Western District of Washington
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Two East Pierce County residents, who distributed fentanyl pills via the dark web, plead guiltyRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Two residents of East Pierce County, Washington, who conspired to sell fentanyl pills via a ‘dark web’ marketplace pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Trevor Stephen Haahr, 34, of Puyallup, Washington, and Kaeli Arielle Albert, 35, of Orting, Washington, face a sentence of up to 40 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright on December 18, 2025.
According to the statements in the plea agreements, in early 2023, law enforcement began an investigation into sales of fentanyl pills on a marketplace located on the dark web. After ordering some of the pills that were labeled to appear as M30 oxycodone pills, law enforcement testing revealed they were fentanyl pills.
Through various investigative techniques, Trevor Stephen Haahr was identified as the operator of the marketplace on the dark web. In February 2024, Haahr mailed a package in Pierce County that was searched and contained more than 10,000 fentanyl pills. Surveillance of Haahr revealed multiple quick meeting with Albert where cash and drugs were exchanged.
On March 11, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at Haahr’s residence, office, storage locker, vehicle and at Albert’s home, amongst other locations. At Haahr’s office he was signed on to the dark web vender profile. In his truck and storage locker investigators found drug proceeds, fentanyl pills and supplies for shipping the drugs. In Albert’s residence investigators seized more than $23,000 in drug proceeds and body armor.
The defendants admit in their plea agreements that they distributed more than 100,000 fentanyl laced pills.
Law enforcement also seized bitcoin that Haahr had received in payment for the drugs. At the time it was seized the bitcoin was worth approximately $50,000. Haahr is forfeiting the bitcoin as proceeds of his drug dealing.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend sentences at the low end of the guidelines range calculated by the court. Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in this volume is punishable by up to 40 years in prison. Possession with intent to distribute is punishable by up to twenty years in prison. Haahr pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count and to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Albert pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Judge Cartwright is not bound by the recommendations and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Wynne and Casey Conzatti.
Former JBLM soldier, convicted previously of child sexual abuse in military court, sentenced today to 25 years in prison for sexual abuse of four other minorsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A former soldier, previously stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 25 years in prison for the sexual abuse of four young children who had been left in his care. Jonathan Anthony Gentry, 36, molested six children between January 2010 and February 2014. In August of 2013, he was arrested and prosecuted in military court for sexually molesting two 13-year-olds. He was sentenced to two years in military prison. It was only years later that four other children, also left in his care, disclosed horrific sexual abuse.
At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “This is the most serious kind of conduct that comes before this court… The victims were helpless children. You were the monster that was living with them. You scarred these victims for the rest of their lives.”
“This defendant used threats of terrible harm to silence his victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “These children showed great courage stepping forward to report sexual abuse that happened when they were as young as 3-years-old. The children report being strangled or forced to drink alcohol so that Gentry could molest them. Such conduct must be punished by significant prison time.”
According to records filed in the case, in April 2020, two children disclosed the sexual abuse that happened during the time Gentry lived on JBLM. One child was 10 or 11 years old at the time of the sexual abuse, the other was between 5 and 9-years-old. In both cases Gentry threatened to harm the children’s families if they did not submit to the abuse or told anyone about the abuse. The third victim was between 3 and 5 years old at the time of the abuse and disclosed the abuse to a trusted adult in April 2024. Finally, a fourth victim, who was on a sleepover at the home when sexual abuse occurred in June 2013, disclosed the abuse in March 2023.
On December 4, 2024, a grand jury indicted Gentry for five counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of abusive sexual contact with a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor. On July 2, 2025, Gentry pleaded guilty to three counts of abusive sexual contact with a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor.
In asking for a 30-year prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Gentry repeatedly raped and molested vulnerable children in his care. The seriousness of offenses like Gentry’s is measured both by the resulting trauma for these survivors and by its contribution to a national child sexual abuse epidemic. For decades, researchers have documented the staggering prevalence of child sexual abuse in America and the lifelong damage that such abuse inflicts on victims—from heightened suicide risk to increased prevalence of drug and alcohol use and myriad other mental health disorders.”
Speaking in court, three of the victims described the terrible impact Gentry had on their lives: “my innocence was taken, my childhood was taken,” one said. “No amount of time he serves can compare to the loss of our childhood and the years that were stolen from us,” another told the court.
Chief Juge Estudillo told them, “No words I can say will ever alleviate the pain and suffering you have gone through.” He ordered that Gentry serve 20 years of supervised release following the prison term.
“It is heartbreaking that these children suffered this abuse at such a young age, and by someone who should have protected them,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “I commend them for their steadfast resolve in speaking up to ensure accountability and attempt to protect other children from potential abuse. Mr. Gentry, as a former servicemember, had a responsibility to defend the vulnerable, not exploit them. While no sentence can undo what happened to the victims, I hope this lengthy sentence sends a message to other would-be offenders that the FBI and our partners will investigate and prosecute child predators.”
The case was investigated by the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon and Kristine Foerster.
Former Financial Advisor sentenced to 32 months in prison for stealing more than $500,000 from client’s trust accountRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former Seattle-area Financial Advisor was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 32 months in prison for wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Michael P. Raineri, 63, stole $531,411 from a client’s trust account over about six years. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted that Raineri took advantage of someone who trusted him as a financial expert. The majority of Americans look to financial advisors as expert in their field, similar how people go to doctors. These people trust these experts with their life, the judge said.
According to records filed in the case, in 2013 the victim inherited about $2 million held in a revocable trust. When he received the inheritance, the victim also had a team of people to help manage the money and Raineri was one of them. The victim told the advisors he did not want to take any risks with the money but instead wanted to have it for his retirement.
Over the next ten years, Raineri ingratiated himself with the victim and stayed as an advisor to the victim’s trust even when Raineri switched financial firms. He used various false justifications to convince the victim to provide him with blank checks, with a power of attorney, and with a key to his apartment. These tools were all used so that Raineri could defraud the client. Between 2016 and 2020, Raineri used twelve blank checks to steal $397,000 from the victims account, passing it through another client’s account before depositing it in his own bank account. Later he moved some $115,226 from the victim’s account directly to his own. He even paid the lease on his luxury car from the victim’s account.
In 2022, the victim became concerned about the balances in his account and an audit revealed the theft.
Raineri was indicted in November 2024. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in June 2025.
In asking for a 41-month prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Sanaa Nagi wrote to the court that Raineri didn’t just steal money, he violated the victim’s trust. The victim was left with less than a quarter of his inheritance. “He had to begin working full time to have enough money to live. Now, instead of travelling and enjoying what would be his retirement years, (the victim) works at least 40 hours a week… making approximately $24 an hour. A recent wrist injury and his advanced age make his work difficult at times. He has to live more frugally than ever before.”
Judge Martinez ordered full restitution of $531,411. Raineri must complete three years of supervised release following sentencing.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sanaa Nagi.
Everett, Washington, man pleads guilty to three federal felonies stemming from pipe bomb that destroyed car at apartment complexRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 54-year-old Everett, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three federal felonies in connection with a pipe bomb explosion that destroyed a neighbor’s car, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Steven Goldstine was originally charged in Snohomish County for the suspected hate crime. Today he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a destructive device on December 31, 2024; unlawful possession of ammunition on March 17, 2025; and unlawful possession of a firearm on September 4, 2020. Sentencing is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on December 15, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, on December 31, 2024, Everett Police responded to reports of an explosion in a car parked at an apartment complex. The victims told police they suspected Goldstine due to prior conflicts they had had with him. The day after the explosion they received a voice message using racial slurs and referencing the explosion in the vehicle. Further analysis of the records led investigators to believe it was Goldstine.
Using video footage from the apartment complex and other cameras in the area investigators determined the bomber’s clothing and direction of travel. When they executed a search warrant at Goldstine’s home law enforcement found a jacket and shoes that appeared to match those seen in the video. Law enforcement also seized more than 700 rounds of ammunition. Goldstine is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions for burglary, arson, and possession of stolen property. Goldstine pleaded guilty to that felony today.
In reviewing Goldstine’s history, law enforcement determined that on September 17, 2020, law enforcement searched Goldstine’s residence following a report that while out in his car he had pointed a gun at protestors. The action was captured on video. In the search of Goldstine’s home in 2020, the firearm was seized by law enforcement. Goldstine pleaded guilty today to that illegal firearms possession.
Unlawful possession of a destructive device and unlawful possession of a firearm, as charged in this case, are both punishable by up to ten years in prison. Unlawful possession of ammunition is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Chun after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the Everett Police Department, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Manca for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Justice Department Seeks to Revoke Citizenship of Immigration and Identity FraudsterRead the Press Release
On Sept. 24, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint against Gurdev Singh Sohal, also known as Dev Singh, also known as Boota Singh Sundu, who obtained his U.S. citizenship in 2005 despite having been ordered deported in 1994. Instead of leaving the country based on his 1994 deportation and exclusion order under the name Dev Singh, Sohal used a different identity, with a new name, date of birth, and date of entry into the United States, to naturalize. He did not disclose his prior immigration history under the Dev Singh identity in any of his immigration applications or proceedings when he naturalized under the Gurdev Sohal identity. Expert analysis in February 2020 confirmed that the fingerprints submitted under both identities came from the same individual. The analysis was only made possible after DHS digitized the paper fingerprint submission documents from older immigration files.
“If you lie to the government or hide your identity so that you can naturalize, this Administration will find you and strip you of your fraudulently acquired U.S. citizenship.” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The complaint alleges that Sohal illegally procured his U.S. citizenship because he was never lawfully admitted for permanent residence and because the lies he told throughout his naturalization process rendered him unable to show the requisite good moral character to naturalize. A third count charges Sohal with procuring his naturalization by concealment or willful misrepresentation of his prior identity and immigration proceedings.
This is the ninth denaturalization action that the Department has filed since Jan. 20.
This case was investigated as part of the Historic Fingerprint Enrollment project, an ongoing national initiative between the Justice Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from USCIS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Justice Department Seeks to Revoke Citizenship of Immigration and Identity FraudsterRead the Press Release
On Sept. 24, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint against Gurdev Singh Sohal, also known as Dev Singh, also known as Boota Singh Sundu, who obtained his U.S. citizenship in 2005 despite having been ordered deported in 1994. Instead of leaving the country based on his 1994 deportation and exclusion order under the name Dev Singh, Sohal used a different identity, with a new name, date of birth, and date of entry into the United States, to naturalize. He did not disclose his prior immigration history under the Dev Singh identity in any of his immigration applications or proceedings when he naturalized under the Gurdev Sohal identity. Expert analysis in February 2020 confirmed that the fingerprints submitted under both identities came from the same individual. The analysis was only made possible after DHS digitized the paper fingerprint submission documents from older immigration files.
“If you lie to the government or hide your identity so that you can naturalize, this Administration will find you and strip you of your fraudulently acquired U.S. citizenship.” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The complaint alleges that Sohal illegally procured his U.S. citizenship because he was never lawfully admitted for permanent residence and because the lies he told throughout his naturalization process rendered him unable to show the requisite good moral character to naturalize. A third count charges Sohal with procuring his naturalization by concealment or willful misrepresentation of his prior identity and immigration proceedings.
This is the ninth denaturalization action that the Department has filed since Jan. 20.
This case was investigated as part of the Historic Fingerprint Enrollment project, an ongoing national initiative between the Justice Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from USCIS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Man from Grays Harbor County, Washington, pleads guilty to possession of narcotics with intent to distributeRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A federal defendant from Grays Harbor County, Washington, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to two counts of possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Gabriel Armas faces a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison because of the amount of narcotics involved and Armas’ 2015 conviction for trafficking heroin and methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle scheduled sentencing for December 16, 2025.
According to the plea agreement statement of facts, on November 14, 2023, Armas was found slumped over the wheel of a car in a parking lot in Ocean Shores, Washington. When an officer knocked on the window, Armas drove away at a high rate of speed. Law enforcement stopped the pursuit due to Armas’ reckless driving.
The car Armas was driving got stuck on a bridge that had not been designed for vehicle traffic and the bridge collapsed. Armas left the area, but a drug detecting dog found things he had abandoned in the area such as baggies containing fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder and crystal methamphetamine. They also found identity and bank cards in Armas’ name.
A few days later, Armas was found in the area where the car was abandoned and was booked into the Federal Detention Center on allegations he had violated his federal supervision. He was housed in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) on the night of November 19, 2023. On the morning of November 20, 2023, the person sharing the cell with Armas was found unresponsive and died despite lifesaving efforts. An autopsy revealed the man died from acute heroin, olanzapine, and mirtazapine intoxication.
On November 23, 2023, authorities found heroin hidden in Armas’ cell. It was wrapped in a jailhouse note offering heroin for sale to inmates. A few weeks later more heroin was found in the top of a pill bottle in Armas’ cell. On January 25, 2024, Armas admitted to another inmate that he made money selling heroin to other inmates and that his cellmate overdosed and died from the heroin. Armas said he swallowed the some of the heroin to hide it from staff after his cellmate’s overdose.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, both the defense and prosecution will recommend a ten-year prison term. Judge Settle is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Ocean Shores Police Department and Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner.
Two members of Mexico connected drug trafficking group sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two members of a drug trafficking ring with ties to Mexico were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jose Rodolfo Aguilar Cortes, 23, of Federal Way, Washington, was sentenced to five years in prison and Alex Ortiz, 21, of Auburn, Washington was sentenced to 20 months in prison. At Ortiz’ sentencing U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson said, “This is a serious offense involving dangerous drugs and a significant number of guns.”
According to records filed in the case, both men were involved with a drug trafficking ring bringing significant quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to Western Washington for distribution. Cortes was indicted for a seizure of 14 kilos of cocaine on March 24, 2024, in Lewis County. Cortes was identified as one of the drivers of cars bringing drugs to the northwest from California. Over the course of the investigation, total seizures included the recovery of approximately 81 kilograms of methamphetamine, 49 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 15 kilograms of cocaine, and three pounds of marijuana. Cortes was sentenced to four years of supervised release following prison but will likely be deported following his prison term. He is a citizen of Mexico.
Alex Ortiz served as stash house operator for the drug ring. He lived with his cousin who is also indicted in the case. Ortiz followed instructions about delivering drugs and receiving cash to and from various drug ring members. When search warrants were executed on May 14, 2024, at the home Ortiz shared with his cousin, investigators seized approximately $5,920 in U.S. currency, eight firearms, fourteen rounds of ammunition, and six magazines in various rooms throughout the residence. Ortiz was sentenced to five years of supervised release to follow his 20-month prison term. Judge Evanson recommended the residential drug treatment program for Ortiz while he is incarcerated.
In all, 15 defendants have been charged for participating in this drug ring. Two other defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to five years in prison.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Seattle Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Oregon State Police, Portland Police Department, California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Strike Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Centralia Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Elyne Vaught.
High-volume tax preparer pleads guilty to preparing fraudulent tax returnsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A high-volume tax preparer in Vancouver, Washington pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to sixteen counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Keith Altamirano, 52, operated Integrity Investments, LLC, doing business as “Servicios Latinos.” Between 2017 and 2021, Altamirano prepared at least 12,000 tax returns. A statistical sampling analysis reveals that his false entries on customer tax returns cost the U.S. Treasury more than $5 million in tax loss. Altamirano is scheduled for sentencing in front of Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo on December 19, 2025, at 10:30 a.m.
According to the plea agreement and indictment, Altamirano falsified clients’ income tax submissions by listing fake medical expenses, and charitable donations for deductions, listing fake cars for depreciation and expense deductions, and by listing fabricated and inflated business expenses. Altamirano concealed his fraud by using “White Out” and omitting his name on his clients’ filed returns. The clients did not know Altamirano falsified their tax return to get them a larger refund. Altamirano’s fraud helped build his business as customers recommended him to others to get larger refunds.
The tax loss for the 16 counts he pleaded guilty to is $104,518. Altamirano agreed to pay that amount in restitution to the IRS.
This month, Altamirano also pled guilty to attempted second degree murder and drug charges in Clark County Superior Court. Altamirano was sentenced to 135 months of imprisonment in his state case, which will run concurrently with his federal sentence according to the Clark County judgment.
For each count of aiding and assisting with filing a false or fraudulent tax return Altamirano faces up to three years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend imprisonment at the low end of the federal guidelines range. Chief Judge Estudillo is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The tax fraud case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The tax fraud case is being prosecuted by Amanda McDowell.
First of a pair of men charged in massive stolen goods trafficking scheme enters guilty pleaRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 53-year-old Federal Way, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for his scheme to sell stolen goods on Amazon or eBay, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Vitaliy F. Bobak, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce. Bobak and his co-defendant Andrey A. Balun, 58 of Bellevue, Washington and Las Vegas, jointly owned MBA Trading LLC which did business at a Burien, Washington storefront operating as “We Buy Gold, Silver, and Electronics.” An extensive law enforcement investigation revealed that the storefront knowingly purchased goods stolen from area retailers which the pair then sold on Amazon or eBay for millions of dollars in profit.
According to the plea agreement and other records filed in the case, Bobak co-owned the business since 2020. Bobak admits that he purchased stolen goods from individual sellers knowing that the goods were stolen. He bought primarily over the counter medications and health/beauty products. In many instances the goods still had anti-theft devices attached, and/or stickers saying for sale only at a particular retailer. The men bought the goods far below the retail price and then posted them for sale on two websites they operated on Amazon or eBay. The Amazon store was called “Medikus” and the eBay store was called “abcstore555.” The indictment traces the money from the online stores to the men’s bank accounts. The funds were then used by the men to operate the scheme by paying cash to the “boosters” (people who stole the goods) and payroll to employees who were involved in posting and shipping the goods for sale. The remainder of the proceeds were funneled to the men who then withdrew money to pay themselves and for various personal expenses. For example, Bobak used $66,000 in cash for a new Lexus. Between 2021 and June of 2023, the operation brought in more than $4.5 million.
The plea agreement details three items brought to the We Buy store as stolen goods that were then sold on Amazon and eBay: a Braun electric shaver, sold and shipped to Rhode Island, a Keurig coffee maker sold and shipped to Oregon and Sonicare and Rogaine products that Bobak purchased from a “booster.” Bobak used a torch lighter and drill to remove the security devices on the products.
The scale of the sales was huge and both national and international. An analysis of the sales of the two online stores reveals that between January 1, 2022, and November 28, 2023, there were over 150,000 sale transactions through the abcstore555 eBay and Medikus Amazon stores. When search warrants were served and merchandise seized on December 19, 2023, the conspirators possessed more than 74,000 items of stolen merchandise valued at approximately $2.4 million. After the seizure, the business shut down.
In his plea agreement Bobak admits he personally obtained proceeds of at least $1,000,000. Bobak agrees to forfeit $1,000,000 to the government as part of the resolution of his case.
Conspiracy to transport stolen property is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Bobak is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3, 2025.
Balun is scheduled for a jury trial in front of U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on February 23, 2026. The charges against Balun are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant assistance from the Renton Police Department, Seattle Police Department, and the IRS, and aided by investigators from numerous retailers. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite and Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Krista Bush.
Former Washington state employee sentenced to prison for embezzling nearly $900,000Read the Press Release
Tacoma – A 48-year-old Olympia resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 18 months in prison for wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal nearly $900,000 from his former employer – the State of Washington – announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Matthew Randall Ping pleaded guilty in June 2025 to wire fraud and making and subscribing a false tax return. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said, “Your crime was very serious but was driven by severe addiction…. Gambling addiction can destroy the life of someone who is otherwise an upstanding citizen.”
“This theft was not just the largest insider embezzlement from Washington State in the last 15 years, it also undermines trust in our state financial safeguards,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Mr. Ping not only cheated state taxpayers, he cheated on his federal taxes as well by failing to pay the income taxes he owed on ill-gotten gain.”
According to records filed in the case, Ping began working for the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) in 2009. By 2017 he had been promoted to the role of Management Analyst and served as the department’s credit card custodian. Between 2019 and 2023, Ping used a sophisticated scheme to abuse his credit card access so he could embezzle at least $878,115 from the state agency.
The plea agreement, charging information, and sentencing memo detail how Ping hid the fraud from his employer. Ping opened accounts with payment processors and gave the accounts display names that indicated the accounts were associated with legitimate OAH business vendors. Between 2019 and 2021, Ping secretly charged more than $330,000 to OAH credit cards as purported payments to these vendors. In fact, the money went to accounts Ping controlled. In 2021, Ping set up an account via a different payment processor and continued the fraud, stealing approximately $530,000 in additional funds from OAH. Ping also used OAH credit cards to buy $17,359 in personal items from Verizon and Walmart.
Ping also circumvented state procedures designed to detect credit card fraud. For example, OAH required that Ping’s co-workers review and approve Ping’s credit card transactions, but Ping would provide false or incomplete lists of transactions during that review process. After the review, Ping would add in his fraudulent charges and upload and approve payment himself without the required oversight on his fraudulent transactions. He also took steps to manipulate the accounting data to make it more difficult to determine that he had violated protocol by uploading, reviewing, and approving his own transactions
In all Ping secretly executed 210 transactions with the phony vendors he created for a total loss to the state of $860,756. The improper charges on his state issued credit card total $17,359, bringing the total loss to the State of Washington to $878,115.
In asking for a 33-month prison sentence, Assistant United Staes Attorney Dane Westermeyer noted that much of the money Ping stole was gambled away at casinos. “He used this stolen taxpayer money to fuel his gambling habit, fund at least six trips to Las Vegas, pay off a luxury vehicle loan, and otherwise support his lifestyle. And, perhaps not surprisingly, he failed to report any of the income from his theft on his federal tax returns, which resulted in a tax loss of nearly $250,000,” Westermeyer wrote in his sentencing memo.
Speaking to the court Matthew Ping said he tried to get help for his gambling addiction, but that resources for that addiction are very limited. Ping will be on three years of supervised release following his prison term. Judge Cartwright urged him to be active advocating for services and regulations that would benefit those struggling with a gambling addiction.
The embezzlement was first discovered by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. Ping resigned his position in 2023 when the theft was discovered. For tax years 2020-2023, the resulting tax loss totals $240,247. Ping has agreed to pay full restitution to the state, to its insurer, and to the IRS for his tax obligation -- a total of $1,118,362.
The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) worked with the Auditors Office on the criminal investigation.
The case is being Prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.
Deering, Alaska man convicted of abusive sexual contact on airline flight to SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 28-year-old Deering, Alaska man was convicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle of abusive sexual contact, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Trayton C. Ballot was arrested on January 15, 2025, when the Alaska Airlines flight he was on arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International airport. The jury deliberated about an hour following a two-day trial. Jurors found Ballot repeatedly rubbed the inner thigh of a 17-year-old seated next to him on the plane for his sexual gratification. Ballot faces up to two years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on December 15, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, the 17-year-old victim was flying with her mother and a friend from Anchorage to Seattle. Ballot was seated in the middle seat in a row near the back of the plane. The victim was in the window seat. Ballot appeared to be asleep but then moved his hand onto the victim’s inner thigh and began rubbing her thigh. The victim removed Ballot’s hand. Two more times Ballot moved his hand onto the 17-year-old’s inner thigh, and she removed his hand. After the third time, the victim lowered her tray table and wedged a stuffed animal under it to protect her lap. Despite those barriers, Ballot moved his hand under the armrest and attempted to place it over the victim’s thigh. The victim pressed down on the stuffed animal to stop the assault and Ballot took his hand away.
The victim typed into her phone that the man seated next to her had touched her and showed the message to her mother who was seated in the row behind her. At her mother’s instruction, the victim notified the flight attendants who moved her to a different seat.
Ballot was arrested when the plane arrived in Seattle.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Port of Seattle Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn Forstein and Cindy Chang.
Seattle gang member with history of gun violence sentenced to prison for illegal firearm possessionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A long-time member of a south Seattle street gang was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to four years in prison, and three years of supervised release, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Samuel N. Rezene, 38, has a lengthy criminal history involving drug trafficking, promoting prostitution and firearms. Rezene was the target of multiple shooting incidents including one in February 2012, when Rezene’s then girlfriend was shot and killed while riding in the car Rezene was driving. At the sentencing hearing today U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said “As far as I can tell, this defendant wants to be taken out of society…. You don’t get a Glock 9 to protect yourself, you get that to be back in the trade.”
“Less than three months after his release from a 92-month prison sentence, Mr. Rezene again had a firearm, drove dangerously, crashed his car in a high crime area, and fled from police,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The only thing that stops his criminal conduct is time behind prison bars. This sentence is necessary for community safety.”
According to records filed in the case, Rezene was 83 days into his term of federal supervised release, when he crashed his parents’ car on Aurora Avenue North in Seattle and fled the scene, leaving a firearm in the car. Rezene was ultimately arrested and indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on May 30, 2025.
The firearm that Rezene left in the crashed car had his DNA on the magazine that was in the pistol. Analysis of the bullets fired by the gun reveal that it is linked to four shots fired incidents that occurred before Rezene was released from federal prison for a May 2017 conviction. The firearm is also tied to a September 3, 2023, homicide that occurred in Seattle’s Holly Park neighborhood a few weeks after Rezene was released from prison.
Rezene has a lengthy history of being involved with gun violence. In 2011 and 2013, Rezene and one or more associates were involved in two different drug robberies of rival gangsters. In retaliation for these robberies, Rezene, his home and vehicles were repeatedly the targets of drive-by shootings. In retaliation, Rezene’s associates shot up a business associated with the rival gang. On May 15, 2014, Rezene was shot multiple times while at a gas station in Renton. Rezene grabbed a gun from the center console of his car and attempted to return fire and then collapsed. Rezene was taken to Harborview Medical Center and survived the shooting. His assailant has never been found.
Even after the May 2014 shooting at the gas station, Rezene continued his violent ways. After being released from the hospital, law enforcement spotted him shooting at a business associated with a rival gang in October 2014. Rezene was sentenced to 31 months in state custody for a related firearms offense. He was charged federally in December 2014 and was found guilty at a bench trial in May 2017 and was sentenced to the 92-month prison sentence.
Rezene has multiple felony convictions, including convictions for drug trafficking, illegal firearms possession, promoting prostitution, and attempting to elude a police vehicle. These convictions as well as his federal convictions prohibit him from possessing a firearm.
In asking for a sentence at the top of the guidelines range Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg wrote to the court, “The federal firearms statutes exist for the purpose of keeping firearms out of the hands of people like Samuel Rezene. Rezene has lived a reckless and dangerous lifestyle as a gang member and drug dealer. His commission of two drug robberies set off a violent chain of events that ultimately led to him being shot at the Shell station in 2014.”
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department with assistance from the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Repeat offender sentenced to 54 months in prison for illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 42-year-old Seattle man with prior state and federal criminal convictions was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to four and a half years in prison for illegal firearm possession, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Kenan Dejuan Brown was arrested October 20, 2023, after the vehicle he was driving hit a tree, and he was found passed out with a gun in the pocket of his jacket. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that Brown claimed he “felt safe” with a firearm. “In my experience a gun is an invitation to get into trouble,” Judge Robart said.
According to records filed in the case, Seattle Police officers responded after a 9-1-1 call reporting a car had left the roadway and hit a tree. Brown was behind the wheel of the car. He initially tried to speak with officers and then lost consciousness. Officers noticed the handle of a gun sticking out of Brown’s pocket. While taking Brown into custody, officers took possession of the firearm – a Glock 19 with an extended magazine and one round chambered in the gun.
Brown has prior convictions in King and Kitsap Superior Courts for various domestic violence assaults, violations of court orders, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He has a federal court conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Brown pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm on February 14, 2025.
Judge Robart ordered Brown to undergo drug and alcohol treatment as part of his sentence. He will be on three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne.
Texas woman sentenced to six years in prison for arson of Snohomish County churchRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 38-year-old Temple, Texas, woman was sentenced today in U.S, District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for three federal felonies related to the arson at Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church (SLLC) in Snohomish County, Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Natasha Marie O’Dell has been in custody since her arrest in Texas in August 2024. In April 2025, O’Dell pleaded guilty to Arson, Damage to Religious Property and Obstruction of Persons in the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs. At her sentencing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “This offense was devastating and dangerous. Ms. O’Dell deliberately set fire to a church causing complete destruction. … The scope of the destruction is staggering. You burned down the spiritual home of a congregation. … The wounds you have inflicted deepen for each day they are away from their home.”
“Ms. O’Dell acted with extreme disregard for community safety when she poured more than a gallon of gasoline on the church building and used a lighter to start the blaze,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This
conduct put anyone inside the church, the neighbors around the church, and the firefighters who responded in extreme danger. It is fortunate that only one firefighter suffered injuries.”
According to the plea agreement and the federal indictment, O’Dell was linked via cell phone records, credit card records and surveillance video to the fire that destroyed the Maltby, Washington, church on August 25, 2023. Over the time of the fire, Odell was visiting relatives in Woodinville, Washington.
Even though the church was destroyed, part of the security system video surveillance survived the fire and depicted O’Dell, moving around the church with the red gasoline container. In the video O’Dell empties the container on the exterior walls of the church and items around the church. O’Dell moves out of camera range and fire is seen growing on the areas where she poured gasoline. Ultimately the video system stops functioning due to the fire.
The investigation tied O’Dell to credit card purchases at an area service station when she purchased just over a gallon of gasoline in a container and some lighters. O’Dell took an Uber to the church to commit the arson.
In the plea agreement O’Dell admits that she told various acquaintances that she was angry about churches and specifically with SLLC. Later she told another acquaintance that she planned to burn a nearby church.
One firefighter was injured fighting the blaze and was transported to an emergency room.
The fire did more than $3.2 million in damage to the church. The church has incurred additional costs renting a nearby middle school to hold their services two to three times a week.
Judge Whitehead will determine the amount of restitution O’Dell owes at a hearing at a later date.
The case was investigated by the Snohomish County Fire Marshall’s Office and the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Justice Department Returns Full Control of Police Practices to the City of SeattleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington recognized the successful completion of the consent decree in United States v. City of Seattle, returning complete control of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to the City. The 13-year consent decree effort addressed use of force, crisis intervention, stops and detentions, supervision and accountability.
“We congratulate the Seattle Police Department on its achievement of sustained substantial compliance with this consent decree,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are proud to stand by the men and women of the Seattle Police Department as federal oversight ends and the court returns full control of local law enforcement to the city.”
“The Seattle Police Department has worked over many years to develop and implement policies and procedures that have transformed the department into an example for other police forces,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “Multiple Police Chiefs, city leaders, community stakeholders, and U.S. Attorneys have supported that effort. I commend the hard work that has led to the end of the consent decree.”
In 2011, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington jointly initiated an investigation into the SPD under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. After concluding the investigation, in 2012 the United States and the City of Seattle entered into a consent decree to address the investigation’s findings that SPD engaged in a pattern or practice of unnecessary or excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In 2023, the Court granted the parties’ joint motion to terminate most of the consent decree’s requirements. The City and the Department worked collaboratively toward completion of the last remaining requirements, leading to today’s termination of the consent decree and final dismissal of the lawsuit.
Justice Department Returns Full Control of Police Practices to the City of SeattleRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington recognized the successful completion of the consent decree in United States v. City of Seattle, returning complete control of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to the City. The 13-year consent decree effort addressed use of force, crisis intervention, stops and detentions, supervision and accountability.
“We congratulate the Seattle Police Department on its achievement of sustained substantial compliance with this consent decree,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are proud to stand by the men and women of the Seattle Police Department as federal oversight ends and the court returns full control of local law enforcement to the city.”
“The Seattle Police Department has worked over many years to develop and implement policies and procedures that have transformed the department into an example for other police forces,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “Multiple Police Chiefs, city leaders, community stakeholders, and U.S. Attorneys have supported that effort. I commend the hard work that has led to the end of the consent decree.”
In 2011, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington jointly initiated an investigation into the SPD under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. After concluding the investigation, in 2012 the United States and the City of Seattle entered into a consent decree to address the investigation’s findings that SPD engaged in a pattern or practice of unnecessary or excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In 2023, the Court granted the parties’ joint motion to terminate most of the consent decree’s requirements. The City and the Department worked collaboratively toward completion of the last remaining requirements, leading to today’s termination of the consent decree and final dismissal of the lawsuit.
Prolific drug distributor with lengthy criminal record sentenced to 10 years in prison for role in drug ring tied to Aryan prison gangRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 52-year-old Tukwila, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 120 months in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Anthony Escoto was indicted in connection with a two-year investigation of drug trafficking organizations connected to the Aryan Family and Omerta prison gangs. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “Controlled substances cause a huge amount of damage… the damage is not just to the individual but also to the community.”
According to records filed in the case Escoto was repeatedly heard on the wiretap investigation ordering up pound quantities of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills for distribution to his drug customers. Following one drug deal the car Escoto was riding in was stopped by police. The co-defendant driving Escoto claimed the drugs in the car were his. Investigators had heard Escoto making the deal over the wiretap and knew the drugs belonged to Escoto. When authorities searched Escoto’s residence on March 22, 2023, they found more methamphetamine and two firearms, a shotgun and an SKS rifle, which as a felon he is prohibited from possessing.
Escoto denies being a member of an Aryan prison gang but has multiple neo-Nazi tattoos and was previously charged with assault for biting a prison guard while yelling racial slurs. He has an adult criminal history spanning more than three decades with convictions for aggravated assault, identity theft, drug trafficking, assault with a deadly weapon, obstruction of justice and domestic assault.
On March 22, 2023, law enforcement made two dozen arrests on federal charges. The coordinated takedown involved ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier in the investigation law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms.
On April 22, 2025, Escoto pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The top-level leader of the drug trafficking ring, Jesse Bailey, was sentenced in July to 17.5 years in prison. Prosecutors recommended a 13-year prison term for Escoto writing to the court, “Escoto’s criminality is a result of his decisions, his attitudes toward criminal activity, and his disrespect for other individual members of society who may be victimized by such behavior. Escoto committed the instant offenses in association with members of the Aryan Family and Omerta prison gangs, and while he denies belonging to either gang, he appears to share their ideology of white supremacy and racial animus.”
Chief Judge Estudillo ordered Escoto to be on five years of federal supervised release following his prison term.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.
Operator of SeaTac drug ring ‘stash house’ sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised releaseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 22-year-old native of Sinaloa, Mexico was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, for operating a stash house for the drug trafficking organization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jose Carlos Peraza Alvarez was arrested August 2, 2024, when Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents raided the SeaTac, Washington stash house where Peraza Alvarez resided. DEA agents seized 70 kilograms of methamphetamine, three kilograms of heroin, one kilogram of fentanyl pills, and six kilograms of fentanyl powder. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson said, “The aggravating point is the quantity of drugs seized. This is a serious offense involving large amounts of controlled substances.”
According to records filed in the case, Peraza Alvarez came onto the radar of law enforcement in the summer of 2024. The DEA was investigating a drug trafficking organization and by July 2024, was able to surveil and determine Peraza Alvarez’ address in the city of SeaTac. In early August they searched Peraza Alvarez’s address as well as the address of a co-conspirator in Kent, Washington. That co-conspirator, Martin Alonzo Peinado Torres, served as a runner for the drug trafficking organization. Peinado Torres had minimal amounts of drugs at his residence but had more than $12,000 in cash at the time of the search. Peinado Torres was sentenced in June 2025 to 22 months in prison.
Peraza Alvarez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in May 2025.
In asking for a 6-year sentence for Peraza Alvarez prosecutors noted the deadly consequences of both fentanyl and methamphetamine. “While Mr. Peraza Alvarez certainly possessed copious amount of deadly fentanyl, he also had a sizable cache of methamphetamine. Fentanyl is obviously known for its deadly properties, the government also notes that methamphetamine was the second most common drug involved in King County overdose deaths in 2024. In 2024, there were 581 overdose deaths that involved methamphetamine, which represented 56% of all overdose deaths in King County,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
Peraza Alvarez was illegally in the United States and will likely be deported following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey Conzatti.
Cartel connected drug distribution ring that used semi-trucks to transport huge loads disrupted with multiple arrestsRead the Press Release
Seattle – Over the last three weeks, federal, state and local law enforcement have been working to dismantle a cartel-connected drug trafficking ring distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin throughout western Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. The drug traffickers transported narcotics from Mexico, via California, sometimes using a semi-truck to bring the drugs up the coast. Drug deals occurred as far north as Whidbey Island and Arlington and as far south as Tacoma and the Lacey area.
“This indictment names not only the redistributors in the Western District of Washington, but also the brothers in Mexico who profited by spreading their poisons and addiction in the Pacific Northwest,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “We will work with DOJ’s Office of International Affairs to hold all the conspirators accountable here in the U.S. and abroad.”
“This Sinaloa Cartel-affiliated drug trafficking group brought misery and death to our community,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The work of DEA and our partners seized hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl from this group that could have yielded a staggering 6.9 million lethal doses. This fentanyl could have killed everyone living in the Seattle-Tacoma metro area. The entire Puget Sound region is safer without the Camargo Banuelos brothers poisoning our communities.”
According to records filed in the case, the drug ring is led by Rosario Abel “Joaquin” Camargo Banuelos, 31, and his brother Francisco “Fernando” Camargo Banuelos 24. The men are based in the Sinaloa area of Mexico. Throughout 2023 and 2024, law enforcement used undercover agents to uncover the tentacles of the drug ring and seize large loads of narcotics. Over those years law enforcement was able to seize huge shipments of drugs including 95 kilos of meth and more than 41 kilos of fentanyl powder in October 2023. The investigation determined that large loads of drugs were being transported by a coconspirator who is a truck driver. That defendant, Isabel Villarreal Zapien, 44, a Mexican citizen, was arrested on state charges in January 2024 and is now charged federally in the 37-count indictment.
“This investigation exemplifies the success achievable through effective interagency collaboration and coordination,” said HSI Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “HSI remains firmly committed to combating the dangerous networks responsible for importing deadly narcotics into the United States. These indictments highlight our dedication to holding these individuals accountable.”
The other members of the drug trafficking ring named in the indictment include:
- Jose Mejia Ortiz, 30, a citizen of Mexico, a courier and distributor
- Juan Carlos Garcia Olais, 28, a citizen of Mexico, a courier and distributor
- Jorge Boneo Nieblas, 21, distributor and stash house attendant
- Ivan Garcia Camacho, 30, distributor
- Eder Ramirez Pino, 33, distributor previously removed from the U.S.
- Rosendo Vazquez Medrano, 37, a redistributor who is a Mexican national previously removed from the U.S.
- Kevin Alexander Misacango Solano, 23, courier and distributor
- Karim Davis, 48, of Everett, Washington, a redistributor
- Tyler Johnson, 38, of Shoreline, Washington a redistributor
- Israel Davis, 43, of Shoreline, Washington, a redistributor
- Alex Phan,19, of Everett, Washington, a redistributor
Five of the defendants are charged with firearms violations including carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime or illegally possessing a firearm because of their prior criminal history or immigration status.
Four additional defendants were arrested at the takedown in early August in connection with the serving of multiple search warrants. This brings the total number of defendants in this case to 19. These defendants are charged by criminal complaint with being part of the drug trafficking conspiracy:
- Derel Gabelein, 37, of Greenbank, Whidbey Island, Washington is charged with conspiracy and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. At Gabelein’s residence law enforcement seized bags of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other controlled substances.
- Aaron Knapp, 52, of Everett, Washington, charged with conspiracy and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. He was found to have more than two kilograms of fentanyl pills when law enforcement searched his residence on August 4, 2025.
- John Hardman, 57, of Everett, Washington was charged with conspiracy and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. His residence contained a brick of suspected fentanyl powder stamped with a swastika as well as $50,000 in cash.
- Jose Felix German, 34, a Mexican citizen, was charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm. German allegedly acted as a money courier for the conspiracy. He was arrested at a target residence on August 4, 2025, and had a 9 mm pistol. In 2013 German was deported from the U.S. to Mexico. He did not have legal status in the U.S.
During the coordinated arrests and searches on August 4, 2025, law enforcement seized seven pistols and three rifles, as well as nine kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 5 kilograms of fentanyl, nearly 4 kilograms of cocaine, and more than a kilogram of heroin. Law enforcement seized more than $342,000 in suspected drug trafficking proceeds.
This investigation has produced significant seizures even before the coordinated arrests in early August. Past seizures included approximately 465 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 269 pounds of fentanyl, approximately 23 pounds of cocaine, and approximately 6.4 pounds of heroin. In addition, investigators seized over $309,522 USD in assets and seized an approximate 11 firearms.
Thirteen defendants are in custody, six are being sought by law enforcement.
The charges in the indictment carry significant prison time. Due to the amounts of drugs involved some defendants face a mandatory minimum ten years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Seattle Police Department with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner and Crystal Correa.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Members of Tacoma street gang indicted in fentanyl trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Over the last 36 hours, law enforcement executed 13 search warrants and arrested eight of nine people charged in an indictment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Five others were arrested on Complaints based on firearms and narcotics found during searches of their residences and cars. Some of those arrested identify as part of the Knoccout Crips street gang which has been tied to drug trafficking and violence in Tacoma. The drug trafficking ring was the subject of an 18-month investigation, including a two-month wiretap, led by the FBI.
“Over the last 18 months, law enforcement carefully tracked the activities of this drug trafficking ring, seizing kilogram quantities of fentanyl pills and powder from checked luggage at Sea-Tac airport,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The wiretap revealed the far-reaching scope of the conspiracy, with drug mules attempting to transport fentanyl from Arizona to Tacoma and in at least one instance on to Baltimore.”
“Yesterday, the FBI’s South Sound Safe Streets Gang Task Force, together with more than a dozen partner law enforcement agencies, conducted a large-scale takedown targeting violent criminal street gangs involved in drug distribution and other violent crimes in Pierce County,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “An 18-month investigation revealed that these gang members and associates were sending couriers down to a source of supply in Phoenix to bring huge quantities of fentanyl back to Washington state in their checked luggage for redistribution. This case is an example of the FBI’s commitment to combatting violent criminals and gangs, as emphasized in Operation Summer Heat, a nationwide initiative targeting violent criminals and restoring safety in our communities.”
Those indicted in the ten-count indictment include:
- Bryant K Moss Jr aka ‘BJ’, 29, of Tacoma
- Gary Williams aka “Fat Boy,” 36, of Tacoma
- Dominique Woods aka “Kane,” 33, of Spanaway
- Joshua Logsdon aka “Bird,” 38 of Lakewood
- Michael Lewis, 32, of Seattle
- Dallas Martin, 28, of Phoenix
- Josaphina Diaz, 30, of Tacoma
- Forest Neal, 31, of Tacoma
- Genesis Moreau, 25 of Vancouver
All nine of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Individual defendants are also charged for specific dates in which they had possession of fentanyl and distributed it between March 2024 and April 2025.
An additional 7 arrests of individuals connected to this conspiracy were made based on probable cause established in yesterday’s search warrants. These individuals were:
- James Whitaker, 37 of Tacoma
- William Young, 47 of Yelm
- Bryant Moss Sr., 48 of Tacoma
- Jaylin Irish, 30 of Tacoma
- Dominique Buffington, 31 of Edgewood
- Troy Harris, 38 of Tacoma
- An Do, 35 of Tacoma
In the leadup to this week, law enforcement seized during the investigation:
- Fentanyl – 34 kg
- Marijuana – 45 kg
- Firearms – 9
Over the last 36 hours, law enforcement seized:
- Fentanyl – 2683.3g
- Cocaine – 227.9g
- Methamphetamine – 6,850.7g
- Heroin – 40.7g
- Marijuana – 27,593.8g
- Cash - $ 111,524.25
- Firearms - 23
Due to the quantity of drugs seized in this case, some defendants face a mandatory minimum ten years in prison if convicted.
The charges contained in the indictment and complaints are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation was led by the FBI’s South Sound Safe Streets Gang Task Force in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations, the Tacoma Police Department, the Lakewood Police Department, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington State Department of Corrections. Throughout this investigation, the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: the Federal Air Marshal Service, the Port of Seattle Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Seattle Police Department, Washington State Patrol, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Fife Police Department, the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster and Crystal Correa.
This operation is part of Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months. As part of this effort, the FBI has launched a multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime. By surging resources alongside state and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, we are aggressively restoring safety in our communities across the country.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Snohomish County, Washington man sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison for production of child sex abuse material and attempted enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
Seattle –A 43-year-old Snohomish County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 262 months in prison (21.8 years) for production of images of child sexual abuse and attempted enticement of minors, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Bennett S. Park was arrested in August 2023, when he was attempting to pick up a 13-year-old in a residential area of Everett, Washington. Park had told an undercover law enforcement officer that he planned to pick up and molest the 13-year-old. U. S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez ordered Park to be on supervised release for twenty years after his prison term. “By the time you get out you will be in your early 60’s – What will life look like for you,” Judge Martinez said.
“This defendant damaged untold lives – those of his victims and those of their family members, friends and adults who tried but could not keep them safe from a predator lurking on the internet,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “I commend the quick work by law enforcement to intervene before he could molest another child.”
According to the plea agreement, in July 2023, Park responded to an online add placed by an undercover Homeland Security Investigation agent, falsely claiming that the agent had two young children that could be molested. In his response, Park indicated that he was actively molesting children between the ages of 11 and 17. Park indicated he wanted to molest the agent’s fictional children but was already meeting a 13-year-old. Law enforcement quickly put Park under surveillance to identify and protect the 13-year-old. Just after 1:45 am on August 8, 2023, law enforcement arrested Park just after the 13-year-old got in his vehicle.
After Park’s arrest a review of his electronic devices revealed he had communicated with dozens of minors. Twenty-three of the minor victims were identified. Park had convinced them to provide images of sexual abuse via Instagram, Discord, Snapchat, Facebook, Gmail and Zoom platforms. In the plea agreement Park details his crimes with eight different minor victims.
In all, fourteen Cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were subsequently issued by Discord resulting in the confirmation of twenty-three minor victims between the ages of ten to seventeen years old whom Park enticed and exploited between April 2018 until his arrest.
In asking for the 25-year sentence Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “Park profoundly harmed countless minors, only several of whom are reflected in the charges brought in this case. He dedicated years of his life to cultivating, grooming, and enticing young girls in an effort to manipulate them to engaging in sexual chatting, sexual acts, and producing sexual imagery for the sole purpose of feeding his pedophilia. The fact that twenty-three victims were identified, and the imagery of countless others remain saved to his devices and accounts underscores the lengths Park was willing to go to in order to victimize innocent children.”
Judge Martinez ordered that Park be required to register as a sex offender. A hearing is scheduled for November 14, 2025, to determine the amount of restitution he owes. Park was fined $3,000 to pay into a fund for victims of child sexual abuse imagery.
This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ 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, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Leader of third cell of Aryan prison gang drug distribution ring sentenced to 14 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Tacoma – The leader of a drug distribution cell tied to Aryan prison gangs was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 14 years in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Yehoshua Kilp, 39, was indicted in connection with a two-year investigation of drug trafficking organizations connected to the Aryan Family and Omerta prison gangs. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “The amount of controlled substances we are talking about are mind-boggling… There were discussions about particularly potent batches of fentanyl that was possibly leading to overdoses and yet you kept going.”
“This defendant has been involved with the criminal justice system since age 14 and has caused significant harm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The wiretap investigation revealed that even when he was jailed on state charges, he continued to direct drug distribution activities.”
According to records filed in the case, Kilp bought and distributed hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, large quantities of heroin, and
hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills. In August 2022, law enforcement seized more than 44 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 4 kilograms of fentanyl laced pills, cocaine, and heroin from an Airbnb where Kilp had been staying. When Kilp was arrested on state charges he continued to direct the drug activities of co-defendant Sara Thompson. Thompson was sentenced to seven years in prison in January 2025. Thompson served as Kilp’s proxy for major narcotics deals.
Kilp was actively distributing fentanyl pills even when he was informed the pills were too strong and were causing overdoses. Instead of stopping distribution of those pills, Kilp and his co-conspirators discussed how to make the fentanyl less pure. They also schemed to wrap the fentanyl in more layers to protect the people they used to smuggle the fentanyl in their bodies.
Kilp was also indicted in the District of Arizona for his role in laundering drug money back to a source of his drug supply in Mexico. On March 12, 2025, Kilp pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Today’s sentencing resolves the Arizona and Washington cases.
Law enforcement made two dozen arrests on federal charges on March 22, 2023. The coordinated takedown involved ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier in the investigation law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms.
The top-level leader of the drug trafficking ring, Jesse Bailey, was sentenced in July to 17.5 years in prison. Kilp was judged to be just slightly below Bailey in the drug ring, so prosecutors recommended a 15-year sentence, with five years of supervised release to follow. Prosecutors wrote to the court, “Kilp was the leader of a large network of drug redistributors responsible for moving hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills.”
Chief Judge Estudillo ordered Kilp to be on five years of supervised release following his prison term.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.
Statement on civil rights review of death of Manuel EllisRead the Press Release
A team of experienced federal prosecutors conducted an independent and comprehensive review of the record in the criminal jury trial of State of Washington v. Tacoma Police Department Officers Burbank, Collins, and Rankine, concerning Manuel Ellis’s death on March 3, 2020. The review focused on the application of 18 U.S.C. § 242, a federal criminal civil rights statute that prohibits certain types of official misconduct. After a careful and thorough review, the Department of Justice has closed its inquiry.
Two Estonian fraud defendants sentenced for $577 million fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Estonian nationals were sentenced today to 16 months in prison for orchestrating a massive cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide, including in the United States. The men have already served 16 months in custody; in addition to the custodial term, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik ordered each to pay a $25,000 fine and complete 360 hours of community service while on supervised release. The men are expected to return to Estonia to serve their terms of supervised release.
The sentences also incorporated the forfeiture of cryptocurrency, funds, vehicles, real property, and cryptocurrency mining equipment—seized by the United States and its foreign law enforcement partners—which are collectively valued at over $450 million. The forfeited assets will be available for a remission process to compensate victims of the crime. Details about the remission process will be announced at a later date.
According to court documents, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, both 40, operated a purported cryptocurrency mining service called HashFlare, which sold contracts promising customers a share of the profits generated from cryptocurrency mining. Cryptocurrency mining is the process of using specialized computers to validate and record transactions on a blockchain network in exchange for a reward of newly generated cryptocurrency.
Between 2015 and 2019, Hashflare sales totaled more than $577 million, relying on fake online dashboards that falsely reported mining activity and returns. HashFlare lacked the computing capacity to mine the vast majority of cryptocurrency it claimed to generate. Potapenko and Turõgin used investor funds to purchase real estate, luxury vehicles, and to fund investment and cryptocurrency accounts for their personal use. The United States has seized or restrained the majority of those assets, which have been preliminarily forfeited.
“These defendants were operating a classic Ponzi scheme, involving a glitzy asset: a mirage of cryptocurrency mining,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “And just like a classic Ponzi, they diverted millions of dollars to their own benefit, purchasing their own bitcoin, real estate, luxury cars, expensive jewelry, and more than a dozen trips on chartered private jets. Meanwhile, the vast majority of their victims suffered losses — in many cases, losses that had a serious impact on their financial and emotional well-being.”
Prosecutors had argued for a ten-year prison term. The Department of Justice is considering whether to appeal the sentence.
The Criminal Division thanks the Cybercrime Bureau of the Estonian Police and Border Guard for its support with this investigation. The Estonian Prosecutor General and Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs provided substantial assistance with the extradition. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided extensive assistance with the investigation and the extradition of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Friedman and Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case with Trial Attorneys Adrienne E. Rosen and David Ginensky of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jehiel Baer for the Western District of Washington is handling asset forfeiture aspects of the case.
Individuals who believe they may have been a victim in this case should visit www.fbi.gov/hashflare.
Deming, Washington man sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for receipt and possession of images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 47-year-old resident of Deming, Whatcom County, Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 160 months in prison for two federal felonies related to his receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Robert J. Howell Jr. came to the attention of law enforcement in late 2019 when a foreign country police organization alerted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that an IP address associated with Howell Jr’s residence had accessed a website devoted to child sexual abuse material. Following a two-day jury trial in April 2025, jurors deliberated about an hour before finding Howell Jr. guilty. U.S District Judge John C. Coughenour ordered Howell Jr. to pay $141,000 in restitution to the 47 child victims exploited in the sexual abuse imagery.
Judge Coughenour imposed the sentence of more than 13 years in prison saying it was driven by the quantity and violent nature of the child sexual abuse material. Judge Coughenour noted Howell Jr. “poses a danger to the community and has a complete lack of contrition.” Howell Jr. will be on twenty years of supervised release following his prison term.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, after getting the tip from a foreign law enforcement organization, HSI agents sought information on the account associated with the IP address. The IP address was linked to Howell’s home in Deming. On September 15, 2020, federal agents executed a search warrant and seized several dozen electronic devices. A forensic review determined there were more than 90,000 files depicting child sexual abuse on some 21 electronic devices. Many of the images were of the sexual abuse of very young children and included depictions involving extreme violence.
At trial, prosecutors proved that between 2016 and 2019, Howell Jr. received five specific files of child sexual abuse material and knowingly possessed many more.
In all, more than 75 electronic assets including computers, phones, tablets, hard drives, storage devices, gaming devices, and CDs were seized by law enforcement and have been forfeited to the government.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica M. Ly.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
First two members of violent drug trafficking organization sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Seattle area men who were significant members of a violent drug trafficking organization were each sentenced to six years in prison today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Khaliil Ahmed, aka “Bossup,” 27, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for two counts of illegally possessing firearms. Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, aka “Jon,” 36, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. To each defendant U.S. District Judge John H. Chun noted that, “These are serious offenses.” To Ahmed Judge Chun added, “These offenses carry a maximum of 15 years – serious stuff.” Judge Chun ordered that each man serve three years of supervised release following prison.
Over the course of the year-long investigation law enforcement seized more than 19 kg of fentanyl, 12 firearms, and more than $130,000 in cash. In the arrest operation targeting the group in October 2024, law enforcement seized over 50 firearms to include fully automatic weapons and handguns with Glock switches; thousands of rounds of ammunition, including high-capacity drum magazines, and armor-piercing rounds; several hundred thousand dollars of bulk cash and jewelry; 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 4 kilograms of cocaine.
Each of the defendants sentenced today played different roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Khaliil Ahmed, of Kent, Washington, was identified as a member of a drug trafficking conspiracy. One of the charges relates to guns he possessed on August 20, 2023, at the time of a fatal shooting at a hookah bar in South Seattle. Ahmed was injured in the shooting and three others were killed. Ahmed was also involved in a shooting on May 4, 2024, at a First Hill neighborhood apartment. Surveillance video captured Ahmed pointing a gun at the victim. Ahmed is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2022 conviction for illegally possessing and publicly discharging a firearm in a drive-by shooting. When law enforcement served search warrants in this case, they seized two additional Glock firearms from Ahmed’s residence.
Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, aka “Jon,” was identified as a member of the conspiracy and helped to staff an apartment on the edge of Seattle’s University District that was a known drug distribution location. One of the leaders of the conspiracy was gunned down at that location in June 2024. Nevertheless, Wondimagegnehu continued to distribute drugs from that location after the fatal shooting. The murder is still under investigation.
When law enforcement searched Wondimagegnehu’s residence on October 30, 2024, they found eight firearms, various narcotics and drug proceeds. Wondimagegnehu also had a money counting machine for handling his drug proceeds.
In all 14 defendants were arrested in connection with this drug trafficking organization and these are the first two to be sentenced. Seven additional defendants have pleaded guilty and have sentencing hearings in the months ahead. One defendant remains a fugitive. Trial for the lead defendant Ali Kuyateh, aka “Pops,” 50, of Seattle, is expected to be continued to the spring of 2026.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .
This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant participation by Seattle Police Department (SPD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Patrol (WSP), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellevue Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Everett Police Department, Renton Police Department, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Washington State National Guard, Washington State Gambling Commission, Yakima County Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D) Narcotics and Gang Task Force, and Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jensen and Joseph Silvio.
Seattle resident convicted at trial of directing sexual abuse of young child in VietnamRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 38-year-old Seattle man was convicted late yesterday of producing child sexual abuse imagery for his scheme to obtain images of sexually abused children from a coconspirator in Vietnam, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Richard Stanley Manness Jr. was convicted of two federal felonies following a three-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated about three hours before returning the jury verdict. Manness faces a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on November 14, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, law enforcement in Vietnam rescued two young children who had been kidnapped off the street in April 2024. The mother of the two sisters was distraught when she could not find them. The young girls were taken to an Airbnb by Maness’ female coconspirator. Records showed Maness rented the apartment. Messages between Manness and the coconspirator documented him directing sexual abuse of a child as young as 6-years-old. The coconspirator sent the images of the child sexual abuse to Maness over the internet. Maness had plans to travel to Vietnam for further child sexual abuse. Maness was arrested in a Seattle apartment after detectives in Vietnam contacted Homeland Security Investigations with information about the child kidnapping and abuse. Maness has remained in federal custody since his arrest on August 28, 2024.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in cooperation with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Hampton and Cecelia Gregson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Registered sex offender pleads guilty to sex crimes for sexual exploitation of ten girls ages 12-16Read the Press Release
Seattle – A 28-year-old registered sex offender who sexually exploited ten different minor teens after cutting off his electronic monitoring device and absconding from Department of Corrections Community Custody, pleaded guilty to federal charges today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. James “Jake” Harrison Newcomer admits that between February and April 2024 he sexually abused ten different teens he met via various social media platforms. Prosecutors and defense will both recommend that Newcomer be sentenced to 17 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on November 17, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, Newcomer was on state supervision following his 30-month prison sentence for two counts of rape of a child. As part of the supervision, Newcomer was on electronic monitoring with an ankle bracelet. On January 19, 2024, the ankle monitor lost connection and when corrections officers went to arrest Newcomer on January 25, 2024, he had left the residence and could not be located.
Over the next three months, Newcomer connected with various teen girls via social media and then arranged to meet them in person. In those meetings he gave girls drugs and alcohol and sexually assaulted them. The victims were from King, Kitap, Snohomish, Lewis, Clark, Thurston, and Spokane Counties as well as Woodburn Oregon. The victims ranged in age from 12 to 16.
Newcomer pleaded guilty to Travel with intent to engage in sexual acts with a minor and two counts of attempted enticement of a minor. Travel with intent to engage in sexual acts is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Enticement of a minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Woodburn, Oregon Police Department, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office, the Auburn Police Department, the Snoqualmie Police Department, the Black Diamond Police Department, the Des Moines Police Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kent Police Department, with the assistance of the Department of Corrections.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Seattle felon who threatened probation officer and then tried to purchase a firearm sentenced to 18 months in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 40 -year-old Seattle resident with a history of making death threats and violently attacking a neighbor, was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for lying in his attempt to purchase a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Filmore Doyoon Kim attempted to purchase a firearm on February 13, 2025, just days after emailing a series of threats to his Washington State Department of Corrections Probation Officer. In sentencing Kim to the top of the guidelines range, U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, “The crime is extremely serious… repeatedly threating the life of a corrections officer and continuing to threaten others with violence. You are a danger to the public.”
According to records filed in the case, Kim was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2022, for burglary. In that case he broke into a neighbor’s apartment and beat the neighbor unconscious in front of the man’s 4-year-old child. Kim left a note for the neighbor written in blood threatening to kill him. Kim also has harassment convictions for threatening to kill apartment managers and others in various residences. While Kim was on probation for the burglary case, he sent threatening emails to the supervising probation officer threatening to kill him. Kim then went to a federal firearms licensed store and attempted to purchase a handgun. Kim lied on the form and claimed he had not been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in jail. When the background check revealed his conviction, the store refused to sell the gun and alerted law enforcement.
In asking for the top end 18-month sentence Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg wrote to the court that it was important to consider the attempt to buy the gun in the context of the threats. “Kim’s offense conduct was extremely serious. He intentionally subverted the background check laws designed to keep guns away from dangerous people – like himself. The larger context of Kim’s attempted firearm purchase – immediately after threatening to kill his supervising CCO and declaring, ‘Don’t forget I can buy gun’ – makes his offense conduct even more concerning.”
Judge King ordered Kim to be on supervised release for three years following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Seattle man who carjacked a luxury sedan in Pioneer Square sentenced to six years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 32-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for carjacking and using a firearm during a crime of violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Louis Montel De’Andre Dowers was arrested June 9, 2024, hours after he carjacked a BMW outside the Seattle Team Shop on Occidental Avenue South in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun called the carjacking “terrifying crimes.”
“Using a ‘ghost gun’ to threaten the driver and almost running down a second victim, is why carjacking has received substantial federal attention,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “In 2024, the Department of Justice created eleven Carjacking Task Forces in districts around the United States, including here in the Western District of Washington. This increased focus on federal prosecutions of armed carjacking offenses has coincided with a substantial reduction in these types of crimes.”
According to the plea agreement, a man was waiting for his wife, sitting in the driver’s seat of his car outside a business on Occidental Avenue South. Dowers approached the car from behind, pulled out a distinctive firearm, pointed it at the victim, and ordered him out of the car saying “It’s mine now. Get out.” The victim was able to get his dog out of the car before Dowers drove off. The victim’s wife came out of the store and was nearly hit by the car as it raced away.
Police were able to track the car to Auburn, Washington – near a middle school. Working with a description of the alleged carjacker, a King County Sheriff’s deputy located Dowers walking nearby. When searched, Dowers possessed a semi-automatic firearm that had been privately manufactured – a so-called ‘ghost gun.’ The firearm was fully loaded with a round in the chamber.
Dowers pleaded guilty in April 2025. Judge Chun scheduled a hearing for October 27,2025 to set the amount of restitution Dowers owes to the victims.
In their victim statements the couple said they “still live” with this “moment of terror . . . every single day.” The couple said they continue to experience trauma because of Dowers’ crime, which “robbed [them] of peace.”
The case was investigated by the federal carjacking task force made up of the Seattle Police Department, the Kent Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg who leads the Western District of Washington Carjacking Task Force.
Defendant who trafficked drugs while absconding from federal drug trafficking sentence, gets additional five years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle –A citizen of Mexico who resided in Renton, Washington before being sent to the Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc, California for drug trafficking, was sentenced today to an additional five years in prison for a second drug trafficking conviction, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Humberto Lopez Rodriguez, 31, was previously sentenced to five years in prison. He failed to report to federal prison and was arrested in December 2023 with 13 kilos of cocaine and a loaded gun in a vehicle driving to Washington from California. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said the sentence should run consecutively. “You committed this crime after you failed to surrender to corrections…. You’ll be deported after serving your sentence and the American Dream is dead for you.”
“This defendant continued to deal drugs while on pretrial release and later was arrested in a car with a drug load when he should have been serving his federal sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Such conduct – ignoring our laws and criminal justice system – appropriately results in additional prison time.”
Lopez Rodriguez was charged in connection with a lengthy investigation of drug traffickers with ties to Mexico and Colombia. In June 2024 law enforcement teams from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Seattle Police Department and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) executed 24 search or arrest warrants. At that time Lopez Rodriguez was already in prison having been arrested on a drug run six months earlier.
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized 84,000 fentanyl pills, more than a kilogram of fentanyl powder, 32 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of methamphetamine nearly three kilograms of heroin, 18 firearms and $71,000 in drug proceeds.
Five of the 16 defendants charged in this drug trafficking investigation have now pleaded guilty: Ramon Duarte Garcia, 38, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kent, Washington was sentenced in May 2025 to ten years in prison; Curtis McDaniel, 56, a U.S. citizen residing in Tukwila, Washington was sentenced to five years in prison. Jose Luis Villafañe Osorio, 36, a citizen of Colombia, residing in Plainfield, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on August 13, 2025; and Manuel Garcia Hernandez, 39, a citizen of Mexico, residing in Renton, Washington has pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on September 9, 2025.
In asking for a six-year prison sentence for Lopez Rodriguez, prosecutors wrote to the court with the latest figures on fatal overdoses in our area. “Indeed, drug overdoses resulted in 1,044 deaths in King County in 2024. Through not quite seven months of 2025, there have been 541 confirmed overdose deaths, with another 47 suspected overdose deaths. Though fentanyl gets the lion’s share of attention with respect to overdose deaths—and rightly so―cocaine was the third most common drug involved in overdose deaths in King County in 2024. Specifically, cocaine was involved in 26% of overdose deaths―often in combination with fentanyl.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The investigation is being led by the DEA and Seattle Police Department. Additional assistance was provided by Renton Police Department, Centralia Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General (HUD OIG), Washington State Patrol, Pierce County and Valley SWAT teams.
The Colombian National Police (CNP) and Colombian Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia General) partnered with U.S. law enforcement on this investigation. The Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá provided critical assistance.
The cases from this investigation are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Silvio and C. Andrew Colasurdo in the Western District of Washington.
Auburn, Washington man who converted garage to a fentanyl pill manufacturing lab sentenced to 11 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 59-year-old Auburn, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 11 years in prison for his fentanyl trafficking activities, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Johnny Elias was arrested in November 2024. Earlier in the year, law enforcement learned that Elias was purchasing drugs including fentanyl from another target of investigation and later determined he had purchased an industrial pill press, intending to manufacture fentanyl pills for greater profit.
At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “You were a counselor to at-risk youth and at the same time were engaged in a practice that was killing one to two young people each day…. These are not recreational drugs. They are basically – in the case of fentanyl – a murder weapon.”
“This defendant claimed to be operating a vitamin manufacturing business, when in fact he was manufacturing potentially deadly fentanyl pills,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “To protect his drug business, he possessed two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle. Those firearms and his $16,000 pill manufacturing machine are being forfeited to the government.”
“The deadly nature of the four kilograms of fentanyl powder that Mr. Elias was manufacturing into pills is easy to count: It could have yielded over 300,000 lethal doses,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Mr. Elias clearly knew the dangers of his scheme and took steps to protect himself from overdose and violence, callously disregarding these dangers he foisted on others. I am proud that DEA and our partners could protect our community from him and this sentence ensures that he will not threaten our health and safety for a long time.”
According to records filed in the case, from at least October 2023 to September 2024, Elias was on the radar of law enforcement as a drug trafficker. The investigation revealed that he had set up a company called ‘Bodacious Vitamins LLC’ out of his Auburn address. Using some of his drug dealing proceeds, Elias purchased an industrial grade pill press for over $16,000. On
November 18,2024, Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided Elias’s residence and found the garage had been converted to a pill manufacturing lab. In addition to the pill press, agents found four kilograms of blue fentanyl powder as well as manufactured pills containing fentanyl and heroin. The lab contained items such as scales and baggies for packaging drugs for sale. Elias also had Narcan – an overdose reversal medication – indicating he knew the danger of the fentanyl he was processing into pills.
In March 2025, Elias pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture and distribute, unlawful
possession of firearms, and money laundering.
In asking for a 15-year prison sentence, Prosecutor Max Shiner wrote to the court, “Johnny Elias distributed kilogram quantities of fentanyl pills and worked his way up to having a functioning pill press operation in which he could use fentanyl powder and cutting agents to produce thousands of counterfeit M30 Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl for distribution throughout Western Washington…. The possession of firearms in connection with his drug trafficking greatly increases the severity of the offense. Like his possession of Narcan at his basement drug lab, Elias’ possession of firearms shows his awareness of the dangerousness of his drug dealing.”
Judge Robart ordered Elias to be on four years of supervised release following sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner.
Repeat offender convicted at trial of drug trafficking and firearms offensesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Seattle man with prior convictions for robbery, burglary and indecent liberties with forcible compulsion for sexually assaulting a homeowner during the course of a residential burglary, was convicted late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Anthony Raymond Dodd, 36, was convicted following a three-day jury trial. The jury deliberated about 6 hours before returning the guilty verdict. At a second proceeding, the jury convicted Dodd of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge John H. Chun scheduled sentencing for October 20, 2025.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, on February 22, 2024, Dodd was scheduled to meet with his community corrections officer in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle. Law enforcement had received a report that Dodd was armed and dealing fentanyl pills. Corrections officers followed Dodd in a car he was driving to the check-in meeting. The car was kept under surveillance while Dodd met with his corrections officer and failed to truthfully an
swer some questions about guns and drugs. When corrections officers searched the vehicle Dodd was driving, they found two bags of fentanyl pills in the center console, with a loaded handgun sitting on top of the pills. DNA consistent with Dodd’s DNA profile was found on the trigger of the gun and the magazine holding the bullets. When law enforcement searched Dodd’s apartment, they found $1,460 in cash and a few pills hidden in a heat vent. On Dodd’s phone was a request from someone asking for ‘blues’ – the street name for fentanyl pills.
In closing arguments Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson told the jury, Dodd “was the only person in that car, he was the last person in that car.”
Dodd’s defense tried to argue that the case was a ‘cautionary tale’ about borrowing the wrong car from a friend – a car Dodd claimed he did not know contained drugs and a loaded gun. Prosecutors say the case is something different, “This is a ‘cautionary tale’ about a defendant thinking he could commit crimes on the way to and from his Department of Corrections appointment.”
To limit what the jury knew of Dodd’s criminal history, Judge Chun held a second trial on whether Dodd illegally possessed the firearm since he is a convicted felon. Jurors briefly deliberated before returning that guilty verdict.
Possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute is punishable by a mandatory minimum 5 years imprisonment and a maximum penalty of 40 years. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum 5 years in prison to run consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking count. Unlawful Possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Washington State Department of Corrections, the Seattle Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cecelia Gregson and Rachel Yemini.
Justice Department Supports Seattle’s Motion to Terminate Police Department Consent DecreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today announced that it has filed a response in support of the City of Seattle’s Motion to Terminate the Consent Decree in United States v. City of Seattle. The decree required reforms in the Seattle Police Department’s practices regarding use of force, crisis intervention, stops and detentions, supervision and accountability. With support from the Justice Department, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) achieved sustained substantial compliance.
The Justice Department brought this case pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Division and the Special Litigation Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division jointly investigated and found that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) had engaged in a pattern or practice of unnecessary or excessive force that violated the Constitution and federal law. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington entered the consent decree in 2012.
“We congratulate the Seattle Police Department on its achievement of sustained substantial compliance with this thirteen-year-old consent decree,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “This Civil Rights Division will continue to work with police departments across the country to help make America’s communities safe again.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, believes the district court should terminate the consent decree and monitorship, which have been in place for 13 years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “Seattle has been held up as an example of successful police reform and has done recent work on its crowd control policies and accountability systems. We trust it will continue to lead the way on constitutional policing.”
Justice Department Supports Seattle’s Motion to Terminate Police Department Consent DecreeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today announced that it has filed a response in support of the City of Seattle’s Motion to Terminate the Consent Decree in United States v. City of Seattle. The decree required reforms in the Seattle Police Department’s practices regarding use of force, crisis intervention, stops and detentions, supervision and accountability. With support from the Justice Department, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) achieved sustained substantial compliance.
The Justice Department brought this case pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Division and the Special Litigation Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division jointly investigated and found that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) had engaged in a pattern or practice of unnecessary or excessive force that violated the Constitution and federal law. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington entered the consent decree in 2012.
“We congratulate the Seattle Police Department on its achievement of sustained substantial compliance with this thirteen-year-old consent decree,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “This Civil Rights Division will continue to work with police departments across the country to help make America’s communities safe again.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, believes the district court should terminate the consent decree and monitorship, which have been in place for 13 years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “Seattle has been held up as an example of successful police reform and has done recent work on its crowd control policies and accountability systems. We trust it will continue to lead the way on constitutional policing.”
U.S. commences civil action to forfeit $7.1 million in cryptocurrency tied to oil and gas storage fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington today filed a civil action seeking the forfeiture of cryptocurrency valued at approximately $7.1 million seized in the investigation of an oil and gas related investment fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. The funds, part of some $97 million taken in by the coconspirators between June 2022 and July 2024, was seized by Homeland Security Investigations in December 2024.
“The co-schemers in this fraud moved their ill-gotten gain through various cryptocurrency accounts to try to launder the money stolen from victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Federal investigators and prosecutors in our office moved as quickly as possible to trace and seize the cryptocurrency so that some of the losses can be returned to victims.”
According to the forfeiture filing and other records in the case, from at least August 2022 through August 2024, the co-schemers convinced victims to send money to what was represented as escrow accounts to purchase oil tank storage in either Rotterdam, Netherlands, or Houston. The schemers indicated that the investors could make significant profits by renting the oil tank storage they obtained to others. The victims sent money to accounts linked to these entities: Sea Forest International LLC; Apex Oil and Gas Trading LLC; Navigator Energy Logistics LLC; Terminal Energy International Escrow Service LLC; Energo Horizons Logistics (EA) LLC; Legacy Energy Logistics Transport Group LLC; Green Tree Gateway LLC. However once victims sent their money, they were not sent any further information on their investment and co-schemers simply stopped responding.
Newcastle, Washington resident Geoffrey K. Auyeung, 47, was indicted in August 2024 as the coconspirator in the U.S. who is charged with receiving much of the fraud proceeds generated by the fraud scheme. The money was quickly moved to one or more of at least 81 different accounts at financial institutions, moved offshore, or moved to one or more of at least 19 different cryptocurrency accounts, where it was used for the purchase of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Tether, USD Coin, and Ethereum. Much of the cryptocurrency was further transferred to accounts at the cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
According to the forfeiture filing, the cryptocurrency accounts that were seized were linked to individuals in Russia and Nigeria. Some of the cryptocurrency purchased with victims’ funds was also sent to cryptocurrency exchanges in Russia and Nigeria, at least one of which is alleged to have facilitated money laundering for transnational criminal organizations – including terrorist organizations and organizations that violate international trade sanctions.
At the time of Auyeung’s arrest and indictment, some $2.3 million was seized from his bank accounts. The $7.1 million in cryptocurrency the government is seeking to forfeit is in addition to the $2.3 million.
Should the court approve the forfeiture the money will be distributed to victims in the case. Currently. Investigators have identified dozens of victims who were defrauded out of approximately $17.9 million. Investigators believe those numbers will continue to grow as more victims are identified and verified.
The case is being investigated by HSI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jehiel Baer and Yunah Chung.
Robbers who vandalized ATMs so they could steal cash when repair technicians opened the machines, arrested in MississippiRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Texas men made initial appearances Thursday July 17, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Seattle charged with conspiracy to commit robbery for their scheme to steal from banks by assaulting and threatening ATM technicians, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Ahmon Hogg, 22, of Humble Texas and Seth Coles-Body, 23, of Houston, were identified as part of a robbery ring operating across the country. The men would allegedly disable ATM machines with a glue-like substance and when the technician showed up to fix the machine, they would threaten the technician to give them the cash containers, called cassettes, from the ATM.
In December 2024, the pair allegedly were part of a gang that disabled ATMs on December 23 and 24, when the machines would be loaded with cash for the Christmas holiday. The coconspirators disabled a Bank of America ATM in Renton with a glue-like substance that caused the card reader to stop functioning. After the technician arrived and began repairing the machine, he was forcibly confronted by two men who brandished a screwdriver and demanded he open the machine and provide them with the cash cassettes. The technician did not open the machine and after a scuffle the technician was able to escape. Bank surveillance video did capture images of the robber’s vehicle and clothing. The men were wearing masks.
The next day in Vancouver, Washington a technician was sent to repair a Bank of America ATM on SE Mill Plain Boulevard. Again, a glue-like substance had been used to disable the card reader. The technician noticed the cash dispenser was also jammed. As she started repairs, two men ran up and shoved her out of the way and grabbed five cash cassettes filled with currency. The men fled in a car that matched one seen the previous day in connection with the attempted robbery in Renton. Some of the clothing worn by the suspects was also a match for the Renton attempted robbery.
Authorities also learned that a Bank of America ATM was disabled that same day in Battleground Washington, not far from Vancouver.
While the investigations were ongoing in Washington, Hogg and Coles-Body were identified in connection to ATM tampering cases on January 3, 2025, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. ATMs for Bank of America and Wells Fargo had been tampered with – a card covered in glue had been inserted into the machines. The FBI set up surveillance on the ATMs and ultimately spotted a car that bank images connected to the tampering. The car and its occupants appeared to be waiting for a technician to arrive at the ATM. Law enforcement stopped the car and was able to identify Hogg and Coles-Body. They were released from custody.
On March 7, 2025, a technician at a Bank of America in Redmond, Washington, reported he had been robbed. He was working on a machine where once again the card reader was disabled by a glue-like substance. Once the machine was open, two robbers ran up and stole cash canisters filled with money from the machine. Five of the canisters were later recovered, damaged, on the shoulder of highway 520. A few days later, Coles-Body was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol attempting to travel into Mexico by Greyhound bus with approximately $209,000 in cash. The cash was seized, and Coles-Body was released.
A criminal complaint and warrant for arrest were sworn on July 2, 2025. The men were arrested in a traffic stop in Mississippi, with stolen firearms found in their car. They made an initial appearance in Jackson Mississippi federal court on July 3, 2025, and the Magistrate Judge ordered the Marshal Service to transport them to Seattle.
Conspiracy to commit robbery is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Columbia River Organized Crime Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell.
Woman who traveled the country impersonating victims to commit bank fraud sentenced to six years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A leader in a nationwide $1.4 million bank fraud scheme was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Amber Towndrow, 36, was indicted along with coconspirator Darby Canfield, 35, in April 2024. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “This was not a simple crime of desperation, this was a sophisticated nationwide fraud…. It was not a momentary loss in judgement. Despite one arrest, you continued in the scheme…. You did not just steal money, you stole peace of mind.”
“This was a sophisticated scheme using stolen information, fake IDs and business registration requirements across different states. This defendant was a primary actor for the operation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “She successfully impersonated her victims – indeed she memorized all the details of their lives. This significant federal sentence is aimed at setting her on a new, law-abiding path.”
According to records filed in the case, Towndrow and her coconspirators acquired personal identifying information for at least 19 victims nationwide. In Western Washington, the co-schemers used that personal information to register businesses with the Washington Secretary of State. Armed with the business documents and false identification documents such as drivers’ licenses and passports, Towndrow would open business bank accounts at financial institutions where the victim already had a personal savings account. The bank system would link the new business bank account to the real customer’s bank account. The conspirators would then transfer money from the personal bank account to the business account. Towndrow would then use a business account debit card to purchase money orders and high value goods such as designer merchandise or electronics. Towndrow and other conspirators would use various fake IDs to cash the money orders at locations such as Money Tree outlets.
With this scheme Towndrow committed bank fraud and identity theft in Washington, Colorado, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Indiana, and Washington D.C.
Court records detail how Towndrow defrauded a victim living in Illinois by creating a company registered in Colorado. Towndrow listed the Illinois victim as the registered owner of the company. Towndrow traveled to a Chase branch in Seattle where she opened a business banking account for the fake company. Towndrow and her coconspirators used online banking to transfer $131,709 from the Illinois victim account to the business account. Towndrow used the business debit card to purchase 128 U.S. Postal Service money orders totaling $126,653. The money orders were made payable to various people the co-schemers could impersonate with their fake IDs. The conspirators then cashed several of the money orders at various locations in the Seattle area.
The plea agreement admits similar conduct regarding a victim residing in Texas, who was defrauded of $75,000, of which $50,000 was used to purchase MoneyGram money orders across the Seattle area.
Towndrow admits she opened at least 50 business bank accounts and attempted to obtain $1.4 million. She admits she successfully obtained $664,000.
The crime has a significant impact on the individual victims – even when the bank ultimately replaces the money stolen from the account. One victim had $40,000 stolen from her accounts just weeks before her wedding – adding significant stress to what should have been a joyful time. And the impact doesn’t end when the money is replaced.
Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite wrote to the court, “for some victims, the impact may last a lifetime. Identity theft burdens victims with defending against debt collections, decreases in credit scores, and any host of expenses or liabilities that are unfairly associated with them. Victims often also encumber severe non-financial impacts, such as to their mental health and well-being.”
The case was investigated by The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the Seattle Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite.
Snohomish man who provided tactical training to extremist groups sentenced to prison for illegal gun possessionRead the Press Release
Seattle – An Army veteran who illegally possessed high powered firearms was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Kyle Christopher Benton, 29, was arrested in September 2024, following an investigation of his activities both online and in person involving high-powered weapons. Benton possessed both unregistered, short barrel rifles and machineguns, weapons capable of firing multiple rounds with a single trigger pull. Moreover, he used these weapons to further his standing with various racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist groups and groups espousing white supremacy.
At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “You not only illegally possessed extremely dangerous firearms, but you bragged about it and put on firearms trainings for others while doing so.”
According to records filed in the case, Benton was investigated by the FBI after he was discharged from the United States Army and after he threatened to kill his wife. The investigation revealed Benton operated multiple social media accounts where he posted violent extremist content, neo-Nazi propaganda, and anti-Semitic materials. But it was not just online activity. Benton participated in “hate rallies” and other gatherings located in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho in furtherance of his white supremacist views. Drawing upon his military training and veteran status, he led workshops about firearms for various white supremacy groups.
On September 6, 2024, law enforcement executed a court authorized search warrant at Benton’s Snohomish home and seized a firearm resembling an M16 rifle that fired in a fully automatic fashion. They also seized an uninstalled drop-in auto sear (which makes a gun fire like a machinegun) and two rifles with overall barrel lengths of less than 16 inches. Such guns must be registered under the National Firearms Act.
On March 28, 2025, Benton pleaded guilty to Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun, and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm.
In asking for a 30-month sentence Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne wrote to the court, “while Benton was in possession of these weapons, he was actively engaged with groups encouraging racially or ethnically motivated violence and white supremacy. Benton
used the firearms along with his military experience to establish himself within the groups. While engaged with these groups he put on workshops about firearms and held tactical trainings for group members.”
In his letter to the court, Benton now disavows his white supremacist views.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Wynne.
Former semi-professional Rugby Player sentenced to prison for cryptocurrency mining Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle –A 37-year-old former semi-pro rugby player was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison for wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Shane Donovan Moore operated Quantum Donovan LLC – a Washington company Moore claimed was purchasing and operating cryptocurrency mining equipment. In fact, the company never invested in such equipment and operated as a Ponzi scheme, with the investments from later investors being used to pay off earlier investors. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin told him, “Most people have suffered serious trauma like you, but you have also had many opportunities and advantages that many people have not.” Judge Lin also noted Moore “caused emotional and psychological damage to the victims” by his execution of his scheme.
“Mr. Moore used the newness of cryptocurrency, to commit an age-old fraud – a Ponzi scheme,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “He solicited more than $900,00 from some 40 investors claiming it would be used for ‘mining cryptocurrency.’ Instead, the money went to support a lavish lifestyle, and to pay off the earliest investors to keep the fraud going. He left a path of damaged relationships in his wake.”
Between January 2021 and October 2022, Moore made fraudulent promises to obtain investor money. Moore claimed both verbally and in writing that the invested money would be used to purchase computers for a cryptocurrency mining operation. He told investors they would receive 1% of their investment daily based on the work of the mining machines. However, Moore never purchased the mining machines. He comingled the investor money with his personal accounts and used some of those funds to live a lavish lifestyle. Some of the funds were used to purchase cryptocurrency so that a portion of the funds could be sent to investors to lull them into believing the cryptocurrency mining operation existed. Early investors recruited their friends and family to invest, leading to anger and recriminations when the losses mounted.
Moore recruited investors in Utah, Oregon, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Washington. Many of the investors are people he knew from his rugby activities.
In asking for a three-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne wrote to the court, “Instead of purchasing cryptocurrency mining equipment, Moore comingled victim-investor funds with his personal accounts and used victim-investor funds to finance his lifestyle and pay his personal living expenses. … He used victim-investors’ funds to purchase luggage, travel, clothing, electronics, and pay for a deposit for a luxury apartment. All told, victim-investors suffered a loss of more than $387,000.”
The case was investigated by the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Wynne and Casey Conzatti.
California man convicted of fraud for operating call centers that preyed on struggling homeownersRead the Press Release
Seattle –The operator of a web of boiler-room-type call centers was convicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle for defrauding over 1,000 distressed homeowners facing foreclosure, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Mohammed Zafaranchi, 43, aka ‘Mike Ferry’ was convicted of all twelve federal charges he faced: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, five counts of money laundering, and obstruction of justice. After a seven-day trial, the jury deliberated for about four hours before returning the guilty verdicts. Zafaranchi faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on October 21, 2025.
“The defendant preyed on vulnerable homeowners who were desperate to avoid losing their homes in a difficult economy,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “He manipulated these people into paying him thousands of dollars they could not afford to lose. Mr. Zafaranchi demonstrated he knew his activities were illegal when he destroyed evidence just after learning the FBI had served search warrants at one of his call centers.”
Zafaranchi’s fraud involved purchasing data that identified homeowners who were behind on their mortgages and at risk of losing their homes. Each week, Zafaranchi sent thousands of solicitation mailers falsely telling the distressed homeowners they were eligible for government programs that would reduce their mortgage debt by 30% and reduce their interest rate to 2%. The mailers told homeowners to call a phone number before a made-up deadline to get the mortgage modification.
When homeowners called the call centers, operators followed a series of scripts telling homeowners that lawyers and underwriters had vetted their case and negotiated a modification with their lender. The scripts instructed operators to place callers on hold for a pre-determined amount of time to build suspense and make it appear a review was underway. The operator would then return to the line and tell each victim he or she was one of the very select few who qualified for the program—but only if the homeowner paid the call center a $3,000 legal fee to “finalize” the modification. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar said in closing arguments that “Each stage of the script was designed to entice the victim into the fraud and get them to pay the fee.”
In fact, Zafaranchi’s businesses had no legal or underwriting staff. Instead, untrained workers simply scanned the homeowners’ financial records, completed a basic application form, and sent the documents to the banks. The homeowners did not receive the modifications promised in the mailers, and some lost their homes.
After taking the victims’ money, Zafaranchi laundered the funds through shell bank accounts and withdrew the proceeds in cash. He was convicted of money laundering for this conduct.
On March 29, 2018, the FBI served a search warrant on the call center in Everett Washington. After learning of this search, Zafaranchi told his California employees to remove the computers and other evidence from his California offices. That night, Zafaranchi destroyed all records associated with three email accounts he used to operate the businesses. For that conduct, Zafaranchi was convicted of obstruction of justice.
Zafaranchi’s two coconspirators have already pleaded guilty. Mark Lezama is scheduled for sentencing on October 14, 2025. Josh Herrera is scheduled for sentencing on October 21, 2025.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson, Lauren Watts Staniar, and Dane A. Westermeyer. The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General provided support in the case.
Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme involving Telecommunications CompaniesRead the Press Release
Seattle –A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least ten victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang of the Western District of Washington and Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme Involving Telecommunications CompaniesRead the Press Release
A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.
Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
Seattle real estate owner convicted at trial for tax fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 69-year-old Seattle real estate owner was convicted late last week in U.S. District Court in Seattle of six counts of tax evasion and six counts of making false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Steven T. Loo will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lauren King on October 9, 2025.
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, Loo had an ownership interest in, and operated multiple commercial real estate properties, in western Washington and California. Loo hired property management companies to manage the properties. Loo had the property management companies send profits from the properties to two bank accounts he controlled. Loo spent this money for his benefit and that of his family and friends, and also re-invested funds in various businesses he controlled. However, Loo did not declare that income -- over $4.7 million -- on his tax returns. Loo used shell companies and repeated transfers of funds to conceal the income from the IRS.
At trial, the government presented evidence detailing the eight properties operated by Loo via various limited liability companies (LLCs). The income from the LLCs was funneled into bank accounts associated with two specific inactive entities that were established in Washington in 1999. Loo did not report this income to the IRS. Loo failed to inform his tax return preparer of these funds that were income from his properties.
In closing arguments Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite told the jury, “Mr. Loo was strategic - he was deceptive – and he was incredibly profitable…. This isn’t a mistake. This isn’t forgetfulness. This isn’t sloppiness. This is strategic. It is deceptive. And its willful…. It’s criminal. Mr. Loo made 4.7 million dollars. He reported negative income. That feels wrong because it is wrong. No one wants to pay taxes, but nurses, firefighters, and teachers all pay them. Mr. Loo needs to pay his share well.”
The jury deliberated about 7 hours before finding Loo guilty of the six counts of tax evasion and six counts of making and subscribing to a false tax return.
Each count of tax evasion is punishable by up to five years of imprisonment. Making and subscribing to a false tax retuning is punishable by up to three years of imprisonment. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge King after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Dion and Sean Waite for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Regina Jeon of the Department of Justice Tax Division.
Seattle Businessman Convicted of Tax Evasion and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Note, the release has been corrected to reflect that Loo had around $4.7 million in unreported income, not $4.8 million.
A federal jury convicted a Washington man on Friday for tax evasion and filing false tax returns related to a scheme to conceal income received from his commercial property business.
The following is according to court documents and evidence presented at trial: Steven Loo, of Seattle, controlled and operated eight companies that owned commercial real estate. Each was managed by independent property management companies, which were responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the real estate. Loo diverted the income he earned from his real estate by instructing the property management companies to issue checks, categorized as asset management fees, to two other entities that Loo controlled. Loo knew that the funds deposited into these bank accounts, around $4.7 million, were income to him and that he was required to report and pay tax on the funds. Nevertheless, Loo filed tax returns for 2015 through 2020 that did not report or pay tax on these funds.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Loo owes $1.6 million in taxes on his unreported income.
Loo is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the false tax return charges and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of the tax evasion charges for which he was convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Regina Jeon of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dion and Sean Waite for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case.
Brothers from India sentenced to prison for smuggling fake or contaminated drugs into the U.S.Read the Press Release
Seattle – Two brothers from India were each sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison for their scheme to sell counterfeit and adulterated drugs in the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Avanish Kumar Jha, 39, and Rajnish Kumar Jha, 36, were arrested in Singapore on April 20, 2023, based on the 2022 indictment. The men were extradited to the U.S. in February 2025. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The issue here is the introduction of adulterated drugs to people who think they are getting lifesaving drugs… This activity has so much risk to cause harm.”
“When this investigation began, the first vial of medicine shipped to the undercover agent was not the cancer-fighting drug Keytruda at all but rather over-the-counter heartburn medicine in a bottle labeled as Keytruda. Keytruda’s active ingredient—the substance that could add months or even years to the lives of terminal cancer patients—was totally absent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The defendants made hundreds of thousands of dollars while defrauding people who were clinging to hope that a late-stage cancer medication could extend their life.”
The investigation of the Jha brothers began in 2019, when investigators reviewed internet postings and other evidence indicating that the Jha brothers and their company, Dhrishti Pharma International, were offering to sell prescription drugs to buyers in the United States and elsewhere. Undercover agents with the Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began communicating with the Jha brothers and ordered some of their products. Of particular concern was a “medication” labeled as “Keytruda,” a Merck drug for late-stage cancer. An analysis revealed that the Jha brothers were selling counterfeit Keytruda that contained none of active ingredient that made the authentic product effective. Other products contained contaminants.
The brothers shipped the counterfeit and adulterated drugs from India. They accepted various means of payment including wire transfers and direct money exchanges. In some cases, they used intermediaries in the United States to pick up cash payments. The drugs were packaged in such a way to avoid detection by international customs or other regulators.
In January 2025, a judge in Singapore ruled the men could be extradited to the U.S. In early June 2025, both defendants entered pleas of guilty to one count of smuggling.
In asking for the 30-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski wrote to the court, “Exporting counterfeit medicines is a cruel business that robs ill people of any hope for relief. Cancer patients unknowingly using fake Keytruda would have no chance of improvement with their terminal disease. The defendants profited by peddling counterfeit Keytruda and many other drugs, all in contravention of numerous U.S. laws and regulations that are meant to keep people safe…. Regrettably, schemes like this one are not unique. Many people line their pockets by flouting the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other important U.S. laws.”
“Americans expect and deserve drugs that are safe, effective, and that meet appropriate standards for quality, yet these individuals distributed counterfeit prescription drugs to vulnerable cancer patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “Such conduct cannot be tolerated, and the FDA will continue to work with the Department of Justice to bring to justice those who place American patients at risk.”
“This investigation is a prime example of collaboration between law enforcement agencies to leverage their unique authorities to target international criminal organizations,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “The Jha brothers, driven by greed, attempted to exploit vulnerable Americans battling serious illnesses by selling counterfeit cancer medications. HSI remains dedicated to pursuing and bringing to justice those who seek to victimize people with serious illnesses through these types of fraudulent schemes.”
Judge Martinez imposed a $50,000 fine on each defendant and in August will consider whether to impose $81,596 in restitution to Merck for the expenses incurred by testing the fraudulent and adulterated drugs for law enforcement. The judge noted that the entire thrust of the crime was to make money. “It is important to send a deterrence message to anyone who might send adulterated drugs into any country,” Judge Martinez said.
The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and ICE HSI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with securing the extradition. Significant assistance was provided by law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the ICE HSI Attaché and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Overseas Criminal Investigations, and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Arizona man sentenced to prison for traveling to Washington for sex with fictitious minorRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 73-year-old Tucson, Arizona man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to four years in prison for travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Steven J. Migdon, was arrested in August 2024 following an online investigation by Seattle Police and the FBI. In the investigation, the undercover agent posed as a 13-year-old boy. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead noted that Migdon lived a crime free life for 73 years, but added, “Today we are here to confront the ugliness of what you did over ten days. The images you had on your phone represented real children and real abuse. These are among the most serious crimes we see in federal court, the crimes that exploit children.”
In July 2024, an undercover agent posted on a teen chatroom platform. Migdon replied to the 13-year-old persona and made the communication become more sexually explicit. Migdon requested, but did not receive, sexually explicit images from the “teen.” Migdon sent pictures of his face and penis to the undercover agent.
On August 5th Migdon flew from Tucson to Everett, Washington, believing he would meet the “teen” at an Everett hotel room. Instead Migdon was arrested. A search of his phone revealed that he had sent sexually explicit images to other children, and that he had images of child sexual abuse on his phone.
In asking for a four-year sentence and ten years of supervised release to follow, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “Despite age and experience, Migdon spent ten days communicating with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old boy. Worse, the content of his phone confirmed his chatting and travel conduct were not stand alone. Migdon had been sexually communicating with unidentified minors in the days leading up to his travel to Washington for sex with a fictitious child.”
Migdon was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a fund for the known victims in the child sex abuse images he possessed. Migdon is required to register as a sex offender and will be on ten years of supervised release following prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Seattle Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Lummi Nation member indicted for assault by strangulation of ex-partnerRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 48-year-old member of the Lummi Nation was arraigned in federal court today on an indictment charging him with assault by strangulation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Marc Cagey Oreiro entered a plea of not guilty. Trial is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Lauren King on August 25, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, on May 23, 2025, Oreiro assaulted the victim in the master bedroom of a home on Lummi Nation tribal land. Oreiro pushed the victim onto the bed and alternated strangling her with his hands and forearm causing the victim to experience difficulty breathing. While she was pinned to the bed, Oreiro hit her multiple times, punching her in the head, back, stomach, side, and ear. He struck her in the ribs with his knee and knelt on her chest and repeatedly threatened to kill her.
Lummi Police officers arrived at the door after a housemate called police. After searching the home, police arrested Oreiro who physically fought with officers. The victim was found crying in the master bedroom closet where Oreiro had ordered her to hide from police. The victim was transported by medics for treatment of her injuries. She had bruises on her face, ears, and bruising and abrasions on her neck.
Oreiro was originally charged in tribal court. Following the initial FBI investigation, Oreiro was charged by criminal complaint, and on June 25, 2025, the grand jury returned an indictment.
Assault by strangulation is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Safe Trails Task Force and the Lummi Nation Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee. Ms. Lee serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Steilacoom, Washington, couple sentenced to prison terms for leadership of drug trafficking ring tied to Aryan prison gangsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Key members of a drug trafficking organization connected to the Aryan Family prison gang were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to prison terms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jesse James Bailey, 40, was sentenced to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison. His wife, Candace Bailey, 43, was sentenced to 5 years in prison. At Jesse Bailey’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “It is unimaginable how many drugs were being distributed.” Noting that Bailey grew up with drug addicted parents, the Chief Judge said, “You know the damage it creates, and you are now the one creating that for so many people.”
“Jesse Bailey and his wife Candace worked hand in hand to distribute devastating and dangerous drugs in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The Baileys were at the top of the drug conspiracy pyramid, selling multi-pound quantities of meth and fentanyl to heavily armed members of their drug ring. And they too increased the danger by stockpiling firearms, including a fully automatic M4 machine gun.”
“The Baileys oversaw a multi-state conspiracy to traffic vast amounts of dangerous drugs into Washington state, as seen by the two dozen arrests we made in 2023, and seizure of hundreds of firearms,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "While even small quantities of drugs such as fentanyl can be lethal, this group was poisoning our communities by trafficking in kilogram quantities that could fill up suitcases. To all those who might consider following in the Baileys' footsteps, the consequences imposed today send a clear message: the only thing to be gained from these crimes is time behind bars. I am grateful to our investigators and local law enforcement partners for their steadfast efforts to make our home a safer place.”
In November 2024, Jesse Bailey pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Candace Bailey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, illegally transferring a firearm to a prohibited person, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
On Wednesday March 22, 2023, the FBI led a coordinated takedown of this criminal drug trafficking organization. They arrested two dozen
people, including the Baileys, and seized 177 firearms, over ten kilograms of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills, more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona.
The Baileys are forfeiting $699,268 and dozens of expensive pieces of jewelry that agents seized as proceeds of their criminal activity as well as 42 firearms, multiple silencers, body armor, ammunition, scopes, and tripods seized from their residence and a storage unit they used to store and distribute controlled substances.
Court records describe how the couple discussed various suppliers of illegal narcotics, the drug redistributors they sold to, and the pricing of their controlled substances. As part of the conspiracy, Candace Bailey bought firearms and firearm parts, which she provided to Jesse Bailey knowing that he was he was a previously convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms. Together, the Baileys attempted to launder their drug proceeds through various casinos and bank accounts.
Describing Candace Bailey’s central role in the drug ring, prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo, “Candace Bailey stayed fully informed on her and Jesse Bailey’s joint drug trafficking business, was knowledgeable of Jesse Bailey’s violent tendencies, and was engaged in their negotiations with their partner in drug trafficking…. Candace Bailey made it clear to co-conspirators that she was an equal partner in the venture as well… She initially met Jesse Bailey while serving as a guard at the prison where he was incarcerated on charges of Assault in the First Degree for shooting at police officers during a high-speed chase.”
“The Baileys ran a drug enterprise that poisoned the community with both dangerous drugs and hate,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The amount of money and the sheer volume of weapons seized in this case shows how dangerous this group was to the whole Puget Sound region, and I am proud of the work of our team to stop this hate-fueled, violent drug ring.”
“HSI stands with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who bring violence to our communities are brought to justice,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “The lengthy sentence handed down today reflects this criminal organization's propensity for violence and disregard for human life.”
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner and Jehiel Baer.