Eastern District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Romanian Man Sentenced for Access Device FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that TAMAS KOLOZSVARI (“KOLOZSVARI”), age 30, a Romanian national, was sentenced on November 20, 2025 by U.S. District Chief Judge Wendy B. Vitter for access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(4). KOLOZSVARI, who has been in custody since November 20, 2024, was sentenced to time served.
According to court documents, on November 13, 2024 and November 14, 2024, KOLOZSVARI and two other individuals possessed device-making equipment, namely credit/debit card skimmers, at three retail locations in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and installed those skimmers on point-of-sale machines.
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).
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General; Deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office; Deputies with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office; and Officers with the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Christine M. Calogero of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced to over 24 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ODINE DOMINICK (“DOMINICK”), age 35, was sentenced on November 20, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to 292 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, along with a $300 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(D); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, in the fall of 2023, law enforcement officers observed a photograph of DOMINICK with a rifle magazine in his waistband and a video of DOMINICK inside of a stolen car with a handgun. On December 14, 2023, the New Orleans Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at DOMINICK’s residence and found over 100 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin; vacuum sealed bags of marijuana weighing over a kilogram; eight digital scales; drug trafficking supplies; 400 rounds of various calibers of ammunition; and a loaded Glock Model 23 .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine.
Prior to his most recent arrest, DOMINICK was convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine in Orleans Parish, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in St. Bernard Parish.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –CYRIL HOFFMAN, JR. (“HOFFMAN”), age 27, was sentenced on November 12, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion to 12 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and receipt of a firearm while under indictment, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(n) and 924(a)(1)(D).
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at HOFFMAN’s residence on August 20, 2021. FBI personnel recovered marijuana that HOFFMAN intended to sell, and six firearms from HOFFMAN’s bedroom: a Brothers LA Arms .300 millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with a 60 round magazine; a Palmetto State Armory PA-15, .223/5.56 millimeter caliber semi-automatic rifle, loaded with a 30 round magazine; an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15, 5.56 millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with a high-capacity magazine containing live rounds; a Glock 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 20 live rounds; a Glock 19, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 14 live rounds; and a Glock 17, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 17 live rounds.
A few weeks before the execution of the search warrant, HOFFMAN was indicted in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court for six felony offenses, including four counts of attempted second degree murder, and one count of conspiracy to commit second degree murder. Following the search warrant, HOFFMAN was arrested on those charges but later bonded out of jail in June 2022. On October 25, 2022, while still under indictment and awaiting trial in Orleans Parish, deputies with the United States Marshals Service encountered HOFFMAN inside a motel room in New Orleans East. There was a Glock 22, .40 caliber firearm inside the room, which HOFFMAN denied was his. However, the FBI later found messages that HOFFMAN sent to a third-party admitting he was in possession of the gun. HOFFMAN continued to sell marijuana while on bond and on May 17, 2023, FBI personnel executed another search warrant at HOFFMAN’s new residence and recovered marijuana, digital scales, and packaging supplies for distribution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
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Louisiana Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ERNEST X. TAYLOR, JR. (“TAYLOR”), of Laplace, LA, age 41, was sentenced on October 29, 2025 to 84 months in the Bureau of Prisons, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), by U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion.
On March 27, 2020, The CARES Act became effective and established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
According to the court documents, TAYLOR made false statements to an approved lender on or about March 2, 2021, for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining a PPP loan. TAYLOR falsely claimed in his PPP application that he had not been convicted of a felony involving “fraud, bribery, embezzlement, or a false statement in a loan application or an application for federal financial assistance” within the last 5 years. In truth, TAYLOR had pleaded guilty on July 15, 2016, in the Eastern District of Virginia, criminal matter no. 16-118, to conspiracy to commit federal student loan fraud and mail fraud in a scheme that involved stolen identities. TAYLOR thereafter received approximately $18,500 based upon the misrepresentations. TAYLOR then made the same false statements to an approved lender on or about April 21, 2021, when he applied for a second draw PPP loan. TAYLOR received approximately $18,500 for the second loan.
In addition to incarceration, TAYLOR was sentenced to (5) five years of supervised release, as well as payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
For more information on the Department of Justice’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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
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Eight-Time Felon Guilty of Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – GERARD CARR (“CARR”), age 27, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on September 30, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, in April of 2025, CARR was involved in a shootout in front of a convenience store on North Galvez Street in New Orleans. One week later, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence associated with CARR and found the gun he used during the shootout. Prior to possessing the firearm, CARR had been convicted in Orleans Parish of several felony offenses, including conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, conspiracy to possess a firearm while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and illegally possessing a stolen firearm.
CARR faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Physician Convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud MedicareRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DR. MARION LEE (“LEE”), age 62, of Cordele, Georgia, pled guilty on October 8, 2025 to conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare approximately $24 million for medically unnecessary genetic testing, and to pay and receive kickbacks.
According to court documents, LEE, co-owner of and medical advisor to Luminus Diagnostics, a diagnostic laboratory located in Tifton, Georgia, conspired with others to procure orders for genetic testing in exchange for kickbacks, including orders acquired through purported telemedicine. To ensure the false and fraudulent claims would be paid, LEE and his co-conspirators designed the genetic testing order forms to be “dummy proof”—with prepopulated diagnosis codes and check-the-box panels—and frequently billed the tests through another laboratory in the Eastern District of Louisiana where co-conspirators thought the claims were more likely to be approved. The co-conspirators concealed these claims via a sham contract, among other deceptive means. LEE and his co-conspirators caused the submission of over $24 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing, and Medicare paid approximately $4 million based on those claims. Under the terms of LEE’s plea agreement, LEE agreed to over $4 million in restitution owed to Medicare.
The Honorable Lance M. Africk set sentencing for March 18, 2026.
At sentencing, the maximum penalty LEE may receive is five years of imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, are in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ALTON TUMBLIN (“TUMBLIN”), age 44, of New Orleans, was sentenced on November 19, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Jane Milazzo to 175 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to three counts of distributing fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), and one count of distributing a quantity of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to court documents, TUMBLIN distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine during controlled purchases to undercover agents on three separate occasions, including August 7, 2023, August 9, 2023, and August 16, 2023. Also, on August 7, 2023, TUMBLIN distributed a quantity of fentanyl to an undercover agent.
This case was part of Operation Big Easy. Operation Big Easy was a National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) enforcement initiative of collected firearm casings for the time period of August 1, 2023 to January 31, 2023 that produced data points of high-density shootings and homicides in seven areas of New Orleans related to individuals engaged in criminal activity.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.
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Honduran Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on October 7, 2025, MELVIN JOSE TEJADA MORILLO (“MORILLO”), age 35, was sentenced for illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) and Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(b)(2). MORILLO was sentenced to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release following the term of imprisonment. MORILLO was also ordered to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, MORILLO reentered the United States after being previously deported on March 21, 2016, and faced enhanced sentencing penalties because he had a felony conviction prior to his 2016 deportation.
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).
The case was investigated by the United States Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Honduran Man Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that WILIAN SERRANO-MOREIRA (“SERRANO”), age 34, was sentenced on October 9, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court records, SERRANO was found in the United States on April 15, 2023, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States after being previously deported on July 17, 2019. SERRANO was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals by U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown after being sentenced to credit for time served (6 months), being ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00, as well as 1 year of supervised release.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
Former Louisiana Woman Sentenced for Preparing More Than 110 Fraudulent PPP Loans Totaling over $1.1 Million DollarsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that SHARNAE EVERY (“EVERY”), age 30, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced on October 9, 2025, for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
The case against EVERY began as a referral from the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (“PRAC”) regarding possible fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans. Investigators determined there were at least 110 PPP sole proprietor loan applications in and around the Thibodeaux, Louisiana area that all contained the same invoices and federal tax forms (“Schedule C”) with the same business name and amounts.
According to court documents, EVERY created a fictitious business called “Natural Hair Afro, LLC, Houma, LA 70360” and used this fictitious business name on nearly all of the fraudulent PPP loan applications. EVERY advertised under various aliases on Facebook to recruit individuals to obtain money from the PPP program. EVERY prepared and submitted false and fraudulent PPP sole proprietor loan applications via various online portals including, but not limited, to Blueacorn. EVERY created all of the false and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and Schedule Cs. EVERY falsely certified that the applications and the information provided in the supporting documents were true and accurate when she electronically submitted the fraudulent PPP loan applications.
EVERY charged the individuals that she recruited to prepare and submit the fraudulent PPP application anywhere from $45.00 to $120.00. EVERY primarily used Cash App to receive the initial payments. EVERY then charged approximately $3,500.00 once the loans were funded. EVERY received these funds into her Current account, her Cash App account, or into her boyfriend’s Current account.
United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced EVERY to 41 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years supervised release and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
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. The Veterans Administration, Office of the Inspector General, is an active member of the PRAC Fraud Task Force.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by an agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 15 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program.
The United States Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Veterans Administration, Office of the Inspector General; United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General; United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; and the United States Secret Service’s Cyber Fraud Task Force, consisting of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Thibodeaux Police Department, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, and Assistant United States Attorney Edward Rivera, COVID-19 Fraud Coordinator.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –BRYAN TURNER (“TURNER”), age 20, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 841(b)(2); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, TURNER was selling narcotics in New Orleans since at least 2023. TURNER also conspired with his brother and co-defendant Ryan Johnson to sell narcotics. On March 28, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at TURNER’s and Johnson’s residence. They recovered firearms belonging to TURNER and Johnson; large quantities of marijuana, tapentadol, and tramadol that TURNER and Johnson intended to sell, as well as a face mask, gloves, and burglary tools.
As to his drug-trafficking convictions, JOHNSON faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other count, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for $174 Million Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JAMIE P. MCNAMARA (“MCNAMARA”), age 50, of Missouri, was sentenced on October 23, 2025, to 10 years in prison for orchestrating a scheme to defraud Medicare by unlawfully billing hundreds of millions of dollars in claims for cancer genetic testing and cardiovascular genetic testing.
According to court documents, MCNAMARA operated several laboratories in Louisiana and Texas, which obtained doctors’ orders for genetic testing from telemarketers and call centers that used aggressive telemarketing campaigns to induce Medicare beneficiaries to agree to receive genetic testing. Orders for genetic testing were signed by purported telemedicine doctors who were not the beneficiaries’ treating physicians, did not perform consultations with the beneficiaries, and did not follow up with the beneficiaries after the testing was performed. To obtain the orders, MCNAMARA paid illegal kickbacks and bribes, which he disguised through sham contracts. In furtherance of the scheme, he also shifted the billing between his laboratories to evade scrutiny from Medicare and law enforcement and concealed his ownership and control of the laboratories by falsely listing the names of his family members as owners and company representatives on Medicare and other documents. In approximately one and a half years, the laboratories operated by MCNAMARA submitted over $174 million in claims to Medicare for genetic testing and received over $55 million in reimbursements. The government previously seized several luxury vehicles from MCNAMARA and over $7 million in bank accounts.
While on pretrial release, MCNAMARA violated his bond conditions by, among other things, fleeing from an unrelated arrest and cutting off an ankle monitor. He was subsequently detained.
U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion sentenced MCNAMARA to the maximum sentence available, 10 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release upon his release. MCNAMARA was also ordered to pay over $55 million in restitution, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, and the $7 million seized by the government was ordered forfeited.
“With this significant sentence, Judge Papillion showed that white collar criminals do not get special treatment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Medicare fraud targets vulnerable populations, and our office will continue seeking just punishment for business owners and professionals who abuse this crucial trust-based system to steal taxpayer dollars.”
“Our health care system depends on honest billing and legal compliance. This defendant betrayed that trust, exploiting enrollees and draining millions from a system meant to help them,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to expose fraud and hold violators of the health care laws accountable.”
“The FBI respects the Court’s decision to sentence Mr. McNamara to the maximum allowed by law considering his complete and total disrespect for the system and the patients he was entrusted to serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to expose fraudulent schemes like this one that steal from the American people and vital systems like Medicare.”
HHS-OIG and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator for the Eastern District of Louisiana, prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
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Federal Court Terminates Consent Decree Regarding the New Orleans Police Department After Successful ReformsRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana terminated the consent decree covering the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), marking the end of federal court oversight under the 2013 decree. The Justice Department and the City of New Orleans jointly moved to terminate the consent decree based on NOPD’s successful implementation of reforms related to use of force; crisis intervention; stops, searches, and arrests; and other areas.
“We are proud to recognize the New Orleans Police Department’s sustained progress and commitment to constitutional policing,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We credit the officers and supervisors who have transformed NOPD — despite local political obstacles — and who continue to work to keep communities safe.”
“We join our Justice Department colleagues in the Civil Rights Division in applauding the collaborative efforts with the NOPD that have resulted in today’s termination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “The NOPD’s reforms have already borne many good fruits in our community. There can be no question that our city is safer, and our police department is better, as a direct result of this case.”
In 2012, the Justice Department completed an investigation into NOPD under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. In 2013, the Department and the City of New Orleans entered into a consent decree to address the investigation’s findings that NOPD engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violated the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In January 2025, the district court granted the parties’ joint motion for approval of a sustainment plan to ensure the durability of NOPD’s reforms, recognizing that today’s NOPD “is a far different agency from the one that spawned DOJ’s investigation in 2011 and the imposition of the Consent Decree in 2013.”
Resolution of the NOPD case marks the seventh police reform matter — some court consent decrees and some out-of-court agreements — that the Justice Department has been able to resolve so far in 2025. In each of these matters, the Justice Department has worked with law enforcement agencies around the country to successfully implement reforms to better serve Americans and return control to local authorities.
Amite Man Sentenced to Consecutive Life Sentences After Pleading Guilty to Kidnapping Resulting in Death and Transporting a Minor in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DANIEL WAYNE CALLIHAN (“CALLIHAN”), age 38, a resident of Amite, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lance M. Africk to life in prison for each count of conviction after previously pleading guilty in federal court to a two-count superseding indictment charging him with kidnapping resulting in death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a) (Count One), and transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a) (Count Two). As part of the sentence, Judge Africk also ordered CALLIHAN to pay restitution to the family of the victims in the amount of $260,000 and a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.00 CALLIHAN was also previously charged, pleaded guilty, and sentenced in matters prosecuted by law enforcement authorities in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, and Hinds County, Mississippi. Judge Africk ordered CALLIHAN’s life sentences to be served consecutively with each other and consecutive to the sentences imposed in Hinds County, Mississippi, and the 21st Judicial District (Louisiana).
According to court documents, on or about June 12, 2024, CALLIHAN was present inside the Loranger, Louisiana residence of Adult Victim 1, who lived with her two daughters, Minor Victim 1 (a four-year-old female) and Minor Victim 2 (a six-year-old female). While present in the residence, CALLIHAN stabbed Adult Victim 1 more than fifty times, resulting in her death. After killing Adult Victim 1, CALLIHAN kidnapped Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 using Adult Victim 1’s 2012 Chrysler 200 automobile, bearing a Louisiana license plate, and drove to McComb, Mississippi.
CALLIHAN, with Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 still in the car, then returned to Amite Louisiana, where he picked up Co-Conspirator 1. CALLIHAN then drove Adult Victim 1’s car to a residence in Jackson, Mississippi located in the 3900 block of Boozier Drive.
On either the evening of June 12, 2023, or early on June 13, 2024, CALLIHAN and Co-Conspirator 1 engaged in sexual battery with Minor Victim 2. CALLIHAN intended that Minor Victim 2 would engage in criminal sexual activity, namely violations of criminal laws of the State of Louisiana, including La. Rev. Stat. 14.81 and La Rev. Stat. 43.1, and the State of Mississippi, including Miss. Code § 97-3-95 and Miss. Code § 97-5-23, at the time he transported Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 from Louisiana to Mississippi.
Thereafter, on June 13, 2024, while at the Boozier Drive property, CALLIHAN purposely suffocated Minor Victim 1 to death by holding Minor Victim 1 closely against his chest.
Later on June 13, 2024, after Adult Victim 1’s body was discovered, federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities began an investigation. The investigation determined the location of both CALLIHAN and Adult Victim 1’s car. A search of the Boozier Drive property led to the discovery of a pit on the property. Law enforcement officers discovered Minor Victim 1’s body and Minor Victim 2 together in the pit.
After being taken into custody and waiving his Miranda rights, CALLIHAN admitted to stabbing Adult Victim 1 to death and kidnapping Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 in Adult Victim 1’s vehicle. CALLIHAN further admitted that he and Co-Conspirator 1 transported Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 to Mississippi, where he and Co-Conspirator 1 committed sexual battery on Minor Victim 2 and he smothered Minor Victim 1 to death. CALLIHAN’s admission that he and Co-Conspirator 1 committed sexual battery on Minor Victim 2 was corroborated in a voluntary, post-Miranda statement Co-Conspirator 1 made to law enforcement authorities.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the great support provided by the United States Marshals Service, the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office, the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and the Jackson (Mississippi) Police Department. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson also commended the exceptional work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana Victim/Witness Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Sarah Dawkins, of the Violent Crime Unit, were in charge of the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Marrero Woman Sentenced in Cares Act Fraud InvestigationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on October 30, 2025, LINDA TRIGGS (“TRIGGS”), age 74, a resident of Marrero, was sentenced to three-years’ probation by United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, after previously pleading guilty to making a false statement related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2). TRIGGS faced a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine up to $250,000.00, a period of supervised release up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Additionally, TRIGGS was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $64,065.00 to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). TRIGGS was also ordered to complete 150 hours of community service and pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the SBA, to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the primary sources of funding for small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to the charging documents, or about April 18, 2021, TRIGGS, on behalf of a non-profit corporation that she owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain approximately $64,065.00 for PPP loans.
For more information on the Department of Justice’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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran Man Indicted for Illegal Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Miguel Angel Lopez-Mejia (“LOPEZ-MEJIA”), age 32, a Honduran national, was indicted on October 31, 2025, for illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the charging document, LOPEZ-MEJIA was found in the United States on October 16, 2025, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States after being previously deported on July 15, 2022.
LOPEZ-MEJIA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two (2) years, followed by up to one (1) year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Protection in investigating this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Honduran Man Indicted for Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOSE WALTER NIETO-CASTELLANOS (“NIETO-CASTELLANOS”), age 31, a Honduran national illegally in the United States, was indicted on October 31, 2025, for Assault on a Federal Officer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and(b).
According to court documents, on October 14, 2025, NIETO-CASTELLANOS forcibly assaulted a United States Border Patrol Agent, with Customs and Border Protection, United States Border Patrol, by hitting the back of a law enforcement vehicle with his white Toyota Tundra, while the agent was engaged in the performance of his official duties.
NIETO-CASTELLANOS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, followed by up to three (3) year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Protection in investigating this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Honduran Man Guilty of Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHRISTIAN PENA-OCHOA (“PENA”), age 30, a Honduran citizen, pleaded guilty on November 5, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, PENA initially illegally entered the United States in October of 2014. In 2018 PENA was convicted of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number and removed to Honduras. Between 2018 and 2020, PENA again illegally entered the United States. In December 2020, an arrest warrant was issued for PENA in Orleans Parish for domestic abuse battery/strangulation, aggravated battery, and extortion. A second warrant was issued against him for additional charges including rape, domestic abuse battery/strangulation, and false imprisonment while armed with a dangerous weapon. In 2022, PENA was located by the United States Marshals’ Fugitive Task Force in Harris County, Texas. He was extradited to Orleans Parish where he pleaded guilty to second degree rape and cruelty to juveniles.
PENA faces up to two years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Franklinton Woman Guilty of Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that, BARBARA AUGUSTIN (“AUGUSTIN”), age 58, a resident of Franklinton, Louisiana, pled guilty on October 23, 2025 to a bill of information charging her with theft of government funds.
According to the bill of information, beginning in or about November 2018, and continuing until in or about May 2023, the defendant did knowingly convert to her use, money belonging to the United States, namely the Social Security Administration (“SSA”), to which she knew she was not entitled. AUGUSTIN admitted fraudulently obtaining over $40,000 in SSA benefits by failing to report to Social Security her son’s incarceration, which allowed her to continue receiving benefits on his behalf as his representative payee.
AUGUSTIN faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
The case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiwana Wright, Financial Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Possessing Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the indictment of JEFFREY BOONE(“BOONE”), age 50, of New Orleans, on October 9, 2025, for the Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B) and (a)(2). If convicted, BOONE faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten (10) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court records, beginning at an unknown time and continuing until July 8, 2025, BOONE was found in possession of images and videos of pre-pubescent child pornography. BOONE’s home was searched by state law enforcement officials and federal agents on July 8, 2025. Following the search of his home, BOONE was arrested by Louisiana Bureau of Investigation agents. Thereafter, BOONE was transferred from state to federal custody in connection with this federal indictment. Previously, BOONE was convicted in federal court in 2008 for Possessing Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors and was sentenced to one-hundred eight (108) months in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Hammond Man Indicted for False Statements and Theft of Government Funds Related to the Cares ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DARRELL HARLAND (“HARLAND”), age 43, of Hammond, Louisiana, was charged on October 15, 2025 in a bill of information for making false statements and for theft of government funds related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the primary sources of funding for small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to the charging documents, on or about April 19, 2021, HARLAND, on behalf of a business that he owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain approximately $20,833 for an SBA backed PPP loan. Then, on or about April 8, 2020, HARLAND committed theft from the government when he obtained an Economic Injury Disaster Loan in the amount of $127,200 from the SBA based upon false declarations about the number of employees and gross revenues.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. If found guilty, HARLAND faces up to five years in prison for the false statement count and up to ten years in prison for the money laundering count. All of the counts include up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
For more information on the Department of Justice’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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –RYAN JOHNSON (“JOHNSON”), age 22, was sentenced on November 5, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to 103 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, along with a $400 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o); possession with intent to distribute tapentadol, tramadol, and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 841(b)(2); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, on September 1, 2023, JOHNSON was arrested driving a stolen car in Joe Brown Park in New Orleans. After he was ordered out of the car, New Orleans Police Department officers recovered a Glock Model 23 firearm underneath his seat, and marijuana and tapentadol in the car. JOHNSON was released on bond following his arrest and resumed selling marijuana and tapentadol. In March of 2024, JOHNSON was observed driving another stolen car. On March 28, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at JOHNSON’s residence. They recovered firearms belonging to JOHNSON and his brother and co-defendant, Bryan Turner. They also recovered JOHNSON’s backpack, which contained marijuana, tapentadol, a face mask, gloves, and burglary tools.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran Man Convicted at Trial for Kidnapping-For-Ransom Charges and Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Following a three-day jury trial, HECTOR MONDRAGON-FLORES (“MONDRAGON”), age 33, was found guilty on October 23, 2025 of all eight counts of a superseding indictment against him. The jury found MONDRAGON guilty of kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 1201(c); two counts of interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a); conspiracy to receive a ransom payment and two counts of receipt of a ransom payment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1202(a) and 371; and assault on a federal officer using a deadly weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b).
Evidence presented at trial established that MONDRAGON and his co-defendant, Edwin Salgado-Nunez (Salgado), kidnapped the victim on October 2, 2024. MONDRAGON and Salgado bound the victim’s feet together and bound the victim’s hands together behind his back. The two men then held the victim at gunpoint in MONDRAGON’s apartment and demanded payment of a $7,000 ransom from the victim’s father for his son’s release. MONDRAGON called the victim’s father over 50 times and threatened to kill the victim. if the ransom was not paid. The victim’s father agreed to pay the ransom but reported the kidnapping to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) on his way to the ransom exchange. NOPD detectives monitored the ransom exchange and arrested Salgado after the victim’s father paid $3,000 cash to co-defendant Abel Garcia, an associate of MONDRAGON and Salgado.
Following Salgado’s arrest, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to co-defendant Janette Ramirez’s apartment. MONDRAGON then demanded a ransom payment from the victim’s girlfriend for his release. After the victim’s girlfriend was unable to successfully transfer the payment to MONDRAGON or Ramirez, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to an ATM. The victim then withdrew $400 and gave it to MONDRAGON to secure his release.
The next day, law enforcement officers spotted MONDRAGON in an apartment complex in New Orleans East. When officers attempted to arrest him, MONDRAGON pulled out a gun, forced his way into an occupied apartment, and took a hostage inside the apartment. The hostage escaped when MONDRAGON attempted to climb out of a window. As MONDRAGON was kicking out the window screen, he pointed his gun at two law enforcement officers, who forced him to turn back inside. MONDRAGON barricaded himself in the apartment for nearly eight hours until the NOPD SWAT team deployed tear gas and forced him to surrender.
As to his kidnapping convictions, MONDRAGON faces up to life in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to his convictions for interstate transmission of a ransom demand and assault on federal officer with a deadly weapon, MONDRAGON faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to his convictions for receipt of a ransom payment, MONDRAGON faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. He faces up to five years in prison and the same penalties on his conviction for conspiracy to receive a ransom payment. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Resident Guilty of Demanding Ransom for Release of Kidnapping VictimRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –JANETTE RAMIREZ (“RAMIREZ”), age 34, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a).
According to court documents, the victim was kidnapped by RAMIREZ’s co-defendants, Hector Mondragon-Flores and Edwin Salgado-Nunez. They bound the victim’s hands and legs together, held him at gunpoint in Mondragon-Flores’s apartment, and demanded the payment of a $7,000 ransom from the victim’s father for the victim’s release. Salgado-Nunez was arrested by New Orleans Police Department officers during a ransom exchange after the victim’s father paid Salgado-Nunez’s associate $3,000 in cash.
Following Salgado-Nunez’s arrest, Mondragon-Flores took the victim to RAMIREZ’s apartment. Mondragon-Flores then instructed the victim to facilitate a payment from the victim’s girlfriend for the victim’s release. RAMIREZ translated a conversation concerning the ransom payment, between the victim and his girlfriend, from English to Spanish for Mondragon-Flores so that he could monitor the conversation. RAMIREZ also agreed to use her CashApp account to receive the ransom payment and sent the victim’s girlfriend CashApp payment requests knowing that they would be viewed as a request for ransom for the victim’s release.
RAMIREZ faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Mexican National Guilty of Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ALFREDO RAMIREZ-VAZQUEZ (“RAMIREZ-VAZQUEZ”), age 55, a citizen of Mexico, pled guilty on September 16, 2025, to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. ' 1326(a). Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter scheduled the sentencing for November 13, 2025.
According to court records, RAMIREZ-VAZQUEZ reentered the United States sometime prior to April 1, 2025, after having been previously removed on or about February 5, 2024.
RAMIREZ-VAZQUEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Honduran Man Sentenced for Violations of Federal Controlled Substances Act, Federal Gun Control Act, and Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MIGUEL ANGEL SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ (“SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ”) age 38, a resident of Honduras, was sentenced on September 25, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to four counts in an indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and reentry of a removed alien. SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ was sentenced to a total of 101 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on or about January 29, 2025, SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ possessed a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine; possessed a firearm, a Taurus Model G2C, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; knowingly, unlawfully possessed a firearm, having been previously convicted of a felony in the State of Mississippi, and illegally re-entering the United States after having previously been officially deported and removed from the United States, on or about July 9, 2010.
This 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).
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, United States Border Patrol, Kenner Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force. It was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
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Orleans Parish Woman Indicted for Federal Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 19, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted JENTONIA WILLIAMS, (“WILLIAMS”), age 39, of New Orleans, for bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).
According to court documents, on September 2, 2025, WILLIAMS robbed the Capital One Bank located in the 4100 block of Canal Street, in New Orleans, of United States currency. The deposits of the Capital One Bank branch are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).
WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment cost.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crime Task Force in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.
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).
Former Department of Justice Prosecutor and Dallas Defense Attorney Charged with an Unauthorized Disposal of Government RecordsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS –Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today the filing of a bill of information in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, charging former federal prosecutor CARLOS A. LOPEZ (“LOPEZ”), age 48, and Dallas-based criminal defense attorney BARRETT R. HOWELL (“HOWELL”), age 50, with charges related to their deletion of text messages that they had been ordered to produce by a United States District Judge. LOPEZ was charged with the unauthorized disposal of government records valued at less than $1,000, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641. HOWELL was charged with aiding and abetting the unauthorized disposal of government records valued at less than $1,000, a violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 and 2. Because the records are valued at less than $1,000, these are misdemeanor offenses.
According to the bill of information, in September 2021, a grand jury for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas indicted three individuals for health care fraud. LOPEZ, a Department of Justice Trial Attorney at the time, was the lead prosecutor in this federal prosecution. HOWELL was representing a client under investigation who was not indicted in this case. During the course of HOWELL’s representation of his client, two defendants accused HOWELL of violating a joint defense agreement by providing privileged joint defense information to LOPEZ. These two defendants filed a motion to compel discovery from HOWELL and LOPEZ. The district court granted the discovery request for production of all communications, including text messages, between HOWELL and LOPEZ.
The bill of information alleges that, in April 2023, LOPEZ disposed of records belonging to the United States by deleting text messages between himself and HOWELL from his government-issued cell phone, and HOWELL subsequently aided and abetted LOPEZ’s offense by deleting text messages with LOPEZ from his own cell phone.
If convicted, HOWELL and LOPEZ each face a maximum term of imprisonment of one year, a fine not to exceed $100,000, and a term of supervised release not to exceed one year.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas recused itself from this matter, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana was appointed by the Attorney General to act as special prosecutors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, Dallas Office, which handled this investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Payne of the Financial Crimes Unit and Megan R. Roberts of the Appellate Unit handled this prosecution.
St. Charles Parish Woman Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ASHLEY HYMEL (“HYMEL”) age 42, a resident of Ama, Louisiana, was charged on September 18, 2025, by bill of information, with wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
According to the bill of information, HYMEL used a company credit card to embezzle funds from her employer, Company 1, where she was an executive assistant. In total, HYMEL embezzled at least $130,663.92.
HYMEL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, followed by up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U. S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator and member of the Financial Crimes Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
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Orleans Parish Woman Indicted for Federal Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 19, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted JENTONIA WILLIAMS, (“WILLIAMS”), age 39, of New Orleans, for bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).
According to court documents, on September 2, 2025, WILLIAMS robbed the Capital One Bank located in the 4100 block of Canal Street, in New Orleans, of United States currency. The deposits of the Capital One Bank branch are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).
WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment cost.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crime Task Force in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.
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).
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Firearm Possession to Further Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced on September 16, 2025, that TYREE RUDOLPH (“RUDOLPH”), age 22, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to one of three counts of an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
U.S. District Judge Daryl J. Papillon will sentence RUDOLPH on December 16, 2025. RUDOLPH faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) imprisonment up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. RUDOLPH also faces a period of supervised release of up to five (5) years, a fine up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to court documents, in October 2023, the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated RUDOLPH due to his affiliation with known members of a New Orleans criminal organization known as “M3RE,” operating out of the Magnolia Housing Projects. During their investigation, detectives observed that RUDOLPH posted an advertisement for the sale of a Draco assault rifle for $800.00, referred to as a “drac” on social media.
On October 19, 2023, a search warrant was obtained for RUDOLPH’s residence. The following items were found inside of the residence: (1) one plastic bag containing 54.37 grams of fentanyl; (2) one plastic bag containing 21.20 grams of fentanyl; (3) $724.00 in U.S. currency; (4) thirty-four (34) counterfeit $100 bills; (5) a Glock Model 23 Gen4, .40 caliber handgun, with sixteen (16) live rounds of ammunition; (6) a Glock Model 19 Gen5, nine- millimeter caliber handgun, with twenty-five (25) live rounds of ammunition; (7) a Romarm/Cugir Draco, 7.62x39 caliber pistol, with twenty-nine (29) live rounds of ammunition; (8) a Glock switch machinegun conversion device; (9) various rounds of ammunition; and (10) various gun parts/accessories.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Cares Act Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that IRVIN C. FRANCOIS, III (“FRANCOIS”), age 54, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on September 23, 2025 before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to making false statements and money laundering related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the primary sources of funding for small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to the charging documents, or about March 24, 2021, FRANCOIS, on behalf of a business that he owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain approximately $144,790 for a PPP loan. FRANCOIS then committed money laundering by using these ill-gotten funds to buy an automobile from a dealership in Kenner, Louisiana.
Sentencing is to be held on January 6, 2026. At that time, FRANCOIS faces up to five years in prison for the false statement charge and up to ten years in prison for the money laundering charge. The sentence for each charge also includes up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by an agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 15 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General (a member of the PRAC) and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Jersey Man, New York Man, and Four Corporate Entities Indicted for Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Investment Scheme, Conspiracy to Obstruct Grand Jury InvestigationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOSIAH DAVID (aka “Dennis Lee”) (“DAVID”), age 79, a resident of Vernon, New Jersey, JAMES MICHAEL KAFES (“KAFES”), age 57, a resident of Carmel, New York, and four corporate entities with which they are affiliated, PROVISION CORPORATION, LLC (“PROVISION”), THE PREMIER HEALTHCARE SOLUTION, LLC (“PREMIER”), OUT OF POCKET RELIEF FOR AMERICANS, LLC (“OPRA”), and THE SUPPORTERS OF OPRA, LLC (TSOPRA”), were charged today in an eight-count indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1349 (Count 1), six counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 (Counts 2 through 7), and conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1503(a) (Count 8). All defendants are charged in Count 1, DAVID, KAFES, and PREMIER are charged in each of Counts 2 through 7, and DAVID and KAFES are charged in Count 8.
According to the indictment, Total Financial Group (TTFG) was a Louisiana business incorporated in 2005 and located in, Covington, Louisiana, until its operations ceased in 2017. Denis Joachim incorporated, owned, and operated TTFG. TTFG and Joachim created and marketed a Medical Reimbursement Account program called “Classic 105,” which had three fundamental parts: monthly administration fees charged to employee-participants and employer-clients for participating in the program, a loan from a lender to employee-participants that would effectively offset the amount of an employee-participant’s monthly fee that the employee-participants never needed to repay, and an insurance policy secured on the life of the employee-participant and payable to the lender at the time of the employee-participant’s death to repay the loan amount. DAVID and PROVISION formed an association with Joachim and TTFG to market Classic 105 to prospective employer-clients and to seek, ultimately unsuccessfully, financial institutions to fund the loan component of Classic 105.
Federal law enforcement authorities executed search warrants at Joachim’s residence and TTFG’s office in Covington, Louisiana in January 2017, effectively shutting down TTFG. Joachim was charged by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and thereafter pleaded guilty, based on the fraudulent development, marketing, and sale of Classic 105. Nevertheless, soon after the search warrant, DAVID and KAFES signed a “letter of intent” promising Joachim they would establish a program that would be a successor to Classic 105. DAVID and PROVISION then created PREMIER for two purported purposes: to develop and administer a program modeled on and that was a continuation of Classic 105 (the “New 105 Plan”) and to solicit investors to purchase “units” in PREMIER by representing that investor-owners would profit significantly once the New 105 Plan “launched.” PREMIER and DAVID also entered into a consulting agreement with Joachim that agreed to pay Joachim up to $20,000 per month, which they called “royalty payments,” despite PREMIER having no clients and generating no outside revenue. In fact, the New 105 Plan never even launched.
KAFES was the President of PREMIER. While DAVID was advertised as merely KAFES’s assistant, in reality, he was responsible for its development, operation, and management, and was its primary representative. The New 105 Plan had the same components as Classic 105. To convince potential and current investor-owners to contribute, DAVID, KAFES, and the entities they oversaw, made numerous false statements and material omissions. Among the false representations DAVID, KAFES, and their entities made were that the New 105 Plan was close to launch, that the New 105 Plan and its underlying intellectual property were “patent protected.” Additionally, DAVID and KAFES represented that PREMIER had already solidified funding for the loan component from financial institutions, and that law firms had vetted the New 105 Plan and deemed it legal and legitimate. DAVID, KAFES, and their entities also withheld material information from current and prospective investors, including falsely characterizing their relationship with, and obligations to, Joachim. They did so by, among other things, understating DAVID’s role in the program, failing to disclose that DAVID (under his original name, “Dennis Lee”) had multiple felony convictions, suits filed against him for violations of state securities and/or consumer protection laws, public warnings about him issued by multiple state regulator entities, and a stipulated order for a permanent injunction and final judgment entered based on charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission. In total, investor-owners made purchases and contributions totaling over $4,000,000. DAVID, KAFES, and PREMIER sent over $550,000 of these funds to Joachim in more than 120 transactions.
Further, DAVID and KAFES are charged with conspiring to obstruct the due administration of justice, namely a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana. DAVID and KAFES are alleged to have agreed and arranged for DAVID to withhold from production, material responsive to a federal grand jury, and discouraged an owner-investor from meeting with federal investigative authorities. Finally, on or about March 27, 2025, KAFES is alleged to have testified falsely while under oath before the Eastern District federal grand jury.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, DAVID and KAFES face up to twenty years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each of Counts 1 through 8 and, up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to Count 8. Each corporate defendant faces, for each count with which it is charged, up to a $500,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Department of Labor –Employee Benefits Security Administration and Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson also recognized the contributions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran National Sentenced for Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROLANDO HUMBERTO CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ (“CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ”), age 41, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on September 17, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ was found in Orleans Parish on or around July 15, 2025. He had previously been deported to Honduras on May 17, 2019.
United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ to time served and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. He will be transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation to Honduras.
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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that OLGER RENE MALDONADO-SANTOS (“MALDONADO-SANTOS”), age 29, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced on September 9, 2025, for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections1326.
According to court records, MALDONADO-SANTOS reentered the United States sometime prior to May 17, 2025, after having been previously removed on or about February 14, 2018. MALDONADO-SANTOS was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter after receiving credit for time served, and one year of supervised release. At the completion of his term of imprisonment, MALDONADO-SANTOS shall be surrendered to the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings consistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Bureau of Customs and Border Protection investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Tangipahoa Parish Man Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – RASHUN HUTCHINSON (“HUTCHINSON”), age 25 of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, plead guilty on September 11, 2025, to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control Acts before United States District Judge Barry Ashe, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
Specifically, HUTCHINSON plead guilty to Counts 1, 16, and 17 of the indictment against him. Count 1 charged HUTCHINSON with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); § 841(b)(1)(A); § 841(b)(1)(B); and 846. Count 16 charged HUTCHINSON with possession with intent to distribute four hundred grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(A). Count 17 charged HUTCHINSON with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).
On Counts 1 and 16, HUTCHINSON faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment. On Count 17, HUTCHINSON faces a consecutive mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 5 years of supervised release. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count.
According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown, but continuing until at least September 10, 2024, HUTCHINSON, and seven other individuals, conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the Tangipahoa Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Hammond Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Mail DestructionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that PJ WHITAKER (“WHITAKER”), age 36, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on September 16, 2025, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to the two-count indictment charging him with destruction of mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703.
According to court documents, in November 2023, in response to several complaints regarding stolen mail and rifled parcels, United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General agents conducted surveillance in that section of the distribution center. WHITAKER was observed removing several parcels from the conveyor belt, manipulating the parcels, and returning them to the conveyor belt. Several opened parcels were found near WHITAKER’S workstation.
WHITAKER faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years of imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00 and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Christine Calogero of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Houma Man Guilty of Distributing Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DESMOND JOHNSON (“JOHNSON”), age 44, of Houma, LA, pled guilty before United States District Judge Jay Zainey to possession with intent to distribute forty (40) grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
Judge Zainey scheduled sentencing for December 9, 2025. At sentencing, JOHNSON faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least 4 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, JOHNSON was suspected of dealing both heroin and fentanyl from an apartment in Houma. The execution of a search warrant on that apartment revealed large amounts of fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia, indicative of drug trafficking. In a post-Miranda interview with law enforcement, JOHNSON admitted to possessing fentanyl, with the intent to distribute same.
Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Guatemalan National Indicted for Reentry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ-SOSA (“LOPEZ-SOSA”), age 31, a native of Guatemala, was indicted on September 18, 2025, for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, LOPEZ-SOSA, an illegal alien, was found in St. Tammany Parish on September 11, 2025. He had previously been convicted of violating 8 U.S.C. § 1326, Illegal Re-entry of Removed Alien on April 5, 2018, and sentenced to a term of 2 days. LOPEZ-SOSA was removed to Guatemala on April 20, 2018.
If convicted, LOPEZ-SOSA faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), 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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick W. Veters Jr., of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
Bogalusa Man with Multiple Prior Convictions Sentenced to Probation for federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that OTRAVIOUS ROMEL HARRIS, SR. (“HARRIS”), age 44, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 9, 2025, to five years of probation, after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). This statute carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years in a federal penitentiary, as well as up to 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court records, the United States Sentencing Guidelines called for a sentence of 70-87 months in prison, based on his significant criminal history, that included prior convictions and prison terms for Distribution of Cocaine, and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine in 2006, as well as Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Oxycodone, and Alprazolam, and Aggravated Flight from an Officer and Possession of Oxycodone in 2018. United States District Judge Darrell James Papillion granted HARRIS’ motion for a downward departure and sentenced HARRIS to 5 years of probation. This sentence was imposed over the objection of the United States Attorney’s Office, who sought a jail sentence as called for by the Guidelines. HARRIS was charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a firearm after he was the subject of a traffic stop on June 22, 2022. During the traffic stop officers observed that HARRIS was smoking marijuana. During a search of his vehicle officers located a loaded Glock 9mm handgun. DNA test of the firearm showed that HARRIS’ DNA was on the firearm. HARRIS pled guilty as charged to this federal offense on November 5, 2024.
As part of his probation, HARRIS must not violate any local, state, or federal laws, and he will have a curfew where he will have to remain in his house from 9:00 pm until 5:00 am. He will also have to report to his probation officer.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Slidell Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day in Prison for Machine Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 11, 2025, CUONG QUOC TRAN (“TRAN”), age 39, of Slidell, La, was sentenced, by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe, for possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 922(o). He was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, one-year of supervised release, a $10,000 fine and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on January 5, 2022, the Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark intercepted a fishing vessel named the “Lucky Jean” approximately four nautical miles from Southwest Pass, and within the jurisdictional limits of the Eastern District of Louisiana. During their safety search, Coast Guard personnel found multiple rifles capable of fully automatic fire. The captain of the vessel, TRAN, was subsequently interviewed by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). TRAN admitted to possessing seven weapons found on the vessel which he had converted into weapons capable of being fully automatic, in other words, a machine gun. ATF subsequently tested the weapons, and determined them to be fully automatic.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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New Orleans Man Indicted for Sexually Abusing Fifteen-Year-Old FemaleRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KENDRICK WHITE, SR. (“WHITE”) age 40, a resident of New Orleans, was indicted on September 11, 2025 for sexual abuse, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2242(3) (Count 1), and sexual abuse of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2243(a) (Count 2).
According to the indictment, on or about November 22, 2023, WHITE, with intent to gratify his sexual desire, knowingly engaged, and attempted to engage, in a sexual act with Minor Victim, a female born in January 2008 and who, at the time, was fifteen years old. WHITE committed the offense within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
WHITE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years as to Count One and a maximum term of life in prison as to Count Two. WHITE also faces a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and can be required to register as a sex offender. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
Acting U. S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Possessing Machine Gun and Being Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 10, 2025, ROY HILTON (“HILTON”), age 26, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment charging him in Count 1 with possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2), and in Count 2 with felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan will sentence HILTON on January 15, 2026.
According to court documents, on August 20, 2024, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), while conducting surveillance in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, observed HILTON meeting with other possible gang associates who were in possession of firearms. HILTON himself possessed two firearms with extended magazines tucked into his front waistband. Based on their observations of seeing multiple individuals possessing firearms, when NOPD officers in their vehicles approached them, HILTON ran, chased by police, and ditched a firearm that he previously held. HILTON was apprehended. Officers later located HILTON’s firearm that contained a machine gun conversion device, commonly known as a “Glock switch.” This device converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machine gun.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. HILTON is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court of possession of cocaine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
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California Woman Guilty of Sex Trafficking of Minor ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JAZMIN MCKINNIE (“MCKINNIE”), age 32, of California, pled guilty on September 4, 2025 before United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
According to court documents, in May 2024, two adult men brought a fifteen-year-old girl from Houston, Texas to New Orleans, for the purpose of having her engage in commercial sex. MCKINNIE posted advertisements for commercial sex with the Minor Victim on online classified ad service websites.
In pleading guilty, MCKINNIE, faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
Judge Fallon set sentencing in this matter for January 8, 2026.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations and the Kenner Police Department in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced to 105 Months for 2022 Gas Station ShootingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion sentenced New Orleans resident, DANTRELL MCZEAL (“MCZEAL”), age 34, to 105 months imprisonment, and three years of supervised release following his imprisonment. MCZEAL must also pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. MCZEAL pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025 to being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, in July 2022 MCZEAL and an unknown individual, shot at one another in the parking lot of a New Orleans gas station. MCZEAL was shot in the leg during the gunfire exchange. Ballistic casings recovered from the parking lot revealed that MCZEAL fired nineteen (19) .223 rifle shots during the exchange. The unknown individual fled the parking lot in his vehicle. MCZEAL also fled the parking, lost control of his vehicle, and struck a light pole at a nearby intersection. MCZEAL was seen limping from his vehicle while in possession of a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15, .223 REM/5.56 x 45mm semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine.
New Orleans Police Department officers later recovered a loaded Glock Model 30GEN4, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, with an extended magazine and a bullet in the chamber, from MCZEAL’s abandoned vehicle.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. MCZEAL is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court of aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
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Former Cruise Line Employee Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 9, 2025, REZA HETA PRATAMA (“PRATAMA”), age 29, a foreign national of the Republic of Indonesia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion for Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2).
According to court documents, PRATAMA was previously employed by a cruise line and was arrested in July 2024 after special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, found PRATAMA in possession of child pornography at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans.
Judge Papillion sentenced PRATAMA to 48 months imprisonment, 10 years of supervised release, a payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, and a payment of $100 pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2259A. The Court also ordered that restitution be paid to all victims. A restitution hearing is set for November 4, 2025.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany L. Reed of the Violent Crimes/Strike Force Unit.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RICKEY SMITH (“SMITH”), age 46, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on September 2, 2025, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to distribution of forty grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
According to court documents, in the latter part of 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information from the New Orleans Police Department regarding SMITH’s drug distribution activity. Through investigation, it was determined that SMITH distributed over 40 grams of fentanyl from his apartment located within the Eastern District of Louisiana. On November 4, December 3, and December 17, 2024, SMITH sold 3.493 grams, 13.97 grams and 56.6 grams of fentanyl, respectively, to an individual he believed to be a legitimate buyer.
SMITH faces a minimum term of five years up to a maximum term of forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on August 21, 2025, LAWRENCE WATKINS (“WATKINS”), age 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, on or about June 22, 2023, Louisiana State Police (LSP) Troopers, FBI New Orleans Gang Task Force (NOGTF) members, and other law enforcement personnel were conducting proactive patrols in the Algiers area of New Orleans to combat violent crime. While attempting to stop and investigate a suspicious Dodge Durango vehicle, it sped off, chased by law enforcement, before striking a utility pole. The Durango’s occupants, including WATKINS, fled the vehicle on foot, but were later caught. After WATKINS’s apprehension, officers recovered his backpack that contained a Century Arms Micro Draco 7.62x39 pistol, multiple rounds of ammunition, $1,053 in U.S. currency, drug paraphernalia, and quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana.
As to the drug trafficking charges, WATKINS faces up to twenty years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. WATKINS will be sentenced on November 20, 2025.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force, and the Louisiana State Police. Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger and Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
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Tangipahoa Parish Man Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – RODNEY BERRY (“BERRY”), age 42, plead guilty on August 28, 2025, to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act before United States District Judge Barry Ashe, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
BERRY plead guilty to Counts 1, 6, and 7 of the indictment pending against him. Count 1 charged BERRY with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); § 841(b)(1)(A); § 841(b)(1)(B); and 846. Count 6 charged BERRY with illegal use of a communications facility, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §843(b) and Title 18, U.S.C. §2. Count 7 charged BERRY with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(B).
On Count 1, BERRY faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment. On Count 6, BERRY faces up to 4 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 1 year of supervised release following imprisonment. On Count 7, BERRY faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment. As to each charge, BERRY also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, beginning at a time unknown, but continuing until at least September 10, 2024, BERRY and seven other individuals conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the Tangipahoa Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Hammond Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.
Metairie Man Guilty of Possessing Materials Involving Sexual Exploitation of Minors and Violating Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROBERT ANTHONY MARSH, JR.(“MARSH”), age 60, of Metairie, pled guilty on August 26, 2025, to Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B) and (a)(2), and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). As to the possession of sexual exploitation materials, MARSH faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten (10) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. As to the firearm possession by a convicted felon, MARSH faces a maximum sentence of fifteen (15) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on December 19, 2024, MARSH’s home was searched by state law enforcement officials and agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. At the time of this search, MARSH was on supervised release for a 2014 state conviction for Pornography Involving Juveniles. On December 19, 2024, following the search of his home, MARSH was arrested by Louisiana State Probation and Parole for possession of a Model 922 H&R Arms Co. firearm by a prohibited person and possession of child pornography. Thereafter, MARSH was transferred from state to federal custody in connection with this federal investigation.
On August 26, 2025, MARSH pled guilty in federal court to knowingly possessing over 21 videos depicting the sexual victimization of minors and to knowingly possessing the firearm as a prohibited person.
Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for November 18, 2025, before United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Jefferson Parish Police Department; and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections, Probation and Parole. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
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