Northern District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Northern District of Texas Charges 13 Health Care Fraudsters for Loss over $360 MillionRead the Press Release
Thirteen defendants were among those charged in the Northern District of Texas as part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould, during a press conference held earlier today.
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Raybould are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:
- Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
- 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
- Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
- 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
Contributing to the nationwide crackdown, the Northern District of Texas is prosecuting defendants in seven separate cases for crimes that targeted vulnerable patients and exploited taxpayer-funded programs. The Northern District of Texas cases represent collective fraudulent billing of more than $365 million submitted to federally-funded programs and other insurers. The defendants allegedly misappropriated funds intended to serve vulnerable populations—including elderly Medicare beneficiaries and members of the military—to further their own financial interests. The government seized over $35 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. Those charged include:
- Devin Brodman of Coconut Creek, Florida;
- Kevin Curry of Frisco, Texas;
- Olubayo Idowu of DeSoto, Texas, James Lou Carlisle Jr. of Southlake, Texas, and Vaughn Anthony Brozek of Hurst, Texas;
- Catherine Maduka of Garland, Texas;
- Jason Charles Mareno of Irving, Texas, David Lee Lloyd of Meridian, Mississippi, Jason Kashou of Coral Springs, Florida, and Duc Ngoc Ly a/k/a Michael Ly of Frisco, Texas;
- Michael McMillan of Las Vegas, Nevada; and
- Neel Vivek Paithankar of Irving, Texas.
“My office is committed to protecting victims and combating fraud against the United States wherever it is found,” United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said. “Today’s announcement sends a message that no quarter will be given to fraudsters and those who prey on vulnerable members of our community in the Northern District of Texas. It also serves as a reminder that medical professionals who violate the trust society places in them and exploit Americans for personal enrichment will be aggressively pursued and held accountable. My office’s participation in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown reflects our decentralized approach to pursuing fraud across the entirety of the Northern District and highlights the growing partnership we have with Main Justice and the investigating agencies in these efforts to protect victims and the public fisc.”
“Today’s takedown underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting federal health care programs and the patients they serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These individuals didn't just steal taxpayer money; they preyed on vulnerable patients and attacked the very foundation of public trust. Working alongside our partners, HHS-OIG will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to defraud federal health care programs and ensure they are brought to justice.”
“The perpetrators of these fraud schemes billed Medicare and Medicaid for services that were either unnecessary or that were never provided to patients, in order to personally profit off of government-sponsored healthcare programs. These programs provide critical care and services to individuals in our communities that need it most,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify and investigate individuals responsible for defrauding government programs, costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars annually.”
“Today’s takedown sends a clear and unified message: individuals who exploit TRICARE or other federal healthcare programs will face swift and decisive action,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of War Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS). “Those who siphon resources from our service members, veterans, and vulnerable beneficiaries undermine mission readiness, drive up healthcare costs, and erode public trust. DCIS, in close coordination with our federal partners, will continue to aggressively identify, investigate, and dismantle illegal schemes that target TRICARE and other government healthcare systems for personal gain.”
“Through the tenacious work of our investigators, auditors, and inspectors, the VA OIG plays a vital role in combating healthcare fraud throughout the country,” said Inspector General Cheryl L. Mason, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. “Healthcare schemes steal taxpayer dollars and divert critical resources away from veterans. The VA OIG will vigorously investigate anyone who seeks to defraud VA programs.”
“My office has worked tirelessly to expose and end fraud, and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for the people of Texas. I will continue to work to find and stop fraud to protect Texans’ hard-earned dollars and ensure their tax dollars are not wasted or abused,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Those charged in the Northern District of Texas as part of the historic Takedown include:
- Devin Jack Brodman, 32, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and paying and receiving kickbacks in connection with the submission of fraudulent claims by two North Texas labs to Medicare for laboratory testing services, including genetic testing. As alleged in the Information, Brodman, who co-owned Neva Diagnostics and Areahou Diagnostics, billed Medicare for laboratory testing services that were ineligible for reimbursement and were ordered and procured through kickbacks and bribes. He allegedly concealed the submission of the fraudulent claims to Medicare. In total, the two labs billed Medicare approximately $65 million for laboratory testing services and were paid approximately $43 million. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marty Basu of the Northern District of Texas.
- Kevin Darnell Curry, 63, of Frisco, Texas, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, offer and payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property in connection with a scheme to defraud TRICARE by fraudulently billing for transcranial magnetic stimulation (“TMS”) treatments that he knew were not provided, not provided as represented, medically unnecessary, induced by the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes, and/or otherwise ineligible for reimbursement by TRICARE. As alleged in the indictment, Curry, owner and operator of Acuity TMS, submitted and caused the submission of approximately $26,878,282 in false and fraudulent claims to TRICARE, of which approximately $17,075,566 was paid. Assets valued at approximately $200,000 were seized as part of the case, including $136,022 in cash and a 2024 gold Tesla Cybertruck Curry purchased with proceeds from his fraudulent scheme. The Department of War’s Criminal Investigative Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Womble of the Northern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Yael Mash of the Texas Strike Force.
- Dr. Olubayo Idowu, 75, of Desoto, Texas, Dr. James Lou Carlisle Jr., 53, of Southlake, Texas, and Vaughn Anthony Brozek, 56, of Hurst, Texas, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare and other health care benefit programs through the submission of more than $25 million in false and fraudulent medical claims for electroencephalography (“EEG”) testing. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Idowu and Carlisle, both physicians, and Brozek, a nurse practitioner, conspired to unlawfully enrich themselves from 2020 until at least 2023 by accepting kickbacks and bribes for patient EEG testing that was medically unnecessary. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and Department of War’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas B. Brasher of the Northern District of Texas.
- Catherine Nkeiru Maduka, 66, of Garland, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud in connection with a hospice scheme, which resulted in over $3.1 million in false claims being submitted to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Maduka, the owner and CEO of Saint Catherine’s Hospice, recruited patients who were ineligible for hospice care and billed Medicare for services that were never provided. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas B. Brasher of the Northern District of Texas.
- Jason Charles Mareno, 52, of Irving, Texas, David Lee Lloyd, 56, of Meridian, Mississippi, Jason Kashou, 40, of Coral Springs, Florida, and Duc Ngoc Ly, a/k/a Michael Ly, 52, of Frisco, Texas, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits. As alleged in the superseding indictment, the defendants provided Medicare beneficiary information to two coconspirators who own lab businesses, who in turn used that information to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits they sent to the beneficiaries who had not requested them and in some cases to beneficiaries who were deceased. The lab owners then kicked back a portion of the Medicare reimbursement to the defendants in cash and through a series of financial transactions designed to conceal the kickbacks. As a result of the scheme, the defendant and their coconspirators caused more than $73 million in fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Department of War’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas B. Brasher of the Northern District of Texas.
- Michael McMillan, 55, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, offer and payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property in connection with the submission of approximately $268 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other government healthcare benefit programs related to wound care products. As alleged in the indictment, McMillan, the owner of Protectus LLC and related entities, offered various skin substitute products to physicians and medical providers under an illegal kickback arrangement that guaranteed that medical providers profited thousands of dollars for every skin substitute claim the providers billed the government programs. Disguising the kickbacks as rebates or discounts, McMillan and Protectus received approximately $174 million. Assets valued at approximately $35 million were seized as part of the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Department of War’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marty Basu and Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas.
- Neel Vivek Paithankar, 25, of Irving, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit approximately $2.3 million of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”). As alleged in the indictment, Paithankar, owner of VMP Health Care LLC, facilitated the solicitation of Medicare beneficiaries through telemarketers posing as Medicare representatives offering free DME. He then shipped the DME to Medicare beneficiaries who either did not need and/or did not want the products. In total, VMP Health Care LLC submitted approximately 3,700 false claims to Medicare, for which Medicare paid $1.2 million. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elise Aldendifer of the Northern District of Texas.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
An information or indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Antifa Cell Members in North Texas Sentenced to 100 Years in Prison for Terrorist Attack on ICE FacilityRead the Press Release
Leader of Antifa Cell Members in North Texas Sentenced to 100 Years in Prison for Terrorist Attack on ICE Facility
Seven Additional Defendants Also Sentenced Before One-Year Anniversary of Attack to a Combined 450 Years in Prison
Today, before the one-year anniversary of their attack, eight North Texas Antifa Cell operatives were sentenced for their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and the attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4, 2025, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
This is the first sentencing of defendants affiliated with Antifa following President Donald J. Trump’s executive order designating the group as a Domestic Terrorist Organization in September 2025.
Benjamin Hanil Song, who was convicted of the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Together, the Prairieland terrorists received a combined sentence of 450 years in prison:
- Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years in prison;
- Cameron Arnold was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
- Savanna Batten was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
- Zachary Evetts was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
- Bradford Morris was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
- Elizabeth Soto was sentenced to 50 years in prison; and
- Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
“The sentences handed down today make clear that Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their violent extremism has no place in our country, and the Department of Justice will continue to aggressively investigate, disrupt, and prosecute those who threaten law enforcement officers or undermine the rule of law.”
“These sentences justly punish the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4th last year,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from a peaceful protest or First Amendment expression. Because of the prompt action of first responders that night and tenacious work of our law enforcement partners, in tandem with the prosecutors in my office, eight people have been rightly punished for these violent acts and their attempts to conceal them. We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”
“Today’s sentencings show the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and dismantling Antifa and its funding networks across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Acts of violence against our law enforcement partners will not be tolerated, and we continue our work to protect communities across the country from domestic terrorism.”
“The sentences handed down today send an unmistakable message: Attacks on federal officers and facilities will not be tolerated. The men and women of ICE serve with integrity and courage, often in challenging and dangerous environments. The calculated violence carried out by these Antifa cell members at Prairieland was an assault on law enforcement and an attack on the rule of law itself,” said Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella. “Nearly one year after this cowardly act, justice has prevailed. ICE will continue to stand firm against those who threaten our officers, our facilities and our mission.”
The sentences follow a 12-day trial that began on Feb. 23, where jurors heard testimony from 46 witnesses and considered over 210 exhibits supporting the charges against nine indicted defendants: Cameron Arnold, also known as Autumn Hill; Zachary Evetts; Benjamin Song; Savanna Batten; Bradford Morris, also known as Meagan Morris; Maricela Rueda; Elizabeth Soto; Ines Soto; and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada. All were convicted. Ines Soto was granted a continuance and will be sentenced on July 1.
Seven others, Seth Sikes, Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas, pleaded guilty prior to trial to one count of providing material support to terrorists and they will be sentenced on July 1.
Testimony and other evidence at trial established that the defendants were members of a North Texas Antifa Cell, part of a larger militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to an ideology that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. An expert testifying in the government’s case told the jury that ANTIFA’s coordinated efforts involve obstructing Federal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions.
Evidence at trial revealed that most of the ANTIFA Cell involved in the Prairieland attack looked to Benjamin Song as a leader. Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups. For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten were part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called “zines,” according to trial evidence.
Trial testimony reflected that, late at night on July 4, 2025, at least eleven of the defendants rioted and attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation. The defendants dressed in “black bloc”—dark clothing with head and face coverings that concealed their identities—designed to hide each individual’s identity but also to aid and abet those members engaged in illegal acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law enforcement. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that the defendants brought eleven firearms, body armor, and eleven military-grade first aid kits with tourniquets and other items to treat gunshot wounds to the scene of the attack. Many of these items were introduced by the government as exhibits. Additionally, DNA and fingerprint evidence linked many of the defendants to the items at the scene, and evidence obtained on phone locations supported that those who participated in the attack all turned off their phones or placed them in Faraday bags to prevent tracking on the night of the attack.
After ANTIFA Cell members arrived at the detention facility, they began shooting off and throwing fireworks (explosives) at the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack on Prairieland property:
Witnesses testified that an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911. When the officer began issuing commands to defendant Nathan Baumann, Benjamin Song can be heard on police bodycam video yelling, “get to the rifles!” and then he opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado police officer in the neck as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover. Police arrested most of the Antifa Cell shortly after the attack, many near the scene. Benjamin Song escaped and remained at large with the help of others until his capture on July 15, 2025.
Trial evidence demonstrated that collectively, this ANTIFA Cell acquired over 50 firearms in the Fort Worth/Dallas area prior to July 4. During trial, the government introduced numerous chats of the members, who used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate with each other that had auto-delete functions, permanently deleting some Antifa Cell members’ communications. They also used monikers in group chats to hide their identities, and some of the planning chats included only trusted participants. The chats introduced at trial revealed that members in this limited group conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the riot, including firearms, medical kits, and fireworks:
Witnesses who testified during the government’s case included the Alvarado police officer who was shot in the neck by Song, detention officers present that night who also took cover from rapid fire, multiple additional responding officers, numerous investigative agents, and cooperating codefendants, including Baumann, Sharp, Thomas, and Kent. Among other things, Kent testified that the night before the attack at a “gear check,” Song proposed to free the detainees at the Prairieland detention facility and told the group that they should wear “black bloc” and bring rifles, because he (Song) wasn’t going to be arrested. Evidence at trial also revealed that some of the defendants attended a peaceful daytime protest at Prairieland on July 4—without the gear they brought that night—and that they reported back to other defendants details regarding security at the facility:
The sentences of the eight defendants were for the following offenses:
- Riot, with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed-circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
- Defendants convicted: Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto
- Providing Material Support to Terrorists, including property, services, training, communications equipment, weapons, explosives, personnel (including themselves), and transportation.
- Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
- Conspiracy to Use and Carry an Explosive, and Using and Carrying an Explosive, during a riot.
- Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
- Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the United States, involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought an Alvarado Police Officer who was assisting federal officers/agents.
- Defendant convicted: Song
- Discharging a Firearm During, and in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, i.e., the attempted murder of two correctional officers and an Alvarado Police Officer.
- Defendant convicted: Song
- Corruptly Concealing a Document or Record, by transporting a box containing numerous Antifa materials, such as insurrection planning, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, and anti-immigration enforcement documents and propaganda from Sanchez Estrada’s residence to a location in Denton, Texas, intending to conceal the box’s contents and impair its availability for use in a federal grand jury and federal criminal proceeding.
- Defendant convicted: Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada
- Conspiracy to Conceal Documents and other objects that would implicate Maricela Rueda in the riot and shooting at the Prairieland facility.
- Defendants convicted: Sanchez Estrada and Maricela Rueda
Defendants Song, Morris, Rueda, and E. Soto were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark T. Pittman for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Judge Pittman said, “It’s by the grace of God that Song is not dead. He managed to get 11 shots in seconds; then the officer shooting blindly happened to hit the magazine well of Song’s rifle. Mr. Song’s lucky he isn’t dead. We had a guardian angel that ensured that Mr. Song isn’t dead, and we don’t have several deceased people at Prairieland.”
Defendants Arnold, Evetts, Batten, and Sanchez-Estrada were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’ Connor for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Chief Judge O’ Connor said, “The defendants’ violence and terrorism is an assault on Democracy. The defendants’ planning, staging, and execution of the attack led to the attempted murder of an officer who ironically is not even involved in enforcing immigration law.”
The sole count of providing material support to terrorists brought in the information against Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and separately, Sikes’s information, mirrors the material support offense in the charges presented to the jury at trial. Each of these defendants face a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison and will be sentenced on July 1, 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto, Shawn Smith, and Matt Capoccia for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Leader of Antifa Cell Members in North Texas Sentenced to 100 Years in Prison for Terrorist Attack on ICE FacilityRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced that eight North Texas Antifa Cell operatives were sentenced for their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and the attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4, 2025. This is the first sentencing of defendants affiliated with Antifa following President Donald J. Trump’s executive order designating the group as a Domestic Terrorist Organization in September 2025.
Benjamin Hanil Song, who was convicted of the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Together, the Prairieland terrorists received a combined sentence of 450 years in prison:
- Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years in prison;
- Cameron Arnold was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
- Savanna Batten was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
- Zachary Evetts was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
- Bradford Morris was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
- Elizabeth Soto was sentenced to 50 years in prison; and
- Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
“The sentences handed down today make clear that Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their violent extremism has no place in our country, and the Department of Justice will continue to aggressively investigate, disrupt, and prosecute those who threaten law enforcement officers or undermine the rule of law.”
“Today’s sentencings show the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and dismantling Antifa and its funding networks across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Acts of violence against our law enforcement partners will not be tolerated, and we continue our work to protect communities across the country from domestic terrorism.”
“These sentences justly punish the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4th last year,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from a peaceful protest or First Amendment expression. Because of the prompt action of first responders that night and tenacious work of our law enforcement partners, in tandem with the prosecutors in my office, eight people have been rightly punished for these violent acts and their attempts to conceal them. We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”
“The sentences handed down today send an unmistakable message: Attacks on federal officers and facilities will not be tolerated. The men and women of ICE serve with integrity and courage, often in challenging and dangerous environments. The calculated violence carried out by these Antifa cell members at Prairieland was an assault on law enforcement and an attack on the rule of law itself,” said Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella. “Nearly one year after this cowardly act, justice has prevailed. ICE will continue to stand firm against those who threaten our officers, our facilities and our mission.”
The sentences follow a 12-day trial that began on Feb. 23, where jurors heard testimony from 46 witnesses and considered over 210 exhibits supporting the charges against nine indicted defendants: Cameron Arnold, also known as Autumn Hill; Zachary Evetts; Benjamin Song; Savanna Batten; Bradford Morris, also known as Meagan Morris; Maricela Rueda; Elizabeth Soto; Ines Soto; and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada. All were convicted. Ines Soto was granted a continuance and will be sentenced on July 1.
Seven others, Seth Sikes, Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas, pleaded guilty prior to trial to one count of providing material support to terrorists and they will be sentenced on July 1.
Testimony and other evidence at trial established that the defendants were members of a North Texas Antifa Cell, part of a larger militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to an ideology that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. An expert testifying in the government’s case told the jury that ANTIFA’s coordinated efforts involve obstructing Federal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions.
Evidence at trial revealed that most of the ANTIFA Cell involved in the Prairieland attack looked to Benjamin Song as a leader. Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups. For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten were part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called “zines,” according to trial evidence.
Trial testimony reflected that, late at night on July 4, 2025, at least eleven of the defendants rioted and attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation. The defendants dressed in “black bloc”—dark clothing with head and face coverings that concealed their identities—designed to hide each individual’s identity but also to aid and abet those members engaged in illegal acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law enforcement. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that the defendants brought eleven firearms, body armor, and eleven military-grade first aid kits with tourniquets and other items to treat gunshot wounds to the scene of the attack. Many of these items were introduced by the government as exhibits. Additionally, DNA and fingerprint evidence linked many of the defendants to the items at the scene, and evidence obtained on phone locations supported that those who participated in the attack all turned off their phones or placed them in Faraday bags to prevent tracking on the night of the attack.
After ANTIFA Cell members arrived at the detention facility, they began shooting off and throwing fireworks (explosives) at the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack on Prairieland property:
Exploding fireworks (explosives) thrown at the Prairieland facility by Antifa Cell members, captured by surveillance cameras. Antifa Cell members’ vandalism at Prairieland, including graffiti on a guard building, punctured tires of a facility van, and broken facility surveillance camera.Witnesses testified that an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911. When the officer began issuing commands to defendant Nathan Baumann, Benjamin Song can be heard on police bodycam video yelling, “get to the rifles!” and then he opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado police officer in the neck as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover. Police arrested most of the Antifa Cell shortly after the attack, many near the scene. Benjamin Song escaped and remained at large with the help of others until his capture on July 15, 2025.
Trial evidence demonstrated that collectively, this ANTIFA Cell acquired over 50 firearms in the Fort Worth/Dallas area prior to July 4. During trial, the government introduced numerous chats of the members, who used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate with each other that had auto-delete functions, permanently deleting some Antifa Cell members’ communications. They also used monikers in group chats to hide their identities, and some of the planning chats included only trusted participants. The chats introduced at trial revealed that members in this limited group conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the riot, including firearms, medical kits, and fireworks:
Chats between Song (“Champagne”) and Evetts (“Jon ValJon”) the day before the attack. Chats between Song and Rueda (“Mal Criada”) just before the attack. Files stored on Evetts’s phone listing Antifa tactics strikingly similar to the defendants’ tactics.Witnesses who testified during the government’s case included the Alvarado police officer who was shot in the neck by Song, detention officers present that night who also took cover from rapid fire, multiple additional responding officers, numerous investigative agents, and cooperating codefendants, including Baumann, Sharp, Thomas, and Kent. Among other things, Kent testified that the night before the attack at a “gear check,” Song proposed to free the detainees at the Prairieland detention facility and told the group that they should wear “black bloc” and bring rifles, because he (Song) wasn’t going to be arrested. Evidence at trial also revealed that some of the defendants attended a peaceful daytime protest at Prairieland on July 4—without the gear they brought that night—and that they reported back to other defendants details regarding security at the facility:
Message from Evetts to other defendants about Prairieland security.The sentences of the eight defendants were for the following offenses:
- Riot, with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
- Defendants convicted: Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto
- Providing Material Support to Terrorists, including property, services, training, communications equipment, weapons, explosives, personnel (including themselves), and transportation.
- Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
- Conspiracy to Use and Carry an Explosive, and Using and Carrying an Explosive, during a riot.
- Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
- Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the United States, involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought an Alvarado Police Officer who was assisting federal officers/agents.
- Defendant convicted: Song
- Discharging a Firearm During, and in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, i.e., the attempted murder of two correctional officers and an Alvarado Police Officer.
- Defendant convicted: Song
- Corruptly Concealing a Document or Record, by transporting a box containing numerous Antifa materials, such as insurrection planning, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, and anti-immigration enforcement documents and propaganda from Sanchez Estrada’s residence to a location in Denton, Texas, intending to conceal the box’s contents and impair its availability for use in a federal grand jury and federal criminal proceeding.
- Defendant convicted: Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada
- Conspiracy to Conceal Documents and other objects that would implicate Maricela Rueda in the riot and shooting at the Prairieland facility.
- Defendants convicted: Sanchez Estrada and Maricela Rueda
Defendants Song, Morris, Rueda, and E. Soto were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark T. Pittman for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Judge Pittman said, “It’s by the grace of God that Song is not dead. He managed to get 11 shots in seconds; then the officer shooting blindly happened to hit the magazine well of Song’s rifle. Mr. Song’s lucky he isn’t dead. We had a guardian angel that ensured that Mr. Song isn’t dead, and we don’t have several deceased people at Prairieland.”
Defendants Arnold, Evetts, Batten, and Sanchez-Estrada were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’ Connor for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Chief Judge O’ Connor said, “The defendants’ violence and terrorism is an assault on Democracy. The defendants’ planning, staging, and execution of the attack led to the attempted murder of an officer who ironically is not even involved in enforcing immigration law.”
The sole count of providing material support to terrorists brought in the information against Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and separately, Sikes’s information, mirrors the material support offense in the charges presented to the jury at trial. Each of these defendants face a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison and will be sentenced on July 1, 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto, Shawn Smith, and Matt Capoccia for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Dallas Man for Distributing Fentanyl – Over 17,000 Fentanyl Pills SeizedRead the Press Release
A Dallas man was convicted today of distributing fentanyl, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Following a three-day trial and roughly five hours of deliberation, the jury convicted Joshua Burton, 30, on Friday, June 18, 2026, of conspiring with others to distribute fentanyl and personally distributing fentanyl in Northern District of Texas.
“This verdict should send a clear message to drug dealers that we will dismantle any effort to peddle deadly fentanyl in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedicated collaboration in taking thousands of fentanyl pills off the streets of Dallas”
According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement seized approximately 17,000 fentanyl pills from Burton in a single week. Evidence also showed Burton had been distributing fentanyl for approximately three years, and his phone showed a history of narcotics distribution in the area.
Burton is set for sentencing on October 7, 2026, before United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade, who presided over the trial. Burton faces up to life in federal prison.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Garland Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abby Policastro and Marissa Aulbaugh are prosecuted the case.
Honduran National Charged with Illegal Drone Operation in Protected Airspace Before FIFA World Cup MatchRead the Press Release
A Honduran national was charged on June 15, 2026, by criminal complaint with piloting an unregistered drone in violation of federal law, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Luis Mauricio Flores Ordonez, 33, was charged via criminal complaint with Owning an Unregistered Aircraft that was Operated, Attempted to be Operated, or Allowed to be Operated by Another Person in violation of 49 U.S.C. § 46306(b)(5)(A).He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton, who ordered that Flores Ordonez be detained pending further proceedings.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you operate a drone over restricted airspace - including over Dallas Stadium or Fan Fest - you can expect a federal indictment to come your way like this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The World Cup has been a blessing for North Texas and it’s imperative that we remain vigilant in protecting the fans and our great citizens of North Texas from potentially dangerous drones.”
“It is the drone operator’s responsibility to understand where Temporary Flight Restrictions exist,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “Before you fly a drone, I strongly encourage you to check for active flight restrictions using an FAA-approved B4UFLY service provider.”
According to the complaint, Flores Ordonez allegedly flew his unregistered drone, a DJI Mini 3 PRO, in the flight-restricted airspace around Dallas Stadium (also known as AT&T Stadium) while a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was in effect. To legally operate his drone within the flight-restricted airspace, Flores Ordonez must have had his drone registered with the Federal Aviation Administration and have been a Part 107-licensed pilot with a current certificate or have a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization, among other requirements. Interception of Flores Ordonez’s drone operation was part of the FBI’s drone counter-surveillance efforts for the FIFA World Cup match at Dallas Stadium that same afternoon.
So far, during the two FIFA World Cup games held in Arlington, over 20 drones have been seized. The Federal Bureau of Investigation would like to once again state that there is a “no-fly zone” around the Dallas Stadium for three hours prior to each match and three hours after each match. It is a federal crime to fly a drone into a “no-fly zone.”
If convicted of this offense, Flores Ordonez faces up to three years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Dallas Field Division, Federal Air Marshal, Customs and Border Patrol, Arlington Police Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hunt County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
A Hunt County man was sentenced to federal prison for lying to the FBI, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Carey Todd Edwards, 65, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on June 11, 2026, by Senior United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle, for making a false statement to the FBI.
According to court documents, FBI agents interviewed Edwards outside his Quinlan, Texas home on July 26, 2023, after receiving information about his online activity. During that interview, Edwards admitted he was a convicted felon and acknowledged possessing a shotgun and a pistol inside his residence. When agents returned the next day with a federal search warrant, the firearms were gone. In a follow up interview on July 27, Edwards denied ever having guns, telling agents, “I don’t have any. I never had any guns.” He later admitted the statement was false and that he had removed the firearms from his home before agents executed the warrant.
During the sentencing hearing, the Court noted that Edwards operated a website espousing anti Semitic beliefs, affiliated closely with another anti-Semitic website, and supported the separation of races. The Court also observed that Edwards’s online activity, combined with his criminal record and firearms ownership, could have been perceived as threatening toward the Jewish community in the Northern District of Texas. Judge Boyle ultimately concluded that Edwards’ false statements were intended to obstruct the FBI’s investigation to determine whether he had illegally possessed firearms as a convicted felon.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward L. Hocter prosecuted the case.
Brownfield Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Brownfield man was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting two children, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Pedro Marcos Hinojosa, 40, was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison on June 10, 2026, by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix for producing child pornography and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. The Court also ordered Hinojosa to pay $3,466 in restitution.According to court documents, in September 2025, a woman reported to the Brownfield Police Department that she observed nude photographs of a 9-year-old female child on Hinojosa’s cell phone. The child was forensically interviewed and said Hinojosa had sexually abused her and had taken sexually explicit photographs of her on multiple occasions since she was 8 years old. On September 12, 2025, law enforcement located Hinojosa living at a homeless shelter in Lubbock. He attempted to flee but was ultimately taken into custody. Hinojosa admitted he had produced child sexual abuse material of the child. A search was conducted of Hinojosa’s cell phone and law enforcement located videos and photographs of child sexual abuse material of his victim.
At sentencing, it was revealed that there was another victim whom Hinojosa had sexually abused and photographed when she was 8 years old, over a decade ago. That victim reported the abuse to law enforcement for the first time after she saw news of Hinojosa’s arrest. The Court, in sentencing Hinojosa to the statutory maximum, recognized the need to give Hinojosa a sentence that incapacitated him from ever being able to harm another child.
“My office is committed to seeking out those who harm our children and making sure they are held accountable for their horrendous acts,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We hope Hinojosa’s lengthy sentence gives the victims and their families some peace, but that it also serves as a warning to like-minded predators that justice will be swift and the punishment will be exacting for these types of despicable crimes.”
“This 50-year sentence demonstrates our commitment to hold offenders accountable for committing crimes against children,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dallas Field Office (Lubbock Resident Agency), the Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Brownfield Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case with the assistance of the Terry County District Attorney’s Office.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Dallas Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who trafficked nine young women was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Chase Anthony Young, 34, pled guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion in October 2025. He was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey.
According to plea documents, Young admitted to causing three adult victims to engage in commercial sex by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion. Young admitted to placing online ads for the victims, renting hotel rooms, taking the proceeds from the commercial sex acts performed by the victims, and setting pricing and rules for the victims.
At today’s sentencing, the prosecutor asked the Court to consider that Young had a total of nine identified victims of his sex trafficking organization, dating back to at least 2017. And that while Young received all the proceeds, the victims’ received beatings and scars.
Additionally, one victim’s statement was read, in part, to the Court, during the sentencing hearing. She wrote that Young made her “believe that [she] worthless and only existed to be used;” and that, “The trauma has affected every part of my life, my ability to trust, to build relationships, to feel safe, and believe in myself.” Her statement continued, “But despite everything, I am here. I am learning to heal and find myself again.” “I am speaking now because he no longer has control over my voice, I will never be silenced EVER AGAIN.”
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandie Wade prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Issue Warning over Use of Drones During 2026 FIFA World CupRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas and FBI Dallas are jointly promoting the importance of drone safety and flight restrictions.
The information below is intended to raise awareness among the public at large, help to ensure the safety of fans, and also serve as a deterrence.
During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed a Temporary Flight Restriction over multiple locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. These temporary flight restrictions temporarily restrict all aircraft – airplanes, helicopters, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, more commonly known as “drones”) – from flying over a specific geographic area.
On each match day, a temporary flight restriction will be in effect over AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. AT&T Stadium will be known as “Dallas Stadium” during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The flight restriction will span a 3-nautical-mile radius from AT&T Stadium, up to 3,000 feet, and will take effect 3 hours before the start of each match and will conclude 3 hours after the end of each match.
During the FIFA Fan Festival, taking place from June 11, 2026, through July 19, 2026, a temporary flight restriction will be in place over Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, for each day of the Fan Festival. The flight restriction will span a 1-nautical-mile radius from the Dos Equis Pavilion in Fair Park, up to 1,000 feet, and will be in effect 1 hour before the start of the festival each day and 1 hour after the festival concludes each day.
While these temporary flight restrictions are in place, the flying of any drone or other aircraft or UAS will be forbidden unless prior approval is obtained from the FAA. Violators will be subject to federal prosecution, imprisonment, fines, and/or forfeiture of their drone or UAS.
To avoid committing criminal federal violations, all drone pilots are reminded and warned of their responsibility to:
1. Register and label your drone and obtain a Part 107 pilot’s license from the FAA before operating your drone in any flight-restricted airspace;
2. Register and label your drone and obtain a Part 107 pilot’s license before operating your drone in any capacity other than as a FAA-designated recreational pilot (including when flying for commercial purposes or for footage that may be monetized);
3. Obtain a TRUST certificate from the FAA to be carried with you at all times that you are piloting your drone for recreational purposes only; and
4. Familiarize yourself with airspace classifications and restrictions (including temporary flight restrictions and Notices to Airmen or “NOTAMs”) before piloting your drone for any purpose to avoid flying in any flight-restricted airspace, or, if necessary, to seek permission and approval before flying in any flight-restricted airspace.
As part of ongoing drone enforcement, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas has prosecuted numerous individuals for illegally flying unmanned aircraft systems (drones) in restricted areas, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
The cases are as follows:
• David Flores, 3:25-CR-329-B, pled guilty to one felony count of Operation of an Unregistered Drone and was sentenced to time served (a period of about five months’ imprisonment);• David Fowler, 3:25-CR-231-L, pled guilty to one felony count of Operation of an Unregistered Drone, set for sentencing on June 23, 2026;
• Melvin Mitchell III, 4:26-CR-162-O, charged via indictment with one felony count of Operating as an Airman Without an Airman’s Certificate, case is currently pending;
• Ernesto Villanueva Gonzalez, 4:25-CR-149-BJ – pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace and sentenced to time served (approximately two months’ imprisonment) and a monetary fine;
• Jason Carvell Banner, 4:24-CR-159-BJ, pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace for flying a drone over the Texas Rangers Ballpark, sentenced to 25 months’ probation and a monetary fine;
• Scott Lorenzen, 3:24-CR-502-BK, pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace and sentenced to six months’ probation;
• Shawn Yang, 4:26-CR-42-BJ, pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace and ordered to pay a monetary fine;
• Vincent Paolella, 4:26-CR-148-BJ, charged via criminal information with one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace, case is currently pending; and
• Jasson Longoria, 4:26-CR-149-BJ, charged via criminal information with one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace, case is currently pending.
“We want the 2026 FIFA World Cup fans to have a world class time while they are in the DFW metroplex. When someone makes a decision to fly a drone over restricted airspace, they are wasting valuable law enforcement resources and jeopardizing the safety and overall experience of those who are there to watch the beautiful game. Please remember that you cannot fly a drone at or near the Dallas Stadium and FIFA Fan Festival, as they are no-fly zones,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “If you choose to ignore this warning, understand that we’ll be ready for you and you will be prosecuted.”
“It is the drone operator’s responsibility to understand where Temporary Flight Restrictions exist. Before you fly a drone, I strongly encourage you to check for active flight restrictions using an FAA-approved B4UFLY service provider,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “To ensure the safety of the World Cup events, we will use our full suite of capabilities to identify drone operators violating TFRs, seize their drones, and support their prosecution.
A complaint, an information, and an indictment are merely an allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
See a drone breaking the rules? Blow the whistle! Report it to 911, on-site law enforcement, or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Former Anson, Texas City Manager Convicted of Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
An Abilene federal jury convicted the former Anson, Texas City Manager of attempted enticement of a minor, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Following a one-day trial, the jury convicted Ervin Joe Campbell, 64, on Monday, June 8, 2026, of one count of attempted enticement of a minor.
“This defendant elected to go to trial, which is his constitutional right. But we were ready, and the jury convicted him of attempted enticement of a minor after only 30 minutes of deliberation. The unfortunate and sad reality is that predators lurk in every facet of life, including those in positions of trust, like this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Under my watch, we will prioritize rooting out predators no matter where they lurk.”
“Protecting children from sexual predators is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “This conviction demonstrates the commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who seek to exploit minors and to ensure they are held accountable.”
According to evidence presented at trial, several federal, state and local law enforcement agencies worked together to conduct an undercover chat operation in Abilene, Texas, targeting the solicitation of prostitution and child predators. During the operation, a sergeant with the Texas Attorney General’s Office posed as minors, aged fifteen and sixteen, via an undercover online account. The advertisement posted on Facebook Marketplace was listed as “Massage and Fun.”
The jury also heard evidence that Campbell responded to the advertisement and agreed to meet the two minors for sex even after the undercover agent informed him that she and her friend were 15 and 16 years old, respectively. Geolocation data from Campbell’s cell phone, and cell phone call detail records confirmed that Campbell left his home in Anson after the conversation on Facebook and drove approximately 30 minutes to a hotel in Abilene, Texas where he had agreed to meet the minors. He arrived with two condoms and more than $500 in cash and he had agreed to give the girls $500 in exchange for sex. Agents further discovered that Campbell had saved a contact in his cell phone for the person he believed to be a 15-year-old minor and the contact’s name was listed as “15.”
Campbell is set for sentencing on September 17, 2026, before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. Campbell faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. He also faces a $250,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division in Abilene, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, and the Abilene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney James and Allyson Monte prosecuted the case.
Life Sentence Imposed for Murderer in 21 Defendant Arlington, TX Street Gang ProsecutionRead the Press Release
The twenty-one members and associates of the violent Kiccdoe street gang that ravaged the streets of Arlington, Texas, have pled guilty to federal charges of racketeering (RICO conspiracy) or other drug and violent crimes in aid of racketeering charges , announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Yesterday, June 4, one of those defendants, Chauncey Ross, 22, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced to life in federal prison by United States District Judge Mark T. Pittman for his role in the RICO conspiracy.
“I will not tolerate gang-related violence in our district, so rest assured that our gang-related prosecutions will continue,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I am extremely proud of the work done by my prosecutors on this case, and I hope the citizens of Arlington feel safer knowing that these gang members are behind bars. Through his conduct, defendant Ross earned the life sentence he received, and I hope his sentence serves as a warning to all gang members in our community.”
“This defendant’s role in the commission of a murder and his involvement in a violent gang that terrorized the Arlington community warrants the life sentence imposed in this case,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle violent criminal organizations that threaten the safety of our communities.”
“This is a major win for our community,” said Arlington Police Chief Al Jones. “In Arlington alone, we documented more than 180 criminal incidents, many of them violent in nature, involving the members of this street gang. I have no doubt that our city is safer with these defendants off our streets. I’m extremely grateful to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas for their partnership on this case and for helping us achieve this outcome.”
During the sentencing hearing, the government drew the court’s attention to various aspects of evidence for its consideration in determining Ross’s sentence. The government argued that Ross had shot and killed one young male and shot and injured another young female, while she was shielding her infant child with her body. And that shortly after committing the murder, Ross had recorded a rap song bragging about the incident—with lyrics that “fiending for murder . . . gave [him] an itch,” among other graphic lyrics directly referencing the victim and the murder.In addition to Ross, seven other defendants have been sentenced for their roles in the racketeering conspiracy (RICO conspiracy) or conduct stemming from their association with the Kiccdoe gang:
• Kyron Oates, 22, of Grand Prairie, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 188 months imprisonment. During the sentencing hearing, the government highlighted evidence that showed that Oates was one of two shooters in a pre-meditated attempted murder occurring in February 2024.• Cortez Atkinson, 19, of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 176 months imprisonment. During the sentencing hearing, the government drew the court’s attention to evidence showing that Atkinson initiated a gang-related shootout directly outside of an apartment complex, during which a stray bullet struck a 13-year old girl while she was in her bedroom.
• KeyShawn Burton, 21, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 127 months imprisonment. During the sentencing hearing, the government argued that Burton not only trafficked narcotics but also actively participated in online group chats with other Kiccdoe gang members to conspire to shoot and kill a member of a rival gang.
• Jaylen Jeshawn Franklin, 23, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 122 months imprisonment. During the sentencing hearing, the government highlighted evidence that showed Franklin had conspired with other Kiccdoe gang members to commit at least two drive-by shootings – in January and November 2022, and he also posted in a Kiccdoe group chat an image of one of the houses to target for the shootings.
• Sir James Mack Williams, 22, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 92 months imprisonment. During the sentencing hearing, the government emphasized evidence showing that Williams was a shooter during a November 2022 drive-by shooting spree of two separate houses in Arlington, Texas.
• Raphael Opare, 19, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 41 months imprisonment. In addition to trafficking narcotics, R. Opare admitted in court documents that he, together with other Kiccdoe gang members, conspired to kill a member of a rival gang in retaliation for a shooting that had occurred in April 2024.
• JaMarion Manogin, 20, of Forney, Texas, pled guilty to two counts of Use of a Communication Facility in Causing or Facilitating the Commission of a Felony under the Controlled Substances Act and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for engaging in drug trafficking while using a cellphone.
The remaining 13 defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming weeks:
• June 12, 2026:
Bradley McArthur, Jr., 21, of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
Vernell Woods, 19, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• June 18, 2026:
LaMarion Austin, 21, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
Isaiah Wiley, 21, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
Joseph Hill, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
Marcus Shaw, 20, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• July 2, 2026:
Sadedrick Wilson, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
Dillen Opare, 20, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
DaTraven Warren, 18, of Mansfield, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
DeMarco Westmoreland, 19, of Mansfield, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• July 9, 2026:
Michael Mensah, 18, of Grand Prairie, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• September 10, 2026:
Jakayla Totten, 21, of DeSoto, Texas, pled guilty to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering.
• September 17, 2026:
Blake Aaron Scott, 22, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Arlington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura G. Montes and Eric B. Chen prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Capoccia.
Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Dismantle San Angelo Drug Trafficking Ring – 48 Arrested as Part of “Operation Concho Valley Shakedown”Read the Press Release
Forty-eight alleged drug traffickers and violators from San Angelo and the surrounding areas have been arrested as part of an 18-month-long narcotics operation, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould at a press conference in San Angelo, Texas today.
“This message should send a loud and clear message to drug dealers in the Concho Valley. We are coming for you,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This operation is proof of concept for state, local, and federal agents coming together to dismantle an alleged drug trafficking network. As U.S. Attorney, I will put more time, attention, and resources into ensuring that the Concho Valley is safe.”
“Operation Concho Valley was a decisive, collaborative effort. By combining resources and expertise, we dismantled this drug trafficking organization and removed a dangerous presence that had cast a shadow over West Texas communities. These drugs fuel addiction, breed violence, and destroy families. The network we targeted was importing large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and lethal fentanyl — substances that threaten public safety and the quality of life for residents,” said DEA San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal.
Twenty-four of the alleged drug dealers were federally indicted on May 13, 2026, and were arrested following a large-scale drug bust in San Angelo last week. Another 24 alleged violators were charged by local district attorneys on felony and misdemeanor offenses related to the operation.
Those charged in three separate federal indictments include:- Oscar Leonel Casillas Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Cedrick Jerrod Jones, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- George Henry Walker, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Marcus Maurice Parker, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Shunte Gregory Ray, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine
- Tasha Diane Rose, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Juan Carlos Sanchez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm
- Audry Michelle Allen, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Carlos Gregory Lopez Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Amanda Marlene Burney, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Michael Todd Holleman, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Daniel Arizola, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Alissa Johnn Catrett, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Jeannetta Antonetta James, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Brian Matthew Epperson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Brandon Chappell, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Bannon Dalhart Roe, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Marcella Sanchez Hererra, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Roy Gene Nichols Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Ray Enriquez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Rebecca Salcedo Leon, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Eric Hernandez, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Armando Meza, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
Those charged by the 51st District Attorney, Allison Palmer, and the 119th District Attorney, John H. Best, include 16 additional state felony cases and 9 misdemeanor cases, alleging various drug offenses, evading arrest offenses, and other violations.
The operation involved over 30 agents, officers, and deputies from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Antonio Field Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Angelo Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Office, the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol – Air & Marine Operations – San Angelo, and the Abilene Police Department.
Over the course of the operation, agents seized over 35 kilograms of methamphetamine, 303 grams of cocaine, and 10 firearms.
“Operation Concho Valley Shakedown” was a San Angelo-area first: a comprehensive narcotics investigation that involved seven separate local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the combined efforts of federal and state prosecutors. The collaboration by the agencies was evident in the attached video taken during the takedown that occurred on May 28, 2026.
If convicted, some defendants face a sentence of up to life in federal prison.
This HSTF investigation was conducted by agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Antonio Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Angelo Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Service, U.S. Customs & Border Patrol – Air & Marine Operations – San Angelo, and the Abilene Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the Abilene Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Operation Concho Valley Shakedown” is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.
Final Defendant Sentenced to Prison in Multimillion Dollar Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A fourth family member was sentenced to 90 months in prison on May 28 following a jury trial that resulted in convictions of four men for a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. Brandon Hunt was sentenced to 90 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to file false tax returns in the names of purported trusts. Brandon Hunt’s father David Hunt, his twin brother Baylon Hunt, and his half-brother Corey Burt were previously sentenced to 92 months, 38 months, and 94 months in prison, respectively.
According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial, the Hunts, of Arlington, Texas, and Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, executed a scheme to file false claims for tax refunds in the names of trusts they controlled. In total, they sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. Brandon Hunt also filed multiple false returns in his own name that sought tax refunds he was not entitled to receive. As part of their scheme, the family members also submitted additional fake documents to the IRS including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. Even after receiving warning letters to discontinue their fraudulent submissions, they continued filing false returns and other documents with the IRS.
As a result of the scheme, the co-conspirators received over $1.7 million in fraudulent proceeds from the IRS, which they shared and used to purchase luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi.
All four defendants were convicted at trial of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Brandon Hunt, David Hunt, and Corey Burt were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Brandon Hunt was ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals Service rendered valuable assistance in apprehending Brandon, Baylon and David Hunt after they failed to appear for the second day of trial.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Man Federally Charged for Armed Carjacking in Downtown LubbockRead the Press Release
A man has been charged in connection with an armed carjacking that occurred next to the federal and county courthouses in downtown Lubbock, Texas last Friday morning, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Isaiah Joshua Lee Houston, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was federally charged for his role in a May 29, 2026, carjacking that ended with Houston being shot. Houston was charged by federal complaint less than eight hours after the attack. Houston will make his initial appearance on the charges today, June 1, 2026, and remains in federal custody pending further proceedings. If convicted, Houston faces a statutory maximum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison.
“Less than two weeks ago, I stood next to representatives from several law enforcement agencies and announced Operation Hub City Shield,” said U.S. Attorney Raybould. “I made clear that the incredible relationship between our federal, state, and local partners is what makes Lubbock the gold standard for law enforcement cooperation. When violent criminals seek to target innocent members of the public, together we will swiftly find them, charge them, and use the full weight of federal and state laws to hold them accountable. Mr. Houston should have been listening.”
“The swift response of law enforcement and security personnel helped bring this dangerous situation to a safe conclusion,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner of the ATF Dallas Field Division. “Any violent crime involving the threatened use of force in a public setting poses a serious risk to the community. ATF will continue working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident and ensure accountability for those who endanger public safety.”
“Combatting violent crime remains a priority for the FBI. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to address public safety threats and hold dangerous offenders accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
According to the complaint, last Friday morning Houston approached a box truck as it stopped at a red light at the intersection of Buddy Holly Avenue and Broadway Street in downtown Lubbock. Houston attempted to open the driver’s door, but the driver was able to push Houston away from the vehicle.
Houston then ran toward a nearby black SUV that was parked westbound on Broadway Street, next to the Lubbock County Courthouse and just to the north of the George H. Mahon Federal Building. As he ran toward the SUV, Houston pulled a knife from his pocket, opened the driver’s side door, and forcibly removed an adult female from the driver’s seat. At the time of the carjacking, the female was sitting in the driver’s seat of her vehicle and holding a newborn baby.
Houston entered the SUV but was quickly confronted by a nearby security guard along with an off-duty officer with the Lubbock Police Department (LPD). Houston fled from the vehicle and ran around the west side of the Lubbock County Courthouse.
Surveillance video from outside the federal building showed Houston approaching the SUV and removing the female from the vehicle before being confronted by law enforcement, some of which is depicted below:
Houston continued running around the county courthouse and then fled southbound on Buddy Holly Avenue toward Broadway Street. A witness provided agents with a cellphone video of Houston then attempting to climb into the back of a moving pickup truck while being pursued by law enforcement, which is depicted below:
The security guard observed that Houston was still holding the same knife he saw earlier. The security guard then fired shots at Houston, hitting him once in the leg. Houston was then taken into custody, and the knife was recovered along Houston’s running path.
Multiple federal and state agencies responded to the incident and secured the scene. Within just a few hours, federal and state agents had interviewed witnesses, recovered videos of the incident, and presented a United States Magistrate Judge with proposed criminal charges, which were quickly approved.
This investigation was a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Dallas Housing Authority Employee Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Stealing Government FundsRead the Press Release
A former Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) maintenance supervisor who stole from DHA was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Joel Ipina, 50, pled guilty in November 2025 to theft concerning programs receiving government funds. He was sentenced on May 21, 2026, by United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle, who also ordered him to pay $473,641 in restitution.
“This defendant abused a position of trust to steal public funds intended to serve the Dallas community. This sentence reflects our commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs and holding accountable those who exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Raybould.
According to court documents, Ipina was employed by DHA from 1995 to 2024. DHA receives federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As a maintenance supervisor, Ipina was responsible for approving maintenance work orders and selecting contractors to perform work on properties under his supervision.
From approximately August 2019 through February 2024, Ipina carried out a scheme to enrich himself by steering maintenance contracts to a company he owned and controlled without DHA’s knowledge. As part of the scheme, he submitted fabricated competing bids to ensure contracts were awarded to his company and caused DHA to pay for work that was never performed.
“Joel Ipina’s selfish actions diverted almost $500,000 in federal funds intended to provide housing services to vulnerable community members and also took away the opportunity for other actual hard-working companies to compete for contracts and provide services to the Housing Authority of the City of Dallas,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron McCullough with the HUD, Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable individuals who take advantage of their positions of trust and misuse public funds.”
The HUD Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elise Aldendifer prosecuted the case.
13 Defendants Sentenced for Serious Drug and Gun Crimes as Part of the Homeland Security Task Force InitiativeRead the Press Release
13 defendants were convicted and sentenced to a combined 915 months for dealing drugs, conspiring to deal drugs, and unlawfully possessing firearms announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
In this operation, law enforcement seized 4.1 kilograms of marijuana, 282 grams of crack cocaine, 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 6.1 grams of fentanyl, 12 firearms, 2 glock switches, and $11,985 of United States currency.
The Court sentenced the last defendant as part of the DTO on May 7, 2026.
In total, 13 defendants were all convicted and received the following prison sentences:
- Edward Williams – 240 months
- Courtney Smith – 87 months
- Davonia Hart – 50 months
- Alicia Slaughter – 57 months
- Perry Taylor – 42 months
- Lucis Lugo – 57 months
- Dmarcus Quartez Roderick Moton – 40 months
- Quentavis Zikeiy Hawkins – time served (approximately 13.5 months)
- Jordan Davis – 87 months
- Xavier Barnes – 92 months
- Brandon Bedford – 87 months
- Ladarius Holly – 37 months
- Sebastian Medlock – 26 months
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from FBI- Dallas and the Dallas Police Department with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
The Violent Crime Reduction Plan utilized hot spot policing across 47 neighborhoods that were identified as having the highest rates of violent crime. These neighborhoods were selected based on a comprehensive statistical analysis conducted by a local university. Investigators focused on one of the neighborhoods, most frequently associated with criminal activity, which include the sale of illicit narcotics, illegal firearms, machine gun conversion devices, as well as violent crimes such as capital murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and assault on public servants.
This operation represents a significant step forward in the shared mission of FBI Dallas, Dallas Police Department and the Northern District of Texas, to reduce violent crime and protect our community. The success of this initiative demonstrates the power of collaboration between federal and local law enforcement agencies in keeping Dallas safe.
The Dallas Police Department (DPD) and the Dallas Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets and Gang Task Force (SSGTF) investigated the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Third Defendant Pleads Guilty in Scheme that Embezzled Thousands of Dollars from Funds Intended to Provide Relief During the COVID PandemicRead the Press Release
An Amarillo woman pleaded guilty on May 11, 2026, to embezzling funds from a federal program, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Selene Varela, 41, pleaded guilty Monday to a felony information charging Theft Concerning a Program Receiving Federal Funds.
“We rely on our public officials to ensure that our laws our faithfully and dutifully executed,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould “Instead, the defendants planned and executed a scheme to use their public positions to line their own pockets at the expense of folks in Amarillo who are homeless—the intended beneficiaries of the pandemic program. I’d encourage the public across North Texas to reach out to my office if they witness or have information regarding public officials engaging in any corruption.”
“Selene Varela abused her position of trust by embezzling federal funds intended to help individuals experiencing homelessness secure stable housing,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron McCullough with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue and hold accountable those who misuse public funds and exploit positions of trust for personal gain.”
In plea papers, Varela admitted that she previously worked for the City of Amarillo in the Community Development Department. From 2020 through 2022, Varela managed the intake process for homeless, or soon-to-be homeless, members of the Amarillo community who needed financial assistance to maintain housing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government funded these initiatives through the CARES Act.
Varela used her role as a city employee to create fictitious applications for this funding. In one instance, she fraudulently applied to have her own rent paid for six months—a fraudulent payment of $6,600. Varela also created accounts for fictitious landlords and tenants. She would submit false applications for payment and then cash the checks, keeping the proceeds. In total, Varela admitted to receiving approximately $41,350 in fraudulent distributions processed by the City of Amarillo.
Varela now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Her sentencing date has not been set.
This case is related to the prosecution of two other former City of Amarillo employees who carried out similar schemes. In June 2024, Amy Dixon pleaded guilty to embezzling $465,511.65 while working in the Community Development Department. On October 23, 2024, United States District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk sentenced Dixon to 24 months in federal prison. In March 2025, Vanessa Robinson pleaded guilty to embezzling $121,325.21 while working in the same department. Robinson was sentenced by Judge Kacsmaryk to 18 months in federal prison on July 22, 2025.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the case and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Frausto prosecuted Dixon and Robinson.
Man Charged for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm After Shooting at Grand Prairie Police Officers.Read the Press Release
A previously convicted felon who shot at Grand Prairie Police Department (GPPD) officers during a domestic violence investigation was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
“The Chief in Grand Prairie has been a great friend to this office and to our collective efforts in rooting out violent crime in North Texas. I told him when I met with him months ago that we would stand up for the men and women under his charge. Today I’m keeping my promise. We will always go after those who try to intimidate and harm our great law enforcement officers in North Texas.”
The complaint alleges that on May 2, 2026, GPPD officers were dispatched to investigate a domestic disturbance after a child called to report that things had gotten “physical” while their mom and her boyfriend were arguing. Upon arrival at the scene, GPPD officers encountered Malik Williams sitting in a silver Altima. Upon seeing the mother in a blood-stained shirt, officers told Williams that he was not free to leave. Williams immediately sped off in the Altima and officers pursued with their lights and sirens activated. Eventually, a GPPD officer executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver to force Williams’ car to stop and block the driver’s door so that Williams could not escape.
As the officer got out of his patrol vehicle, Williams shot at him with an AR-15 rifle. A second officer then returned fire. Williams surrendered after he was struck and injured. He was then taken to a hospital. Investigators later learned that Williams was on parole for six prior felonies—five of them involving domestic violence against the same domestic violence victim in this case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Grand Prairie Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Walt Junker is prosecuting the case.
Abilene Man who Produced Child Pornography as a Registered Sex Offender was Sentenced yesterday to 50 years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Abilene man who Produced Child Pornography as a Registered Sex Offender was sentenced yesterday to 50 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Kai Isaiah Ranaglia-Nelson, 25, was indicted in December 2025 and pleaded guilty in January 2026 to Production of Child Pornography. He was sentenced yesterday to 600 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr.
“Despite previously being convicted of sexually extorting minors, the defendant preyed on young kids to coax them into producing and sending him child pornography. In the Northern District of Texas we will make sure that these criminals get ejected from the community and sit in federal prison for as long as possible under the law. The Judge sent an unshakable message to the community: if you prey on North Texas kids, you will go to federal prison for a very long time.” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.
In 2020, Nelson pleaded guilty to two counts of Sexual Extortion and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in Arizona. In that case, Nelson groomed and exploited multiple children. Despite receiving a five-year prison sentence and being released on supervision in 2023, Nelson resumed exploiting children shortly after his release.
In late 2025, as a part of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators, law enforcement identified Ranaglia-Nelson after he used Snapchat to entice and coerce a thirteen-year-old child into producing multiple sexually explicit videos. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
FBI Dallas Field Office (Abilene RA), the Abilene Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney James prosecuted the case.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant, and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.Nevada Trusts Ordered to Return Approximately $30 Million Transferred by Convicted FraudstersRead the Press Release
The United States obtained a court order authorizing the recovery of nearly $30 million in restitution for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
In late 2025, defendants Nathan Reis and Stephanie Hockridge were sentenced for participating in a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). As part of their sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay over $63 million in restitution to the SBA. (Prior press release available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/co-founder-paycheck-protection-program-lender-service-provider-sentenced-10-years)
The United States discovered that both defendants had transferred millions from their personal brokerage accounts to newly-created family trusts after the course of their fraudulent scheme. To enforce the restitution order, the United States filed a garnishment action seeking recovery of assets held within those trust accounts. The United States argued that, despite the transfers and the trust provisions, the defendants remained the true beneficial owners of the assets and continued to exercise control over the funds.
On April 29, 2026, the Court denied the objections filed by the defendants and trustees and ruled that the United States was entitled to garnish the trust assets. The Court found that the defendants effectively retained possession of property and continued to enjoy the benefits of the assets held by the trusts.
The United States expects to recover nearly $30 million in restitution through these enforcement efforts and continues to enforce the restitution ordered in this case.
“As this decision shows, our office’s work does not end just because a conviction has been obtained and a sentenced pronounced,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Rabould. “We will continue to aggressively track down and recover assets from defendants who have been ordered to make restitution for their crimes, no matter how long it takes or what efforts defendants may make to try to hide their ill-gotten gains.”
The Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Offices are responsible for prosecuting restitution owed to federal crime victims, including federal agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Saurabh Sharad handled this matter on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
Department of Justice Seeks to Enforce Subpoena Against Hospital that Performs Sex-Rejecting Procedures on MinorsRead the Press Release
Note: View petition for enforcement here.
Yesterday, the Department of Justice’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas filed a petition in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to enforce a subpoena issued to Rhode Island Hospital demanding records related to pediatric sex-rejecting procedures.
According to the filed petition, the Department of Justice served a subpoena under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act on Rhode Island Hospital as part of its investigation into the distribution of certain prescription drugs to minors with gender dysphoria and related disorders, including puberty blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones. To date, Rhode Island Hospital has not complied with the subpoena.
“The Department of Justice expects and demands full compliance with validly issued subpoenas like the one at issue here,” said Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “Non-compliance with lawful process is never an option.”
Additional information about the Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx.
US Petition for Enforcement.pdfFormer Brink’s, Inc. Employee Sentenced to 171 Months in Federal Prison for Robbing Two Brink’s Armored TrucksRead the Press Release
A former Brink’s, Inc. employee was sentenced to 171 months in federal prison for robbing two Brink’s armored trucks, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Isaiah Warren, 25, was sentenced today, April 27, 2026, by Senior United States District Judge David C. Godbey for interfering with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Warren was ordered to pay $696,700 in restitution, among other conditions.
According to court documents, on November 30, 2024, at approximately 12:06 p.m., a Brink’s armored truck driver was completing his assigned route when he arrived at DolEx Dollar Express located at 1788 W. Irving Boulevard, in Irving, Texas. DolEx is a check cashing and money transfer business. The Brink’s driver collected the deposits from DolEx and placed the deposits in a Brink’s tote bag. Warren, who was wearing all black, including a ski mask and a Loomis branded jacket, approached the driver as he was returning to the Brink’s armored truck. Then, Warren pressed a handgun underneath the driver’s body armor and removed the driver’s Brink’s issued firearm from his holster. Warren then took the tote bag from the driver that contained approximately $34,700, which had just been collected from DolEx. Warren then fled from the location in a vehicle.
Court records also revealed that Warren admitted that on December 31, 2024, he and another individual robbed a second Brink’s armored truck. On that day, a Brink’s armored truck driver was beginning her assigned route refilling ATM machines with United States (U.S.) currency. At approximately 9:54 a.m., the Brink’s driver arrived at the Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) located at 9350 Clifford Street, in Fort Worth, Texas. The driver parked the Brink’s truck in front of EECU and exited the truck. Warren and another individual then approached the driver while armed with handguns and wearing face coverings.
The Brink’s driver was forced back into the Brink’s truck at gunpoint. Once inside, both Warren and the other individual entered the secure area of the truck where the U.S. currency was kept in bags, and Warren took two Brink’s cash bags containing approximately $662,000. After exiting the Brink’s truck, he and the other individual were confronted by a security guard employed by EECU. Warren pointed his firearm at the security guard and then he and the other individual fled on foot with the bags of stolen money.
Court records further revealed that on January 3, 2025, Warren and a female passenger were pulled over on a traffic stop after running a red light in Gainesville, Texas. Warren was found to be in possession of a Springfield XD .40 caliber handgun that he used in both robberies, multi-gram quantities of marijuana, and $98,785 in stolen U.S. currency.
The FBI Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the case.Former Dallas Police Department Sergeant Sentenced to 28 Months in Federal Prison for Selling Stolen Service WeaponsRead the Press Release
A former Dallas Police Department sergeant who sold stolen service weapons was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Thomas Fry, 53, of Royse City, Texas, was sentenced on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, by United States District Judge Brantley Starr for possession and sale of a stolen firearm.
“This police officer violated his oath and the public’s trust when he chose to commit a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Our law enforcement partners work day and night to keep us safe and enforce the law, and our trust and faith in them will not waiver. We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to root out the few bad apples among their ranks.”
“This case strikes at the core of public trust,” said Brian Garner Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Dallas Field Division. “The very individuals entrusted to safeguard our communities must be held to the highest standard. When that trust is violated through the theft and illegal sale of firearms, it endangers the public and undermines the integrity of law enforcement. This 28-month federal sentence sends a clear message: no one is above the law, and those who abuse their authority will be held accountable. ATF remains committed to working alongside our partners to protect our communities and prevent illegal firearms trafficking.
Court records reveal that Fry, who at the time was a sergeant with the Dallas Police Department, admitted to three separate instances of taking a firearm owned by the Dallas Police Department, knowing that the firearms were stolen, and selling them to an Oklahoma pawn shop in June and July of 2022.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu prosecuted the case.
Dallas Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting Federal Officer with Deadly Weapon and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A Dallas man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and methamphetamine and heroin trafficking, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Angel Flores, 36, of Dallas, was sentenced on April 22, 2026, by United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade for assaulting a federal officer and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.
According to court records, Flores, and another individual, Andres Saucedo, Jr., 42, of Dallas, were involved in importing and trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin obtained from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization. Court documents reveal that Flores sold undercover agents a kilogram of heroin for $7,200 in the Dallas area in late 2024. Flores, Saucedo, and others working with them continued selling kilogram quantities of methamphetamine to numerous other individuals from that time until Flores was arrested on May 21, 2025. The two even orchestrated the sale of two kilograms of methamphetamine on May 20, 2025, the day before Flores was apprehended by FBI SWAT.
During the investigation, according to court documents, agents discovered that Flores, Saucedo, and others plotted to rob another drug trafficker of 30 to 40 kilograms of methamphetamine on May 19, 2025. While surveilling Flores and Saucedo to prevent this robbery, Flores and Saucedo realized they were being followed and attempted to lure two federal agents to a place where other coconspirators in their group would ambush and shoot them. Before reaching the planned ambush location, Saucedo fired a gun at an undercover FBI Task Force Officer in one of the vehicles. The undercover officer was an FBI Task Force Officer with the Dallas Police Department who was working with the OCDETF North Texas Strike Force, now the Homeland Security Task Force.
“Angel Flores was not only a drug trafficker who poisoned our communities with massive amounts of deadly heroin and methamphetamine, he was also a predator in the violent business of robbing other narco-traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This predator of predators will spend the next 30 years extracted from our community.”
“Combatting violent crime and drug trafficking is the primary focus of the Dallas Homeland Security Task Force. The sentence imposed in this case underscores the seriousness of the defendant’s role in distributing large quantities of narcotics and assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. The FBI will continue working with our partners to dismantle the infrastructure of drug trafficking organizations in our communities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
“Yesterday’s sentence is an example of the serious consequences of dealing dangerous drugs and committing violent acts in our communities,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Mr. Flores will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for dealing dangerous drugs and assaulting a federal officer. DEA Dallas is committed to hold the rule of law and protect American lives. DEA and its Homeland Security Task Force law enforcement partners throughout the region will continue to investigate those who prey on the innocent in our communities and bring them to justice.”
This investigation was conducted by the OCDETF North Texas Strike force, now the Homeland Security Task Force, with Special Agents and Task Force Officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, the Dallas Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department and Coppell Police Department all participating. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney L. Coker prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Fort Worth Federal Jury Convicts Keller Man for Firearm Crime at DFW AirportRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth federal jury convicted a Keller man of a firearm crime at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Following a three-day trial, the jury convicted Xavier Lamar Mottley, also known as Xavier Thomas, 44, of Keller, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“DFW is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, and as the North Texas area continues to grow, it is important that we remain vigilant to keep the millions of people who travel through our airports annually safe. I am committed to investigating and prosecuting any case that impacts the safety of our North Texas residents who use and travel through our airports,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Congratulations to the trial team and the agents who worked tirelessly for the defendant to be held accountable.”
“Through collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners, we were able to identify and seize an unsecured firearm. This quick response ensured the safety of all those who traverse DFW Airport,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
According to evidence presented at trial, on July 24, 2024, while at DFW Airport, Mottley checked in a bag under the name of his minor daughter containing an unsecured and loaded Sig Sauer pistol. The jury heard that after authorities with the Transportation Security Administration and DFW Airport Department of Public Safety confronted him, Mottley lied about his felony status and weaved a story initially claiming, then disclaiming, his ownership of the gun.
The jury also heard evidence that Mottley had two prior felony convictions, a federal conviction for access device fraud and a state conviction for theft of property valued over $1,500. Mottley and his wife testified that the gun belonged to his wife and that she had forgotten to remove it from the backpack after taking a trip the year prior.
Mottley is set for sentencing on August 7, 2026, before Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who presided over the trial. Mottley faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and DFW Airport Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Transportation Security Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric B. Chen and Matt Capoccia prosecuted this case.
Fourteen Defendants from Dallas and Lubbock Federally Indicted in Large-Scale Oil Theft Conspiracy in the Permian BasinRead the Press Release
Fourteen defendants from Texas and New Mexico were indicted by a federal grand jury in Lubbock, Texas for their roles in a large-scale oil theft conspiracy in the Permian Basin, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
The indictment charges each of the defendants with conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, and several defendants are also charged with interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, or sale of stolen property.
According to the indictment returned on April 8, 2026, all 14 defendants allegedly conspired to transport stolen crude oil across the New Mexico-Texas border for the purpose of enriching themselves. The indictment alleges that several defendants stole crude oil from oil producers in the Eastern New Mexico region of the Permian Basin, some of which was then stored on land that one of the conspirators leased from the United States government. That conspirator then sold the stolen crude oil to others in the conspiracy at prices significantly below West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) pricing. WTI is the benchmark used to price crude oil in the Permian Basin and much of the United States. The charges further state that the conspirators, knowing the crude oil was stolen, then transported the oil across the New Mexico-Texas border for further sale at a profit.
Texas defendants:
• Randell Wayne Reid, 41, of Electra, Texas, owner of Reidco Enterprises, a Texas-based company;
• James Darrell Reid, 65, of Electra, owner of Reidco Enterprises; and
• Christopher Frederick Harris, 22, of Seminole, Texas.
Lovington, New Mexico defendants:
• Louis George Edgett, 68;
• Brenden Floyd Strickland, 25;
• Sixto Herrera-Estebane, 43;
• Gyardo Gonzalez, 47;
• Jesus Martin Hernandez-Borja, 51;
• Diana Marquez Rojo, 45;
• Jose Luis Rojo, 49;
• Jose Mario Rivas-Mendoza, 37;
• Miguel A. Soto, 41;
• Tavares Montrail Cole, 48; and
• Danny Dale Brown Jr., 42.If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to ten years in federal prison on each count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, or sale of stolen property.
The Permian Basin is a vast sedimentary shale basin spanning over 86,000 square miles in Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. It is the largest oil-producing region in the United States and accounts for the majority of all U.S. crude oil production.The Bureau of Land Management, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigation Division, Lea County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office, and the Eddy County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two North Texas Men Federally Indicted in Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The CEO and a supervisor at Empowered Finances, a tax preparation business, were federally indicted on April 7, 2026, for their roles in filing fraudulent tax returns with the IRS, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
According to the indictment, during the years 2020 through 2023, Terrance Hatley, 33, of McKinney, Texas, and Jason Pogue, 45, of Dallas, Texas allegedly conspired to file false tax returns through Hatley’s businesses, Empowered Finances, formerly known as Griggs Financial, located in Addison, Texas. The charges state that the fraudulent tax returns filed at Empowered sought false refunds by either fabricating businesses with large losses or by claiming Coronavirus leave credits made available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. As a tax preparation fee, customers were often charged about a third of the fraudulent refund amount.
In addition to conspiracy to defraud the United States, Hatley and Pogue were charged with 23 counts and 10 counts, respectively, of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the other charges.
IRS-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ignacio Perez de la Cruz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The IRS has published the Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026. Those can be accessed here: Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026.
Gang Members Charged in Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Four Dallas area gang members were charged by federal criminal complaint for their roles in trafficking methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Ventrous Deshun James, Joseph Lewis Morgan, Dionyuta Henry, and David Beaty, were charged by federal complaint on April 14, 2026, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to the criminal complaint, in October 2025, law enforcement agents initiated a joint investigation into members of the ‘007 Bonton bloods’ criminal street gang. As part of the investigation, agents searched multiple residences in Seagoville. They located significant quantities of controlled substances and evidence of drug trafficking activity, including approximately 22.7 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.6 pounds of methamphetamine tablets, 1.6 pounds of cocaine, 77.9 pounds of marijuana, and 52.2 grams of marijuana wax. Agents also seized more than $61,000 in U.S. currency, along with additional narcotics trafficking paraphernalia, as depicted below:
In addition, as alleged in the complaint, agents recovered more than 25 firearms, including three firearms equipped with machine gun conversion devices (“switches”), which convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons, as well as additional switches, ammunition, and firearm magazines.
If convicted, each defendant faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to 40 years in federal prison. The defendants remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
The Dallas Police Department (DPD) Special Investigation Division (SID), the DPD Gang Unit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Group VII and the FBI Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, Dallas Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Poore is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican Citizen in the United States Illegally Sentenced to 18 years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A Mexican citizen who was illegally present in the United States was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Alejandro Orozco Ramirez, 26, was sentenced on April 13, 2026, by United States District Judge Sam A. Lindsay for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute approximately 14 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Court records reveal that between May 9, 2024, and June 18, 2024, as part of the conspiracy, Orozco Ramirez agreed to provide co-defendant Santiago Prado-Gonzalez with approximately 4 kilograms of methamphetamine, which Prado-Gonzalez intended to distribute to another person. However, when Orozco Ramirez was on his way to deliver the methamphetamine to Prado-Gonzalez, he was intercepted by law enforcement agents and arrested. Court records included a photo of the seized methamphetamine:
During sentencing, the government noted that Orozco Ramirez was illegally present in the United States and that when officers searched his residence, they found another 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, $5,340 in United States currency, a drug ledger, a drug scale, and four firearms. One of the firearms was an AK-47 capable of firing rounds continuously with a single press of the trigger, also referred to as “full-auto capable.”
Co-defendant Santiago Prado Gonzalez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 20, 2026.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA), the Richardson Police Department, the Hickory Creek Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in Sioux City, Iowa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Dallas Man for Mailing Threats to Federal Judges and Hoax Biological Weapons to Fort Worth Federal CourthouseRead the Press Release
A Dallas federal jury convicted a man for mailing threatening communications and hoax biological weapons, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Following a two-day trial and only one hour of deliberation, the jury convicted Donald Ray McCray, 67, of Dallas, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, of three counts of mailing threatening communications to several United States District Court Judges in the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of New York, and one count of sending hoax biological weapons to the Fort Worth, Texas Federal Courthouse.
“Threats and disruptions to the orderly functioning of our federal courts will not be tolerated. And anyone who threatens a NDTX federal judge or NDTX employee will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “With this verdict, North Texas residents held the defendant accountable for his threats and attempts to undermine our judiciary.”
“The FBI takes threats to federal officials and courthouse personnel seriously. We would like to thank our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners who assisted in this investigation. This collaborative effort ensured that this offender was held accountable for threatening our judicial system,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
According to evidence presented at trial, McCray, while incarcerated in a Texas state prison, sent multiple threatening letters containing white powder to the clerk of courts at the Fort Worth and Amarillo federal courthouses in March 2025. In those letters, McCray threatened to kill multiple state and federal government employees, including federal district court judges. After being indicted in June 2025, McCray appeared at a hearing in federal court and made further threats against various government employees and district court judges.
The jury also heard evidence that when one of McCray’s threatening letters contained white powder was received at the federal courthouse in Fort Worth, it effectively shut down the courthouse and required a full HAZMAT response from multiple agencies before it could be rendered safe for its occupants and the public. Evidence at trial further established that in 2019, McCray was convicted in a Texas state court of threatening a Texas state judge under similar circumstances. Among other exhibits, the government introduced McCray’s threatening letters, transcripts of the previous court hearing where he made additional threatening statements, and evidence related to the HAZMAT testing of the white powder sent by McCray.
McCray is set for sentencing on August 19, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who presided over the trial. McCray faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count of mailing threatening communications and up to five years in federal prison for the hoax biological weapons conviction. He also faces a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated and coordinated by multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service, Ft. Worth Police Department, Ft. Worth Fire Department, Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services, Tarrant County Department of Public Health, the Texas Tech Biological Threat Research Laboratory, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore Parran III and Chad E. Meacham prosecuted the case.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Significant Lubbock Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
On April 13, 2026, the final defendant in a significant Lubbock, Texas methamphetamine trafficking organization was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Shawn Nichole Zatloukal was a member of a larger methamphetamine trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Lubbock area. She and her codefendants, all of Lubbock, were indicted in August 2025 and all later pled guilty to methamphetamine trafficking charges. Zatloukal was sentenced on Monday this week by Fifth Circuit Judge Andrew S. Oldham, sitting by assignment. The remaining defendants were sentenced by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who noted during co-defendant Jeremiah Arguijo’s sentencing hearing the staggering amount of drugs distributed by the organization. All were sentenced to lengthy prison terms:Jeremiah “Chris” Arguijo, 40, was sentenced to 360 months;
Shawna Nichole Zatloukal, 55, was sentenced to 168 months;
Christopher Alan Nagella, 59, was sentenced to 240 months;
Adam “Adan” Casas, Jr., 52, was sentenced to 97 months;
Benjamin “BJ” Hernandez, 46, was sentenced to 132 months; and
Nicholas James Westbrook, 45, was sentenced to 160 months.
“These lengthy prison sentences should serve as a warning of what lies ahead for those who distribute narcotics in the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will be relentless in identifying and prosecuting drug traffickers, as we continue to focus on making the communities in which we live safer.”
“These sentences underscore our commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable for the harm they bring to our communities,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Joseph B. Tucker. “The DEA Lubbock Resident Office and our law enforcement partners throughout the region will continue to aggressively pursue those that distribute this poison and never waver as we seek to protect the neighborhoods we call home.”
According to court documents, the investigation lasted several months and culminated in the execution of multiple search warrants on July 22, 2025. During these searches, agents located several pounds of methamphetamine, multiple firearms, and several thousand dollars in currency. In total, agents seized over 4,200 grams of methamphetamine during this investigation, some of which is depicted below:
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Former Shallowater ISD Assistant Band Director Indicted for Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
A former Shallowater ISD assistant band director was indicted by a federal grand jury for enticement of a minor after engaging in a sexual relationship with a female high school student, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Joseph Macauley Gonzalez, 27, was charged by a federal criminal complaint in mid-March and indicted on April 8, 2026, for the federal offense of enticement of a minor. He is set for an initial appearance on April 20, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda Burch in Lubbock, Texas.
“Those who severely abuse trusted positions to prey on children, as this defendant is charged with doing, will be swiftly brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Our law enforcement partners’ diligent work uncovered the disturbing circumstances alleged in this indictment and complaint. We will prosecute this case and others like it to the fullest extent.”
“The FBI’s partnerships with state and local law enforcement allow us to combine resources and collectively tackle crimes against children. We will continue to prioritize these investigations and support our partners in pursuing those who target the most vulnerable members of our community,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
According to the complaint, in 2023, Gonzalez began developing a relationship with a female student under the age of 17, eventually using a school-approved app to exchange messages with her. In the summer of 2025, Gonzalez obtained the student’s cell phone number and began using that and another platform to message her. Beginning in October 2025, Gonzalez solicited the victim for nude photos and videos of herself and sent the victim nude photos of himself. He also had sex with her in the Shallowater High School band hall on multiple occasions. Court records reveal that Gonzalez’s cell phone contained explicit messages sent to the victim by Gonzalez. The indictment charges Gonzalez with enticement of the victim to engage in sexual activity through March 12, 2026.
If convicted, Gonzalez faces a sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison up to life imprisonment. He remains in custody pending further court proceedings.
FBI Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency and the Texas Rangers conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the case.A complaint and an indictment are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Dallas Federal Jury Convicts Four Deuce Oakland Crips Gang Member of Multiple Drug Trafficking and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
A Dallas federal jury convicted a Four Deuce Oakland Crips gang member of multiple drug trafficking and firearms crimes, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Following a four-day trial, the jury convicted Jamarian Augustus Hewitt (a.k.a. “Zillionaire JJ”), 40, of Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, April 9, 2026, of trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, two counts of firearm possession in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, one count of using a cell phone in furtherance of a drug offense, and one count of illegal firearm possession by a convicted felon.
“The residents living and working in the Malcolm X Boulevard neighborhood had been living in fear due to the havoc wreaked by the Four Deuce Oakland Crip gang members’ criminal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “With this verdict, Hewitt has been held accountable and faces a potential lifetime sentence, which should restore a sense of peace to the Malcolm X Boulevard neighborhood.”
“Today’s verdict sends a clear and unequivocal message: those who choose to flood our neighborhoods with drugs and arm violent criminal enterprises will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner of ATF Dallas. “By dismantling this trafficking network, Operation Blue Laces reflects the power of intelligence-driven investigations and strong law enforcement partnerships. ATF remains committed to targeting the most violent offenders and working alongside our partners to protect the citizens of Dallas.”
Court records reveal that Hewitt was one of several Four Deuce Oakland crip gang members charged as part of “Operation Blue Laces.” Additional gang members were charged with numerous drug and firearm offenses, as well as carjacking.
According to court documents, in January 2024, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents initiated “Operation Blue Laces” to identify gang members who were engaged in criminal conduct along two main intersections within the Malcolm X Boulevard corridor of Dallas, Texas. The operation, in part, addressed numerous complaints from residents living and working in the neighborhood who advised that Four Deuce Oakland Crip gang members had taken over the area and had created an environment of fear and lawlessness.
Evidence at Hewitt’s trial demonstrated that the gang members were using multiple storefronts and residences along the Malcolm X corridor to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, PCP, marijuana, codeine and prescription drugs to customers daily. Hewitt, a convicted felon, operated Zillionaire Exotic Pop, a storefront located at 3401 S. Malcolm X Blvd. in South Dallas, from which Hewitt sold quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and 200 to 300 pounds of marijuana per week. He also sold codeine that was mixed with premium sodas referred to as “purple drank.” Social media posts on an account linked to Hewitt were also presented to the jury. Those posts contained images of Hewitt and a caption that read “I am a drug lord.” Other posts advertised the sale of marijuana from his shop and promoted the activities of the Four Deuce Oakland Crip gang.
The jury also heard evidence that during a search of Hewitt’s business, agents recovered one kilogram of methamphetamine pills, distribution quantities of marijuana that Hewitt marketed as “Zillionaire Marijuana,” as well as multiple firearms. Searches of other storefronts and gang member residences revealed multiple pounds of marijuana, kilogram quantities of PCP, distribution quantities of cocaine, more than two dozen firearms, and a live alligator. Among other exhibits, the government introduced at Hewitt’s trial photos of pills and a firearm found during the investigation:
Hewitt is set for sentencing on August 12, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who presided over the trial. Hewitt faces a sentence of at least 20 years to life in federal prison on the drug trafficking and firearms charges and a $10 million fine.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF Dallas includes agents and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department, who conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Ashley Koos of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Four Sentenced to Combined 99 Months in Federal Prison for US Postal Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Four defendants involved in a United States Postal Service bribery scheme were sentenced to a combined 99 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
According to court documents, a former Senior Network Analyst for the United States Postal Service, Zechariah Yi, 52, of Aurora, Colorado, and a second USPS employee, Tai Ryoung Rho, 51, also of Aurora, Colorado, pled guilty to a bribery scheme in which they solicited and received approximately $1.5 million in kickbacks from the owners and associates of multiple trucking companies in exchange for agreeing to help the trucking companies obtain USPS service contracts worth approximately $15 million.Wan Jin Yoon, 51, of Plano, Texas, and Hong Jin Yoon, 48, of Denver, Colorado, owned the trucking companies that obtained the USPS contracts under the bribery scheme. Rho, Wan Yoon, and Hong Yoon each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. Yi pled guilty to receiving a bribe by a public official.
On March 26 and March 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer imposed the following federal prison sentences:
• Yi was sentenced to 42 months
• Rho was sentenced to 30 months
• Wan Yoon was sentenced to 24 months
• Hong Yoon was sentenced to 3 months
The defendants also agreed to forfeit two vehicles and more than $300,000 cash.
“At the expense of the integrity and fairness of the government contracting process, these defendants resorted to bribery and corruption simply to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The diligent work of our law enforcement partners led to a successful prosecution of these fraudsters by my office. This outcome should serve as a warning to others contemplating such behavior, that we will hold every person accountable for fraud schemes of this nature.”
“The public must have confidence that Postal Service employees will conduct their work in an honest manner,” said Kevin Cloninger, Executive Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “When employees commit serious offenses, such as taking bribes, they will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by Special Agents with the USPS OIG. We thank our law enforcement partners in this case at the United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for assuring that there is no place for public corruption anywhere within the Postal Service.”
“The defendants fraudulently secured a government contract in a scheme that involved paying kickbacks to government employees, who misused their positions of trust with the U.S. Postal Service for personal gain,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI remains committed to holding accountable individuals that defraud the United States government.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu prosecuted the case.
Two Family Members Federally Indicted in Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A mother and son who are tax return preparers were federally indicted on March 24, 2026, for their roles in filing fraudulent tax returns with the IRS, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
According to the indictment, during the years 2020 through 2024, Jessie Badillo, 60, of Lancaster, Texas, and her son, Manuel Badillo, 37, also of Lancaster, allegedly conspired to file false tax returns through their businesses, JES Financial Service and Manny Financial Services located in DeSoto, Texas. The charges state that the fraudulent tax returns filed by the Badillos sought false refunds by fabricating itemized deductions, such as medical and dental expenses, and/or by fabricating businesses with large losses.In addition to conspiracy to defraud the United States, Jessie Badillo was charged with 40 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns as well as two counts of subscribing to her own false tax returns. Manuel Badillo was charged with 25 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and one count of conspiracy.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the other charges.
“Tax preparers occupy a position of trust in our system. We trust that they will accurately and honestly prepare tax returns. When that trust is violated, through the fictitious creation of deductions and expenses, they don’t just fail their clients, they fail the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This is theft from the honest American taxpayer. The indicted defendants are alleged to have done that, and we will vigorously prosecute this case and other tax cheats in North Texas.”
“During the filing season, it is especially important that taxpayers are able to trust their return preparers,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, of the Dallas Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Jessie and Manuel Badillo allegedly violated that trust in an attempt to line their own pockets. IRS-CI will continue to pursue return preparers who exploit their clients and undermine the tax system.”
IRS-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ignacio Perez de la Cruz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The IRS has published the Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026. Those can be accessed here: Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026.
Three Men Sentenced to Prison in Multimillion Dollar Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Three family members were sentenced today to prison following a jury trial that resulted in convictions for their roles in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. David Hunt was sentenced to 92 months in prison, his son Baylon Hunt was sentenced to 38 months in prison, and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt was sentenced to 94 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. A fourth family member who was also convicted at trial is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial, the Hunts, of Arlington, Texas, Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, and another family member orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. In total, they sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. As part of their scheme, Baylon Hunt and the other family member submitted additional fake documents to the IRS including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. Even after receiving warning letters to discontinue their fraudulent submissions, they continued filing false returns and other documents with the IRS.
As a result of the scheme, the co-conspirators received over $1.7 million in fraudulent proceeds from the IRS, which they shared and used to purchase luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi.
All four defendants were convicted at trial of conspiracy to defraud the United States. David Hunt, Burt, and the other family member were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, the defendants were jointly ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Producer of Child Sex Abuse Material Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Levelland, Texas man who produced child sexual abuse material was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Camilo Reyes Castillo, 47, pled guilty in October 2025 to seven counts of production of child pornography. He was sentenced on March 26, 2026, to 720 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.According to court documents, in early 2025, agents with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) learned that Castillo was likely producing and trading child sexual abuse material online. DPS investigated Castillo and his online presence and confirmed that he was involved in producing and sharing sexually explicit material involving young boys. In June 2025, DPS executed a search warrant at Castillo’s residence in Levelland. Court documents reflect that Castillo agreed to speak with agents. Castillo claimed he “groped” the two male children over their clothes and recorded one of the children in the shower. Agents searched the contents of Castillo’s cell phone and located approximately 170 photos and videos of child pornography in the deleted folder. Amongst the files were seven videos of child pornography Castillo produced of the two male children he claimed he groped. Date and timestamps from the videos revealed they were produced on March 11, 2025. The videos depicted Castillo sexually abusing two male children, ages 9 and 12. The children were identified and interviewed and described Castillo sexually abusing them.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office (Lubbock Resident Agency) and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Illegal Alien Federally Charged with Identity Theft, Voter Fraud, and Passport Fraud After Allegedly Using American Citizen's Identity to VoteRead the Press Release
An illegal alien from Mexico was federally charged with identity theft, voter fraud, and passport fraud for allegedly assuming the identity of an American citizen, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Eliseo Morales-Tapia, 58, a citizen of Mexico residing illegally in the United States, was charged by federal complaint on March 20, 2026. According to the complaint, Morales-Tapia obtained a Texas driver’s license, a Texas identification card, a social security card, and a United States passport, using the identity of another individual who resides in Chicago, Illinois. Morales-Tapia is alleged to have presented the victim’s birth certificate, social security number, and other documents to obtain these identification documents. Most recently, according to the complaint, in October 2025, Morales-Tapia checked “yes” to questions asking if he was a U.S. citizen and if he wanted to vote when he updated his address for the Texas driver’s license that he had obtained years earlier in the victim’s name. As the complaint alleges, in 2025, Morales-Tapia also renewed the passport he had obtained in the victim’s name in 2015. Additionally, according to the complaint, Morales-Tapia voted in an election in Tarrant County on November 5, 2024, utilizing the victim’s identity.Morales-Tapia appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge on March 25, 2026, for an initial appearance on the charges. He remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings. If convicted, Morales-Tapia faces a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment, with up to five years’ imprisonment on each of the identity theft and voter fraud counts and up to ten years’ imprisonment on the passport fraud count.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Diplomatic Security Service, the IRS, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Frisco Police Department, and the Richardson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Capoccia is handling the prosecution.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Worth Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth man who produced sexually explicit videos of two children was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison yesterday, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Keith Plaskonos, 68, pled guilty on December 10, 2025, to an indictment charging him with two counts of using a child for the purpose of creating sexually explicit images. According to court documents, in November 2023, DPS officers were dispatched to the Dallas Fort Worth Airport regarding a report that an adult male was looking at animated child sex abuse material on his cell phone. The male was identified as Plaskonos. After agents seized his cell phone and completed a forensic extraction of the contents, they found that Plaskonos used cellular phones in 2021 and 2022 to create sexually explicit videos of a female child approximately one years old and a second female child who was approximately four years old. On March 26, 2026, United States District Judge Mark T. Pittman sentenced Plaskonos to 360 months per count to run consecutively, for a total of 720 months.The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office (Fort Worth Resident Agency) and the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Three Men Sentenced to Prison in Multimillion Dollar Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Three family members were sentenced today to prison following a jury trial that resulted in convictions for their roles in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. David Hunt was sentenced to 92 months in prison, his son Baylon Hunt was sentenced to 38 months in prison, and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt was sentenced to 94 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. A fourth family member who was also convicted at trial is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial, the Hunts, of Arlington, Texas, Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, and another family member orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. In total, they sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. As part of their scheme, Baylon Hunt and the other family member submitted additional fake documents to the IRS including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. Even after receiving warning letters to discontinue their fraudulent submissions, they continued filing false returns and other documents with the IRS.
As a result of the scheme, the co-conspirators received over $1.7 million in fraudulent proceeds from the IRS, which they shared and used to purchase luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi.
All four defendants were convicted at trial of conspiracy to defraud the United States. David Hunt, Burt, and the other family member were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, the defendants were jointly ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Illegal Alien Federally Charged with Assault After Allegedly Hitting Deputy U.S. Marshal with Pickup Truck While Fleeing Traffic StopRead the Press Release
An illegal alien who allegedly hit a uniformed Deputy U.S. Marshal with his pickup truck while trying to flee the scene of a traffic stop in Dallas has been federally charged with assaulting a federal officer, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Senel Galiano Sagastume, 43, a citizen of Guatemala illegally residing in the United States, was charged by federal complaint on March 24, 2026. According to the complaint, officers initiated a traffic stop and had Sagastume pull to the side of the road. When Sagastume and his passengers refused to roll down the windows, officers breached the truck windows. Sagastume then allegedly put the Silverado in drive and accelerated toward a uniformed Deputy United States Marshal, wedging him between Sagastume’s truck and a law enforcement vehicle and causing bodily injury to the Marshal. Sagastume’s actions also caused visible damage to the Marshal’s uniform, as depicted in the photos contained in the complaint:
As alleged in the complaint, Sagastume fled the scene to a Richardson, Texas apartment complex and ran inside an apartment. Officers arrested him following an hours-long standoff.
If convicted, Sagastume faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison for the charge of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury. Sagastume appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in Dallas on March 25, 2026, for an initial appearance on the charges. He remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings.The Federal Bureau of Investigation—Dallas Field Office and United States Marshal Service conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is handling the prosecution.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Methamphetamine Trafficker Convicted by Federal Jury in AmarilloRead the Press Release
A methamphetamine trafficker was convicted on March 18, 2026, by a federal jury in Amarillo, Texas, for his role in possessing and conspiring to distribute approximately $400,000 worth of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Cameron Nesbitt, 33, of Lancaster, California, was indicted in late August 2025 for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, after agents found almost 100 pounds of the drug in his rental vehicle during a traffic stop on August 2, 2025, in Oldham County, Texas, according to evidence at trial. In the two-day trial that began on March 17, 2026, jurors heard testimony from a handful of law enforcement witnesses and considered over 40 exhibits supporting the charges against Nesbitt.
“This defendant traveled in the Northern District of Texas with nearly a half-million dollars’ worth of methamphetamine in his vehicle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The astute work of DPS Troopers and DEA agents interrupted his plan to dump these dangerous drugs onto our streets, and the jury held him accountable. Credit to the AUSAs in my office for trying a fantastic case.”
“Traffickers who exploit North Texas as a distribution hub for moving dangerous drugs across the United States will face the full weight of federal law,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA, alongside our state and local law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in our commitment to disrupting these criminal networks and protecting the communities we serve.”
Testimony and other evidence at trial established that a drug interdiction DPS trooper on patrol the morning of Saturday, August 2, 2025, stopped the vehicle in which Nesbitt was a passenger for speeding. During his interactions with the driver and Nesbitt, the trooper noticed signs of drug trafficking, including:
• The vehicle was rented in Lancaster, California, and had been rented by a third party;
• The driver and Nesbitt informed the trooper that they were traveling from Lancaster to Atlanta to visit Nesbitt’s brother for a couple days, and gave conflicting stories about where they would be staying;
• The vehicle had a lived-in look and had energy drinks scattered throughout the vehicle;
• Both the driver and Nesbitt seemed very nervous.Evidence at trial revealed that the rental car was also equipped with a dashcam mounted on the front and rear windshields, along with a receipt showing the camera was purchased from a Lancaster, California store the morning the vehicle was rented. Agents testified that during the traffic stop, a drug canine alerted on the vehicle for narcotics. During a subsequent search of the car, law enforcement agents found three duffle bags, one of which contained 15 bundles of methamphetamine. The duffle bag holding the large bundles of methamphetamine still had a store tag attached. The total weight of the methamphetamine was over 44 kilograms, or 97.26 pounds. Testimony at trial established that the methamphetamine’s street value in the Amarillo area would be at least $400,000. Prosecutors introduced photographs of the packaged methamphetamine during trial:
Govt. Ex. 10; photo of seized methamphetamine on top of rental car Govt. Ex. 34; photo of seized methamphetamine at the Oldham County Sheriff’s OfficeThe driver of the vehicle, Johian Scott, 34, also of Lancaster, California, was arrested with Nesbitt that day and indicted along with Nesbitt in late August 2025. Scott pled guilty in February this year to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Nesbitt and Scott each face a minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment. Scott is set for sentencing on June 30, 2026, and Nesbitt is set for sentencing on July 21, 2026. Both men will be sentenced before United States District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk who oversaw Nesbitt’s trial.
The Drug Enforcement Administration - Amarillo Resident Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Amarillo Police Department, with assistance from an investigator with the 47th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Howey and Stephen Rancourt are prosecuting the case.
Illegal Alien Methamphetamine-Trafficking Cell Leader Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Prosecution is part of Homeland Security Task Force effort to combat transnational criminal organizations
An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his top leadership role in distributing methamphetamine in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
In October 2024, Raymundo Bernal Saucedo (“Bernal”), 33, pled guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and aiding and abetting. He was sentenced on March 11, 2026, to 480 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ada E. Brown.
“We are dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks in the Northern District of Texas through our indispensable partnership with Homeland Security Task Force agents,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The lengthy sentence in this case is directly attributable to their diligent efforts, and we will continue to pursue the full measure of justice against those who traffic this poison in our communities."
“This sentence demonstrates that those who traffic dangerous quantities of methamphetamine into North Texas will be held accountable,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA, alongside our federal, state, and local partners remain committed to dismantling transnational criminal organizations and protecting our communities from this poison.”
“The Dallas Homeland Security Task Force remains focused on targeting transnational criminal organizations. The collaborative effort of the HSTF resulted in a significant sentence and the reduction of narcotics on our streets,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in our communities.”
According to court records, Homeland Security Task Force Group One agents began investigating Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area distribution cells affiliated with Michoacán, Mexico-based brokers, who arranged for an Arlington, Texas-area distribution cell to deliver two kilograms of methamphetamine to a DEA confidential source. After the controlled purchase, surveillance, and the execution of a search warrant at a storage unit, agents seized 77 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine along with multiple firearms and a drug ledger.Court records reflect that agents identified Bernal, a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States, as the individual overseeing this local distribution cell, whose members were not only involved the distribution of bulk methamphetamine, but also included the conversion of liquid methamphetamine into its finished distributable form. Bernal, himself, was actively involved in the conversion process acquiring pots, chemicals, buckets, and filler in addition to “cooking” the methamphetamine, and two weapons were recovered from his residence, which Bernal admitted in plea documents were used in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense. According to court records, this investigation led to multiple federal wiretaps of Bernal’s and his coconspirators’ telephones. In addition to Bernal’s involvement in the conversion and distribution of methamphetamine in the Dallas area, investigators also learned that Bernal was responsible for smuggling contraband into jail facilities in Tennessee. All told, Bernal was held responsible for 1,946,000 kilograms of methamphetamine calculated as converted drug weight.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas Group One comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Homeland Security Investigations, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas (Dallas Division).
Man Federally Charged with Assaulting Officers at Dallas Love Field Security CheckpointRead the Press Release
A man has been federally charged with assaulting a federal officer at Dallas Love Field Airport after he punched two TSA officers and seriously injured a Dallas police officer while attempting to proceed through security without identification, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
According to a federal complaint filed on Wednesday this week, Idress Vinay Solomon, 33, of Oakland, California, was ticketed for a Southwest Airlines flight to the Oakland International Airport in California on March 10, 2026. Solomon approached the security checkpoint at Dallas Love Field Airport without any identification. A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer directed Solomon to a different lane so that TSA could attempt to properly identify Solomon using TSA’s ConfirmID process. When the process failed to verify Solomon’s identity, Solomon allegedly became verbally disruptive and aggressive.
“Violent conduct perpetrated against TSA and law enforcement officers will never be tolerated in the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will prosecute such offenses to the fullest extent to seek justice for the victims here and to deter others from resorting to aggressive attacks against officers responsible for ensuring the public’s safety while traveling.”
The complaint alleges that after the TSA officer called for a supervisor because of Solomon’s escalating behavior, Solomon punched him in the back of the neck. Dallas Police Department officers were present in the main lobby and responded to the disturbance to assist TSA. Solomon then allegedly punched one of the Dallas Police Department officers multiple times in the face, causing a serious orbital blowout fracture to his left eye that required him to seek treatment from an ophthalmologist at Parkland Hospital.As alleged in the complaint, Solomon next punched a second TSA officer multiple times before additional Dallas Police Department officers subdued Solomon. Surveillance video at Dallas Love Field captured Solomon’s alleged assaults of the officers, as depicted below in still shots from the video:
Solomon was eventually handcuffed and arrested. As a uniformed Dallas Police Department officer attempted to put Solomon into a police vehicle, Solomon deliberately spit saliva onto the officer’s right arm, according to the complaint. Throughout the incident, Solomon allegedly refused to follow lawful verbal commands and continued to yell and pull away from officers even after he was handcuffed.If convicted, Solomon faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison for the charge of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury. Solomon remains in custody pending further court proceedings.
TSA, the FBI, and DPD conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Antifa Cell Members Convicted in Prairieland ICE Detention Center ShootingRead the Press Release
Nine North Texas Antifa Cell operatives were convicted today by a federal jury in Fort Worth, Texas for their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer and unarmed correctional officers at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center on July 4, 2025, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
In a 12-day trial that began on February 23, 2026, jurors heard testimony from more than 45 witnesses and considered over 210 exhibits supporting the charges against nine indicted defendants: Cameron Arnold, a/k/a Autunm Hill, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, a/k/a Meagan Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada. Seven others, Seth Sikes, Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas, pled guilty last year to one count of providing material support to terrorists.
“Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization that has been allowed to flourish in Democrat-led cities — not under President Trump,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s verdict on terrorism charges will not be the last as the Trump administration systematically dismantles Antifa and finally halts their violence on America’s streets.”
“These guilty verdicts and convictions rightly reflect the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4 last year,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from some peaceful protest or First Amendment expression. Because of the prompt action of first responders that night and tenacious work of our law enforcement partners in tandem with the prosecutors in my office, sixteen people have been brought to justice for these violent acts and their attempts to conceal them. We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”
“Today’s verdict shows the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and dismantling Antifa and its funding networks across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Acts of violence against our law enforcement partners will not be tolerated, and we continue our work to protect communities across the country from domestic terrorism.”
“The calculated, violent attack at ICE’s Prairieland facility was an abhorrent way for antifa terrorists to ‘protest’ the way this agency enforces the law — but these verdicts make clear that those who choose violence over lawful expression will face the full force of the American justice system,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “The men and women who serve at these facilities deserve to do their jobs without facing intimidation or violence. Let today’s outcome serve as a warning: Those who target federal officers with intimidation, ambush tactics or political violence will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable.”
“The coordinated attack on the Prairieland Detention Center required a whole of government approach from the initial response throughout the investigation and trial. The FBI’s JTTF led this collective effort resulting in convictions and guilty pleas by those who committed violent acts against our law enforcement partners,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “I want to thank all the law enforcement agencies that collaborated with us on this investigation. Our collective goal remains to ensure the safety and security of our communities in North Texas.”
“This case marks a historic moment as it represents the nation’s initial federal indictment targeting a coordinated group of Antifa cell members engaged in violent criminal activity,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “The charges demonstrate our unwavering commitment to confronting domestic terrorism and protecting our communities from organized threats.”
Testimony and other evidence at trial established that the defendants were members of a North Texas Antifa Cell, part of a larger militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to an ideology that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. An expert testifying in the government’s case told the jury that Antifa’s coordinated efforts involve obstructing Federal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions.
Evidence at trial revealed that most of the Antifa Cell involved in the Prairieland attack looked to Benjamin Song as a leader. Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups. For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten were part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called “zines,” according to trial evidence.
Trial testimony reflected that, late at night on July 4, at least eleven of the defendants rioted and attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation. The defendants dressed in “black bloc”—dark clothing with head and face coverings that concealed their identities—designed to hide each individual’s identity but also to aid and abet those members engaged in illegal acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law enforcement. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that the defendants brought eleven firearms, body armor, and eleven military-grade first aid kits with tourniquets and other items for gunshot wounds to the scene of the attack. Many of these items were introduced by the government as exhibits. Additionally, fingerprint evidence linked many of the defendants to the items at the scene, and evidence obtained on phone locations supported that those who participated in the attack all turned off their phones or placed them in Faraday bags to prevent tracking on the night of the attack.After Antifa Cell members arrived at Prairieland, they began shooting off and throwing fireworks (explosives) at the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack on Prairieland property:
Witnesses testified that an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911. When the officer began issuing commands to defendant Nathan Baumann, Benjamin Song can be heard on police bodycam video yelling, “get to the rifles!” and then he opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado police officer in the neck as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover. Police arrested most of the Antifa Cell shortly after the attack, many near the scene. Benjamin Song escaped and remained at large with the help of others until his capture on July 15, 2025.
Trial evidence demonstrated that collectively, the Antifa Cell acquired over 50 firearms in the Fort Worth/Dallas area prior to July 4. During trial, the government introduced numerous chats of the members, who used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate with each other that had auto-delete functions, permanently deleting some Antifa Cell members’ communications. They also used monikers in group chats to hide their identities, and some of the planning chats included only trusted participants. The chats introduced at trial revealed that members in this limited group conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the riot, including firearms, medical kits, and fireworks:
Witnesses who testified during the government’s case included the Alvarado police officer who was shot in the neck by Song, detention officers present that night who also took cover from rapid fire, multiple additional responding officers, numerous investigative agents, and cooperating codefendants, including Baumann, Sharp, Thomas, and Kent. Among other things, Kent testified that the night before the attack at a “gear check,” Song proposed to free the detainees at Prairieland and told the group that they should wear black bloc and bring rifles, because he (Song) wasn’t going to be arrested. Evidence at trial also revealed that some of the defendants attended a peaceful daytime protest at Prairieland on July 4—without the gear they brought that night—and that they reported back to other defendants details regarding security at the facility:
The jury convicted the nine defendants of the following offenses:
- Riot (Count 1), with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
- Defendants convicted: Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto
- Providing Material Support to Terrorists (Count 2), including property, services, training, communications equipment, weapons, explosives, personnel (including themselves), and transportation.
- Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
- Conspiracy to Use and Carry an Explosive (Count 3), and Using and Carrying an Explosive (Count 4), during a riot.
- Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
- Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the United States (Count 7), involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought the Alvarado Police Officer.
- Defendant convicted: Song
- Discharging a Firearm During, and in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence (Counts 8, 9, and 10), i.e., the attempted murder of two correctional officers and an Alvarado Police Officer.
- Defendant convicted: Song
- Corruptly Concealing a Document or Record (Count 11), by transporting a box containing numerous Antifa materials, such as insurrection planning, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, and anti-immigration enforcement documents and propaganda from Sanchez Estrada’s residence to a location in Denton, Texas, intending to conceal the box’s contents and impair its availability for use in a federal grand jury and federal criminal proceeding.
- Defendant convicted: Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada
- Conspiracy to Conceal Documents (Count 12) and other objects that would implicate Maricela Rueda in the riot and shooting at the Prairieland facility.
- Defendants convicted: Sanchez Estrada and Maricela Rueda
Song faces a minimum penalty of 20 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. Arnold, Evetts, Morris, Rueda, Batten, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto each face a sentence ranging from a minimum of ten years up to sixty years in federal prison. Sanchez Estrada faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
The sole count of providing material support to terrorists to which Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and Sikes pled guilty, mirrors the material support offense in the charges presented to the jury at trial. Each of these defendants face a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison.
Sentencing hearings for the sixteen defendants are pending in front of United States District Judge Mark Pittman, who oversaw the trial.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI—Dallas, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto, Shawn Smith, and Matt Capoccia prosecuted the case.
- Riot (Count 1), with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
Lead Defendant in Significant Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization in Lubbock Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Lubbock man responsible for trafficking thousands of pounds of methamphetamine into the Lubbock area was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Jeremiah “Chris” Arguijo, 40, of Lubbock, Texas, was indicted in August 2025 and pled guilty in November 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced on March 6, 2026, to 360 months in federal prison by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to court documents, on July 22, 2025, federal agents executed search warrants at multiple locations in the Lubbock area Arguijo used to traffic drugs. They located several pounds of methamphetamine and items associated with large scale drug trafficking, some of which is depicted below:
Court records reflect that Arguijo was located near one of the search locations. He attempted to flee using a vehicle and then on foot, but was quickly captured and placed under arrest.
At the sentencing hearing, the court noted the staggering amount of drugs involved. Over a 12-month period, Arguijo was responsible for trafficking more than 1,200 pounds of methamphetamine, or 100 pounds per month.Five other individuals charged along with Arguijo have all pled guilty for their roles in methamphetamine trafficking. Adam Casas, Jr. was sentenced in February 2026 to 97 months by Judge Hendrix. The remaining codefendants will be sentenced in the coming weeks.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Convicted Felon Who Opened Fire on Abilene Police Officers Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A previously convicted felon who opened fire on Abilene Police Department officers after leading them on a high speed chase was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Austin Tabor Heuermann, 32, of Abilene, Texas, was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025 for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Heuermann pled guilty to the charge in November 2025 and was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment on March 6, 2026, by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who also ordered him to pay $4,019.26 in restitution.
Court records reflect that on August 13, 2025, around 3:40 p.m., Heuermann fled from Abilene Police officers who tried to stop him for a traffic violation and an outstanding state warrant. Heuermann ran through several stop signs and sped toward multiple active school zones. Given the high risk to public safety, officers stopped pursuing. Shortly thereafter, officers located Heuermann’s empty vehicle hidden under a tarp.
According to information presented in court, officers tracked Heuermann to a home in another area of Abilene. Other occupants exited the home at the officers’ direction, but Heuermann refused. Seconds after the last occupant exited, Heuermann shot through the house to the outside. Officers simultaneously observed debris from the wall immediately in front of them fly up into the air. Officers then retreated, and the Abilene Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (“SWAT”) team arrived.
Court records show that Heuermann refused to surrender for hours, despite the presence of more than 10 SWAT members and negotiators at the home stationed in the armored SWAT Bearcat vehicle. Refusing to obey SWAT personnel commands to come out, Heuermann opened the front door twice. He first looked outside and shut the door. After opening the door again, Heuermann pointed a firearm and shot at the Bearcat, striking and partially shattering the Bearcat’s windshield directly above the driver’s head.According to plea documents, after Heuermann surrendered, officers entered the home and recovered a stolen grey Century Arms, Canik 9mm pistol with spent shell casings on the floor. Heuermann admitted that he was a convicted felon and that he possessed and fired the firearm that day.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Abilene Resident Agency – Dallas Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Fort Worth, and the Abilene Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Schrauth prosecuted the case.
Second Member of Dallas-Based Methamphetamine and Heroin Trafficking Cell Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Dallas-area man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for distributing narcotics, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Victor Manuel Gaona, 29, pled guilty in July 2024 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced on Tuesday, March 5, 2026, to 240 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Ada E. Brown.
According to court documents and statements made at sentencing, Gaona admitted that on or about June 18, 2024, federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at a residence on Ben Hur Street, Dallas, Texas, which agents had previously linked to drug-trafficking activity associated with Gaona and co-defendants Omar Castro-Sandoval and Epifanio Flores Magana. During the search, agents located a clandestine methamphetamine recrystallization laboratory in the residence’s back room along with two minor children residing at the 952-square foot location. The clandestine laboratory contained liquid, intermediate-stage, and finished methamphetamine along with a propane tank, large burner, sieves, gloves, and large Ziploc baggies. Additional finished methamphetamine was also found in a bedroom shared by Gaona and Flores Magana. Heroin, which was bagged for distribution, was located in a utility closet underneath children’s luggage.
Court records reflect that Gaona was ultimately held responsible for nearly 100,000 kilograms of narcotics calculated in converted drug weight. Co-defendant Castro-Sandoval, who was present at the time of the execution, was sentenced by Judge Brown to 168 months imprisonment on January 20, 2026. Co-defendant Flores Magana’s sentencing is scheduled for April 14, 2026.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
Mother Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Fraud Scheme Involving Quadriplegic SonRead the Press Release
A Lubbock woman was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining, forging, and cashing Texas Medicaid checks payable to a former health worker for her quadriplegic son, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Judy Terecia Sanchez, 60, was sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment on February 19, 2026, by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, after Sanchez pled guilty in July last year to one count of bank fraud. Judge Hendrix also ordered Sanchez to pay restitution of $227,377 to Texas Health and Human Services.
“The defendant inflicted unimaginable suffering on her son by fraudulently pretending he received the care he needed and deserved,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Justice in the form of this lengthy prison sentence is deserved for the defendant’s callous exploitation of her son’s tragic condition for her own gain.”
“This sentencing was the culmination of a tremendous team effort, and I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and the Texas Office of Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their hard work and dedication in seeing that justice was served,” said Texas HHS Inspector General Raymond Winter, whose agency initiated the investigation. “This case was about something much more troubling than fraud; it was about a severely disabled young man who was deprived of services paid for by taxpayers. Ms. Sanchez received more than $200,000 under false pretenses—monies intended to provide professional help for her own quadriplegic son to perform basic functions that most of us take for granted. Instead, her son went without for more than six years while she stole taxpayer dollars and lied about it. I hope today’s sentencing serves as a potent reminder that Texans will not tolerate this behavior and that the pursuit of justice will be relentless.”
Court records reflect that Sanchez’s son suffered a debilitating injury that left him severely disabled, bed-ridden, blind, non-verbal, non-mobile, and breathing via a tracheostomy. These disabilities made him wholly dependent on others for all of his needs and qualified him for home health care through the Texas Medicaid program. In 2015, Sanchez selected a certified nurse aide to assist with her son’s bathing, toileting, repositioning in bed, hygiene care, and restorative activities. According to court documents, the nurse aide resigned after approximately two weeks, but Sanchez did not replace her with another aide to provide her son’s care. Instead, for the next six years, Sanchez falsified time sheets as if the nurse aide was still caring for her son and submitted the time sheets to Medicaid for payment. Sanchez directed Medicaid to mail the checks – each of which were payable to the nurse aide—to a post office box controlled by Sanchez. Sanchez then forged and cashed the checks.
According to information presented at sentencing, Sanchez’s fraud was discovered when her son was found in an extreme state of neglect and misery toward the end of his life after Sanchez left him unattended. During the investigation, an EMS worker stated that, in her nine-year career, she had never seen a living person in such a state. When imposing the 17-year sentence, Judge Hendrix observed that Sanchez’s fraud had prevented qualified Medicaid care for her son and noted details about his condition, involving pus-filled bed sores and a severe maggot infestation covering his body.
The Office of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office—Lubbock Resident Agency, and Texas Health and Human Services conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case.
Lubbock Chapter President of the Banditos Motorcycle Club Charged with Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
A Lubbock man and chapter president of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club was federally charged for his role in possessing large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Steven Glenn Ryals, 74, of Lubbock, Texas, also known as “Hot Tub,” was charged by federal complaint on March 2, 2026, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ryals appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in Lubbock that same day for his initial appearance on the charges. He remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings. If convicted, Ryals faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison.According to the complaint, in early 2025, law enforcement agents initiated an investigation into Ryals, who was the Banditos Notorious Chapter President, and other Banditos members suspected of methamphetamine trafficking the Lubbock area. On February 27, 2026, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant for the Banditos Notorious clubhouse, which was also Ryals’s residence. Inside an office, agents located approximately 3.2 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a locked drawer of a wooden filing cabinet. Next to the cabinet was another cabinet containing Ryals’ BMC paraphernalia, as depicted below:
In other areas of the office, agents found multiple items commonly used in the distribution of controlled substances, including numerous small plastic baggies, digital scales, and a concealed compartment located inside a bookshelf.
This investigation was a joint operation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center, and Caprock Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Texas Anti-Gang Center is composed of agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.