District of Maine

PORTLAND, Maine: A Webster, Massachusetts, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jonathan Bethune (a/k/a “Lord Smitty”), 40, to 111 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Bethune pleaded guilty on January 7, 2025.

According to court records, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a search warrant at Bethune’s Biddeford residence. From a safe, agents recovered a loaded pistol, several baggies of cocaine, approximately 159 grams of cocaine, and $6,820 in cash. Agents also recovered additional firearms from the residence. Bethune possessed the pistol to protect himself, his drugs, and his drug proceeds. Bethune was a convicted felon at the time and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.

HSI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A New Jersey woman, formerly of Westbrook, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to presenting a counterfeit government check to her credit union.  

According to court records, Palwasha Shir, 35, was the sole owner of the Selfie Room LLC, a business Shir registered in Maine. Shir opened a checking account for the Selfie Room at a credit union in Maine. In July 2024, Shir deposited a counterfeit Treasury check made payable to the Selfie Room in the amount of $291,203. In August 2024, Shir deposited a counterfeit Treasury check made payable to the Selfie Room in the amount of $193,107. The serial numbers and amounts on the checks matched those of genuine tax refund checks issued by the IRS to entities other than the Selfie Room and unrelated to Shir. The counterfeit checks changed the payee and address to make the checks payable to the Selfie Room. When a representative of the credit union called Shir to discuss the checks, Shir falsely claimed that she received the checks from the IRS. 

Shir faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A New Gloucester man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Shawn Small, 29, to 93 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Small pleaded guilty on January 16, 2026.  

According to court records, officers with the Scarborough Police Department responded to a tip that Small was attempting to sell a pistol to another individual. Officers then located Small at a business in Scarborough. They approached and attempted to detain him but he physically resisted. During the ensuing struggle, officers removed a pack from his person. Inside that pack, officers located a Smith & Wesson pistol with a loaded magazine. Small was a convicted felon at the time and on probation for a state robbery conviction.   

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case, with the assistance of the Scarborough Police Department and State of Maine Division of Adult Community Corrections.

Operation Take Back America: 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.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for reentering the United States after three prior removals. 

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Miguel Alfonzo Tapia-Gonzalez, 39, to time served. He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2026.

According to court records, on March 8, 2026, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent conducted a field inspection of two individuals he encountered in a commercial parking lot in Augusta. One of the men, later identified as Tapia-Gonzalez, acknowledged that he was a Mexican citizen and was in the country unlawfully. The agent transported Tapia-Gonzalez to the U.S. Border Patrol Station in Rangeley where it was discovered that he had been removed from the U.S. in 2015, 2018 and 2019.

The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case. 

Operation Take Back America: 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.

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BANGOR, Maine: A citizen of the United Kingdom pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to entering the United States without inspection and lying to federal investigators. 

According to court records, Mohammed Sultan Saleh, 21, and three other men walked through the heavily wooded border between Quebec and Somerset County during the pre-dawn hours of April 3, 2026. Their point of entry was within a few hundred yards of the Saint Zacharie, Maine port of entry that was manned by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (“OFO”). Upon exiting the woods, Saleh and his companions began walking down the Golden Road heading east.

Passersby in the area reported to an OFO agent seeing the four men walking east on the Golden Road. The OFO agent reported the sighting to the U.S. Border Patrol (“USBP”) station in Jackman. A USBP agent and an OFO agent responded to the area of the sighting, located the four men and took them into custody without incident. When questioned about their citizenship, Saleh and his three companions stated they were citizens of the United Kingdom. The four were subsequently transported back to the Jackman Border Patrol station. 

During subsequent questioning by FBI and USBP agents, Saleh maintained that he had not intentionally entered the United States. He falsely claimed that he and his friends were on a hike in Canada and had accidentally crossed into the U.S.

On the false statement charge, Saleh faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On the illegal entry charge, he faces up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Saleh will be sentenced following the preparation of a presentence investigation report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

USBP, OFO, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI investigated the case. 

Operation Take Back America: 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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BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  

According to court records, between July and October 2024, Scott Bagley, 61, conspired with others to fraudulently obtain money by entering banks, impersonating legitimate bank account holders, and using fictitious identification cards to gain access to their bank accounts and withdraw funds. Through fraud, Bagley was able to obtain approximately $85,100 from customer accounts. During the investigation, law enforcement seized a fictitious Maine driver’s license in the name of a law enforcement officer with Bagley’s image on it.

Bagley faces up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and up to five years of supervised release on the bank fraud charges. For aggravated identity theft, he faces a mandatory prison term of two years, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a $250,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Bangor Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles – Enforcement Services Division.

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BANGOR, Maine: A former Ellsworth woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of  methamphetamine, and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. 

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jenna Garniss, 33, to 61 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Garniss pleaded guilty on June 27, 2025.

According to court records, between 2022 and 2023, co-conspirator Alex Hanna arranged with a California-based source of supply, co-conspirator Codee Houston, to obtain and ship pounds of methamphetamine to Hancock County. Garniss and others in the Ellsworth area distributed the drug and returned drug proceeds to Hanna. Garniss, at Hanna’s direction, wired some of the funds to Houston, resulting in the money laundering charge.

On October 10, 2025, Codee Houston was sentenced to 14 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On March 6, 2025, Alex Hanna was sentenced to 11½ years in prison and five years of supervised release.

The FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ellsworth, Holden, and Bangor police departments all participated in the investigation. 

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BANGOR, Maine: A Chelsea man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to making false statements to a federal official.

According to court records, in March 2025, cameras were found in the ceilings of sleeping quarters in the firehouse on the Togus VA Medical Center campus in Chelsea. During an investigation conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG), Michael Nicholas, 47, repeatedly denied that he had seen the cameras, that he knew the cameras were installed in the ceilings, or that he had ever purchased any cameras of that brand. The investigation subsequently revealed that Nicholas had purchased and installed the cameras, including finding his fingerprint on the underside of tape on one of the cameras. Nicholas later admitted he had purchased and installed the cameras.

Nicholas faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

VA OIG investigated the case. 

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Topsham man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for failing to surrender for service of a sentence imposed in a prior case. 

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Christopher Tucker, 34, to 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Tucker pleaded guilty on February 17, 2026.

According to court records, at a September 2025 hearing in U.S. District Court in Maine, Tucker was sentenced to a term of 75 months in prison for firearms offenses. Tucker was permitted to remain out on release and to self-surrender to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a later date but he failed to surrender as ordered. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) subsequently located and arrested Tucker in Bath.

Tucker’s sentence will be served consecutively to the 75-month sentence imposed in the firearms case.

The USMS investigated the case.

PORTLAND, Maine: A Katy, Texas man pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Currin Caridine, 39, to 41 months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $476,420 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). 

According to court records, from June 2020 through September 2021, Caridine conspired with others to file false and fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Caridine filed four fraudulent PPP loan applications for himself and received over $80,000. Caridine claimed to be the sole proprietor of non-existent businesses in the entertainment and management consulting industries. Caridine filed false tax returns with his applications. Caridine, who lived in Illinois at the time, filed false EIDL and PPP applications for others, including residents of Maine and New Hampshire. Caridine worked with a co-conspirator and New Hampshire resident, Tyree Jones, to recruit others interested in receiving loans. Jones collected applicants’ personal information, which Caridine used to file fraudulent applications. Jones and Caridine received kickbacks from the loan proceeds they obtained for others. The fraudulent applications resulted in the issuance of approximately $475,000 in EIDL and PPP loans.

Tyree Jones was previously sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act: The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act made EIDL funding available to business owners negatively affected by the COVID19 pandemic. EIDL proceeds were funded by the SBA and disbursed by the U.S. Treasury. EIDLs could only be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the COVID19 disaster not occurred.

Paycheck Protection Program: The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the SBA that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Manchester, New Hampshire, man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court records, on January 19, 2025, Steven Jones, 46, was traveling in a vehicle that was reportedly driving erratically in York County. A Maine State Police trooper responded and found Jones and his companions parked in a restaurant parking lot. During the encounter, Jones got out of the car and a firearm slipped out of his waistband. He then fled the scene but was ultimately apprehended. Police recovered cocaine, methamphetamine, seven long knives, five firearms (including the one Jones dropped), as well as masks, gloves, tactical gear, and more than $3,000 in U.S. currency. Police later learned that Jones was the leader of a significant drug trafficking organization based in Manchester who was on his way to recover a drug debt—using the weapons and tactical gear he had brought with him—from a Maine-based drug associate.

Jones faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 22 years in prison, a maximum fine of $10 million and a maximum supervised release term of life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Maine State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI investigated the case. 

Operation Take Back America: 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).

BANGOR, Maine: A Windsor man pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on September 1, 2024, a deputy with the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office observed Shawn Merrill, 40, riding in a vehicle as a passenger. The deputy was aware that Merrill had a warrant for his arrest and was on state probation. After stopping the vehicle, the deputy searched it and located a pistol in the center console. Merrill admitted that his DNA and fingerprints would likely be on the firearm as he had previously handled it. Merrill is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of prior felony convictions, including a Maine robbery conviction.

Merrill faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: 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 Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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BANGOR, Maine: An Old Town man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, methamphetamine and cocaine.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Alan Dziob, 45, to 10 years and three months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.  Dziob pleaded guilty on September 15, 2025.

According to court records, between January and April 2021, Dziob conspired with others to distribute the drugs in the Penobscot County area and elsewhere. As part of the conspiracy, Dziob regularly supplied drugs to a local dealer to sell for him. 

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine: A China, Maine man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for accessing child pornography with intent to view.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Jeffery Furlong, 54, to 30 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Furlong pleaded guilty on September 5, 2025.

According to court records, in June 2024, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit began investigating a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding Kik, a free instant messaging mobile app. According to the CyberTip, a Kik user, later identified as Furlong, uploaded multiple videos of child sexual abuse material. Investigators executed a search warrant at Furlong’s residence in October 2024. During the warrant’s execution, Furlong admitted that he had obtained multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his cellular telephone via Kik. A search warrant on Furlong’s Kik account revealed child sexual abuse material and Furlong’s expressed sexual interest in children 6-to-12 years old.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, NCMEC received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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BANGOR, Maine: A Brewer man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for assault.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced John Kelleher, 46, to 12 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $360 in restitution. Kelleher pleaded guilty on January 6, 2026.

According to court records, in December 2024, Kelleher and the victim, his then-girlfriend, were traveling together on an international cruise. At that time, Kelleher was on state probation in Maine and was not supposed to leave the state without permission or consume alcohol. On about December 19, 2024, while onboard the cruise ship, Kelleher physically assaulted the victim by biting her and punching her.  While on the cruise, Kelleher had been drinking heavily.

The FBI investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. 

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Andrew Marin, 38, to 12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Marin pleaded guilty on September 10, 2025. 

According to court records, Marin was found in possession of drugs he received from Massachusetts fentanyl suppliers in April of 2024. Evidence, such as phone records, indicated Marin had been regularly obtaining fentanyl from these same suppliers and distributing drugs in the Bangor area. 

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, with the assistance of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office. 

Operation Take Back America: 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.

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BANGOR, Maine: A citizen of the United Kingdom pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to entering the United States without inspection and lying to federal investigators. 

According to court records, Hameed Mohammed Nagi, 21, and three other men walked through the heavily wooded border between Quebec and Somerset County during the pre-dawn hours of April 3, 2026. Their point of entry was within a few hundred yards of the Saint Zacharie, Maine port of entry that was manned by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (“OFO”). Upon exiting the woods, Nagi and his companions began walking down the Golden Road heading east.

Passersby in the area reported to an OFO agent seeing the four men walking east on the Golden Road. The OFO agent reported the sighting to the U.S. Border Patrol (“USBP”) station in Jackman. A USBP agent and an OFO agent responded to the area of the sighting, located the four men and took them into custody without incident. When questioned about their citizenship, Nagi and his three companions stated they were citizens of the United Kingdom. The four were subsequently transported back to the Jackman Border Patrol station. 

During subsequent questioning by FBI and USBP agents, Nagi maintained that he had not intentionally entered the United States. He falsely claimed that he and his friends were on a hike in Canada and had accidentally crossed into the U.S.

On the false statement charge, Nagi faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On the illegal entry charge, he faces up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Nagi will be sentenced following the preparation of a presentence investigation report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

USBP, OFO, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI investigated the case. 

Operation Take Back America: 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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BANGOR, Maine: A Bradley man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Darren Deorsey, 51, to 13 months of imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to pay $16,900 in restitution.  Deorsey pleaded guilty on November 6, 2025.

According to court records, between July and October 2024, Deorsey conspired with others to fraudulently obtain money by entering banks, impersonating legitimate bank account holders, and using fictitious identification cards to gain access to their bank accounts and withdraw funds. Through fraud, Deorsey obtained a total of $16,900 from customer accounts, including a $5,000 cash advance on a home equity line of credit in the name of an account holder.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Bangor Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles – Enforcement Services Division.

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PORTLAND, Maine: An Indiana man was sentenced on June 3 in U.S. District Court in Portland for assaulting two minor females who were passengers on an aircraft while it was in flight.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Aidan J. Carter, 27, to 30 days in jail to be followed by five years of probation involving strict conditions, including completing a sex offender evaluation and any recommended treatment. Carter pleaded guilty on December 10, 2025. 

According to court records, in December 2024, Carter was a passenger on a crowded aircraft flying to Portland. After take-off, he touched the thigh of a then 17-year-old female passenger seated next to him without her consent. After the 17-year-old victim pushed his hand away, Carter repeatedly reached across the aisle to grab and squeeze the upper thigh of a then 16-year-old female passenger whom he awoke from her sleep. Carter also reached in the direction of the 16-year-old female’s genitals.

The FBI and the Portland Police Department investigated the case. 

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

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.  

According to court records, Jody G. Moczara, 45, while residing in a halfway house, obtained a cellular telephone that he used to solicit child sexual abuse material over the internet. In March 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) obtained a search warrant for the cellular telephone, on which investigators located hundreds of image and video files of child sexual abuse material.  HSI also located numerous chat conversations related to child exploitation activity, including one thread over a messaging application where Moczara sent Amazon gift cards as payment for the sexually explicit material. Moczara was previously convicted of receiving child pornography in U.S. District Court in Maine in 2016 and was sentenced to over 11 years in prison.

Moczara faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum supervised release term of life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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PORTLAND, Maine: A New Bedford, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jason Johnson-Rivera (a/k/a “Ouda”), 20, to 10 years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Johnson-Rivera pleaded guilty on January 23, 2026. Johnson‑Rivera’s codefendants, Joshua Estrada (aka “Mac”), 20, and Yancarlos Abrante (aka “Glizzy”), 22, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2025, and will be sentenced later this year.

According to court records, on February 9, 2024, Johnson-Rivera, Estrada and Abrante fired at least five rounds from a 9mm handgun into another vehicle as part of a dispute over drug territory. Shortly after they fired on their drug rivals and fled the scene, they drove their vehicle against traffic and through a red light, crashing into another passenger vehicle and a school bus, after which they fled the scene on foot. No one was seriously injured because of this incident. Court records reflect that Estrada, Abrante, and others had been trafficking cocaine in and around Saco and Biddeford since at least January 2024. 

The Saco Police Department, FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the New Bedford (Mass.) Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: 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 Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl, and for using a firearm in furtherance of that crime. 

According to court records, Muktar Abshir Aden, 27, sold drugs to law enforcement confidential sources and undercover officers on six occasions in 2024, culminating in an October 2024 search of his residence. Investigators recovered nearly three kilograms of methamphetamine and two kilograms of fentanyl, in addition to at least five firearms, one of which had previously been reported stolen.

Aden faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years and up to life imprisonment; up to a $10 million fine; and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Lewiston Police Department investigated the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: 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 Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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BANGOR, Maine: U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson this morning presented Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sergeant Dayerrick Ireland with a U.S. Department of Justice/United States Attorney’s Office “Hometown Hero Award” during a ceremony held at the United States Attorney’s Office in Bangor. Ireland received the award in front of his family and Sheriff’s Office command staff.

The Hometown Hero award commemorates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. Every U.S. Attorney in the country chose one recipient of the award, which honors the many contributions local law enforcement officers make to preserving and improving their communities and protecting their fellow citizens. The award honors the enduring ideals of service and civic responsibility and is bestowed in recognition of the brave men and women who exemplify steadfast commitment to these ideals and embody the spirit upon which our nation was founded.

U.S. Attorney Benson noted during his remarks that local law enforcement officers play a vital role in protecting Maine communities but acknowledged that these occupations involve long hours and tremendous sacrifice not only for the officers but for their family and friends.   

Detective Sergeant Ireland is currently assigned to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2022. In 2025, Det. Sgt. Ireland was selected as a full-time FBI Task Force Officer. During his time with the Sheriff’s Office and FBI, he has investigated child sexual assault/child pornography cases, fatal accidents, police-involved shootings, homicides, and many other felony-level crimes. Det. Sgt. Ireland’s tireless investigative efforts have led to the arrests and convictions of numerous individuals, both in Maine and in other states, who have engaged in acts of child sexual exploitation. Earlier this year, Det. Sgt. Ireland was recognized at the Maine Sheriffs’ Association award dinner as Deputy of the Year.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to present this award to Dayerrick Ireland, and pleased that he could receive it in the company of his family and colleagues,” U.S. Attorney Benson said. “His work on behalf of some of the most vulnerable victims in our communities highlights the difference that one committed public servant can make.”

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BANGOR, Maine: A citizen of the United Kingdom was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States without inspection.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison sentenced Ibrahim Ayyub Khan, 27, to time served.  Khan pleaded guilty on May 5, 2026.

According to court records, Khan and three other men walked through the heavily wooded border between Quebec and Somerset County during the pre-dawn hours of April 3, 2026. Their point of entry was within a few hundred yards of the Saint Zacharie, Maine port of entry that was manned by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (“OFO”). Upon exiting the woods, Khan and his companions began walking down the Golden Road heading east.

Passersby in the area reported to an OFO agent seeing the four men walking east on the Golden Road. The OFO agent reported the sighting to the U.S. Border Patrol (“USBP”) station in Jackman. A USBP agent and an OFO agent responded to the area of the sighting, located the four men and took them into custody without incident. When questioned about their citizenship, Khan and his three companions stated they were citizens of the United Kingdom. The four were subsequently transported back to the Jackman Border Patrol station.

USBP, OFO, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: 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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PORTLAND, Maine: A Plaistow, New Hampshire, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Dennis Duquette, 46, to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Duquette pleaded guilty on January 16, 2026.

According to court records, on March 21, 2025, Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call at a residence in South Thomaston. Deputies encountered Duquetteoutside the home with a 9mm pistol in his hand. Duquette dropped the pistol after being ordered to do so by police and was subsequently taken into custody. Duquette is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of prior felony convictions.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Operation Take Back America: 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.

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BANGOR, Maine: A former Machias man pleaded guilty on May 14 in U.S. District Court in Bangor to one count of possessing child pornography.

According to court records, in May and June of 2025, Ryan Gatcomb, 19, possessed images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The minors lived in other states, and Gatcomb had received the depictions using the internet while he was in the state of Maine. Investigators recovered the images from Gatcomb’s computer and phone. He admitted that he had  attempted to delete items from those devices on the morning of June 4, 2025, after being contacted by local law enforcement.

Gatcomb faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Neil Wing, 39, to 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Wing pleaded guilty on November 4, 2025.

According to court records, Wing began communicating with an undercover detective posing as a 12-year-old girl on the online chat platform Kik. These conversations quickly became sexual in nature, with Wing repeatedly asking for pictures. Wing subsequently sent the undercover detective a sexually explicit image of himself naked in the bathroom. Wing was interviewed while a search warrant was being executed at his residence and admitted to sending the image. 

Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit–Special Victims investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2025, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 21 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Bradley Bellfleur, 33, to six years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Bellfleur pleaded guilty on July 23, 2024.

According to court records, Bellfleur was enrolled in the Penobscot Adult Treatment and Recovery Court in Bangor as part of his sentence for a 2022 burglary conviction. While enrolled in that court, investigators received information that he was trafficking fentanyl. A search of his residence recovered fentanyl and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Additional evidence—such as messages obtained from his cellular phones—showed that Bellfleur was working with individuals from Massachusetts and obtaining fentanyl on a regular basis for distribution in the Bangor area. Bellfleur was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in 2016.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated this case, with assistance from the FBI, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police, the Bangor Police Department, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Maine HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; IRS-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Border Patrol; Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing and possessing child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Derren Wood-Peterson, 35, to seven years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Judge Neumann also ordered Wood-Peterson to pay $56,500 in restitution to victims whose images he possessed. Wood-Peterson pleaded guilty on October 2, 2025.

According to court records, Wood-Peterson sent a payment on Cash App for a link associated with child sexual abuse material. In December 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at his residence, resulting in the seizure of two cell phones containing thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material. When interviewed by investigators, Wood-Peterson admitted to accessing, viewing, and distributing child sexual abuse material over the internet. Forensic analysis of his devices revealed multiple acts of distribution of this material over the Telegram Messenger application.

The FBI investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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BANGOR, Maine: A Veazie man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for two counts of enticing a minor and one count of possessing child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Austin Cocchiaro, 24, to 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Cocchiaro pleaded guilty on September 30, 2025.

According to court records, in 2022 and again in 2024, Cocchiaro used his cell phone to induce a minor to participate in the production of child pornography. He also offered to pay for images using an online payment application. On November 14, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Cocchiaro’s home in Veazie resulting in the discovery of additional child pornography on two cell phones he owned.

The FBI investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to distributing controlled substances.

According to court records, beginning in February 2025, a confidential source working with the FBI made several controlled purchases of drugs from Dashane Seamster, 30. On April 1, 2025, the confidential source purchased approximately four ounces of methamphetamine and 120 grams of heroin from Seamster in Lewiston. Investigators surveilled and recorded the transaction.

Seamster faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a maximum fine of $10 million, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated this case.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Guatemalan man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for reentering the United States after a prior removal.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neuman sentenced Elmer Enrique Ramirez-Ardon, 33, to time served. He pleaded guilty on April 16, 2026.

According to court records, on March 12, 2026, U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Franklin County were driving near Stratton when they observed a white box truck heading north towards the U.S.­Canadian border. Ramirez-Ardon was in the truck’s passenger seat. After observing the truck and its occupants, the agents suspected it contained aliens. They stopped the truck after it reversed direction and began travelling south towards the interior of the state.

During a subsequent roadside immigration inspection, agents determined that the truck’s two occupants were, in fact, aliens without lawful authority to be in the country. They were transported to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station for processing, at which time agents determined that Ramirez-Ardon, a citizen of Guatemala, had been ordered deported and removed from the country in 2014.

The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: 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.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns for others and filing false tax returns for himself.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Lawrence Okeyo, 48, to two years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Okeyo was convicted on October 29, 2025, following a three-day jury trial.

According to court records and testimony at trial, Okeyo was a professional tax return preparer in Portland. He prepared tax returns for others in exchange for a fee. Okeyo often collected his preparation fees, which sometimes exceeded $1,000, from the tax refunds issued to his clients. Okeyo falsified his clients’ tax returns by claiming bogus, unreimbursed employee expenses that can be deducted only by a limited set of professionals: Armed Forces reservists, qualified performing artists, fee-basis state or local government officials, and employees with impairment-related work expenses. Neither Okeyo nor his clients met these qualifications. By falsifying tax returns, Okeyo generated or inflated unwarranted tax refunds for his clients and himself. Okeyo also prepared a false tax return for an undercover IRS agent posing as a client. During his interactions with the undercover agent, Okeyo told the agent, “I know that you should pay [taxes]. What I’m wanting to do is save you from paying.” Okeyo then fabricated supposed business expenses on the tax return he prepared for the undercover agent. Okeyo advised the undercover agent that, if he was audited, he would not be able to prove that he was entitled to claim the expenses.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Dominican national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Dewar Francisco Beriguete-Hernandez, 21, to three years in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Beriguete-Hernandez was convicted on October 24, 2025, following a two-day jury trial.

According to court records, Beriguete-Hernandez was part of a drug trafficking organization that delivered fentanyl from Massachusetts to customers in Maine. Beriguete-Hernandez was arrested in Kittery in April 2024, in possession of approximately 196 grams of a substance containing fentanyl. Following trial, a jury convicted him of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute. He was acquitted of a separate count charging him with distributing controlled substances.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, with the assistance of the Kittery Police Department.

Operation Take Back America: 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.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Fort Lauderdale, Florida man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Richard Harris, 23, to 32 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $31,400 in restitution. Harris pleaded guilty on December 16, 2025.

According to court records, Harris and a coconspirator, Paul Logugune, broke into unattended vehicles to steal purses and wallets containing driver’s licenses and checkbooks. Harris and Logugune forged checks using the stolen checkbooks and made the checks payable to the names on the stolen licenses. They then recruited others to cash the forged checks at branches of a federal credit union throughout southern Maine using the stolen IDs to impersonate the ID theft victims.

Logugune also pleaded guilty to his role in the offense. On August 29, 2024, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and ordered to pay over $32,000 in restitution.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Freeport Police Department.

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BANGOR, Maine: An Oakland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to possessing stolen firearms.

According to court records, during the early morning hours of August 10, 2025, Cody Smith, 24,  broke into a pawn shop in Waterville and stole 23 handguns. The break-in was captured on a video surveillance system inside the building, as well as exterior surveillance cameras at other businesses in the area. Within hours of the burglary, Smith was posting videos of himself on social media displaying some of the stolen firearms and admitting to the break-in.

Smith faces up to 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Waterville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: 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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BANGOR, Maine: A citizen of the United Kingdom pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to entering the United States without inspection.

According to court records, Ibrahim Ayyub Khan, 27, and three other men walked through the heavily wooded border between Quebec and Somerset County during the pre-dawn hours of April 3, 2026. Their point of entry was within a few hundred yards of the Saint Zacharie, Maine port of entry that was manned by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (“OFO”). Upon exiting the woods, Khan and his companions began walking down the Golden Road heading east.

Passersby in the area reported to an OFO agent seeing the four men walking east on the Golden Road. The OFO agent reported the sighting to the U.S. Border Patrol (“USBP”) station in Jackman. A USBP agent and an OFO agent responded to the area of the sighting, located the four men and took them into custody without incident. When questioned about their citizenship, Khan and his three companions stated they were citizens of the United Kingdom. The four were subsequently transported back to the Jackman Border Patrol station.

Khan faces up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office.

USBP, OFO, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: 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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PORTLAND, Maine: A Cornish man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to transmitting a threatening interstate communication. 

According to court records, Blake Tibbetts, 25, made a post on X, a social media website, in which he used a racial epithet in an angry exchange with another X user and threatened to pay “a visit VERY soon” to the user’s “kind,” sending “them” his “condolences.”

Tibbetts faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum supervised release term of three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI, the Maine State Police, and the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal investigated the case.

BANGOR, Maine: A citizen of the United Kingdom pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States without inspection.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison sentenced Ali Mohammed Ali Abdullah, 18, to time served. Abdullah will be turned over to immigration authorities for removal proceedings.

According to court records, Abdullah and three other men walked through the heavily wooded border between Quebec and Franklin County during the pre-dawn hours of April 3, 2026. Their point of entry was within a few hundred yards of the Saint Zacharie, Maine port of entry that was manned by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (“OFO”). Upon exiting the woods, Abdullah and his companions began walking down the Golden Road heading east.

Passersby in the area reported to an OFO agent seeing the four men walking east on the Golden Road. The OFO agent reported the sighting to the U.S. Border Patrol (“USBP”) station in Jackman. A USBP agent and an OFO agent responded to the area of the sighting, located the four men and took them into custody without incident. When questioned about their citizenship, Abdullah and his three companions stated they were citizens of the United Kingdom. The four were subsequently transported back to the Jackman Border Patrol station. Further investigation revealed that Abdullah had entered the country unlawfully to secure work in the U.S.

USBP, OFO, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI investigated the case. 

Operation Take Back America: 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.

PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson joins the Department of Justice and communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). During NCVRW, we recognize the accomplishments of the victims’ rights movement and reflect on how far we have come.

Since 1981, NCVRW has challenged the nation to confront and remove barriers to achieve justice for all victims of crime. Every April, the Office for Victims of Crime, part of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs, leads communities throughout the country in their annual observance of NCVRW. In 2026, we will observe NCVRW with the theme:

LISTEN.

ACT.

ADVOCATE.  

Protect Victims.  Serve Communities.

Being victimized by a crime can leave a lasting impact on individuals and the community. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine is committed to honoring the rights and experiences of crime victims. Prosecutors and victim specialists work together to ensure victims’ voices are heard. For many, this is a crucial step in healing and providing victims with some sense of justice. NCVRW is a reminder to those touched by crime that many victim services are now available through community partners and justice professionals, who are ready to listen, act, and advocate, while prioritizing safety for both individuals and communities.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine is committed to prosecuting those who violate federal law and collaborating with law enforcement to hold offenders accountable through the justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Benson. “We recognize, however, that prosecuting offenders is only one piece of an integrated approach in recognizing and supporting victims of crime.” 

The 2026 NCVRW Resource Guide, with outreach tools and materials to help you raise awareness in your community, is available at https://ovc.ojp.gov/news/announcements/now-online-2026-ncvrw-resource-guide.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. 

According to court records, Joseph Ebner, 32, began communicating online with an undercover agent posing as the father of a nine-year-old girl. Ebner sent multiple videos containing child sexual abuse material to the undercover agent and indicated he wanted to have sexual contact with his daughter. Based on this information, investigators executed a search warrant at Ebner’s residence. He agreed to be interviewed and admitted to communicating with the undercover agent and sending multiple images of child sexual abuse material to the agent. A subsequent forensic examination of Ebner’s electronic devices revealed multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

Ebner faces a minimum term of five years and maximum term of 20 years for distributing child sexual abuse material, a maximum term of 20 years for possessing child sexual abuse material, a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count, and a maximum supervised release term of life for each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI, Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, and Bangor Police Department investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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BANGOR, Maine: A New Sweden man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to distributing, receiving, and possessing child sexual abuse material. 

According to court records, investigators identified Dustin Davenport, 30, as the user of a cloud-based instant messaging service account that was trading child sexual abuse images. Based on this information, investigators executed a search warrant at Davenport’s residence. During the warrant’s execution, investigators interviewed Davenport, who admitted that he was actively trading child sexual abuse material over the internet. A subsequent forensic examination of Davenport’s cellular telephones revealed multiple images and video of child sexual abuse material.

Davenport faces a minimum term of five years and maximum term of 20 years for distributing and receiving child sexual abuse material, a maximum term of 20 years for possessing child sexual abuse material, a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count, and a maximum supervised release term of life for each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI, Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, and Bangor Police Department investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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PORTLAND, Maine: A man formerly from Lewiston was sentenced on April 16 in U.S. District Court in Portland for stalking his victim using facilities of interstate or foreign commerce.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Brent Ouellette, 34, to 18 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Ouellette pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025.

According to court records, Ouellette engaged in a course of conduct against his victim that included posting sexually explicit videos or pictures of his victim online without consent, contacting his victim posing as other people, and obtaining his victim’s social media login information.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to reentering the United States after a prior removal.

According to court records, on March 12, 2026, U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Franklin County were driving near Stratton when they observed a white box truck heading north towards the U.S.­Canadian border. Elmer Enrique Ramirez-Ardon, 33, was in the truck’s passenger seat. After observing the truck and its occupants, the agents suspected it contained aliens. They stopped the truck after it reversed direction and began travelling south towards the interior of the state.

During a subsequent roadside immigration inspection, agents determined that the truck’s two occupants were, in fact, aliens without lawful authority to be in the country. They were transported to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station for processing, at which time agents determined that Ramirez-Ardon, a citizen of Guatemala, had been ordered deported and removed from the country in 2014.

Ramirez-Ardon faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: 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.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Honduran man pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for reentering the United States after a prior removal.

After accepting his plea, U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Marlon Rene Avila-Cruz, 32, to a time-served sentence. Avila-Cruz was originally arrested on December 21, 2025, and has been in federal custody since that time.

According to court records, on December 21, 2025, a Farmington police officer pulled over a car that Avila-Cruz was driving for a traffic violation. Avila-Cruz informed the officer that he was from Honduras but could only provide a piece of paper from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. U.S. Border Patrol Agents were then called to the scene. Records checks revealed that Avila-Cruz had been previously deported from the U.S. and returned to Honduras.

Operation Take Back America: 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.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Kennebunkport man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child pornography.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kevin Rockwell, 41, to 20 years in prison to be followed by life on supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $104,000 in restitution to victims whose images he possessed. Rockwell pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025.

In addition, Rockwell was ordered to serve 18 consecutive months in prison based on a violation of his supervised release stemming from his prior federal conviction for transportation of child pornography. He was sentenced to 8 ½ years in federal prison for that offense.

According to court records, in November 2024, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Rockwell’s residence in Kennebunkport. Agents recovered a tablet located on a nightstand; a review of the tablet uncovered numerous image and video files of child sexual abuse material, including prepubescent children. Rockwell admitted in an interview that he owned the tablet and acknowledged the files contained on it.

The FBI investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Bowdoinham man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony offense.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Rodney Skipper, 46, to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Skipper pleaded guilty on September 11, 2025.

According to court records, Brunswick police responded to a Walmart regarding a potential shoplifting incident. Upon arrival, officers were directed to Skipper, who had gone outside to his vehicle. Officers noticed Skipper had an empty pistol holster on his hip, and were told that Skipper had been seen with a firearm in the holster before their arrival. A subsequent search of Skipper’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of a 9mm pistol, a .40 caliber pistol, and a 10mm pistol. Skipper was prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of a prior felony conviction for assaultive conduct.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Brunswick Police Department.

Operation Take Back America: 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

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PORTLAND, Maine: This April, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine joins the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), communities across the U.S., and sovereign Tribal nations in observing Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine is proud to stand with victims, and announces that in Fiscal Year 2025, OVW awarded $9,635,137 to several grantees in Maine including the Family Violence Project, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, the Mi’kmaq Nation, Partners for Peace, the Penobscot Indian Nation, Pine Tree Legal Assistance, the Maine Department of Public Safety, Safe Voices, and the Next Step Domestic Violence Project.

“Sexual assault has impacts that can reverberate through an entire community. These crimes leave lasting scars, and, as federal prosecutors, we have a responsibility to the citizens of Maine to pursue justice,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maine Andrew B. Benson. 

Victims deserve safety, dignity, and justice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine is committed to prosecuting those who violate federal law and collaborating with local law enforcement and prosecutors to bring offenders to justice. Partners in our district have a key role in ensuring victims have access to resources for safety and healing.

We encourage everyone in our district to learn more about sexual assault and take steps to support friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors who have suffered these crimes. By understanding the signs of abuse and connecting victims to available resources, we can all play a role in creating safer, supportive communities.

For more information on sexual assault or to access resources, please visit mecasa.org.

The Department of Justice funds essential victim services through its grants. Grantees of OVW andthe Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) run programs that support victims of sexual assault. There are many services available to help victims, including the Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), and the StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483). In addition, OVW’s website has a ”Resources for Survivors” page, which lists state sexual assaultcoalitions that can direct victims to local resources and services, as well as opportunities to get involved.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Scarborough man pleaded guilty on March 31, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing child sexual abuse material. 

According to court records, Robert E. Milholland, Jr., 49, became the target of a law enforcement investigation after being linked to child sexual abuse material over the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file-sharing network. In July 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at his residence, resulting in the seizure of multiple digital media devices that contained child sexual abuse material.

Milholland faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum supervised release term of life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI and the Lewiston Police Department investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Barrington, New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition while being a felon.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jonathan Grant, 43, to 12 months and a day in prison to be followed by 2 years of supervised release. Grant pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025.

According to court records, in March 2025, Kittery Police Department officers responded to the Kittery Trading Post regarding a potential shoplifting incident. Police were directed to a group of males who had just left the store, one of whom was identified as Grant. Officers searched Grant’s jacket and located a .22 caliber pistol and a box containing 100 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Grant was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition by virtue of prior felony drug convictions in New Hampshire. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Kittery Police Department.

Operation Take Back America: 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).