partners to eradicate these dangerous criminal organizations from our society.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: The La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel is a violent Mexican cartel responsible for the annual transportation, importation, and distribution of approximately 12 tons of methamphetamine, 13 tons of opioids, including heroin and fentanyl, and 18 tons of cocaine in the United States. On November 16, 2021, Tabares-Martinez, who resided in Mexico and was a mid-level member of LNFM, orchestrated the sale of one kilogram of methamphetamine to an individual in the Atlanta area. After the transaction was complete, Tabares-Martinez contacted the purchaser to confirm the methamphetamine was high quality.
In 2022 and 2023, Tabares-Martinez and other LNFM members established a transportation route for 150 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Atlanta, Georgia. In March 2023, local law enforcement arrested Tabares-Martinez after he traveled to Guatemala to inspect the cocaine. In November 2023, Tabares-Martinez was extradited to the Northern District of Georgia, where he has remained in federal custody.
Earlier today, Chief United States District Judge Leigh Martin May sentenced Tabares-Martinez to ten years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Tabares-Martinez was convicted on January 13, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. Guatemalan law enforcement provided valuable assistance in the arrest of Tabares-Martinez.
Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Laurel B. Milam prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Roswell Man Sentenced for Threatening Former FBI Director Christopher WrayRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – John Woodbury, 35, of Roswell, GA, has been sentenced to seventeen months in prison after pleading guilty to transmitting threats to injure then-FBI Director Christopher Wray.
“My office has zero tolerance for threats against law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Threatening to harm public servants who enforce our criminal laws weakens the foundation of our society and will be punished accordingly.”
“The functioning of our democracy requires that our country’s public servants be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The sentencing of John Woodbury is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to holding those accountable who threaten public officials.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On June 7, 2023, Woodbury posted a message on 4chan.org that threatened violence against then-FBI Director Wray. In his message, Woodbury posted Director Wray’s purported home address and wrote: “Let’s show them what a fucking ‘Nazi’ . . . looks like. . . . It’s time to burn these mother fuckers down and hang them from trees. Hit them where it fucking hurts. Hit Chris at his home. Make his family fear stepping one foot outside their god damn door.”
Earlier today, United States District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty sentenced Woodbury to seventeen months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Woodbury was convicted of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, after he pleaded guilty on April 18, 2025.This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Leader of Multi-State Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Wilfort Foster, III, 41, of El Monte, California, was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to narcotics and money laundering conspiracy charges. Foster, a convicted felon serving a sentence of probation during a portion of the offense, led an operation that moved hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as significant quantities of fentanyl, from California to the North Georgia area and elsewhere, and then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds.
“Our office partnered with a host of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle a significant, multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering network,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Foster’s 28-year prison sentence should serve as a robust warning to others who might consider trafficking deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine in North Georgia.”
“DEA is committed to going after money laundering networks that move cash made from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “We will continue to follow the money trail while working alongside our partners to hold those accountable who profit from the distribution of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine.”
“This sentencing marks the end of a years-long effort to dismantle a dangerous drug trafficking network that was pushing lethal fentanyl and methamphetamine into our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains focused on dismantling these dangerous organizations at every level—from supply to distribution to laundering the proceeds of their crimes.”
“This significant sentence reflects the massive danger that fentanyl and illicit narcotics pose to our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of HSI and our law enforcement partners, Wilfort Foster, III, who led a major drug trafficking ring, will no longer be able to endanger lives with these deadly substances.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning in 2017 and continuing into 2022, Foster and others conspired to transport methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Cartersville, Georgia and other areas. Foster ran a stash house and illegal gambling operation in his California barbershop, which he used to supply his network with large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine for sale. In one instance, Foster supplied a co-defendant with more than 22 kilograms of methamphetamine that law enforcement subsequently seized.
After Foster’s operation sold drugs, conspirators in Georgia laundered more than $600,000 in cash to Foster by using shell companies and flying with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to California. Foster maintained tight control of his network and once broke a co-defendant’s jaw during a feud over the co-defendant’s drug debt.
During the multi-agency investigation, law enforcement seized significant quantities of narcotics and more than a dozen firearms, including an AR-15. Foster continued his drug and money laundering operation in Georgia despite being on probation in California in a case involving the seizure of over nine kilograms of methamphetamine and two firearms.
Earlier today, United States District Judge William M. Ray II sentenced Foster to serve 28 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Foster was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering on January 6, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
Another member of Foster’s organization, Steven Ham, 43, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release on November 26, 2024, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Additionally, the following defendants have pleaded guilty as part of this case and are awaiting sentencing:
- Clifford Alexander, 39, of Gadsden, Alabama, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Frank Miller, 47, of Cartersville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
- Kenneth Antoine Scott, 41, of East Point, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Lori Silvers, 46, of Rockmart, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Nia Thomas, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Cartersville Police Department, Cedartown Police Department, Polk County Police Department, Acworth Police Department, Kennesaw Police Department, El Monte (CA) Police Department, Los Angeles (CA) Sheriff’s Department, Rutherford County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Sevier County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Kansas City (KS) Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III, Matthew R. LaGrone, and Jeffrey Brown; former Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Beaulieu and Zachary Howard; and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Delta Airlines Pays $8.1 Million to Settle Lawsuit Alleging Misuse of Pandemic-Relief FundsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Delta Airlines, Inc. (“Delta”) paid $8.1 million to the United States to settle claims that the company violated conditions Congress placed on federal relief funds provided to Delta under the Payroll Support Program (PSP). The PSP was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to provide financial support to airlines and other businesses. Under the terms of the PSP, companies that accepted federal relief money had to impose compensation caps on highly paid executives. The United States alleges that Delta violated these caps and then falsely certified that it had abided by them.
“When companies accept federal assistance, especially generous pandemic-relief funds like those at issue here, they owe a duty to the American people to respect the conditions placed on those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will continue to enforce all available laws to punish the misuse of taxpayers’ money.”
The investigation began when a third-party financial researcher filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act referred to as a qui tam suit. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any person who submits false claims to the federal government or its contractors. The law imposes treble damages and civil penalties on those who submit false claims. Under the law, whistleblowers (also called “relators”) who bring fraud to the government’s attention share in any recovery obtained by the government.
In this case, the whistleblower alleged that Delta violated the terms of the PSP. The PSP was created in early 2020 as part of the CARES Act to offer domestic airlines and other businesses money in the forms of grants and low-interest loans issued and administered by the Treasury Department. To obtain PSP funding, businesses were required to limit compensation paid to executives who had earned more than $425,000 in 2019. This condition was imposed by Congress to prevent executives from receiving substantial compensation packages after their companies accepted taxpayer-funded support.
Delta received approximately $11.9 billion in PSP funds, including at least $8.2 billion in the form of grants that did not have to be repaid. To receive this money, Delta agreed to abide by the CARES Act’s compensation caps until April 2023. However, the whistleblower alleged that, between March 2020 and April 2023, Delta paid some corporate officers amounts that exceeded the caps set by the agreements. Delta then allegedly falsely certified its compliance with the caps and failed to notify the Treasury Department of its breach of the agreement.
This settlement announced today also resolves the qui tam lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, United States ex rel. H. Remidez, LLC v. Delta Airlines, Inc., No. 1:23-CV-1116. The relator will receive $825,000 from the settlement in this matter, plus attorney’s fees.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General.
The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque and Trial Attorney James Nealon and former Senior Trial Counsel Dan Spiro of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.