Southern District of Ohio
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Create and Distribute Animal Torture VideosRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and 100 hours of community service in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against animals.
Garrett Fitzgerald, of Scituate, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”
According to court documents, Fitzgerald conspired with Ronald Bedra, Robert Berndt, and others to direct and send money to individuals in Indonesia, via encrypted chat, to create videos depicting violent torture of baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators then distributed the sadistic videos to each other and online. Berndt was sentenced last month to 38 months in prison. Bedra was previously sentenced to 54 months in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Key member of Chinese money laundering network charged with laundering tens of millions of dollars in drug proceedsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Yan Lin, 41, of California, appeared in federal court in Cincinnati today on charges of conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars derived from drug trafficking proceeds.
According to the indictment unsealed today, between March 2022 and October 2024, Mexico-based drug traffickers hired Lin to return tens of millions of dollars in profits from the sale of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine in cities throughout the United States to Mexico.
Lin allegedly arranged for his co-conspirators to deliver bulk cash to others who bought electronics that were shipped to co-conspirators in Hong Kong, China and elsewhere. After confirmation of receipt of the bulk cash, Mexico-based drug traffickers would receive their payment in Mexico, minus a commission, via a “mirror transaction.” One ledger, which recorded just a portion of Lin’s money contracts in 2024, totaled approximately $27.4 million in bulk cash delivered across the United States.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendant laundered tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds from the United States through China, enabling a continuous flow of dangerous drugs into our country from Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling Chinese money laundering networks that support drug trafficking organizations is critical to achieve the mission of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations. Working with our federal and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute the financial networks that fuel and profit from the illegal drug trade.”
“Without money launderers, drug cartels are stuck with dirty money they can’t use,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “These profiteers help facilitate the distribution of deadly drugs into our communities and will be held accountable as if they trafficked the drugs themselves.”
“By targeting those who facilitate the movement of illicit proceeds, we are attacking the lifeblood of drug trafficking operations and protecting Americans,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz. “Homeland Security Investigations remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks who illegally use our nation’s financial infrastructure to funnel drugs into our communities.”
“Laundering drug trafficking money helps the cartels reap enormous profits while Americans are harmed by their dangerous drugs,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie. “Money laundering is a serious crime that the FBI and our partners will continue to investigate as we work to disrupt the flow of drugs and dismantle the dangerous cartels.”
Yan Lin is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering, which is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations Cincinnati Office, the IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Tulsa and Atlanta offices, FBI Cincinnati, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit. DEA’s Special Operations Division also aided the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Dornette for the Southern District of Ohio, Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Mingda Hang and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Key Member of Chinese Money Laundering Network Charged with Laundering Tens of Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
Yan Lin, 41, of California, made an initial appearance today in Cincinnati on charges of conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars derived from drug trafficking proceeds.
According to the indictment unsealed today, between March 2022 and October 2024, Mexico-based drug traffickers hired Lin to return tens of millions of dollars in profits from the sale of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine in cities throughout the United States to Mexico. Lin arranged for his co-conspirators to deliver bulk cash to others who bought electronics that were shipped to co-conspirators in Hong Kong, China, and elsewhere. After confirmation of receipt of the bulk cash, Mexico-based drug traffickers would receive their payment in Mexico, minus a commission, via a “mirror transaction.” One ledger, which recorded just a portion of Lin’s money contracts in 2024, totaled approximately $27.4 million in bulk cash delivered across the United States.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendant laundered tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds from the United States through China, enabling a continuous flow of dangerous drugs into our country from Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling Chinese money laundering networks that support drug trafficking organizations is critical to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The Criminal Division will relentlessly pursue the illicit financial networks that fuel and profit from these dangerous organizations.”
“Without money launderers, drug cartels are stuck with dirty money they can’t use,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “These profiteers help facilitate the distribution of deadly drugs into our communities and will be held accountable as if they trafficked the drugs themselves.”
“By targeting those who facilitate the movement of illicit proceeds, we are attacking the lifeblood of drug trafficking operations and protecting Americans,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office. “HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks who illegally use our nation’s financial infrastructure to funnel drugs into our communities.”
“The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug cartels as the very distribution of their illegal drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Detroit Field Office. “This indictment shows that if we cut off the flow of money, the traffickers cannot finance their organizations. As the nation’s foremost financial investigators, we are proud to provide our expertise as we work alongside our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational drug organizations."
“Laundering drug trafficking money helps the cartels reap enormous profits while Americans are harmed by their dangerous drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office. “Money laundering is a serious crime that the FBI and our partners will continue to investigate as we work to disrupt the flow of drugs and dismantle the dangerous cartels.
Yan Lin is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering. If convicted, Lin faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the HSI Cincinnati Office, IRS-CI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Tulsa and Atlanta offices, FBI Cincinnati, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit. DEA’s Special Operations Division also aided the investigation.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Mingda Hang, and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Dornette for the Southern District of Ohio, are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man charged federally for vandalizing Vice President Vance’s Cincinnati home, assaulting federal officerRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The man who allegedly vandalized Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home now faces several federal charges related to the incident.
William D. DeFoor, 26, is charged by criminal complaint with damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.
According to an affidavit filed this afternoon in support of the criminal complaint, around midnight, United States Secret Service (USSS) agents observed DeFoor running along the front fence of the protected residence. DeFoor allegedly breached the property line at the driveway and attempted to break the driver’s side window of an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle blocking the driveway entrance. DeFoor was armed with a hammer.
DeFoor allegedly refused law enforcement commands to stop and drop the weapon. Charging documents state DeFoor ignored all commands and began to use the hammer to break glass windows across the front of the protected residence. DeFoor’s hammer strikes also caused damage to the enhanced security assets on each window owned by the United States government and valued at more than $28,000.
The defendant allegedly attempted to flee on foot and was detained by USSS agents and Cincinnati police officers.
Causing more than $1,000 in damage to United States property and engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds are each federal crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Rees, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, and Cincinnati Police Acting Chief Adam Hennie announced the charges. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel recognized for outstanding performanceRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney Gerace announced today awards for outstanding performance for employees of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in four categories.
The awards include:
Outstanding Performance by an Assistant U.S. Attorney – Kyle J. Healey and Adam Tieger
Mr. Healey has spent most of his career in this district working difficult criminal cases involving sex trafficking of minors, coercion and enticement of minors, and child exploitation. Recent significant case examples include:
- U.S. v. Kelly Richards, in which the defendant gave cocaine to minors, kept them in his apartment, and sex trafficked them. Richards was convicted at trial and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
- U.S. v. William Scott Elam, who pretended to be a teenage boy online while coercing girls into creating nude images and videos that involved sexual conduct. Elam used self-harm as a means of coercion, even instructing one victim to engage in self-harm via cutting live on video. Elam was sentenced to 26 years in prison.
- U.S. v. Daveion Wright, a defendant who sexually exploited a toddler in SnapChat videos. Wright was sentenced in September to 29 years in prison.
Mr. Tieger, a civil AUSA, demonstrated outstanding commitment to the district by playing a key role in civil asset forfeiture matters, litigating civil immigration matters on behalf of the United States, and achieving favorable judgments in defensive litigation on behalf of government agencies.
Outstanding Performance by Staff – Brittany Ewing and Kristine Pfarrer
Ms. Ewing is a docketing technician in Cincinnati. This past year, she has taken on additional duties including coordinating the grand jury in Cincinnati and helping with civil state foreclosure filings. Ms. Ewing has willingly taken on extra work this past year to enable the district to accomplish its mission even with staffing shortages.
Ms. Pfarrer is a criminal paralegal in Dayton. She is a dedicated member of the Department of Justice who has demonstrated selflessness and initiative in the performance of her duties.. Her work is described as detailed, timely and efficient. As a professional, she is described as competent, pleasant and a team player. Ms. Pfarrer supports many attorneys across the district and coordinates the grand jury in Dayton.
Outstanding Performance by a Litigative Team – Timothy D. Prichard, Emily Czerniejewski, Elizabeth A. Geraghty, Heather A. Hill, Kevin W. Kelley, Kim Robinson, Kelly Terry, Carolyn Delery, Deena Antoon, Alexis Williams, Brandon Harmon
These individuals were recognized for their outstanding performance in 2025 due to their participation in one or more of the following three litigative teams.
U.S. v. Washington et al
This case charged 23 total defendants and involved narcotics and human trafficking conspiracies. A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July 2022 after a federal grand jury indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school. In October 2022, the government added 12 defendants and 28 new charges. Court documents detail that the drug trafficking organization brought large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, alprazolam and marijuana into Columbus. These drugs were sold or used to coerce individuals into sexual activity for some members of the drug ring and their profit. The case also involved the overdose death of at least one individual and the violent death of a second victim.
U.S. v. Ricco Maye
Ricco Maye was sentenced in October 2025 to life in prison for leading narcotics, sex trafficking and financial fraud conspiracies. The defendant caused an overdose death, coerced addicts into prostitution, and used threats, violence, and manipulation of drug dependencies to ensure individuals carried out his criminal schemes. Maye was found guilty on all counts following a three-week jury trial in November 2024. Court documents and trial testimony detail that Maye used individuals to buy and sell drugs, sell women for sex, and fraudulently apply online for COVID-19 relief funds. Proceeds from all the crimes went to the defendant.
U.S. v. Larry Williams et al
In July 2025, Larry Williams received multiple life sentences in prison for murdering three victims and directing others to dismember and bury two of the bodies. A total of 13 defendants were convicted and sentenced in this case. Williams was found guilty on all charges following a three-week trial in December 2024. Williams was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences plus an additional 60 consecutive months in prison for murdering three victims as part of a narcotics conspiracy to rob a local marijuana dealer of drugs and cash. The defendant, who was also sentenced to five other life sentences to run concurrently to all other counts, had others dismember and bury two of the bodies to dispose of evidence of his crimes.
Extraordinary Individual Contribution to the Mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Kelly Norris
Ms. Norris served as Acting U.S. Attorney from February until August 2025 and as First Assistant U.S. Attorney from August 2025 to December 2025. In each role, she has served the Southern District of Ohio selflessly. Ms. Norris’s professional performance has been instrumental in the success that the district has experienced in carrying out the priorities of the Administration and Department of Justice.
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Justice Department Secures $480,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Ohio Landlords and Property ManagersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the owners and operators of rental properties in and around Athens County, Ohio have agreed to pay $480,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that their former rental manager, Joseph Earl Lucas, sexually harassed female tenants and prospective tenants of rental properties for almost twenty years, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
“No one should have to endure sexual harassment to keep a roof over his or her head,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to holding landlords and housing providers accountable for illegal harassment of their tenants.”
“The provision of housing should not be conditioned on sexual favors or otherwise involve sexual harassment,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “My Office will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act against landlords and property managers who engage in such exploitive conduct.”
“The defendants severe abuse of power victimized our most vulnerable community members for almost twenty years and stripped them of their basic right to safety and dignity,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG). “Sexual misconduct is never a misunderstanding of boundaries. It is coercion and it is violence disguised as authority. HUD OIG will continue to work with the US Attorney’s Office to hold housing providers accountable for this type of horrible conduct.”
The department’s lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in August 2023, alleged that, from at least 2004 until at least 2023, Lucas, a former resident of Amesville, Ohio, subjected female tenants and applicants to severe and pervasive sexual harassment. In addition to Lucas, the lawsuit named as Defendants Jacob and Emily Bush, and Joie and Jeremy Carr, who held ownership interests in properties managed by Lucas and retained him to manage the properties on their behalf. Jacob Bush and Joie Carr are Lucas’ grandchildren. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation that resulted in the department’s lawsuit.
Under the settlement, the Bushes and Carrs will pay a total of $470,000 to women harmed by Lucas’ harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The agreement also:
- prohibits the Bushes and Carrs from retaining or otherwise permitting Lucas to manage their rental properties;
- requires the Bushes and Carrs to adopt policies and procedures to prevent future sexual harassment at their properties; and
- requires the Bushes and the Carrs to attend training on the requirements of the Fair Housing Act, including its prohibition on sexual harassment.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at [email protected], or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $16.6 million for victims of such harassment.
Blue Ash man faces federal exploitation, pornography charges for allegedly placing hidden cameras in minor victims’ homeRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Blue Ash man has been charged federally with child exploitation and pornography crimes for allegedly hiding spy cameras in the house of minor victims.
David Mitsnefes, 32, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Cincinnati at 1:30pm today for a detention hearing.
According to charging documents, between 2021 and 2025, on multiple occasions the family of teenaged victims found hidden cameras in the minors’ bedrooms. Mitsnefes allegedly used wifi to save videos of the minor occupants in various states of undress to his iPhone. He also allegedly took the victims’ underwear on numerous occasions and kept them in his bedroom.
In November 2025, the family’s Ring security camera allegedly caught an image of the suspect wearing a dark hoodie and pants entering the home while the family was out of town. A subsequent search of Mitsnefes’s electronic devices revealed videos of the victims as well as numerous images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material obtained over the internet.
A criminal complaint was unsealed on Dec. 17 charging the defendant with attempted sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Blue Ash Police Chief Roger Pohlman and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Former T&A Crips gang defendant pleads guilty to illegally possessing firearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A defendant in a former gang racketeering case pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Eric Henderson, Jr., 26, of Columbus, was sentenced in 2019 to 78 months in prison for his role in the Trevitt and Atcheson Crips (T&A) gang-related racketeering conspiracy. Henderson sold gram quantities of crack cocaine in Columbus and Chillicothe on behalf of the racketeering conspiracy, which also included five murders, multiple attempted murders, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, witness tampering, robbery, assault and other crimes.
In this case, Henderson was stopped by Columbus police officers for a traffic violation in June 2025. According to court documents, before the vehicle was completely stopped, Henderson fled on foot, gripping the waist of his pants while reaching under his shirt.
Henderson threw a firearm over a privacy fence before he was apprehended. Officers discovered a loaded pistol with an extended magazine. The firearm also had a machine gun conversion device, or switch, attached.
Henderson was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin W. Kelley is representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Prison for Creating and Distributing Videos Depicting Animal Torture and MutilationRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 38 months in prison and three years of supervised release in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against animals.
Robert Berndt, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty on May 6 to conspiring to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”
According to court documents, Berndt conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio made the announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
- Member of violent Third World Mob gang sentenced to 17.5 years in prison
Local man who allegedly committed 2 kidnappings, carjackings now faces federal chargesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man who allegedly kidnapped two individuals at gunpoint in two different carjacking incidents in the greater Dayton area on Tuesday now faces federal charges.
Colby Smith, 32, has been in local law enforcement custody since the day of the alleged crimes. He is now charged federally with kidnapping, carjacking and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to charging documents, on Tuesday morning, Smith brandished a firearm at a victim who was inflating his vehicle’s tires at the Speedway gas station on N. Dixie Drive in Harrison Township. Smith allegedly forced the victim into his car and stole the vehicle. The victim pleaded for his release, and Smith eventually let the victim out of the car.
Shortly thereafter, Smith allegedly brandished his firearm at a City of Dayton employee who was working leaf collection on Home Avenue. Smith allegedly entered the victim’s city truck on the passenger side and pointed the gun at the victim. Smith then kidnapped the second victim, forcing him to withdraw money at both an ATM and at a local bank branch. Smith then allegedly instructed the victim to exit the vehicle and stole the city truck.
Smith then abandoned the stolen city truck and returned to the vehicle stolen in Harrison Township. Deputies located Smith in this vehicle at a local tire shop. He attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended.
Smith made his initial appearance in federal court on the afternoon of December 11, 2025, and is scheduled for a detention hearing on December 16, 2025.
Kidnapping is a federal crime punishable by up to life in prison. Carjacking carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Displaying a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence requires a mandatory minimum of at least 7 years in prison in addition to any other sentence imposed.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck announced the charges filed on Dec. 11. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi are representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Lead defendant in multi-state car theft ring sentenced to 7 years in prisonRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – The lead defendant in a $1.5 million chop shop conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months in prison.
Kahrese Tracey Scott Lee, 28, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and to knowingly operating a chop shop.
According to court documents, between at least October 2023 and October 2024, Lee, who is also known as “Reese Lee” and “Bennett Jones,” knowingly worked with others to orchestrate an interstate stolen car ring. The defendant operated a garage in Dayton and received dozens of stolen vehicles. For example, during May 2024 alone, Lee’s Dayton chop shop housed within it more than half a million dollars in stolen cars and vehicle parts.
Lee often dissembled stolen vehicles and removed their parts for resale or for placement in another vehicle. He both received and traded or sold vehicles out of state.
On occasion, Lee also stole vehicles himself or worked with others to do so. During one planned theft incident, Lee and others traveled from Ohio to Indiana, where they stole three vehicles valued at more than $200,000 total from an auto lot.
Law enforcement ultimately discovered Lee and others in possession of the stolen vehicles in Alabama, where Lee planned to establish a new garage. Officers confiscated the cars and returned them to the Indiana dealership that owned them.
Lee and his accomplices had placed a tracking device on one of the stolen cars and tracked it back to Indiana. Lee traveled back to the Indiana dealership and attempted to steal the vehicle again; however, law enforcement apprehended him as he attempted to do so.
Lee and six others were charged by a federal indictment in November 2024.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Rob Painter are representing the United States in this case.
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Pickaway County man faces federal drug, gun chargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has indicted an Ashville, Ohio, man, charging him with trafficking in bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and with illegally possessing firearms.
Samuel A. Griffith, 35, is charged in a six-count indictment.
According to charging documents, in October 2025, Griffith allegedly sold narcotics from a room at the Red Roof Inn on Renner Road in Columbus. When law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at the location, they discovered 18 firearms and kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.
As a convicted felon, Griffith is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Griffith has at least three prior felony convictions in Franklin and Pickaway counties for robbery, aggravated possession of drugs and illegally having weapons.
Griffith is charged with federal drug distribution and possession charges that carry potential punishments of at least 10 years and up to life in prison and five to 40 years in prison. Griffith faces up to 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones; Pickaway County Sheriff Matthew O. Hafey; Fairfield County Sheriff Alex Lape; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the indictment filed on Dec. 4. The South-Central Ohio Major Crimes Unit, Columbus Division of Police Gang Enforcement Unit, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit and the Ohio State Highway Patrol Special Response Team participated in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin W. Kelley is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Local cell phone stores employee charged federally with child pornography, video voyeurism crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Federal agents arrested a Grove City man today who has been charged federally with child pornography and video voyeurism crimes.
Neil Brown, 41, worked at multiple cell phone stores in Columbus and allegedly captured nude photos and videos from customers’ phones.
A cyber tipline received in January 2025 led investigators to search Brown’s digital accounts and devices.
According to charging documents, Brown was employed by Cellular Sales and would take the phones of female customers and search through them for illicit content. Brown then allegedly created videos of the content on his own phone. To date, investigators have identified three victimized customers.
Investigators also discovered more than 75 images and videos of child pornography on Brown’s cell phone. Brown allegedly paid virtual currency on an app to receive videos of child sexual abuse material.
Brown was initially arrested locally and charged with pandering obscenity involving a minor. The federal charges have superseded the local ones, and the local charges have now been dismissed.
The defendant appeared in federal court today at 2:30pm and his case was unsealed at that time.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and other members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Montgomery County man sentenced to federal prison for defrauding elderly victims of hundreds of thousands of dollarsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Ronald Scott Daley, 53, of Miamisburg, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 54 months in prison for wire fraud and tax evasion related to a scheme to defraud clients, including elderly victims.
According to court documents, Daley was employed by a life insurance brokerage firm in the Southern District of Ohio from 1995 through 2021 and advised several elderly clients with respect to life insurance and annuity products.
From at least 2012 until 2020, Daley fraudulently convinced client victims to withdraw certain assets from the insurance brokerage firm and to deposit the funds into their own personal accounts. Daley then influenced the victims to make payments to a bank account for an entity that Daley controlled.
For example, Daley defrauded three victims of more than $707,000 in total.
Furthermore, the defendant failed to file and pay taxes on the fraudulent income.
As part of his conviction, Daley will repay restitution in the amount of approximately $707,000 for fraud against the victims and nearly $212,000 to the IRS.
Daley was indicted in December 2024 and pleaded guilty in May 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigations; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.
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Former Pike County police officer sentenced to 10 years in prison for running steroid, cocaine ringRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Pike County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for leading a drug trafficking ring responsible for mailing more than 2,500 parcels of steroids and distributing 11 kilograms of cocaine.
Mark Anglemyer, Jr., 42, of Waverly, Ohio, imported precursor chemicals from China and traveled across the country and internationally to secure narcotics. Anglemyer previously worked as a police officer with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office and the Piketon, Waverly and Wellston police departments.
According to court documents, from 2019 to 2024, Anglemyer ran a drug trafficking operation out of Waverly, dealing both anabolic steroids and cocaine.
As part of his operation, Anglemyer imported raw materials from China to manufacture the steroids. He then produced the powder and liquid steroid mixtures at various co-conspirators’ residences in Pike County. Finally, the defendant shipped the steroids to customers across the country via the United States Postal Service.
Anglemyer also obtained kilogram quantities of cocaine from California for local distribution in Waverly.
When Anglemyer’s California cocaine suppliers were arrested by federal authorities, he and a co-conspirator flew to Colombia to seek another supplier and attempted to mail cocaine from Colombia to Waverly.
Anglemyer and three co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. The defendant pleaded guilty in April 2025 to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and anabolic steroids.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in this case.
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Court appoints Dominick S. Gerace II as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued an order effective today unanimously re-appointing Dominick S. Gerace II as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
In August, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi named Mr. Gerace as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. Pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, the Attorney General has the authority to name a U.S. Attorney to serve on an interim basis for up to 120 days. After that time, the district court may appoint a U.S. Attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled through Senate confirmation. President Donald J. Trump nominated Mr. Gerace as U.S. Attorney in July and his nomination remains pending in the Senate.
“I am grateful to the district court for its vote of confidence in my leadership and honored to continue to serve as U.S. Attorney,” Gerace said. “While I am proud of what this office has accomplished during the last 120 days, our job is never done. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the public and ensure the safety of our communities here in Southern Ohio.”
As the court-appointed U.S. Attorney, Mr. Gerace will continue to serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer representing the United States in all federal criminal and civil litigation in the Southern District of Ohio. The district covers the 48 southern-most counties in the state of Ohio and is home to more than five million people. Mr. Gerace leads a staff of approximately 100 prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel across three offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton.
Mr. Gerace is a former federal prosecutor with nearly a decade of experience in both the Southern District of Ohio and the Eastern District of Virginia, where he prosecuted cases involving national security, domestic and international terrorism, international drug trafficking, violent crime, bank and wire fraud, public corruption, tax evasion and money laundering. He previously served as Deputy Criminal Chief of the district’s Dayton office.
During his time as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Gerace received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security for his work in the federal investigation and prosecution arising from the August 2019 mass shooting in Dayton. He also received the U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Performance for his service as counsel in the first international terrorism trial held in the district.
Most recently, Mr. Gerace was a Partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where he practiced in the areas of white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, compliance, and civil litigation.
Mr. Gerace earned his law degree, magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from Georgetown University, where he was a senior board member of The Georgetown Law Journal and Editor-in-Chief of The Georgetown Law Journal’s Annual Review of Criminal Procedure. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Gerace clerked for the Honorable John M. Rogers of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Mr. Gerace earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the United States Military Academy and served as a tank platoon leader and company executive officer in the United States Army prior to attending law school.
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Warren County woman pleads guilty to dealing fentanyl that caused fatal overdoseRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Franklin, Ohio, woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to distributing fentanyl.
The plea agreement for Kaylee Back, 29, recommends a sentence of up to186 months in prison.
According to court documents, in May 2023, Back provided fentanyl to an individual in Middletown. The individual was found dead approximately two and a half hours later. The Butler County coroner’s office determined the cause of death was fentanyl intoxication.
Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Middletown Police Chief Earl Nelson announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Frederic C. Shadley and former Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Oakley have represented the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati man pleads guilty to soliciting sex with 15-year-oldRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Jonathan Malachi Washington, 30, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to sex traffic children by “paying” for sex with a minor.
According to court documents, in November 2023, Washington solicited sex acts from a 15-year-old girl through a co-conspirator. Washington agreed to pay the co-conspirator $400-$500 to engage in sex acts with the victim.
Washington drove the victim to his apartment in Cincinnati for commercial sex. While he and the victim were gone, the co-conspirator posted on his SnapChat that he had “Pimped out his girl.” Washington returned the victim to the co-conspirator and paid him $400-$500 in counterfeit money.
Washington was charged federally in September 2024. He pleaded guilty to a bill of information that charges him with one count of conspiring to sex traffic children.
Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
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Central Ohio man sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after arranging online to meet ‘minor’ in Cincinnati for sexRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Dublin, Ohio, man was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 151 months in prison for arranging online to meet up with who he believed was a minor to engage in sexual conduct. The defendant drove to Cincinnati within hours of when he first started talking to the purported minor online.
Kyle Tennyson, 35, a registered sex offender, used the social media app Kasual to talk to who he thought was a 15-year-old, but was actually an undercover agent.
According to court documents, after learning of the supposed minor’s age in online conversations, Tennyson messaged “It’s just extremely risky for a guy to do anything with you sadly. :/ I hate the law.”
Tennyson sent several requests for specific images, saying he needed to verify the 15-year-old was real. The defendant told the minor what sexual activities he had in mind, proposed different sexual positions for her to look up, and ensured that her parents did not have access to her hotel room.
Tennyson also mentioned he was being cautious because he had been “caught for this a few months ago and am currently going through the legal system,” adding, “Girl on bumble said she was 18. She wasn’t. Parents found out. I got screwed.” He sent the minor a picture of his leg with an ankle monitor, which was imposed as a condition of bond in connection to his ongoing prosecution in Delaware County for charges alleging sexual abuse of a 13-year-old.
Tennyson drove from Dublin to a hotel in Cincinnati, where he was apprehended by agents. When law enforcement officials apprehended him, Tennyson had on him a grocery bag with an open box of 36 count condoms.
A federal grand jury indicted Tennyson in June 2024 with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. He pleaded guilty in June 2025. Tennyson was previously convicted in 2014 of pandering obscenity. He is also currently facing 10 charges for sex offenses involving a minor in Delaware County.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed on Dec. 3 by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Danielle E. Margeaux and Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy are representing the United States in this case.
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Large-scale fentanyl, methamphetamine trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Dominic Lindsey, 35, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for trafficking bulk amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The defendant’s fentanyl was cut with xylazine – a horse tranquilizer that commonly prevents Narcan from counteracting fentanyl overdose deaths.
According to court documents, in January 2024, the defendant knowingly sold narcotics as a high-level trafficker. He was personally responsible for more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and bulk quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue.
For nearly two decades, the defendant was convicted of and sentenced for at least 15 local offenses, including multiple drug and firearm offenses. One such conviction was for aggravated assault with a firearm after Lindsey shot someone in the back of the neck. The defendant was still under court supervision from his prior offenses when he committed this most recent federal crime.
Lindsey was charged federally in April 2024 and pleaded guilty in November 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Frederic C. Shadley is representing the United States in this case.
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Hilliard man pleads guilty to using AI to create child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Hilliard man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to two child pornography crimes.
Austin Pittman, 35, admitted to distributing images of real child pornography and using AI to morph videos and photos of real children to whom he had access into images of child pornography.
According to court documents, in January 2025, the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received multiple cyber tipline reports regarding Pittman’s activity on Kik messenger. On the instant messaging app, Pittman distributed child pornography depicting an adult sexually abusing a child.
Further investigation revealed that, in 2024, Pittman was the target of an investigation at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where he uploaded 47 files of child pornography to Kik.
A search warrant at Pittman’s residence in April of this year led to the seizure of numerous devices. During a review of Pittman’s cell phone, law enforcement officials discovered images and videos of real children to whom Pittman had access. Pittman had secretly recorded and created some of the images and videos himself. Pittman then used AI programs to alter these images and depict the minor females as fully nude.
Pittman was charged federally and arrested on April 29.
Distributing and receiving child pornography carries a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison. Producing morphed child pornography is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and other members of the Franklin County ICAC Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
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Dublin man arrested in Utah on federal child exploitation chargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Dublin, Ohio, man was arrested in Utah and charged federally with sexual exploitation crimes against minors.
Wade S. Christofferson, 72, was arrested on Nov. 20. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Utah today and his case was unsealed at that time. Christofferson is charged with attempting to sexually exploit a minor and with coercion and enticement.
According to charging documents, on Nov. 12, the Dublin Police Department received a report regarding the alleged sexual abuse of an Ohio child by Christofferson.
It is alleged Christofferson sexually abused the child in person 15 to 20 times.
He also allegedly engaged in a sexually explicit FaceTime call with a second minor victim and sent coded letters to her Utah home that referenced sexual activity. Christofferson also committed hands-on sexual abuse of that child as well.
A complaint affidavit details that Christofferson allegedly taught the Utah victim code words like “snow” for vagina, “friends” for nipples, “asterisk (*)” for naked, a drawn “smiley face” for rubs and “SS” for “Secret Spanks.” The defendant was allegedly overheard on a FaceTime call asking the victim if he could see her “snow” and “friends.”
Letters referenced in the charging documents include “Top Secret” hand-written messages. For example, Christofferson wrote to the Utah victim, telling her “It was nice to see Snow and her friends when we FaceTimed…” and “I can’t wait to see you and play * games! I have a new one to teach you called ‘school.’ You will like it!”
In one letter Christofferson allegedly included coupons he said were “Good for one * game with me!! You get to choose the game!”
Christofferson’s phone allegedly included search history for “criminal defense attorneys sex crimes columbus ohio” and “In Ohio do clergy have to report child abuse confessions.”
The defendant will be extradited from Utah to the Southern District of Ohio.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dublin Police Chief Justin Paez and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announced the charges.
U.S. Attorney Gerace commended the significant contributions to this case by the FBI Salt Lake City Division, the Payson, Utah Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Middletown man who pretended to be teenage boy sentenced to 26 years in prison for coercing, exploiting minor girls onlineRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Middletown man was sentenced in federal court here today 312 months in prison for coercing minor victims online into creating nude images and videos that involved sexual conduct.
William Scott Elam, 53, pleaded guilty in July to 10 counts of coercion and enticement and one count of sexual exploitation of children.
“There are real-life consequences to actions taken online,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Predators like Elam hide behind a computer screen while preying on vulnerable children. But the harm they cause is real, and so is the significant amount of time they will spend in federal prison to account for those actions.”
According to court documents, for approximately four years, Elam began online relationships with numerous minor females in at least seven states, particularly with vulnerable minors who had previously engaged in self-harm, had body issues or other social issues. He connected with girls between the ages of 10 and 16 on various online chatting apps and pretended to be a 14-year-old male.
Elam coerced victims into masturbating on live video calls with him. For example, he manipulated at least one victim into complying by threatening to harm himself if she did not do as he asked. He instructed another victim to self-harm via cutting on live video after learning the victim had a history of self-harm. Elam also coerced victims into sending him live sexual material by threatening to leak naked images he obtained of them. Law enforcement officers have identified at least 10 victims.
The defendant was arrested in October 2023.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
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Romanian national sentenced to prison for bank fraud crime related to ATM skimmingRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Romanian national was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati today to 12 months and one day in prison a federal crime related to ATM skimming.
According to court documents, Danut Valentin Urseiu, 32, conspired with others to commit bank fraud in the Southern District of Ohio in January and February 2023.
Urseiu conspired with others to place skimming devices onto a financial institution’s ATMs in the greater Cincinnati area, including in Cincinnati, Green Township and Liberty Township.
Co-conspirators used the fraudulent access devices to steal information from cardholders and defraud financial institutions.
The financial institution reported that multiple ATM locations were victimized during the timeframe Urseiu and his co-conspirators were operating in the Southern District of Ohio.
Fingerprints on cameras placed with the skimming devices in Ohio matched Urseiu’s prints from arrests in New York and Michigan.
Urseiu’s cell phones contained photos of ATM skimming devices, recording devices and large amounts of cash.
Urseiu pleaded guilty in May 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is representing the United States in this case.
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Illegal alien indicted for dragging officers with his vehicleRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury indicted a Venezuelan national today on charges alleging he assaulted federal officers while resisting arrest.
Hector Velandia-Anaya, 18, allegedly attempted to flee from immigration officials and dragged two officers with his vehicle while he began to drive away.
“We will not tolerate any action that endangers the agents who are working to enforce our immigration laws,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “As today’s indictment shows, those who threaten the safety of our federal law enforcement partners will be prosecuted.”
According to court documents, on Nov. 2, immigration officers pulled over Velandia-Anaya near Shrock Road in Columbus. The defendant turned off his car’s ignition, but when asked to step out of the vehicle, he allegedly closed the driver’s door and restarted the vehicle to flee.
One officer re-opened the driver’s side door to try to keep Velandia-Anaya from driving away. The other officer partially climbed into the passenger seat to try to stop him from putting the vehicle into drive. Velandia-Anaya allegedly accelerated the vehicle and drove forward with the officers partially inside.
An affidavit details that officers wrestled with Velandia-Anaya’s hand to regain control of the gear shifter, stop the vehicle and ultimately arrest the defendant.
He was charged by federal criminal complaint on Nov. 6. In today’s indictment, he is charged with two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Kevin Raycraft, Acting Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Dayton man pleads guilty to threatening to kill CongressmanRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man admitted in federal court here today to threatening to kill a United States Congressman.
Jeffery Dorsey, 60, formerly of Columbus, pleaded guilty to making interstate communications with a threat to inure.
According to court documents, Dorsey left a voicemail on the Congressman’s main office line threatening to kill the representative if he voted to make cuts to Medicaid.
He stated, in part, “If you vote to take my f***ing Medicaid away, I’m gonna cut your f***ing head off…But I tell you this, clearly to your brain, if you f*** with my Medicaid, you’re a dead f***.”
Dorsey was charged federally and arrested in July 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
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U.S. Attorney highlights essential public safety work continued during shutdownRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today numerous arrests, indictments, guilty pleas and sentencings that occurred during the recent 43-day lapse in government appropriations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remained active during the shutdown, completing excepted duties related to national security, violations of federal law and essential public safety functions.
“The arrests and case proceedings detailed below provide just a small snapshot of the work continued by this office during the lapse in federal funding. The Southern District of Ohio is comprised of committed public servants dedicated to our office’s essential function of protecting public safety at all times. Our staff came to work each day and continued the mission of pursuing justice,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II.
- On Oct. 2, three defendants from Colorado and Oregon were indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbus for allegedly operating an online drug trafficking business that shipped methamphetamine, cocaine, and a host of other controlled substances to buyers around the country. Jesse Wasson, 27, of Parker, Colorado, Amandra Heffelfinger, 40, and Jennifer Blake, 39, both of Lebanon, Oregon, were arrested on Oct. 6.
- In Dayton, on Oct. 2, the former commander of a local AMVETS Post pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Danny Dale Gordon, 49, of Kettering, defrauded AMVETS Post #24 in Dayton of approximately $622,000. He used the money at various local gambling casinos, for travel and hotel expenses, and frequenting a Dayton-area “gentlemen’s club.” He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and will be sentenced at a future date.
- Drey E. Lewis, 30, and Tyler J. Watkins, 35, of Middletown, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison for narcotics and money laundering crimes. Lewis, an inmate, coordinated drug activity from federal prison, including with a Mexican source of supply, and Watkins handled the drugs and money outside of prison.
- On Oct. 6, Timothy Farr, 43, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to armed robbery. Farr was indicted in January 2025 and charged with 12 armed robberies throughout southwest Ohio in December 2024. His plea agreement recommends a sentence of 15 to 25 years in prison.
- In Cincinnati, on Oct. 7, Darias Jackson, 35, of Cheviot, was sentenced in federal court to more than 13 years in prison. Jackson was a convicted felon and on supervised release for a federal drug-trafficking crime when he tried to murder his friend. Jackson shot the victim multiple times before leaving him in an apartment complex parking lot. Jackson tried to bribe the friend with $15,000 to recant his report to law enforcement that Jackson had shot him. The defendant obstructed justice and attempted to tamper with multiple witnesses.
- Eric L. Bell, 36, of Columbus, is a convicted felon who was on community control when he engaged in methamphetamine trafficking. He was sentenced in federal court in Columbus on Oct. 7 to more than 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Myron Nichols, 29, of Mt. Healthy, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati to fentanyl and firearms crimes. When stopped by Cincinnati police in November 2024 for multiple traffic violations, Nichols fled in the stolen vehicle he was driving and later fled on foot. Officers located fentanyl and a pistol in the vehicle.
- On Oct. 8, William Kisor, 57, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus to attempted coercion and enticement. Kisor had served more than 11 years in federal prison for child pornography crimes. After being released from prison, Kisor contacted the same online undercover agent with whom he communicated prior to his 2012 conviction, never realizing that the person was an agent of law enforcement. The undercover agent used the persona of an adult mother with minor daughters. The defendant contacted the agent in hopes of beginning an incestuous relationship with the “mother” and “daughters.”
- In federal court in Columbus on Oct. 8, a Morrow County man pleaded guilty to two armed bank robberies. James T. Scurlock, 45, of Cardington, admitted to robbing the same bank, Huntington Bank on Gemini Place, on two different occasions in March and May 2025. His plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 144 to 171 months in prison.
- Anicleto Olvera-Sanchez, 35, of Columbus, was the target of a drug trafficking investigation. When law enforcement officers searched his residence, they recovered fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. A search of Olvera-Sanchez’s cell phone revealed evidence that he paid a teenage girl to create and send him sexually explicit videos and images. On Oct. 8, he pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus to sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. His plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 188 to 206 months in prison.
- Ronald Allen Meadows, 54, of Chillicothe, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Columbus on Oct. 8 to 10 years in prison for drug and firearms crimes. Meadows was convicted in this district in 2017 for drug and firearm offenses and was on supervised release during the commission of his latest crimes.
- Federal agents arrested Rooble D. Adan, 31, of Minneapolis, on Oct. 10, on charges alleging he robbed a bank in Columbus on Oct. 8. According to the charging documents, at approximately 9am, Adan entered the Chase Bank on Cleveland Avenue and handed a financial advisor a note claiming Adan had placed bombs on himself and on the building. The note also indicated a link to foreign terrorists. Adan allegedly smacked a female teller in the face and took nearly $3,000 in cash from tellers’ drawers before fleeing the bank. Adan was arrested by Columbus police officers shortly after leaving the bank.
- On Oct. 20, Dwayne K. Funderburke, 41, of Columbus, appeared in federal court in Cincinnati on charges alleging he caused damage to federal property by breaking into the U.S. Courthouse in Columbus. Funderburke allegedly crashed his car into the pop-up vehicle barriers outside the Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse on Marconi Blvd. on Sept. 22. After crashing, Funderburke allegedly broke into the courthouse garage, picked up a trash can and used it to smash a glass door leading into the courthouse. Officers located him in a lower garage stairwell and took him into local custody.
- Shaheed Russell, 29, of Columbus, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbus on Oct. 21. Surveillance video shows Russell allegedly fleeing the scene of a homicide near North High Street and East 4th Avenue. Russell is currently on supervised release following a conviction in the Southern District of Ohio for a federal firearm offense. He was charged on Oct. 21 with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in prison.
- An indictment was filed in Cincinnati on Oct. 22 charging two defendants in a violent carjacking. Trevor J. Lancaster, 20, of Covington, Kentucky, and Deondre A. Burgin, 21, of Cincinnati, allegedly aided and abetted each other in the theft of a Mercedes-Benz in June 2025. The defendants allegedly used force, violence and intimidation – including the use of a firearm – resulting in serious bodily injury.
- In Cincinnati, on Oct. 22, a local man admitted to committing federal crimes when he defrauded victims out of more than $6.5 million through an online laundry and dry-cleaning pickup and delivery business. Benjamin Cantey, 41, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud. Cantey lied about his business experience and prior business success to recruit and defraud investors. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris announced this guilty plea.
- On Oct. 30, Ramiro Mendoza, 29, of Santa Maria, California, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that involved more than 300 pounds of methamphetamine. In January 2025, Mendoza drove a box truck to pick up six pallets of narcotics that had been shipped to Middletown as purported paver stones imported from Mexico. Mendoza faces at least 10 years in prison.
- Four co-defendants pleaded guilty throughout the month of October to crimes committed as part of a multi-state narcotics conspiracy involving nearly $25 million in laundered drug proceeds. Charles Wooden, 47, of Pickerington; Courtney Musick, 38, of Pickerington; Alexis Ortega, 32, of Columbus; and Gregory Fountain, 30, of Columbus and Chicago, pleaded guilty to participating in fentanyl and cocaine trafficking conspiracies and money laundering. The narcotics conspiracy in this case is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Money laundering carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
- On Oct. 31, Ciriaco Garcia-Yerena, 46, an illegal alien from Mexico, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus to illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony. Garcia-Yerena has a prior drug trafficking conviction in the Southern District of Ohio.
- Hussein Mohamed, 27, of Dublin, Ohio, was sentenced on Nov. 3 to more than 10 years in prison for committing three bank robberies in Columbus. During the third robbery, Mohamed possessed a firearm.
- On Nov. 4, Wilbert Romero-Natera, 25, of Columbus, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for committing a string of armed robberies of hotels in 2021. The defendant committed four robberies in Grove City, Columbus and Hebron, and brandished a firearm during three of those robberies.
- Also in Columbus, on Nov. 4, Mexican national Jose Adin Benjume-Gutierrez, 45, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States and to distributing cocaine. Benjume-Gutierrez was arrested after fleeing from immigration officers. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the federal drug crime and up to two years in prison for the immigration offense.
- On Nov. 6, Jermaine Dorsey, 25, of Hamilton, was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati to 96 months in prison for conspiring to and attempting to traffic firearms and illegally possessing machine guns. In a two-week timeframe in November 2024, Dorsey sold 15 firearms, two machinegun conversion devices and more than 150 rounds of ammunition.
- Eric Campbell, 48, of Groveport, was sentenced on Nov. 6 in Columbus to 15 years in prison for child pornography crimes. Campbell was on supervised release in this district for a prior conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor when he committed new offenses, namely, receiving and possessing child pornography.
- On Nov. 6, former Kroger head replenishment buyer, Mark Disbennett, 40, of West Chester, pleaded guilty to charges related to a kickback scheme that caused consumers to pay higher prices for produce. Disbennett disclosed to co-conspirator produce vendors Chris Farley, 66, of Happy Valley Oregon, and Craig Sono, 68, of Portland, Oregon, the highest price Kroger was willing to pay for certain produce. During the height of the pandemic, Disbennett received more than $147,000 from the co-conspirators.
- Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus on Nov. 7 to her involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
- On Nov. 10, federal agents arrested a Dayton man on federal charges alleging he participated in a shootout on the University of Dayton campus on Nov. 1. Dylan Hiner, 19 is charged with illegally receiving a firearm while under indictment of another felony crime.
- Myron Billups, 46, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in federal court on Nov. 12 to 126 months in prison for possessing 26 pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers observed Billups receive a plastic storage bin and place it in the trunk of a car. Billups was stopped for a traffic violation and a K9 alerted to the vehicle, leading officers to discover approximately 26 pounds of methamphetamine in the storage bin.
- On Nov. 12, a criminal complaint was unsealed in Columbus that charges Hector Velandia-Anaya, 18, with forcibly assaulting federal officers and resisting arrest. The Venezualan national allegedly attempted to flee from immigration officials, dragging two officers with his vehicle while he began to drive away, before stopping.
Indictments and criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Cincinnati fentanyl dealer sentenced to 18 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A local multi-kilogram drug trafficker – who was captured on camera in February 2024 shooting a rival fentanyl dealer repeatedly in the chest, after losing a bet over who sold more potent fentanyl – was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 216 months in prison.
According to court documents, Robert Lee Howard, 34, of Cincinnati, was primarily a multi-kilogram dealer of fentanyl, but also sold cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.
In June 2024, agents recorded the defendant advising he was waiting on 23 pounds of methamphetamine to come in the mail in five separate packages. Agents intercepted one of those packages and discovered it contained more than four kilograms of 96 percent pure crystal meth.
That same month, Howard’s car was shot up while he was driving around Cincinnati. The next day, he was recorded on calls offering to pay $10,000 total for “friends from Chicago” to come to Cincinnati and solve his “problem” by “putting [the rival fentanyl dealer] on a T-shirt.”
Agents then executed a search warrant at Howard’s primary residence in Price Hill – where four young children also lived – and arrested him. At Howard’s home, they discovered more than nine kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine, an industrial size pill press, press parts and other supplies for making fake “ecstasy” pills with fentanyl, body armor, ammunition and AK-47 magazines. Howard had multiple firearms lying out on his bedroom floor amongst scattered vials of fentanyl, including a Mini Draco style rifle and two pistols with extended magazines.
Howard was charged by federal criminal complaint in June 2024 and pleaded guilty in July 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit; West Chester Police Chief Brian Rebholz; Cincinnati Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney David P. Dornette is representing the United States in this case.
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9 previously convicted felons charged with federal gun crimes as part of Cincinnati anti-violence operationRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today nine new federal indictments resulting from a multi-agency operation aimed at reducing violent crime in Cincinnati.
“My Office is paying close attention to the gun violence occurring on the streets of Cincinnati. Together with the ATF, the Cincinnati Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, we have charged several violent offenders who have a history of committing gun and other dangerous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Gerace. “But our work is far from over. If you endanger our communities by illegally possessing or using a gun or ammunition, prepare to face federal consequences.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo stated: “Today, the ATF reaffirms its commitment to the citizens of Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati. We stand ready to leverage our resources in support of our law enforcement partners to ensure violent, armed offenders are removed from our communities and placed where they can no longer threaten or victimize law-abiding citizens.”
“I am proud of the work being done at a multi-agency level to combat gun violence and protect our communities, families, and all who have invested in our beautiful city and call Cincinnati home. The Cincinnati Police Department remains firmly committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to ensure public safety without hesitation,” said Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie.
Hamilton County Prosecutor, Connie Pillich, stated: “My office is proud to work with the U.S. Attorney, and all our law enforcement partners to protect our community from violent crime that is too often facilitated by the illegal use of firearms. Working together, we identify the worst offenders and get them off the streets as long as possible.”
Those charged include:
NameAgeKeenan Brock38Gary Curtis51Daishawn Harrell25Stephen Johnson43Kameron Scott31Robert Shaw50Christopher Watkins42Antonio Williams29Carlos Williams42The indictments were returned on Nov. 5 and unsealed today. All nine defendants are in custody.
According to charging documents and local police records, each of the men has a history of violent crime and has been previously convicted of a felony, making it illegal for them to possess firearms or ammunition.
Shaw allegedly committed a murder in downtown Cincinnati on Oct. 17 while on bond and wearing an ankle monitor for a Hamilton County weapons offense. The victim in the shooting that occurred around 2am was allegedly shot more than 20 times. This summer, Shaw also allegedly wore a white backpack with a loaded firearm and ran from officers who were patrolling the Winton Terrace neighborhood.
Scott is currently facing local murder charges for what has been described as a 2021 targeted attack at a Kennedy Heights apartment. He is charged federally with illegally possessing ammunition as a previously convicted felon.
Arrest records allege that Watkins possessed a firearm while also drinking and driving a vehicle on Oct. 6.
Also on Oct. 6, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputies were in pursuit of Johnson, who was allegedly driving a stolen motorcycle when he lost control and crashed. Officers discovered a gun next to Johnson at the scene.
Carlos Williams allegedly brandished a firearm and pointed it at a woman inside a market on Main Street on Oct. 7.
Harell had active local arrest warrants when police officers stopped him for a vehicle violation on Oct. 7. At the time, he was allegedly wearing a loaded firearm.
On Oct. 8, Cincinnati police officers were dispatched to an apartment where Curtis allegedly assaulted his mother. Curtis also allegedly possessed a revolver in his pants pocket.
On Oct. 20, Antonio Williams fled from local law enforcement officers before being tazed and arrested. At the time, he allegedly possessed a stolen firearm with an extended magazine and a machine gun conversion device.
Cincinnati police officers witnessed Brock allegedly engaged in drug transactions on Findlay Street in the West End neighborhood while also possessing a firearm. It is alleged that Brock fled from police, leaving a firearm with an extended magazine and a Glock switch attached in a nearby alleyway. Brock was ultimately apprehended and arrested.
The federal indictments are a combined effort by criminal prosecutors in the Cincinnati U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Indictments merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Columbus man sentenced to life in prison for leading narcotics, sex trafficking & financial fraud conspiraciesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court here today to life in prison for leading drug, sex trafficking and financial fraud conspiracies and then attempting to obstruct justice and tamper with witnesses. The defendant caused an overdose death, coerced addicts into prostitution, and used threats, violence, and manipulation of drug dependencies to ensure individuals carried out his criminal schemes.
Ricco Lamonte Maye, 43, was found guilty on all counts in November 2024 following a three-week jury trial.
“Ricco Maye used unrelenting violence as a tool to maintain control of the people he needed to carry out his many criminal schemes and finance his criminal lifestyle. His actions caused lives to be lost and numerous women to endure physical and emotional pain,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “The devastating repercussions of his actions in this case, the many years of violence that are documented in his criminal history, and his continuing disregard for the harm he has caused all warrant the life sentence he received today.”
Court documents and trial testimony detail that Maye used individuals to buy and sell drugs, sell women for sex, and fraudulently apply online for COVID-19 relief funds. Proceeds from all the crimes went to the defendant.
Beginning in at least 2018, Maye’s drug trafficking organization primarily distributed narcotics to addicts in street-level quantities. He regularly purchased narcotics from supply sources both inside and outside of Ohio and used addicts to help sell the drugs in Columbus. In addition to cash, Maye would accept stolen goods, gift cards, Social Security numbers, and other items as payment for the drugs.
Maye initially gave drugs to women for free and later manipulated their addiction by requiring them to earn drug money through prostitution. Maye provided the means for the women to engage in prostitution – frequently obtaining hotel rooms, having the women driven to the hotels, providing cell phones, and directing Internet prostitution ads. Maye collected the prostitution proceeds, enforced specific rules on the women, and punished the women through physical violence.
Maye also provided fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death. In November 2018, Maye communicated with the victim in the hours before his death. The victim had been obtaining cocaine from Maye off and on for years and sought to obtain cocaine from Maye again on the night of his death. Maye was out of town but instructed his co-conspirators to complete the drug sale to the victim. The co-conspirator gave the victim a fatal dose of fentanyl from Maye’s stash instead of the cocaine the victim sought.
Trial testimony detailed that Maye used violence against victims as part of overseeing his drug trafficking organization, including “stomping victims out,” smacking them, punching them, breaking their bones and knocking out their teeth.
In a financial conspiracy, Maye and other defendants filed for and received more than $30,000 in fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Maye kept all or a portion of the others’ benefits.
Maye was originally charged by indictment in November 2020. Approximately one year later, the grand jury returned a 13-count third superseding indictment that charged Maye and 10 of his-coconspirators. After his initial arrest, while Maye remained in custody, he attempted to obstruct the ongoing investigation into his sex trafficking and other criminal activities and conspired to tamper with witnesses. Maye’s obstruction of justice included his directing the threatened murder of a potential government witness.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; John Smerglia, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other officials with the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, announced the guilty verdicts. Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill and Assistant United States Attorney Kevin W. Kelley represented the United States in this case.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Create and Distribute Videos Depicting Monkey Torture and MutilationRead the Press Release
Note: the release has been updated to include only information about Morelli. Additional information about another individual who has been charged in the case has been removed.
A New Jersey man was sentenced to prison today in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
Giancarlo Morelli, of Wharton, New Jersey, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiring to create and distribute animal crush videos.
“Those making or sharing animal crush videos have reason to fear capture and swift justice in the form of sentences like today’s,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Congress has said clearly that this conduct has no place in our society. Beyond dark corners of the web, it is reviled. Anyone who sees it should turn in perpetrators to federal law enforcement. We will prosecute everyone we can, as we did with this chat group. If you’re involved in these groups, get out and get help.”
“If you pay others to torture animals or to share images of that horrific abuse, you can expect to be held accountable as if you committed the torture firsthand,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “Today’s sentence shows our resolve to punish everyone who participates in these despicable and sadistic conspiracies.”
“The acts of torture and abuse of young monkeys in this case are beyond disturbing,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Adam Lawson of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “As a result of the work of the FBI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and our Department of Justice partners, those involved in the creation and distribution of these repulsive animal torture videos are being held accountable for their criminal actions.”
“Those who produce or distribute animal crush videos should know that federal law enforcement is fully committed to identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting these offenders,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “Such acts are universally condemned, and we commend vigilant members of the public who report these crimes when they are discovered. As demonstrated by this successful prosecution, we will aggressively pursue all who participate in these abhorrent acts.”
According to court documents, Morelli paid another individual 19 times for videos depicting the torture and abuse of monkeys. Morelli also kept up an extensive correspondence with the individual supplying him with the videos, providing feedback on the content of the videos, and offering suggestions for future videos.
According to statements of facts signed by Morelli, the videos included depictions of baby and adolescent monkeys being tortured in a multitude of ways, including having their genitals burned and cut off.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Oakley for the Southern District of Ohio also helped prosecute the case.
Mexican national sentenced to 21 months in prison for illegally reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court here to 21 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of a felony crime.
Gelacio Macias-Olivares, 42, was found by law enforcement in Lebanon, Ohio, in April. The defendant has three prior felony convictions for illegal reentry of a removed alien. His prior convictions occurred in the Western District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, and the District of Arizona. Macias-Olivares had most recently been deported from Texas in April 2020.
Dominick S. Gerace, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kevin Raycraft, Acting Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the sentence imposed on Sept. 25 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
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Mason man pleads guilty to transporting explosive materials to local parkRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – James River Phillips, 21, of Mason, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to illegally transporting explosive materials.
Phillips was arrested in April 2025 by the FBI Cincinnati Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) after agents executed search warrants in Mason, Oxford and Liberty Township.
According to court documents, on Sept. 22, 2024, Phillips transported components of an improvised explosive device (IED) to a large soccer complex in Lebanon, Ohio. Phillips planned to detonate the IED but was stopped when a Lebanon police officer instructed him to leave the complex because it was closed. The officer discovered the live IED and it was seized by the Butler County Bomb Squad. Subsequent testing revealed that the IED contained Nickel Hydrazine Nitrate (NHN) and Erythritol Tetranitrate (ETN).
Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati and officials with the Lebanon Police Department, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Mason Police Department, Oxford Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Dayton Police Department and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter is representing the United States in this case.
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7 men sentenced to federal prison for roles in large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organizationRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The final defendant in a national narcotics conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 94 months in prison. The six other coconspirators were previously sentenced in federal court, and four of those defendants received sentences of more than 100 months in prison.
According to court documents, from at least July 2018 until March 2023, Juan-Jose Carrillo, 32, of Compton, California, and the six other defendants were responsible for the distribution of more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine from California into and throughout the Cincinnati area. The methamphetamine supplier was connected to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The defendants charged represent both high-level suppliers and local-level drug distributors.
The other defendants include Franklin Johnson (sentenced to 156 months in prison), Gerald Jeter, Jr. (132 months in prison), Anthony Clardy II (104 months in prison), Dre’Quan Christopher (102 months), Robert Day (72 months), and Tyrone Jordan (36 months).
Court documents detail that Carillo was a source of supply that coordinated deliveries of methamphetamine to Jeter, Johnson and/or Clardy, to be shipped to southern Ohio. Jeter, and later Johnson, would travel to the West Coast to obtain the methamphetamine, and ship it back to Cincinnati. Jeter and Johnson were both high-level distributors of methamphetamine, who would break down the large loads of methamphetamine for re-sale to mid-level distributors in the Cincinnati area. The mid-level distributors included defendants Clardy and Day. In addition, defendant Christopher was a street-level dealer who would sell the methamphetamine to his clients throughout the Cincinnati area.
The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023.
Dominick S. Gerace, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit, Cincinnati Police Department Narcotics Unit, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit (RENU), and Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force (NKDSF) announced the sentence imposed on Sept. 17 by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas R. Cole. Deputy Criminal Chief Frederic C. Shadley represented the United States in this case.
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Leader of firearms straw purchasing conspiracy sentenced to 6 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The leader of a large-scale gun trafficking operation was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 72 months in prison.
Keith Davenport III, 22, of Columbus, and five others were indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024 for conspiring to commit an offense against the United States by making false statements on federal firearms forms. At Davenport’s direction, he and the others conspired to use stolen credit card information to place orders online for straw purchase firearms.
According to court documents, as the leader of the conspiracy, Davenport obtained the stolen credit card information, ordered the firearms online, recruited straw purchasers and then helped arrange for the re-sale of the firearms on the back end.
Davenport and the others were responsible for at least 42 guns being transferred illegally, and the scheme involved the attempted fraudulent purchase of more than 200 firearms. One of the guns was found shortly after purchase when Columbus police SWAT officers executed a narcotics trafficking search warrant. Another handgun was found on an individual illegally present in the United States during a 2022 traffic stop.
The defendant also has pending charges in Medina County, Ohio, that pertain to him trying to break into a post office and involved him allegedly assaulting two police officers and a hospital security officer.
While on bond in this instant case, Davenport was charged with domestic violence and assault and as a result the Court revoked his bond.
Davenport pleaded guilty in this case in April 2025 to the firearms conspiracy and to aggravated identity fraud.
Dominick S. Gerace, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, John Smerglia, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in this case.
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Columbus woman pleads guilty to committing bankruptcy fraud using stolen or fake identitiesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Latasha Collins-Ford, 50, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to bankruptcy fraud.
Collins-Ford admitted to renting homes using stolen or fictitious identities, failing to pay rent, and then filing bankruptcy petitions to delay eviction. Once the bankruptcy petitions were discharged or dismissed, Collins-Ford would move on to a new rental home and use a new identity to repeat the scheme.
According to court documents, Collins-Ford committed bankruptcy fraud on at least three occasions between 2019 and 2023 while renting three separate residences and using three different identities.
She pleaded guilty today to bankruptcy fraud, a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Tyler J. Aagard is representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati man pleads guilty to laundering proceeds of romance fraud conspiracy that scammed dozens of victims out of more than $2 millionRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Richard Opoku Agyemang, 41, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to laundering the proceeds of a romance fraud conspiracy involving more than $2 million in loss to dozens of victims.
As part of the romance fraud scheme, other individuals used stolen photographs and false information to create profiles on dating websites and establish online romantic relationships with victims. Victims were tricked into sending money under the false pretense that doing so would support a romantic partner they had met online for things like medical expenses.
According to court documents, victims sent more than $2 million by either wiring money or depositing checks to accounts controlled by Agyemang.
Agyemang was charged federally in April 2024. He pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering stemming from a transfer of $32,000 of fraud proceeds in 2022.
His plea agreement recommends a sentence of up to 41 months in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division, announced the guilty plea entered on Sept. 17 before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie D. Garcia and Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo are representing the United States in this case.
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Member of violent Third World Mob gang sentenced to more than 25 years in prison for trafficking more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuanaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A member of the local violent criminal organization Third World Mob was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 310 months in prison.
Klegewerges Abate, 36, of Columbus was convicted by a jury in August 2024. After an 8-day trial before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., jurors deliberated for less than six hours before finding him guilty on all counts.
Abate, who is also known as “Bells,” “Robell” and “Sosa,” was convicted of conspiring to traffic at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, firearms offenses, and wire fraud related to illegally obtaining COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Third World Mob members brought hundreds of pounds of marijuana into Ohio from other states like California and Georgia to sell in central Ohio. They used U-Haul trucks and rental cars to move the drugs. Coconspirators used rental houses or houses leased or owned in other individuals’ names as “stash houses” or “trap houses” to facilitate the drug trafficking and to store significant amounts of cash from the drug proceeds.
For example, in August 2019, Abate and others possessed a suitcase with approximately $940,000 in cash in it in a house on Phlox Avenue in Blacklick.
During a November 2022 search of a residence on Chapel Stone Road in Blacklick, law enforcement officials found Abate and two of his co-conspirators, along with more than 700 kilograms of marijuana and three firearms.
Third World Mob leaders and members used violence and the threat of violence to maintain authority over their drug trafficking.
Surveillance video presented at trial showed Abate, a convicted felon, shooting a man at a restaurant in Columbus. Jurors also heard testimony about numerous shootings, a pistol-whipping, and other acts of intimidation.
Abate was also convicted of wire fraud for falsely applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, fraudulently claiming that he had been a self-employed landscaper during the time he trafficked drugs.
In total, seven members of the Third World Mob have been charged federally since 2021.
Co-defendant Abubakarr Savage, 36, was also convicted at trial with Abate. He was sentenced July 2025 to more than 15 years in prison. Fellow Third World Mob member Menelik Solomon pleaded guilty in November 2023 and was also sentenced to more than 15 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the sentences imposed. U.S. Attorney Gerace recognized the assistance from the Columbus, and Whitehall, Ohio, and Tucson, Arizona, police departments and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and S. Courter Shimeall represented the United States in this case.
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Defendant who directed mail check theft scheme sentenced to 6 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Treyvon Alexander, 21, of Georgetown, Kentucky, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 72 months in prison for orchestrating the largest known theft of checks from the mail in Cincinnati.
As part of his sentence, Alexander is ordered to pay more than half a million dollars in restitution.
According to court documents, Alexander conspired with others, including a postal employee, to commit bank fraud relating to checks stolen from the mail.
In total, law enforcement agents identified 1,480 stolen checks with a face value of approximately $7.4 million. Many of the checks were recovered during the execution of search warrants and delivered by the United States Postal Service to the intended recipient without any actual loss.
Court documents detail that former postal employee Destiny Neblett, 23, of Cincinnati, was stealing from a mail processing facility during her work hours and turning the checks over to her boyfriend, Lonnel Lucas, 23, of Cincinnati. Lucas then sold the stolen checks to Alexander, who processed them and converted the stolen funds. The stolen mail often included checks to various local companies.
Alexander pleaded guilty in February 2025 to conspiring to commit bank fraud. Neblett pleaded guilty in August 2025 and Lucas is scheduled to appear in federal court for a plea hearing on Sept. 30.
Dominick S. Gerace, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.
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Butler County man sentenced to 29 years in prison for sexually exploiting toddler on SnapchatRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Middletown man was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati to 348 months in prison for sexually exploiting a toddler in Snapchat videos.
Daveion Wright, 32, was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He pleaded guilty in April 2025.
According to court documents, on at least five instances in January 2024, Wright sexually exploited a 2-year-old victim, uploaded videos of the explicit conduct, and shared one video on Snapchat.
For example, one 54-second video depicted Wright and an adult female having vaginal intercourse as the toddler victim pushed on Wright’s hips. The other videos showed Wright exposing the toddler’s anus and vagina while Wright had intercourse with the adult female.
As part of Wright’s sentencing, the United States detailed in its court filings that local law enforcement received at least three other complaints against Wright involving different child victims between 2019 and 2023, including allegations of inappropriately touching victims at a sleepover.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division and Middletown Police Chief Earl Nelson announced the sentence imposed on Sept. 9 by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
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Previously convicted felon charged federally for possessing firearm during local gas station shootoutRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Trotwood man was charged federally today after he allegedly participated in a shootout at a local gas station last week.
Walter Rodgers, 35, is charged with illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony crime.
According to charging documents, on Sept. 2, Dayton police officers were dispatched to the Sunoco gas station on E. Third Street in Dayton due to early afternoon calls of a shooting. Rodgers allegedly ran inside the gas station after being shot at, retrieved a firearm from his bag and exited the Sunoco to return fire.
It is alleged that Rodgers possessed a firearm that law enforcement recovered at the scene. The gun was covered in blood; Rodgers was hit during the gun fight.
Court documents also detail that, during the shootout, Rodgers allegedly stated, “I’m going to do ya’ll like I did Cierra,” potentially referring to his former girlfriend Cierra Chapman, who was reported missing in 2022 and is yet to be found.
Rodgers was previously convicted in Montgomery County of aggravated burglary and abduction. Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Erica Lunderman is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Local doctor pleads guilty to making false statements related to 1989 rapeRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Sycamore Township man whose DNA implicated him in a 1989 rape pleaded guilty today to making false statements to federal agents.
Frederick Louis Tanzer, 66, admitted to three counts of the crime, each punishable by up to five years in prison.
Tanzer’s plea documents detail that on Aug. 1, 1989, Tanzer broke into a victim’s home in Cincinnati and violently raped the victim over the course of five and a half hours. Tanzer, masked and dressed from head to toe in black Lycra, held a knife to the victim’s throat, dragged her into her bedroom, blindfolded her with surgical tape, bound her hands and feet to her bed frame, and then repeatedly raped her vaginally, anally and orally.
In 2024, the FBI, working with the Cincinnati Police Department, confirmed Tanzer’s DNA matched the semen left by the victim’s attacker in 1989.
When approached about the rape, the defendant made several materially false statements to a federal agent and a Cincinnati Police Department detective, including denying having seen or interacted with the victim on the date she was raped.
Tanzer was arrested in December 2024 and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Division; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. The IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Field Office assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi and Julie D. Garcia are representing the United States in this case.
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Grand jury indicts Hilliard man for distributing fentanyl resulting in overdose deathRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Hilliard man is charged with trafficking in fentanyl that caused at least one overdose death.
A second superseding indictment against Raymond A. McGhee, 37, was returned today. In addition to being charged with distributing fentanyl resulting in death – a crime punishable by at least 20 years and up to life in prison – McGhee is also charged with five other drug counts and two firearms crimes.
According to charging documents, McGhee, who is also known as “Red” and “Draco,” distributed the fatal fentanyl on Feb. 22.
McGhee was previously charged by criminal complaint in April after patrol officers with the Columbus Division of Police stopped McGhee for two traffic violations. They discovered a pistol and a sock filled with baggies of fentanyl and cocaine hidden under the carpet of the passenger side floorboard.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Noah R. Litton and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand jury indicts 3 U.S. citizens, 22 Chinese nationals, 4 Chinese pharmaceutical companies in international drug trafficking, money laundering conspiraciesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – FBI Director Kash Patel, United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II, FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola and DEA Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton announced today that a federal grand jury in Dayton returned charges against dozens of defendants, including Chinese nationals and companies, in narcotics and money laundering conspiracies involving illegal cutting agents.
“Protecting Americans from fentanyl is one of this Department’s most important missions — and it starts with dismantling the international pipelines that bring deadly drugs and precursor to our shores," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until we stop Chinese companies from shipping poison to our citizens and bring everyone involved in this lethal trade to swift, complete justice.”
“Our indictment alleges that Chinese companies and affiliated foreign nationals intentionally and openly marketed, delivered, and exported to the United States controlled substances and other compounds that they knew would be used by domestic drug dealers to increase the yield and potency of fentanyl distributed in this country,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “As explained in court documents, these deadly drug mixtures were then sold directly into our communities here in southern Ohio.”
“Today’s announcement marks a first-of-its-kind international operation for the FBI targeting the fentanyl plague that has killed tens of thousands of Americans and indicting the companies and individuals in mainland China that manufacture the precursor chemicals fueling the destruction of our communities,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This operation has already seized enough fentanyl powder to kill 70 million Americans and enough fentanyl pills to kill another 270,000. And we have now indicted the Chinese precursor companies and exposed the funding streams that facilitate this deadly trade.”
“The FBI is using an aggressive investigative strategy to target businesses in China which are sending lethal drugs to the streets of our cities,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “The FBI will continue to relentlessly pursue these companies and drug distributors as we work to crush violent crime and keep people safe from the dangers of illicit narcotics.”
According to charging documents, from at least 2022 until present, Eric Michael Payne, 39, of Tipp City, Ohio, served as a main supplier of illegal cutting agents to fentanyl traffickers operating in southern Ohio. Payne allegedly purchased several kilogram shipments of the cutting agents from multiple Chinese companies purporting to be online pharmacies and legitimate chemical companies.
It is believed that the U.S. defendants purchased from the Chinese companies at least 10 kilograms of fentanyl cutting agents, which, in turn, could yield more than 150 kilograms of fentanyl mixture bound for street-level sales in southern Ohio. The cutting agents included animal tranquilizers up to 200 times more powerful than morphine.
The companies allegedly used a series of Chinese foreign nationals located overseas to solicit, negotiate, and secure payments for illegal cutting agents from U.S. customers. It is alleged the foreign nationals generally directed U.S. customers to pay for the cutting agents using cryptocurrency transferred to crypto wallets under the foreign national’s control for ultimate deposit into financial institutions located overseas.
Payne’s significant other, Auriyon Tresan Rayford, 24, also of Tipp City, Ohio, and Ciandrea Bryne Davis, 39, of Atlanta, allegedly assisted Payne in transferring more than $60,000 in cryptocurrency to Chinese foreign nationals associated with the Chinese companies since 2022. Rayford also allegedly allowed illegal substances to be stored at her residence in Ohio.
All the defendants are charged with conspiring with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture and conspiring to launder money internationally. Payne is also charged with possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture and tampering with evidence. Rayford is charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises.
The Chinese companies and nationals charged include:
- Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Company, Ltd.,
- Guanghzou Wanjiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.,
- Hebei Hongjun New Material Technology Co., Ltd.,
- Hebei Feilaimi Technology Co., Ltd.,
- Lihui Zhao,
- FNU LNU a/k/a “Anna Sofia,”
- Shanhong Jiang,
- Yan Yang,
- Fengdi Zhang,
- Dehui Xia,
- Xing Wu Chen,
- Qing Lin Wang,
- Xiaojun Huang,
- Meixiang Yao,
- Zhanpeng Huang,
- Yuqing Feng,
- Dongjing Sun,
- Chengqi Nong,
- Tiduo Wei,
- Zhisong Nie,
- Jichao Zhu,
- Zhengzhe Yin,
- Changgen Du,
- Hongfei Wang,
- Huatao Yao, and
- Xuening Gao.
Concurrent with the charges brought against this network, the U.S. Department of the Treasury today has imposed sanctions on one of these Chinese companies, Guangzhou Tengyue, and two of its representatives, Zhanpeng Huang and Xiaojun Huang, targeting them pursuant to Treasury’s counternarcotics authorities.
Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth McCormick are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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New Jersey fast-food restaurants owner pleads guilty to $2.4M tax fraud schemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A New Jersey man who owns fast-food restaurants in multiple states pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to commit tax fraud.
As part of his plea, Ali Shahid Butt, 56, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, has agreed to pay more than $2.4 million in restitution to the IRS.
According to court documents, from 2015 through 2021, Butt partially owned several fast-food restaurants throughout the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, including in Zanesville. He frequently controlled the relationship with the restaurant franchisor.
With Butt’s knowledge, his franchise co-owners and managers paid certain employees in cash and did not report or pay over tax withholdings for those employees. In many cases, these employees were paid in cash because they were illegal aliens without work authorization.
For example, co-conspirator Bahadar “Sam” Durrani and Butt caused a tax loss of more than $1.2 million by failing to withhold, account for and pay over employment taxes on cash wages for employees at several restaurants, including in Zanesville.
Butt was charged by a bill of information on Aug. 11 and pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit tax fraud.
Durrani has also pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced in October.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati man allegedly involved in downtown brawl charged with federal drug crimesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A second Cincinnati man charged locally for his involvement in the July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati has been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Jermaine Mathews, 39, is one of four men charged in a superseding indictment with conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.
According to the superseding indictment, Mathews is responsible for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He is also charged with operating a premises on Kenton Street in Cincinnati for the purpose of trafficking narcotics.
Mathews, who was described as a primary “coordinator” of the July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati, was on bond after being charged locally with aggravated riot and assault. He was arrested today by federal agents and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office RENU officials on the superseding indictment.
The others charged in this case include Jerome Mitchell, 41, Terence Huff, 41, and Clarence Williams, 42, all of Cincinnati.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit announced the new charges. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Springer is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Owner of local ‘Raining Cash’ tax company sentenced to 3 years in prison for causing $1.7M in tax lossesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local tax preparer was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to the statutory maximum, 36 months, in prison for aiding in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns.
Ali Kasimu Alston, 48, of Columbus, aided in the filing of thousands of fraudulent tax returns. He is ordered to pay more than $1.7 million in restitution to the IRS.
According to court documents, from at least 2015 through at least 2022, Alston owned and operated a tax return preparation business in Columbus named Overtime Ventures, LLC that did business as Raining Cash Tax Service.
Alston systematically falsified client tax returns to maximize refunds from the IRS. He filed Schedule Cs with fake businesses to maximize tax credits. For example, one false tax return for calendar year 2021 reported false losses for a home healthcare company that did not exist. The false business losses reduced the client’s taxable income, thereby decreasing the tax due and increasing the client’s claimed tax refund.
The defendant also attempted to bribe one of his former employees with $4,000 in cash to provide false information to law enforcement, which he knew at the time was investigating his tax preparation business. Even after entering his guilty plea, the defendant continued to assist in the filing of false tax filings.
Alston was charged by a bill of information in September 2024 and pleaded guilty in October 2024.
Aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return is a federal crime punishable by up to three years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case.
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Former Whitehall car dealership owner pleads guilty to altering odometers on hundreds of carsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to altering the odometers on vehicles he sold at his former Whitehall car dealership.
Simon C. Nwaru, Jr., 38, who owned and operated S. Automotive Ltd., was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025.
It is estimated that approximately 60 percent of all vehicles sold by Nwaru at S Automotive since October 2014 had their odometers tampered with or replaced to fraudulently reflect a false low mileage.
According to the plea agreement, a review of vehicle sales between January 2021 and January 2023 documented at least 300 vehicles that were sold to customers with rolled back odometers. The changes accounted for at least 31 million miles being removed from odometers.
Court documents also detail that Nwaru listed false sales prices on documents submitted to the State of Ohio, causing a loss of tax revenue to the State.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Investigations Section. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Prichard is representing the United States.
NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud costs U.S. consumers over $1 billion every year. Odometer tampering is a serious crime that can mislead buyers about a vehicle’s true mileage and condition, leading to costly repairs and safety risks. NHTSA encourages the public to report odometer fraud by emailing [email protected] or calling 800-424-9393. Learn how to spot signs of odometer tampering by visiting: https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/odometer-fraud/topic.
Odometer fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to three years in prison. The Court will impose a sentence at a future hearing based on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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Fugitive wanted for murder charged with firing shots at federal agents in Springfield hotelRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Franklin County man has been charged federally after he allegedly shot at deputies with the United States Marshals Service, FBI agents and task force officers from inside a Springfield hotel room when they attempted to execute an arrest warrant on him for murder charges.
On Aug. 8, an arrest warrant was issued for Andre Jordan II, 34, of Reynoldsburg, for murder.
The Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST), a federal task force, adopted the fugitive investigation, which led officials to the Quality Inn in Springfield.
According to charging documents, on Aug. 14, SOFAST tracked Jordan to a room at the hotel and set up to apprehend him. Law enforcement announced their presence to Jordan, who then looked out the window of the room. Following additional announcements, Jordan allegedly fired a shot through the window toward the pool area in the vicinity of officers and then fired an additional round through the front door of the room toward positioned officers.
An affidavit details that officers withdrew to stairwells at the end of the hall for cover. Several occupants of the hotel room, including young children, then exited, after which Jordan allegedly fired several additional rounds.
The Springfield Police Division SWAT Team responded to the scene and hostage negotiators established communication with Jordan. After an hours-long standoff, Jordan surrendered without further incident and was taken into custody.
Jordan was transported to the Clark County jail on his local murder charge and will be transferred into federal custody. He will appear in U.S. District Court in Dayton today at 1:30pm.
Jordan is charged with assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon, attempted murder of a federal agent, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; United States Marshal Michael D. Black; Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth McCormick and Rob Painter are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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