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Wednesday 3 June 2026
Illegal Alien, unlawfully present in U.S., sentenced to six years in prison for trafficking cocaine and fentanyl for an organization that targeted homeless encampments and Seattle’s Chinatown-International DistrictRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 37-year-old Mexican national, a former resident of Issaquah, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for his role in an armed drug trafficking ring that sought drug customers in Seattle’s homeless encampments and International District, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Giovanni Antonio Garduno Garcia was arrested in May 2025 following a law enforcement investigation of trafficking narcotics to vulnerable people living unhoused near Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. On March 9, 2026, Garduno Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At the sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “You were dealing drugs so dangerous that they have resulted in thousands and thousands of deaths across this country… And you were solely motivated by personal profit and greed.”
“This defendant trafficked drugs simply for the money,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “He lived in the Seattle suburbs with high end cars, drugs, and $93,000 in cash stashed in his residence. He enjoyed the high life while spreading misery in the form of
fentanyl and cocaine to those gripped with addiction. And he did so armed with firearms and body armor. The community will be safer after he serves his sentence and is returned to his home country of Mexico.”
“This man tormented our Chinatown-International District neighborhood and the broader Seattle community. He targeted some of our city’s most vulnerable residents, which is reprehensible,” said Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes. “I am incredibly proud of our officers, and federal partners, for their tireless work on this case and bringing this criminal to justice.”
According to records filed in the case, fourteen people were arrested in late May 2025, on two separate indictments charging them with trafficking cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from California into the Western District of Washington. The fourteen arrested in late May 2025 followed the arrest of five others in January 2025 for firearm and drug trafficking activities connected to Seattle’s Chinatown-International District neighborhood and nearby encampments.
On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake, California and Beaverton, Oregon. Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash.
In Garduno Garcia’s residence they seized cocaine, fentanyl-laced pills, and fentanyl powder. Along with the controlled substances, investigators found two semiautomatic firearms, additional magazines and ammunition, body armor, and over $93,000 in cash drug proceeds. Investigators also seized two vehicles, a Mercedes Benz and a Dodge Durango that were proceeds of Garduno Garcia’s drug trafficking activities. All the seized items have been forfeited to the government.
The scope of this drug trafficking scheme involving all the defendants was huge. In March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics was nearly $3 million.
In asking for a six-year prison sentence prosecutors noted the damage drug trafficking does to our community with increased violence and the loss of loved ones to addiction. “Garduno Garcia actively participated in flooding the community with these deadly and addictive substances. Garduno Garcia was intercepted communicating with multiple co-defendants for large quantities of cocaine and was
found to possess various substances, including fentanyl, in his residence for redistribution. And unlike those who are distributing to the community to support their own addiction, Garduno Garcia distributed solely for financial gain. Garduno Garcia admitted that he became involved in drug trafficking for “quick money,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Conzatti wrote in the sentencing memo to the court.
“Mr. Garduno Garcia chose a lavish lifestyle over a law-abiding one, distributing kilogram quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, destroying lives for a profit as evidenced by the luxury vehicles and huge amounts of money at his residence,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Tragically, our communities and some of their most vulnerable members pay the price of drug trafficking in the form of addictions, overdoses, and violence. The FBI and our partners will continue to combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and across the state of Washington.”
“Fentanyl traffickers prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities, valuing profit over human life,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Mr. Garduno Garcia distributed deadly fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in Seattle’s Chinatown International District. DEA and our law enforcement partners remain relentless in our pursuit of those who profit from peddling poison. Every fentanyl seizure, every trafficking network dismantled, and every conviction brings us one step closer to a Fentanyl Free America.”
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police, Centralia Police Department, and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.
Illegal Alien Charged with Failing to Update His Sex Offender Registration, Unlawfully Reentering the U.S. After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Gilberto Martinez Geronimo, 52, a Mexican national who has been illegally residing in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with failure to register as a sex offender and illegally reentering the U.S. after deportation.
The defendant has been detained in federal custody since May 19, following his arrest on a criminal complaint and warrant.
The indictment alleges that, from approximately May 2021 until last month’s arrest, Martinez Geronimo, a convicted sex offender, knowingly failed to update a registration, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The indictment further alleges that, despite having previously been deported and removed from the United States, the defendant knowingly and unlawfully reentered the country without applying for or receiving the U.S. government’s permission.
As detailed in court filings, in July 2000, Martinez Geronimo was charged by the Somerset County (N.J.) Prosecutor’s Office with Aggravated Sexual Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Diseased Person Committing an Act of Sexual Penetration. He was convicted of those charges in New Jersey Superior Court in February 2001 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. In January of 2007, Martinez Geronimo was released from state custody into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) and deported back to Mexico the same month.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and ICE and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Branwen McNabb O’Donnell.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Hometown Hero, Gayle Scott, Recognized for Dedication to Victim JusticeRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that the District of South Dakota has recognized Federal Bureau of Investigation Victim Specialist Gayle Scott as a “Hometown Hero” for her career serving crime victims in South Dakota. Ms. Scott has served with the FBI for 24 years. Prior to her federal service, she worked with crime victims in a similar role with the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Office. Ms. Scott brings unique qualities to this work, day in and day out. She exudes warmth and compassion, provides comfort and support, and respectfully encourages participation in the criminal justice process. Throughout her years of service,
Ms. Scott has worked with crime victims in hundreds of cases, helping them through difficult investigations and trials. Ms. Scott’s work has directly resulted in victims finding the courage necessary to bring justice to dangerous perpetrators, thereby making our communities safer for all.
Ms. Scott was honored during an award presentation held Monday at the United States Attorney’s Office in Sioux Falls.
“Gayle Scott is most deserving of this high honor for her tireless work with victims of crime over many years,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. “With compassion and dignity, she has stood with countless victims and their families, listened to them, lifted them up, and helped them find their voice in order to bring justice to those who have harmed them. It is a true honor to recognize, thank, and celebrate Gayle for her outstanding service to the people of the District of South Dakota. She is truly our Hometown Hero.”
“Victim Specialist Scott has dedicated herself, personally and professionally, to the victims of federal crime for the past 24 years,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Her exceptionally dedicated and always humble service to crime victims and witnesses in South Dakota is almost always done behind-the-scenes, but her work is an integral part of the FBI’s mission: to protect the public and ensure justice for all. I thank Gayle and all of the FBI’s dedicated Victim Specialists for the work they do every day to serve victims and survivors.”This award was presented as part of the Department of Justice’s Freedom 250 initiative, a nationwide effort in which United States Attorneys’ Offices across the country recognize individuals whose service, courage, leadership, and commitment have made a meaningful impact in their communities in advance of America’s 250th Anniversary.
The award presentation was attended by members of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Ms. Scott’s family.
Hometown Hero AwardRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas recognizes Barling Police Department Officer Cody Douglas as a “Hometown Hero” for his courageous actions on April 6, 2025.
Officer Douglas was honored during an award presentation held Wednesday June 3, 2026, at the United States Attorney’s Office in Fort Smith.
On April 6, 2025, at approximately 11:20 PM, the Barling Police Department received a 911 call reporting that a vehicle had accidentally entered the Arkansas River in Barling and was rapidly taking on water. Officer Cody Douglas was the first to arrive on scene at Springhill Park. Upon assessing the situation, he observed the driver struggling to remain afloat in swift and hazardous currents near the boat ramp. Fully aware of the significant personal risk involved, Officer Douglas immediately shed his duty gear and entered the river without hesitation to render aid. Officer Douglas’s swift response, sound judgment, and selfless courage directly contributed to saving a life in perilous conditions. His actions exemplify the highest standards of law enforcement professionalism and heroism. His actions undoubtedly saved this individual from severe injury and or death.
“Officer Douglas demonstrated extraordinary courage, professionalism, and commitment to public safety during an incredibly dangerous and uncertain situation,” said United States Attorney Kevin P. Holmes. “His actions reflect the very best of law enforcement service and exemplify the spirit of community protection recognized through the Hometown Hero program.”
The recognition was presented as part of the Department of Justice’s Freedom 250 initiative, a nationwide effort in which United States Attorneys’ Offices across the country recognizes individuals whose service, courage, leadership, and commitment have made a meaningful impact in their communities in advance of America’s 250th anniversary.
The award presentation was attended by members of the Barling Police Department, Barling City Officials, Officer Douglas’s family, and representatives of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas.
Green Bay Man Indicted for Sexually Exploiting Numerous ChildrenRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 2, 2026, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging William G. Waterstradt (age 22) with offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children.
According to the publicly filed criminal complaint that preceded yesterday’s indictment, Waterstradt created a fake Snapchat account to facilitate the exploitation of numerous underage girls. Detectives recovered communications between Waterstradt and dozens of girls, some as young as 12 years old, in which he falsely claimed to be 16 or 17 years old. The investigation began after a 12-year-old student saw sexually explicit images on a friend’s phone during recess, prompting a report to school officials.
Detectives subsequently identified multiple underage victims. Many reported that they had exchanged sexually explicit images with Waterstradt. Three victims stated that they met Waterstradt in person and engaged in sexual intercourse and/or sexual contact, which he sometimes recorded on his phone. Detectives also determined that Waterstradt shared some of these recordings with unknown individuals online.
Waterstradt is charged with production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. He is also charged with two counts of child enticement, each carrying a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office, the Sheboygan Police Department, the Green Bay Police Department, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, and the Paris (Illinois) Police Department, with assistance from the Forest County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin Police Department, the Germantown Police Department, the Grafton Police Department, the Marquette University Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Langlade County District Attorney’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative led by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Four Tren De Aragua Members Who Illegally Entered the U.S. Plead Guilty to Murdering Two U.S. Citizens on NYC StreetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Acting Attorney General for the United States, Todd Blanche, United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, Director of Joint Task Force Vulcan (“JTFV”), Jacob Warren, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Pete Gizas, announced today that four members of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (“TdA”), KEIBER JAEN MARTINEZ, a/k/a “Keybe,” SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO, a/k/a “Klei,” a/k/a “Kley,” EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ, a/k/a “Jefferson,” a/k/a “Efe Trebol,” and KEINEYER IBARRA-MUJICA, a/k/a “Keiner,” each pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote to two counts of murder through the use of a firearm and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with their participation in the May 24, 2024, murders of Claretha LaQuesha Daniels and Justin Lawless and the non-fatal shooting of a third victim (“Victim-3”), all of whom were unarmed American citizens and residents of New York City. A fifth codefendant and member of TdA, JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON, a/k/a “La Fama,” pled guilty last week to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with his participation in, among other crimes, a September 30, 2024, gunpoint carjacking in New York City. Three additional codefendants previously pled guilty to other offenses and have been sentenced, and all eight in-custody defendants charged in the TdA prosecution before Judge Cote have now been convicted.
“As they have now admitted, these four members of Tren de Aragua entered the United States illegally and then brutally murdered Claretha LaQuesha Daniels and Justin Lawless on May 24, 2024, in the middle of a residential street in the Bronx, which resulted in another victim being shot and injured,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This recent Memorial Day Sunday marked a tragic date: two years to the day that Ms. Daniels and Mr. Lawless lost their lives. We extend our deep condolences to the family members of these victims and hope that today’s guilty pleas bring some comfort to them. We are committed to investigating and charging all members of TdA and other international gangs who flout our immigration laws and flood our streets with guns, drugs, sex trafficking, and violence. Today, we delivered two things every New York family wants: these four gun-toting, murderous criminals off our streets; and a message to international gangs—‘stay out of the United States.’”
“Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, these four Tren de Aragua gang members will now face justice for their part in the ruthless and senseless murders of two Americans and the attempted murder of a third person in the Bronx two years ago,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “As a former AUSA who prosecuted violent crimes and gangs in the Bronx, this case hits home for me. Tren de Aragua is a terrorist organization with no place and no future in the United States, and this Department of Justice will not stop until we have rooted out, dismantled, and destroyed them.”
“I’m thankful that the victims and their families finally get the justice they deserve,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Tren de Aragua is one of the most vicious gangs on planet earth. They rape, maim, and murder for sport. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are targeting and removing gang members from our communities and ensuring those that committed crimes in our country face justice.”
“Although TdA started as a prison gang in Venezuela, it became a transnational criminal organization and foreign terrorist organization that gained a foothold in many cities in the United States, including New York City,” said JTFV Director Jacob Warren. “As they have now admitted, these four TdA members killed two unarmed American citizens in the Bronx during a brutal shooting on a public street, and they will finally be held accountable for their crimes. This case is directly in line with JTFV’s mission: a collaborative, whole-of-government, and nationwide effort to totally eliminate TdA. To date, we have charged over 260 members and associates of TdA as part of these efforts. We are grateful for the ongoing partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to investigate this case.”
“The NYPD will not allow violent gangs to terrorize our streets and threaten our communities,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “These defendants, members of Tren de Aragua, viciously took two lives and shot a third victim, but thanks to our multi-agency investigation, they are now being held accountable. I thank the NYPD investigators and our federal law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts in this case. Together, we will continue to take down gangs, remove guns from our streets, and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
“These defendants carried out acts of cruelty and calculated violence that resulted in the cold-blooded murders of Claretha Daniels and Justin Lawless and left a third victim grievously wounded, shattering families and communities in ways that can never be fully repaired,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas. “Their conduct is emblematic of the Tren de Aragua’s ruthless model of transnational gang activity, spanning the Bronx, Queens, and well beyond our borders—where extortion, human smuggling, sex trafficking, narcotics distribution, and gun violence are deployed to entrench their criminal enterprise and spread fear. HSI New York, through the Homeland Security Task Force, will not yield an inch of authority or control to criminal street gangs that threaten the safety of our communities.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information and other public filings in this case:
TdA is a criminal organization that operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, as well as internationally in Venezuela, Peru, and elsewhere. The purposes of TdA included:
- Preserving and protecting the power and territory of TdA and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, robbery, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at former members and associates of TdA who associated with a splinter organization known as Anti-Tren.
- Enriching the members and associates of TdA through, among other things:
- The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including young women from Venezuela, into Colombia, Peru and the U.S.;
- The sex trafficking of young women (whom members and associates of TdA often refer to as “multadas”) who had been unlawfully smuggled into Peru and the U.S.;
- The trafficking of controlled substances, including a mixed substance called “tusi” that contains ketamine;
- And armed robberies, including carjackings.
- Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of TdA and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
- Promoting and enhancing TdA and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
- Providing assistance to members and associates of TdA who committed crimes for and on behalf of TdA, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of TdA to flee prosecution.
- Protecting TdA and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of TdA.
- Members and associates of TdA transported young women, again often referred to by members and associates of TdA as “multadas,” from Venezuela into Peru and the U.S. in exchange for debts that the young women would pay back to TdA by engaging in commercial sex work. Members of TdA enforced compliance among these young women by, among other things:
- Threatening to kill the young women and their families,
- Assaulting the young women,
- Shooting or killing the young women,
- And tracking down and kidnapping the young women who tried to flee.
Members of TdA also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and expand TdA’s criminal operations; resolve disputes within TdA; to retaliate against rival organizations, including Anti-Tren; and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. TdA members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.
On May 24, 2024, TdA members JAEN MARTINEZ, GONZALEZ CASTRO, MORILLO-GOMEZ, and IBARRA-MUJICA agreed to kill Claretha LaQuesha Daniels and Justin Lawless and to shoot Victim-3 in the vicinity of 2290 Davidson Avenue in the Bronx, New York. JAEN MARTINEZ, GONZALEZ CASTRO, MORILLO-GOMEZ, and IBARRA-MUJICA then aided and abetted, caused, and otherwise facilitated the shooting of Daniels, Lawless, and Victim-3, which resulted in the deaths of Daniels and Lawless, and multiple non-fatal gunshot wounds to Victim-3. Claretha LaQuesha Daniels was 44 years old, and Justin Lawless was 36 years old.
* * *
A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), including the Field Offices in New York, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, and Hawaii, and the NYPD. He also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colorado; Joint Task Force Vulcan; the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (“USMS”); the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Gang Unit and New York Human Intelligence Division; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s New York Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”); and the New York City Crime Analysis Center at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
This case is part of Joint Task Force Vulcan (“JTFV”), which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target Tren de Aragua. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New York comprises agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, and the IRS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit and Joint Task Force Vulcan. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, Timothy Ly, Andrew K. Chan, and Jared Hoffman are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Ananya Sankar and Sandy Alcantara.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
One
(S3 Information)
Murder through the use of a firearm
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(j), and 2
KEIBER JAEN MARTINEZ,
a/k/a “Keybe,”
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,”
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol,”
KEINEYER IBARRA-MUJICA,
a/k/a “Keiner”
Life in prisonTwo
(S3 Information)
Murder through the use of a firearm
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(j), and 2
KEIBER JAEN MARTINEZ,
a/k/a “Keybe,”
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,”
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol,”
KEINEYER IBARRA-MUJICA,
a/k/a “Keiner”
Life in prisonThree
(S3 Information)
Firearm use, carrying, and possession
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), and 2
KEIBER JAEN MARTINEZ,
a/k/a “Keybe,”
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,”
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol,”
KEINEYER IBARRA-MUJICA,
a/k/a “Keiner”
Life in prison
Mandatory consecutive sentence of 5 years in prison
One
(S2 Indictment)
Racketeering conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama”
20 years in prisonSix
(S2 Indictment)
Firearm use, carrying, and possession
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), and 2
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama”
Life in prison
Mandatory consecutive sentence of 5 years in prison
Four Illegal Alien Tren de Aragua Members Plead Guilty to Double Murder in 2024Read the Press Release
Four members of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA), Keiber Jaen Martinez, also known as “Keybe,” Samuel Gonzalez Castro, also known as “Klei” and “Kley,” Eferson Morillo-Gomez, also known as “Jefferson,” and “Efe Trebol,” and Keineyer Ibarra-Mujica, also known as “Keiner” each pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote for the Southern District of New York to two counts of murder through the use of a firearm and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in connection with their participation in the May 24, 2024, murders of Claretha LaQuesha Daniels and Justin Lawless and the non-fatal shooting of a third victim (“Victim-3”), all of whom were unarmed American citizens and residents of New York City.
A fifth codefendant and member of TdA, Jarwin Valero-Calderon, also known “La Fama,” pleaded guilty last week to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in connection with his participation in, among other crimes, a September 30, 2024, gunpoint carjacking in New York City. Three additional codefendants previously pleaded guilty to other offenses and have been sentenced. All eight in-custody defendants charged in the TdA prosecution before Judge Cote have now been convicted.
“Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, these four Tren de Aragua gang members will now face justice for their part in the ruthless and senseless murders of two Americans and the attempted murder of a third person in the Bronx two years ago,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “As a former Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted violent crimes and gangs in the Bronx, this case hits home for me. Tren de Aragua is a terrorist organization with no place and no future in the United States, and this Department of Justice will not stop until we have rooted out, dismantled and destroyed them.”
“I’m thankful that the victims and their families finally get the justice they deserve,” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Tren de Aragua is one of the most vicious gangs on planet earth. They rape, maim, and murder for sport. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are targeting and removing gang members from our communities and ensuring those that committed crimes in our country face justice.”
“As they have now admitted, these four members of Tren de Aragua entered the United States illegally and then brutally murdered Claretha LaQuesha Daniels and Justin Lawless on May 24, 2024, in the middle of a residential street in the Bronx, which resulted in another victim being shot and injured,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “This recent Memorial Day Sunday marked a tragic date: two years to the day that Ms. Daniels and Mr. Lawless lost their lives. We extend our deep condolences to the family members of these victims and hope that today’s guilty pleas bring some measure of comfort to them. We are committed to investigating and charging all members of TdA who illegally entered this country and then flooded the streets of New York City with guns, drugs, sex trafficking, and violence. That is what New Yorkers want and deserve, and we will do everything we can to deliver it for them.”
“Although TdA started as a prison gang in Venezuela, it became a transnational criminal organization and foreign terrorist organization that gained a foothold in many cities in the United States, including New York City,” said Director Jacob Warren of Joint Task Force Vulcan. “As they have now admitted, these four TdA members killed two unarmed American citizens in the Bronx during a brutal shooting on a public street, and they will finally be held accountable for their crimes. This case is directly in line with JTFV’s mission: a collaborative, whole-of-government, and nationwide effort to totally eliminate TdA. To date, we have charged over 260 members and associates of TdA as part of these efforts. We are grateful for the ongoing partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to investigate this case.”
“The NYPD will not allow violent gangs to terrorize our streets and threaten our communities,” said New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “These defendants, members of Tren de Aragua, viciously took two lives and shot a third victim, but thanks to our multi-agency investigation, they are now being held accountable. I thank the NYPD investigators and our federal law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts in this case. Together, we will continue to take down gangs, remove guns from our streets, and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
According to the allegations contained in the superseding information and other public filings in this case: TdA is a criminal organization that operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, as well as internationally in Venezuela, Peru, and elsewhere. The purposes of TdA included:
- Preserving and protecting the power and territory of TdA and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, robbery, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at former members and associates of TdA who associated with a splinter organization known as Anti-Tren.
- Enriching the members and associates of TdA through, among other things:
- The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including young women from Venezuela, into Colombia, Peru and the United States;
- The sex trafficking of young women (whom members and associates of TdA often refer to as “multadas”) who had been unlawfully smuggled into Peru and the United States;
- The trafficking of controlled substances, including a mixed substance called “tusi” that contains ketamine; and
- Armed robberies, including carjackings.
- Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of TdA and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
- Promoting and enhancing TdA and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
- Providing assistance to members and associates of TdA who committed crimes for and on behalf of TdA, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of TdA to flee prosecution.
- Protecting TdA and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of TdA.
Members and associates of TdA transported young women, again often referred to by members and associates of TdA as “multadas,” from Venezuela into Peru and the United States in exchange for debts that the young women would pay back to TdA by engaging in commercial sex work. Members of TdA enforced compliance among these young women by, among other things:
- Shooting or killing young women,
- Threatening to kill the young women and their families,
- Assaulting the young women, and
- Tracking down and kidnapping the young women who tried to flee.
Members of TdA also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and expand TdA’s criminal operations; resolve disputes within TdA; to retaliate against rival organizations, including Anti-Tren; and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. TdA members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.
On May 24, 2024, TdA members Jaen Martinez, Gonzalez Castro, Morillo-Gomez, and Ibarra-Mujica, agreed to kill Claretha LaQuesha Daniels and Justin Lawless and to shoot Victim-3 in the vicinity of 2290 Davidson Avenue in the Bronx, New York. Jaen Martinez, Gonzalez Castro, Morillo-Gomez, and Ibarra-Mujica then aided and abetted, caused, and otherwise facilitated the shooting of Daniels, Lawless, and Victim-3, which resulted in the deaths of Daniels and Lawless, and multiple non-fatal gunshot wounds to Victim-3. Claretha LaQuesha Daniels was 44 years old, and Justin Lawless was 36 years old.
A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants appears below.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), including the Field Offices in New York, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, and Hawaii, and the NYPD. He also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colorado; Joint Task Force Vulcan; the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); the U.S. Border Patrol’s National Gang Unit and New York Human Intelligence Division; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations New York Field Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); the New York City Crime Analysis Center at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
This case is part of Joint Task Force Vulcan, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target Tren de Aragua. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana, District of Nevada, and District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New York comprises agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, and IRS Criminal Investigation with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, Timothy Ly, Andrew K. Chan, and Jared Hoffman of the Southern District of New York’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit and Joint Task Force Vulcan are prosecuting the case.
COUNTCHARGEDEFENDANTSMAX. PENALTIESOne
(S3 Information)
Murder through the use of a firearmJaen Martinez
Gonzalez Castro
Morillo-Gomez
Ibarra-Mujica
Life in prisonTwo
(S3 Information)
Murder through the use of a firearmJaen Martinez
Gonzalez Castro
Morillo-Gomez
Ibarra-Mujica
Life in prisonThree
(S3 Information)
Firearm use, carrying, and possessionJaen Martinez
Gonzalez Castro
Morillo-Gomez
Ibarra-Mujica
Life in prison
Mandatory consecutive sentence of 5 years in prison
One
(S2 Indictment)
Racketeering conspiracyValero-Calderon 20 years in prisonSix
(S2 Indictment)
Firearm use, carrying, and possessionValero-CalderonLife in prison
Mandatory consecutive sentence of 5 years in prison
Former USAID Employee Pleads Guilty to CARES Act FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employee pled guilty in federal court, today, to charges stemming from a Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act scheme that enabled him to illegally obtain more than $176,000.
Simeon Bakare, 55, of Waldorf, Maryland, pled guilty to wire-fraud charges in connection with the scheme. Bakare previously worked on information technology matters for USAID. This prosecution is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Special Agent in Charge Eduardo Santos, USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG). USAID OIG is a statutorily independent law enforcement agency that has continued jurisdiction to investigate criminal activity affecting ongoing U.S. foreign assistance programs.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations.
According to the guilty plea, beginning in April 2020, and continuing until November 2021, Bakare knowingly and willfully engaged in a scheme to defraud the SBA. Bakare admitted he submitted, or caused the submission of, multiple fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications. Additionally, through this scheme, Bakare caused the deposits of EIDL and PPP benefits into bank accounts he controlled.
In furthering the fraud scheme, Bakare used fabricated documents in support of his fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications. Bakare submitted at least five false loan applications to obtain EIDL and PPP benefits, along with loan forgiveness, including fraudulent IRS Schedule C Forms and false attestations regarding the existence of sole proprietorships.
None of the businesses Bakare listed on the applications had significant employees, office space, revenues, costs of goods sold, or business operations. Bakare admitted he used the PPP and EIDL proceeds for improper personal purposes, such as car and housing payments, along with grocery costs.
Bakare faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud. Sentencing is set for Thursday, September 3, at 9:30 a.m.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended USAID OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared M. Beim and Joseph L. Wenner who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Former Newark Deputy Mayor and Director of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development Sentenced to Prison for Scheming to Obtain BribesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Carmelo Garcia, 51, a former City of Newark official who served as Deputy Mayor and Director of the Newark Department Economic and Housing Development (DEHD) and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Real Estate Officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC), was sentenced on June 3, 2026 to 12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release for participating in a corrupt scheme to obtain bribes and kickbacks from two Newark business owners, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. These bribes were intended to influence and award Garcia for assisting the business owners with the acquisition and redevelopment of various Newark-owned properties.
Garcia previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to three counts of an Information charging him with conspiracy to defraud the City of Newark and the NCEDC of Garcia’s honest services, honest services wire fraud, and receiving bribes in connection with the business of a federally funded local government and organization.
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court:
From at least 2017 through April 2019, while serving as a high-level Newark official, and prior to that, as an executive officer of the NCEDC (now known as Invest Newark), Garcia sought and received significant monetary payments and other benefits from Frank Valvano, Jr., Irwin Sablosky, and others in exchange for Garcia’s use of his official positions and influence within the City of Newark and the NCEDC to advance real estate development matters of interest to Valvano and Sablosky. These matters included obtaining preliminary designation letters for Valvano and Sablosky and securing Newark-approved redevelopment agreements (RDAs) that allowed them to purchase and acquire various Newark-owned properties for redevelopment, and to ensure that Garcia did not use his influence and authority to act against their interests. In addition to cash, Garcia also received jewelry, including multiple high-end watches and chains, from Valvano and Sablosky’s pawnbroker and jewelry business.
Phone records and text messages obtained by law enforcement show extensive communication between Garcia, Valvano, Sablosky, and others throughout this period of time, including text messages in which Garcia arranged to personally collect cash provided by Valvano and Sablosky. In one instance, in June 2018, Garcia, then the City’s Acting Deputy Mayor and Director of the City’s DEHD, received an envelope containing $25,000 in cash, supplied by Valvano through an intermediary, in the restroom of a New Jersey restaurant.
Garcia originally was charged by indictment in October 2021 with Valvano, 57, of Florham Park, New Jersey, and Sablosky, 66, of Springfield, New Jersey. Both Valvano and Sablosky pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and bribery, and both have been sentenced.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The government is represented by Elaine K. Lou, Chief of the Criminal Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney and Matthew Specht of the Criminal Division.
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Defense counsel:
Garcia: Robert G. Stahl, Esq., Laura K. Gasiorowski, Westfield, New Jersey.
Former New York City Police Department Detective Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Paycheck Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, John Bolden was sentenced by United States District Judge Diane Gujarati to 48 months in prison for wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). At the time of his criminal conduct, Bolden was a detective with the New York City Police Department (NYPD). In addition to the prison term, Judge Gujarati ordered Bolden to pay restitution in the amount of $303,138 and forfeiture in the amount of $112,002. The defendant previously pleaded guilty on February 18, 2026.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the sentence.
“Despite being a police officer sworn to uphold the law, the defendant organized a scheme that enabled dozens of individuals, including clients, family members and NYPD co-workers, to obtain millions in federal funds using fictitious tax records,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Bolden brazenly took advantage of a COVID relief program created to help struggling businesses survive an unprecedented national crisis. The sentence imposed today reflects the seriousness of that misconduct and our Office’s commitment to prosecute fraud related to the pandemic.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department; the Small Business Administration’s Office of the Inspector General; the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Office of the Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General; and the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau for their assistance on the case.
“John Bolden betrayed his oath to protect the community he served by secretly helping his co-defendants, family, and friends in stealing millions of dollars in PPP funds,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “While an overwhelming majority of NYPD employees strictly adhere to values of integrity and honor, there are those who exploit the system for personal enrichment. The FBI, NYPD, and our federal partner agencies continue working together to hold those accountable who exploit federally funded relief programs.”
Then-detective Bolden owned partnership interests in a franchise for a tax-preparation business. Between May 2020 and October 2022, Bolden engaged in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by working with his clients to fraudulently obtain PPP funds. Bolden obtained PPP funds for himself, his co-defendants and more than 65 individuals by helping submit online loan applications containing false and fraudulent information. One of those loan applications belonged to co-defendant Anthony Carreira, also a former NYPD detective, who knowingly submitted false documentation to obtain PPP funds. Co-defendant Christian McKenzie, who is Bolden’s cousin, also fraudulently obtained a PPP loan and steered other applicants to Bolden in exchange for fraudulent PPP proceeds. As part of the scheme, Bolden prepared fictitious Internal Revenue Service Form Schedule C documentation, which accompanied the loan applications and contained false information about his, his co-defendants’ and his clients’ places of employment, gross income and net income. Bolden sought to steal nearly $3 million from the PPP, and succeeded in stealing at least several hundred thousand dollars.
For their roles in the scheme, Carreira was sentenced on March 6, 2026 to time served, and McKenzie is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2026.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Grubin and Eric Silverberg are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Johnson Peow.
The Defendants:
JOHN BOLDEN
Age: 47
Valley Stream, Long IslandANTHONY CARREIRA
Age: 43
Staten Island, New YorkCHRISTIAN MCKENZIE
Age: 48
Wheatley Heights, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-361 (DG)
Former Hillsborough Township School District Business Administrator and Co-Worker Indicted in Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an Indictment on Friday charging the former Business Administrator of the Hillsborough Township School District (“HTSD”) in connection with an overtime fraud and kickback scheme, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
According to the Indictment, Aiman Mahmoud, 56, who served as the Business Administrator for the HTSD from 2008 through the end of 2021, accepted tens of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks in connection with a multi-million dollar project that aimed to upgrade existing school facilities as well as to construct a new school building that had been greenlighted by a 2019 referendum. To oversee aspects of the project including safety monitoring, Mahmoud arranged for Kenneth Gratto, 54, to be appointed as the site supervisor/owner’s representative to assist two companies involved in carrying out the construction project.
The Indictment also alleges that shortly after Gratto was hired, Gratto agreed to provide substantial cash kickbacks to Mahmoud in exchange for Mahmoud’s agreement to approve Gratto’s time sheets which substantially exaggerated the number of overtime hours that Gratto had worked on behalf of the HTSD. After receiving his paychecks from the companies involved – who were in turn reimbursed by the HTSD for those amounts – Gratto would deposit the checks, withdraw cash in the amount of the intended kickback, and deliver that cash in envelopes at locations of Mahmoud’s choosing, typically, within Mahmoud’s unlocked school vehicle. Mahmoud is alleged to have taken at least approximately $70,000 in kickbacks from Gratto.
The six-count Indictment charges Mahmoud and Gratto with conspiring to embezzle, steal, and obtain by fraud funds belonging to and under the care, custody and control of the HTSD, contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. The maximum term of imprisonment for this offense is five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Each defendant is also charged individually with embezzling, stealing and obtaining by fraud those same funds belonging to and under the care custody and control of the HTSD, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A). Those charges carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum fine of $250,000. In addition, the two defendants are charged with conspiring to commit extortion under color of official right, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a). Both Mahmoud and Gratto are individually charged with extortion under color of official right, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a) and 2. These latter three charges all carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John P. McDonald, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Stephen G. McCarthy, Esq., New York, NY (for defendant Mahmoud).
Timothy Donahue, AFPD, Newark (for defendant Gratto).
mahmoudetal.indictment.pdfFormer D.C. Housing Authority Employee Pleads Guilty to $15 Million Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Richard Cunningham, 55, a former D.C. Housing Authority employee turned real estate developer residing in the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with a scheme to defraud private mortgage lenders of more than $15 million, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Richard Cunningham didn’t just defraud lenders, he fabricated federal voucher documents, forged signatures, and invented a veterans housing program that never existed, all to line his own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Exploiting the name and sacrifice of American veterans to commit fraud is particularly offensive, and my office will pursue those abuses with the full weight of federal law.”
Cunningham pleaded guilty today before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to charges of false statements to a mortgage lending business. Cunningham faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 4, 2026.
According to court documents, beginning in or about August 2020 and continuing through May 2024, Cunningham engaged in a scheme to defraud private mortgage lenders by submitting false statements and fraudulent documents in support of loan applications for multifamily properties he owned or controlled in the District of Columbia.
In the first phase of the scheme, Cunningham applied for six secondary renovation loans from a Virginia-based private mortgage company, which required him to have sufficient equity in his properties as collateral. Knowing his equity was insufficient to qualify, Cunningham submitted falsified mortgage statements for the primary loans on those properties, significantly understating the balances owed to make his equity appear greater than it was. Relying on those falsified documents, the lender funded all six loans, totaling about $7.4 million.
In the second phase, Cunningham sought renovation financing from an Oregon-based private mortgage company for two additional District properties. To make those properties appear to generate reliable income, Cunningham fabricated lease documents purporting to be from a "Veterans Assistance Payments" program run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. There is no such program. In reality, Cunningham had taken genuine Housing Assistance Program lease documents from HUD's Housing Choice Voucher program and altered them, changing "HAP" to "VAP" throughout, then filled them in with forged entries and signatures to make it appear veterans were already living at the properties under a federal voucher program. He also submitted fabricated rent rolls falsely showing all tenants held vouchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The lender funded one of the two loans, in the amount of $4.7 million. The other application was rejected.
In total, Cunningham sought about $14.9 million from the two lenders and received about $12.1 million based on his false statements.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG).
The matter was prosecuted by HUD-OIG Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha R. Miller for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Florida woman convicted for conspiracy to commit mail fraudRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: A Florida woman was convicted for her role in a multi-state scheme to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits.
Cheryl Galloway, 67, of Yulee, Florida, was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in U.S. District Court, said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Galloway now faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release when Judge Dudley H. Bowen convenes sentencing proceedings at a later date.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Using the postal system to advance a fraudulent scheme in order to enrich yourself will result in the harshest of consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “This case, and many others like it, demonstrate that federal investigators and prosecutors will identify these criminals and hold them accountable.”
As described in court documents and testimony, over a two-year period, Galloway, along with her co-conspirators, electronically submitted fraudulent applications with agencies in at least 40 states. The fraud scheme employed by Galloway and her co-conspirators involved filing for pandemic unemployment benefits around the country, stating they were impacted in those states, and lying about various material aspects of the applications. As a result, the conspirators received approximately $480,000 to which they were not entitled, and they attempted to obtain even more money through fraudulent and deceptive means. Some of the benefits were in the form of a debit card sent to Galloway through the U.S. Mail.
"After a five-day jury trial, Cheryl Galloway was found guilty for her role in a scheme that stole taxpayer-funded benefits. Galloway and her co-conspirators filed fraudulent claims with workforce agencies across the country, falsely claiming employment and pandemic-related unemployment to obtain benefits they never deserved,” said Anthony P. D'Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “This conviction is a stark reminder that my office will continue to aggressively investigate, prosecute, and pursue anyone who steals from American taxpayers."
In March 2020, Congress authorized additional funding and expanded eligibility for state-administered unemployment insurance programs as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In an effort to maintain the integrity of those benefits, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor (OIG-DOL) investigates individuals attempting to fraudulently access unemployment insurance funds.
Anyone with information about attempted unemployment insurance benefits fraud can contact OIG-DOL at www.oig.dol.gov/hotline.htm.
The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey L. Scanlon and J. Bishop Ravenel.
First of 4 Defendants Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal Prison for Role in San Antonio Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court today to 386 months in prison for his role in an armed robbery, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, beginning on or about Dec. 15, 2020, Brian Gonzales, 31, exchanged text messages with co-defendant London Morgan using coded language to coordinate several armed robberies in the San Antonio area. On Dec. 17, 2020, Morgan traveled from Dallas to the San Antonio area and robbed a store clerk at gunpoint with Gonzales’s cousin, Kevin Gonzales. The next morning, Morgan dropped off Kevin Gonzales and another individual at a San Antonio gas station, where they committed a second armed robbery. They followed that with a third armed robbery at a pawn shop later that morning.
Beginning on Dec. 27, 2020, Morgan corresponded with Gonzales and another conspirator, Christopher Harrell, to plan several additional armed robberies in the area. Morgan, Harrell, and Kevin Gonzales then committed armed robberies on three pawn shops on Dec. 28 and 29, 2020.
Morgan and Harrell were named in a 13-count indictment in August 2022. Brian and Kevin Gonzales were both named in a 13-count superseding indictment on Oct. 4, 2023. Brian Gonzales pleaded guilty on Sept. 11, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and four counts of aiding and abetting brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam sentenced Gonzales to 50 months for count one—to run concurrent to his current state imprisonment—and 84 months for each of the other four counts.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen prosecuted the case.
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Fired Middle School Teacher Arrested on Charges of Receiving and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A teacher who lives in Tulsa and worked at the Tulsa Honor Academy and Dove Science Academy was arrested today and charged with Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of or Access with Intent to View Child Pornography.
In February 2026, the Tulsa Police Department received a report regarding allegations of a lewd or indecent proposal by Zachary Christian Speegle, 32, towards a student at the Tulsa Honor Academy. Court documents show that Speegle was employed as a teacher at the Tulsa Honor Academy. Allegedly, Speegle befriended a new student at school and pressured the minor child to provide their phone number and requested nude photographs, but the minor child declined.
The Tulsa Police Department served a residential search warrant at Speegle’s home and collected several electronic devices. Court documents show that during the initial review of Speegle’s devices, officers found more than 8,000 files with recognizable child sexual abuse material, also known as child pornography. The images include prepubescent children, toddlers, and infants being sexually abused. Additionally, officers found more than 6,000 files of child erotica and age-difficult sexual abuse material.
Court documents show that prosecutors are requesting that Speegle be held because he is a danger to others in the community. Although there are no minor children living with Speegle, one image provided to the court shows that during the search of Speegle’s home, officers found children’s panties belonging to four and six-year-olds that Speegle stole from a friend's home.
A second screenshot provided to the court shows a text message conversation between Speegle and a minor child. Speegle told the child, “I would literally rob 10 banks and kill 100 people to get [MV] back.”
A 2012 report to Congress about child pornography offenses defines child erotica as legal images or stories that are about children and of a sexual nature. Images may be overtly sexual and show children in inappropriate clothing or positions, or use of the image or video in an inappropriate manner. For example, some child pedophiles use catalog images of children in bathing suit advertisements for child erotica purposes.
State court dockets show that Speegle was charged in state court and arrested in March 2026 for lewd molestation/indecent proposal to a child and aggravated possession of child sexual abuse material. Speegle was allowed to post bond.
Speegle will be held until his detention hearing, which is set for a later date.
The Tulsa Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case with assistance from Tulsa Public Schools. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Augustus Forster and Stephanie Ihler are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
Essex County Convicted Felon Admits to Armed Carjacking with an Assault Rifle, Along with Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man on June 2, 2026 admitted using an assault rifle during an armed carjacking, as well as possessing two firearms and controlled substances with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Quadir Whitehead, 32, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to six counts of an indictment charging him with one count of carjacking, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, two counts of conspiracy, one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On August 6, 2020, Whitehead and two accomplices committed a gunpoint carjacking in Irvington, New Jersey. During the carjacking, Whitehead ordered one of the two victims to get out of a car while pointing an assault rifle at that victim. Then, Whitehead got into the car and drove away. On September 5, 2020, law enforcement officers arrested Whitehead when they saw him selling drugs in Newark. After the arrest, law enforcement found narcotics, an assault rifle, and a revolver, which Whitehead admitted were the same firearms used in the Irvington carjacking.
The conspiracy to commit carjacking offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison. The carjacking offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison. The conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence offense carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 7 years and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. The possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The conspiracy, carjacking and firearm offenses each carry a fine of up to $250,000 and the narcotics offense carries a fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; members of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda and Chief of Police Sharonda Morris; and members of the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers, with the investigation leading to the charges and guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the National Security Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment against Elijah Lott are still pending, are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Stephen Turano, Esq.
whiteheadetal.indictment.pdfDistrict Felon Pleads Guilty to Shooting at a Vehicle in March 2025, Possessing Firearm in November 2025Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Abdul Fields, 30, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in connection with firing a gun at a vehicle in Northwest during the early morning hours of March 24, 2025, and to possessing a loaded firearm on the evening of Nov. 19, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Fields pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon to assault with a dangerous weapon, to possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. Judge Leon scheduled sentencing for Aug. 5, 2026.
According to court documents, on March 24, 2025, at about 12:19 a.m., Fields was walking southbound on North Capitol Street NE while crossing New York Avenue NE when he pulled out a firearm and fired a shot at a vehicle making a right turn onto New York Avenue NE. Fields then walked away from the scene and into the Tyler House Apartments on the 1200 block of North Capitol Street NE.
ShotSpotter detected the event and an MPD officer was dispatched to investigate the gunfire. The officer found a bullet casing in the street where Fields fired. In September 2025, United States Marshals executed a search warrant where Fields was staying and recovered a privately manufactured firearm, known as a “ghost gun.” Ballistics testing linked the firearm to the casing recovered from the shooting.
On Nov. 19, 2025, police arrested Fields pursuant to a warrant issued by Superior Court for the District of Columbia. Officers recovered a loaded ghost gun from Fields’ waistband.
Fields faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison on the charge of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
This case was investigated by detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Washington Division.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf.
25cr378
Delaware County Man Sentenced for Social Security Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Brian Gill, age 60, of Andes, New York, was sentenced Friday to 5 years’ probation and restitution in the amount of $117,015.40 for a charge of social security fraud.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge, Boston/New York Field Division, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Gill admitted that between January 2021 and November 2023, while Gill was actively collecting social security disability benefits, Gill was also managing and personally engaging in physical labor for a tree services company he owned and operated. Gill also admitted he concealed from the Social Security Administration (SSA) the fact that he was working and falsely stated on a SSA form that he had not been working.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Social Security Disability fraud is a serious offense that robs taxpayers of funds needed to assist those who are truly unable to work. Thanks to the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, people who try to game the system, like this defendant, are identified and held accountable.”
“Individuals who deliberately conceal work activity while receiving Social Security disability benefits undermine programs intended to support those with legitimate needs,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Amy Connelly, SSA OIG, Boston/New York Field Division. “We remain committed to investigating allegations of fraud and working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who exploit these programs are held accountable.”
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed conditions of supervision that included regular reporting to a probation officer; at least monthly restitution payments to the SSA; reporting to probation officials regarding income and earnings; and prohibitions against drug use and firearms possession.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the Offices of the New York State Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Gillis and Adrian LaRochelle prosecuted the case.
Cuban Man Pleads Guilty to Labor TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – An illegal alien from Cuba pleaded guilty in federal court today to labor trafficking after he helped smuggle three Cuban women into the U.S. and forced them to work in strip clubs across the country, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Yoirlan Tome-Rojas, 46, helped bring three adult females from Cuba to the U.S. by paying for their flights, drivers, hotels, and the coyotes who smuggled them across the U.S.-Mexico border. Tome-Rojas charged the women a travel debt up to $50,000 each and forced them to work in strip clubs seven days a week. Throughout the months the women were in his custody, he transported them to Indiana, Detroit, Michigan, and San Antonio for them to work in various clubs.
Tome-Rojas required the women to provide him with all of their earnings and prohibited them from leaving or ending their work until their respective travel debts were paid off. He continually added the cost of food, clothes, shelter, transportation, and more to the women’s travel debts.
Two of the women were with Tome-Rojas for approximately three months and, according to Tome-Rojas only paid approximately $1,000 toward their debt. Throughout their victimization, the women feared for their own safety and for the safety of their families in Cuba.
Tome-Rojas pleaded guilty to three counts of labor trafficking. Each count holds a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia McNab and Karina O’Daniel are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Covington Man Sentenced for Sending Child Sexual Abuse Material via InternetRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Covington man, Nicholas Esteban Starry, 31, was sentenced on Tuesday to 168 months by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for transportation of child pornography.
In May 2024, law enforcement received two CyberTipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that originated from X and Google identifying accounts linked to Starry that had posted and uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Further investigation confirmed Starry’s use of the accounts, and a search warrant for Starry’s Google account revealed seven files, six of which were child sexual abuse material. Following a search of his residence, Starry was arrested and interviewed and admitted viewing child pornography using the same accounts referenced in the CyberTip; a forensic analysis of his phone revealed additional evidence of child sexual abuse material.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Leonhard prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Collins, Missouri Man Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Collins, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for producing and receiving child pornography.
Matthew Maggard, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Maggard to serve a 15-year term of supervised release following his incarceration.
Maggard pleaded guilty on Feb. 4, 2026, to producing images of a minor for the purpose of manufacturing child pornography. Maggard also pleaded guilty to receiving images of child pornography over the internet. According to court documents, Maggard was identified through an investigation that originated in Minnesota. During a search warrant executed at Maggard’s home in Collins, Mo., investigators with the Missouri State Highway Patrol located and seized the defendant’s electronic devices. A forensic analysis of the devices located child pornography images, also known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM), the defendant had received over the internet. The forensic examination also located images of a minor victim the defendant had taken using his cell phone on two separate occasions; March 9, 2024, and June 8, 2024.
Maggard will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Calhoun County Man Indicted for Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
Additional Potential Victims or Witnesses Are Encouraged to Come Forward
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Gerald Lee Preston, 69, of Homer, Michigan, was indicted on criminal charges related to alleged sexual exploitation of minors.
According to court documents, Preston is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of children, specifically that, in 2011, he used, persuaded, induced and enticed two separate minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. If convicted, Preston faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence a court can impose for each count of sexual exploitation is 30 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “Every one of the prosecutors in my office is dedicated to getting justice for the children who are being sexually exploited. Simply put--we won’t stop until it stops. I applaud the work that the HSI agents have done on this case and we look forward to seeing this case through to a successful conclusion.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is leading the ongoing investigation of Gerald Preston. HSI requests and encourages anyone that has relevant information about or may be a victim of Preston’s alleged crimes to call the HSI Tipline at (866) DHS-2-ICE, that is (866) 347-2423, or email investigators and victim assistance personnel at [email protected]. The Grand Rapids office of HSI is investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Constance Turnbull is prosecuting it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
CEO of Iran Tech Company Arrested on Federal Charge of Supplying U.S. Equipment to Iran’s Nuclear and Military EstablishmentRead the Press Release
A dual U.S.-Iranian national and CEO of an Iran-based technology company was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with violating U.S. sanctions against Iran by acquiring sophisticated U.S.-origin networking, security, and encryption equipment for Iranian customers — including the Iranian regime’s nuclear and military establishments.
“As alleged, Ghomi enriched himself by supplying U.S. technology to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and other sanctioned entities responsible for the Iran’s nuclear program,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will hold accountable those who violate our laws to further Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”
“Ghomi is accused of aiding our declared enemies by selling U.S.-origin computer networking parts to Iran and earning millions of dollars in violation of U.S. sanction laws,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Our nation’s laws prohibiting doing business with one of the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism must be enforced and obeyed. We will hold him accountable by seeking an appropriate prison sentence and by seizing his assets, including his $35 million Newport Beach mansion.”
“Today’s arrest reflects our commitment to disrupt the illegal flow of American technology to foreign nations, especially our adversaries,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “As alleged, Mr. Ghomi spent years exploiting United States financial systems and procurement channels to move controlled equipment to Iran while hiding his activities behind front companies and falsified documentation. We will continue to work with our partners to safeguard national security by utilizing our financial investigative expertise.”
Jamshid Ghomi, 63, of Newport Coast, California, is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Ghomi is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California.
The IEEPA and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) impose controls and restrictions on transactions involving Iran based on the threats posed by Iran to the national security of the United States, including its pursuit of nuclear weapons and sponsorship of terrorism. The IEEPA and ITSR prohibit the export, re-export, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States or by a United States person, wherever located, of any goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran without first obtaining authorization from OFAC.
According to the affidavit filed with the complaint, Ghomi is the founder, owner, and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), a Tehran-based computer networking company. For more than a decade, Ghomi has used FPR to procure U.S.-origin networking equipment for customers in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Ghomi or FPR never obtained a license from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) authorizing those transactions.
Ghomi identified, negotiated, purchased, and arranged the shipment of large quantities of controlled U.S. technology for his own company. From 2011 to 2015, he used his own eBay and PayPal accounts to make more than 400 purchases of computer-networking equipment, directing the goods to intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2023, Ghomi personally negotiated the purchase of U.S.-origin networking equipment directly from suppliers in Minnesota and Nebraska, routing it through a UAE front company and on to FPR in Iran.
None of these items could be lawfully exported to Iran without a license from OFAC.
From 2014 to 2018, Ghomi arranged the smuggling of more than 250 metric tons (275.6 U.S. tons) of networking equipment into Iran, using freight forwarders and intermediaries in Dubai to disguise that Iran was the true destination.
Ghomi knew this conduct was illegal and took deliberate steps to conceal it. He directed his UAE co-conspirators to keep his name off shipping paperwork, to omit invoices from shipments bound for Iran, and on at least two occasions to hide U.S.-origin computer equipment inside larger shipments. He used front companies in the UAE to obscure his role, and he personally received warnings on invoices and software licenses that exporting these goods to Iran was prohibited. Ghomi and his co-conspirators referred to Iran as “Motherland” in their internal correspondence concerning the equipment’s procurement.
FPR’s annual sales exceeded $10 million and ran to hundreds of Iranian companies and government entities, many of which were subject to U.S. sanctions. A relatively small but significant portion of that business went to the most sensitive end-users in Iran: the Iranian regime’s nuclear and military establishment.
From 2017 to 2023, FPR supplied U.S.-origin computer networking equipment to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) — the Iranian government agency responsible for Iran’s nuclear program, including its centrifuge and uranium-enrichment programs. The U.S. State Department sanctioned AEOI in 2020 for playing a leading role in Iran's nonperformance of its nuclear commitments, including exceeding the limits on its uranium stockpile and enrichment levels.
According to the affidavit, AEOI required FPR to register as an approved vendor, which it did in 2021 and 2022. From 2014 to 2022, FPR supplied U.S.-origin networking, security, and encryption equipment to Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics — the Iranian ministry responsible for research, development, and manufacturing across Iran’s defense enterprise — and to affiliated military and defense-electronics entities. FPR’s 2017 contract with Iran Computer Industries, signed by Ghomi, expressly identified the buyer as the “Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics — Iran Computer Industries.”
Ghomi laundered the proceeds of his illegal business into the United States, depositing FPR’s Iranian sales revenue into its operating account at a sanctioned Iranian bank and then sweeping those funds to himself. Within days, he received corresponding wires into his U.S. accounts from a rotating set of unrelated trading companies and exchange houses in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Turkey, and the UAE. Those wires bore false descriptions such as “Buying Goods” and “For Consulting Fees.”
From 2011 to 2024, Ghomi moved more than $15 million from Iran into his U.S. bank accounts and into a construction escrow account held on his behalf. He falsely reported those funds to the IRS as a foreign inheritance. Ghomi’s federal tax returns reported almost no income, his highest reported income in any year being $20,684. Ghomi claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal tax break for low- to moderate-income working individuals and families, in seven different tax years. Over the same period, Ghomi reported more than $1.7 million in home-mortgage interest and $1.25 million in state and local real-estate taxes on his federal income tax returns.
Ghomi funded the construction of his Orange County, California, mansion with the proceeds of his sanctions-evasion scheme. Ghomi purchased a vacant lot in Newport Coast in March 2010 for $4,490,000 and paid approximately $10,490,371 to construct the residence from 2010 to 2013. From May 2011 to August 2015, foreign-source wires totaling more than $7 million flowed into the escrow account funding the home’s construction. These wires came from many of the same trading companies as the transfers from FPR’s operating account, were handled by the same FPR employees, and bore the same false descriptions.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Ghomi would face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
IRS-CI, in coordination with the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Lachman for the Central District of California is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
A complaint merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CEO of Iran Tech Company Arrested on Federal Charge of Supplying U.S. Equipment to Iran’s Nuclear and Military EstablishmentRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A dual U.S.-Iranian national and CEO of an Iran-based technology company was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with violating U.S. sanctions against Iran by acquiring sophisticated U.S.-origin networking, security, and encryption equipment for Iranian customers — including the Iranian regime’s nuclear and military establishment.
Jamshid Ghomi, 63, of Newport Coast, is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Ghomi is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
“Ghomi is accused of aiding our declared enemies by selling U.S.-origin computer networking parts to Iran and earning millions of dollars in violation of U.S. sanction laws,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Our nation’s laws prohibiting doing business with one of the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism must be enforced and obeyed. We will hold him accountable by seeking an appropriate prison sentence and by seizing his assets, including his $35 million Newport Beach mansion.”
“Today’s arrest reflects our commitment to disrupt the illegal flow of American technology to foreign nations, especially our adversaries. As alleged, Mr. Ghomi spent years exploiting United States financial systems and procurement channels to move controlled equipment to Iran while hiding his activities behind front companies and falsified documentation,” said Darren Lian, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office. “We will continue to work with our partners to safeguard national security by utilizing our financial investigative expertise.”
The IEEPA and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) impose controls and restrictions on transactions involving Iran based on the threats posed by Iran to the national security of the United States, including its pursuit of nuclear weapons and sponsorship of terrorism. The IEEPA and ITSR prohibit the export, re-export, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States or by a United States person, wherever located, of any goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran without first obtaining authorization from OFAC.
According to the affidavit filed with the complaint, Ghomi is the founder, owner, and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd. (FPR), a Tehran-based computer networking company. For more than a decade, Ghomi has used FPR to procure U.S.-origin networking equipment for customers in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. At no time did Ghomi or FPR obtain a license from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) authorizing those transactions.
Ghomi identified, negotiated, purchased, and arranged the shipment of large quantities of controlled U.S. technology for his own company. From 2011 to 2023, he used his own eBay and PayPal accounts to make hundreds of purchases of computer-networking equipment, directing the goods to intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2023, Ghomi personally negotiated the purchase of U.S.-origin networking equipment directly from suppliers in Minnesota and Nebraska, routing it through a UAE front company and on to FPR in Iran.
None of these items could be lawfully exported to Iran without a license from OFAC.
From 2014 to 2018, Ghomi arranged the smuggling of more than 250 metric tons (275.6 U.S. tons) of networking equipment into Iran, using freight forwarders and intermediaries in Dubai to disguise that Iran was the true destination.
Ghomi knew this conduct was illegal and took deliberate steps to conceal it. He directed his UAE co-conspirators to keep his name off shipping paperwork, to omit invoices from shipments bound for Iran, and on at least two occasions to hide U.S.-origin computer equipment inside larger shipments. He used front companies in the UAE to obscure his role, and he personally received warnings on invoices and software licenses that exporting these goods to Iran was prohibited. Ghomi and his co-conspirators referred to Iran as “Motherland” in their internal correspondence concerning the equipment’s procurement.
FPR’s annual sales exceeded $10 million, and its clientele included hundreds of Iranian companies and government entities, many of which were subject to U.S. sanctions. A relatively small but significant portion of that business went to the most sensitive end-users in Iran: the Iranian regime’s nuclear and military establishment.
From 2017 to 2023, FPR supplied U.S.-origin computer networking equipment to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) – the Iranian government agency responsible for Iran’s nuclear program, including its centrifuge and uranium-enrichment programs. The U.S. State Department sanctioned AEOI in 2020 for playing a leading role in Iran's nonperformance of its nuclear commitments, including exceeding the limits on its uranium stockpile and enrichment levels. According to the affidavit, AEOI required FPR to register as an approved vendor, which it did in 2021 and 2022.
From 2014 to 2022, FPR supplied U.S.-origin networking, security, and encryption equipment to Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics — the Iranian ministry responsible for research, development, and manufacturing across Iran’s defense enterprise -- and to affiliated military and defense-electronics entities. FPR’s 2017 contract with Iran Computer Industries, signed by Ghomi, expressly identified the buyer as the “Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics — Iran Computer Industries.”
Ghomi laundered the proceeds of his illegal business into the United States, depositing FPR’s Iranian sales revenue into its operating account at a sanctioned Iranian bank and then sweeping those funds to himself. Within days, he received matching wires into his U.S. accounts from a rotating set of unrelated trading companies and exchange houses in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Turkey, and the UAE. Those wires bore false descriptions such as “Buying Goods” and “For Consulting Fees.”
From 2011 to 2024, Ghomi moved more than $15 million from Iran into his U.S. bank accounts and into a construction escrow account held on his behalf. He falsely reported those funds to the IRS as a foreign inheritance. Ghomi’s federal tax returns reported almost no income, his highest reported income in any year being $20,684. Ghomi claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal tax break for low- to moderate-income working individuals and families, in seven different tax years. Over the same period, Ghomi reported more than $1.7 million in home-mortgage interest and $1.25 million in state and local real-estate taxes on his federal income tax returns.
Ghomi funded the construction of his Orange County mansion with the proceeds of his sanctions-evasion scheme. Ghomi purchased a vacant lot in Newport Coast in March 2010 for $4,490,000 and paid approximately $10,490,371 to construct the residence from 2010 to 2013. From May 2011 to August 2015, foreign-source wires totaling more than $7 million flowed into the escrow account funding the home’s construction. These wires came from many of the same trading companies as the transfers from FPR’s operating account, were handled by the same FPR employees, and bore the same false descriptions.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Ghomi would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
IRS Criminal Investigation, in coordination with the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney David C. Lachman of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
As Part of Freedom 250 Celebration the United States Attorney Announces Hometown Hero AwardRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced that Bonneville County Sheriff’s Detective Korey Payne was selected as the recipient of Idaho’s “Hometown Hero” Award. Detective Payne was selected for his extensive work combating child exploitation.
As part of the Freedom 250 initiative celebrating America’s 250th birthday, the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho recognized Detective Payne for his exceptional efforts to protect children and his dedicated service to the community. Detective Payne is a Bonneville County Sheriff’s detective and is assigned to Idaho’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. During his nearly two decades of experience in law enforcement, Detective Payne led or played a major role in hundreds of investigations that resulted in the identification and prosecution of offenders who sexually exploited children. Beyond investigative work in his own cases, he mentored and trained other investigators and devoted countless hours to teaching parents and children internet safety practices to prevent child exploitation and victimization.
“Protecting our vulnerable children is among the highest priorities for the United States Attorney’s Office and our collective law enforcement community,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “Without the outstanding work of Detective Payne, many of these crimes would go unsolved and additional children would be victimized. His experience, expertise, and commitment to protecting
children truly makes him a hero for our community and our state. As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we also recognize Detective Korey Payne and the many other law enforcement officers, first responders, and public servants whose daily work helps protect our communities and safeguard the freedoms we enjoy in this great nation.”
“As a member of my Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Korey does some of the hardest work in all of law enforcement,” said Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “He has confronted what others look away from, built the cases that hold offenders accountable, and brought a rare combination of skill, relentlessness, and compassion to every investigation. On behalf of the State of Idaho, congratulations to Korey on this well-earned recognition.”
To recognize Detective Payne, U.S. Attorney Davis provided him with a letter of commendation, a commemorative Hometown Hero medallion, and a United States Attorney’s Office challenge coin.
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Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Illicit Chemical SubstancesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Jeffrey McIndoo, of Phoenix, and his company, JeffMac Investments LLC doing business as SARMS Pharm LLC (SARMS Pharm), has pleaded guilty to an information in connection with the illicit sale of potentially dangerous chemical substances known as “SARMs” - selective androgen receptor modulators that mimic the effects of anabolic steroids when ingested into the body. SARMs are not approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
“The Justice Department and its partners will continue to actively pursue companies and individuals who sell smuggled and potentially harmful substances to American consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Smuggled SARMs have no place in the national marketplace, and we will endeavor to keep these substances out of the reach of consumers.”
McIndoo, the owner/operator of SARMS Pharm, admitted to introducing an unapproved drug into interstate commerce, while SARMS Pharm pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to smuggle SARMs from China into the United States. In total, between 2017 and 2022, SARMS Pharm earned gross profits totaling at least $3.5 million from selling SARMs. As part of its plea, SARMS Pharm agreed to forfeit $1.8 million the sum of the proceeds retained by the company.
The defendants pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Boyle for the District of Arizona. McIndoo faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison. As part of the plea agreements, JeffMac Investments LLC will shutter its business and will no longer smuggle or sell SARMS.
This case was investigated by FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
This case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel David Sullivan and Assistant Director Patrick Runkle of the Civil Division’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch.
Anchorage man sentenced to 5 years for receiving child pornography and possessing AI-generated images depicting child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to 5.8 years in prison for receiving child pornography, as well as creating artificial intelligence (AI) generated images depicting the sexual abuse of minors.
According to court documents, on Aug. 13, 2024, Anthaney O’Connor, 32, contacted law enforcement to report an active-duty airman’s sexual interest in minor children. O’Connor met this person, Caleb French, 28, on an online dating platform. O’Connor provided law enforcement with two images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) French sent him that depicted prepubescent children. He also provided law enforcement with several text messages between him and French where they discussed viewing CSAM together.
The text messages prompted law enforcement to request a full search of O’Connor’s cell phone, where they found messages claiming he could create virtual reality (VR) point of view (POV) CSAM using images of real children that French took in his community. Law enforcement also recovered more CSAM on his cellphone, including six AI/cartoon drawings depicting children.
On Dec. 19, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on O’Connor’s residence to recover multiple digital devices. Law enforcement recovered an additional 20 images of CSAM from those devices, some of which were AI generated or depicted prepubescent children. In total O’Connor possessed 32 images and three videos containing CSAM.
On Jan. 21, 2025, O’Connor was indicted on one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. On July 31, 2025, O’Connor pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
During sentencing, the Court ordered O’Connor to serve 20 years on supervised release following the completion of his custodial sentence, as well as a $35,000 special assessment. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the defendant’s significant criminal history and that the CSAM industry is consumer driven, highlighting the need for general deterrence so the public understands that possessing or receiving any sort of CSAM could result in serious federal penalties.
“Anthaney O’Connor not only received, consumed, and distributed depraved images depicting sexual abuse of young children, but actively collaborated to view the material in virtual reality,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He boasted about his ability to generate virtual reality simulations using images of real children. Some of the material he possessed was generated by sophisticated artificial intelligence tools. AI used in this criminal manner adds a new element to child sexual abuse crimes. The Criminal Division is already at the cutting edge to curb this dangerous avenue for child sexual abuse.”
“Possessing and exchanging CSAM, including AI-generated images of children, is an abhorrent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Protecting children and dismantling this predatory industry is a top priority for my office, and Mr. O’Connor is another example of our aggressive efforts to stop such disgusting conduct. Let this serve as a clear reminder that we will relentlessly pursue anyone who endangers children, period.”
“Protecting our children from the depraved actions of individuals like O’Connor is a top priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “O’Connor’s possession of real as well as AI-generated CSAM is alarming, abhorrent and will never be tolerated. The FBI will continue working aggressively with our partners to make sure those who harm our most vulnerable are held accountable for their crimes.”
French was charged with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography through a separate case. On May 20, 2025, French pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, and on Oct. 15, 2025, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 20 years on supervised release once his prison sentence is complete.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) investigated the case.
District of Alaska Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petersson and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (“CEOS”) prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
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All Eight Defendants in Wiretap Investigation Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Trafficking in Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Firearms in Burlington County; Lead Defendant Sentenced to 225 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Eight current or former Burlington County, New Jersey residents have been sentenced to prison in recent months after pleading guilty to narcotics and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. The defendants were charged as a result of a federal wiretap investigation.
On May 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn sentenced the final defendant, Mansfield Johnson, a/k/a “Money Mike,” 40, of Florence, New Jersey, to 225 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. Johnson previously pleaded guilty on September 22, 2025 before Judge O’Hearn to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, conspiring to traffic a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Johnson also admitted to dealing powder and crack cocaine.
Judge O’Hearn has now sentenced all eight defendants who were charged as a result of the federal wiretap investigation, as follows:
NameAgeCharge(s) to which pled guiltySentence receivedSentencing dateMansfield Johnson, a/k/a “Money Mike”40- Conspiracy to distribute 40g or more of fentanyl
- Conspiracy to traffic firearm
- Possess of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
- Conspiracy to distribute 40g or more of fentanyl (3 counts)
- Conspiracy to traffic firearm
- Conspiracy to distribute 28g or more of crack cocaine
- Conspiracy to traffic firearm
- Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
- Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl
- Conspiracy to traffic firearm
- Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2023 through February 2024, Johnson and his co-conspirators distributed fentanyl, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine. Johnson, Hines, Stratton, and Fowler also conspired to illegally traffic a firearm, and they in fact sold a firearm to an undercover agent. Further, Johnson admitted to illegally possessing a different firearm, despite being a convicted felon. Johnson also used threats of violence to protect his drug trafficking.
Fowler previously had been convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, as a result of a different federal wiretap investigation, and his criminal conduct in this case violated his federal supervised release conditions.
Federal law enforcement agents and their state and local partners made these cases by intercepting telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, making controlled purchases of fentanyl, cocaine, and a firearm, using confidential sources, executing numerous search warrants, and other investigative techniques. A total of four firearms were recovered as a result of the investigation.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited Special Agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF), Newark Field Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris; New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle; Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw; Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta Marbrey; Willingboro Township Police, under the direction of Chief of Police Ian Bucs; Burlington Township Police, under the direction of Public Safety Director Bruce Painter; Florence Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Brian Boldizar; Westampton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Brian Ferguson; Edgewater Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John B. Harris, Jr.; Pemberton Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Jonathan Glass; Burlington City Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Ryan P. Elbertson; Delran Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Matthew Gasper; Mount Holly Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Cliff Spencer; Bordentown Police Department, under the direction of Director of Police Frank Lombardo; Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve Wilson, with the investigation leading to the sentencings in this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
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Defense counsel:
M. Johnson: Troy Archie, Esq.
A. Johnson: Stanley King, Esq.
McCray: Megan Davies, Esq.
Fowler: Ikram Ally, Esq.
Phillips: Robert Wolf, Esq.
Hines: Jonathan Sobel, Esq.
Stratton: Michael Huff, Esq.
Hutchinson: John Brennan, Esq.
johnsonetal.supersedingindictment.pdfAlaska Man Who Received Images of Child Pornography and Possessed AI-Generated Images of Child Sexual Abuse Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
An Alaskan man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for trafficking in child pornography, including images of pre-pubescent children.
Anthaney O’Connor, 32, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on July 31, 2025, to receipt of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material or “CSAM.” According to court documents, O’Connor received CSAM from another offender, who was an active-duty Airman stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The CSAM included images depicting prepubescent children. The two of them also planned to view CSAM together using a virtual reality system. In stored messages with this other offender, O’Connor explained that he could use images of real children and make them sexually explicit for use in this system, so that the user could experience a virtual simulation of what the images depicted. O’Connor also distributed CSAM to other individuals and possessed multiple images of obscene visual depictions of child sexual abuse of children that were created by artificial intelligence.
“Anthaney O’Connor not only received, consumed, and distributed depraved images depicting sexual abuse of young children, but actively collaborated to view the material in virtual reality,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He boasted about his ability to generate virtual reality simulations using images of real children. Some of the material he possessed was generated by sophisticated artificial intelligence tools. AI used in this criminal manner adds a new element to child sexual abuse crimes. The Criminal Division is already at the cutting edge to curb this dangerous avenue for child sexual abuse.”
“Possessing and exchanging CSAM, including AI-generated images of children, is an abhorrent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Protecting children and dismantling this predatory industry is a top priority for my office, and Mr. O’Connor is another example of our aggressive efforts to stop such disgusting conduct. Let this serve as a clear reminder that we will relentlessly pursue anyone who endangers children, period.”
“Protecting our children from the depraved actions of individuals like O’Connor is a top priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “O’Connor’s possession of real as well as AI-generated CSAM is alarming, abhorrent and will never be tolerated. The FBI will continue working aggressively with our partners to make sure those who harm our most vulnerable are held accountable for their crimes.”
The FBI and United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) investigated the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson of the District of Alaska prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.
Tuesday 2 June 2026
Worden man pleads guilty to drug chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Worden man who regularly sold methamphetamine out of his rural Yellowstone County home admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, John Paul Schmieding, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Schmieding faces five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, four years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Schmieding will receive a date for his sentencing at a future appearance; he was released back to supervision pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that an investigation by local and federal law enforcement into bank fraud and stolen guns led officials to a meth trafficking operation run by Schmieding.
On Aug. 6, 2025, Billings police officers arrested a man suspected of trying to cash fraudulent checks at a local bank. A search of his vehicle turned up more fraudulent documents and a stolen handgun. From jail, in an effort to raise bond money, the man directed his girlfriend to sell off stolen guns and other items to Schmieding, who had been identified by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Taskforce as someone with a history of trafficking meth in the Billings area.
Using a warrant, investigators began tracking the vehicles and cell phones used by the girlfriend and another woman, which led officers to the Billings home of Schmieding’s father and Schmieding’s residence in Worden. The two women later told investigators they had regularly purchased meth from Schmieding.
On Sept. 17, 2025, investigators served a search warrant on both locations, where they discovered a “large cache of stolen firearms” in the Billings home and meth and drug paraphernalia in Schmieding’s Worden residence. Specifically in Worden, officers discovered in the sink a torn vacuum pack plastic bag filled with water and containing meth residue. Agents cut the P-trap out of the sink and collected the water inside, which also tested positive for meth. They also discovered glass pipes with meth residue, a digital scale and cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich is prosecuting the case. The Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Taskforce conducted the investigation.
Washington Man Sentenced for Hate Crime Charge After Stabbing a Black Woman Metro Bus PassengerRead the Press Release
A Washington man was sentenced today to a federal hate crime charge for violently assaulting and stabbing a Black female passenger because of her race. Adan Hernandez-Mayoral was sentenced to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release for an incident in which he used a dangerous weapon, a knife, to cause bodily injury to the victim because of her race and color.
According to court documents, Adan C. Hernandez-Mayoral boarded a King County Metro bus on March 7, 2024, and immediately began making racially charged comments about Black people. Hernandez-Mayoral started antagonizing the victim, a Black woman, and yelled, “I don’t like Black people, f***in’ hate ’em.” The defendant referred to the woman as “Rosa Parks” and told her to move to the back of the bus. When the woman attempted to move away from him, Hernandez-Mayoral followed her, while hiding a knife behind his back. When the bus doors opened at a stop, Hernandez-Mayoral grabbed the woman, pushing her off the bus and into a fence. He immediately began beating her all over her body. He stomped on her after she fell to the ground. He then used the knife to repeatedly and violently stab the woman. The victim was wearing a thick coat, sparing her from more serious injuries. Hernandez-Mayoral fled the scene but was located and arrested by officers from the Kent Police Department later that evening.
“Today, we have delivered justice with the sentencing of Adan Hernandez-Mayoral for his brutal, racially motivated attack on the victim,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Assaults like these destroy our communities by breeding fear and distrust of public places and facilities. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute such cases to restore safety and confidence in our cities’ streets and transit systems.”
“Racially motivated attacks such as this one shock the conscience of our community,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “This office will join with our state and local partners to ensure these crimes are investigated and those who commit them will be held accountable. Such hate has no place here.”
“The victim in this case was minding her own business on a familiar public transit route when a stranger made offensive comments about her race, threw her off the stopped bus, and then brutally assaulted her with a knife,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “Together with our partners like the Kent Police Department, the FBI will hold accountable those like Mr. Hernandez-Mayoral who engage in violent hate crimes.”
“This was a horrific and deeply disturbing racially motivated assault that targeted an innocent member of our community because of the color of her skin,” said Chief Rafael Padilla of the Kent Police Department. “I am pleased to have reached this conviction on her behalf. Hate-fueled violence has no place in Kent.”
On Dec. 23, 2025, Hernandez-Mayoral pleaded guilty to Hate Crime Causing Bodily Injury.
The case was investigated by the Kent Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica M. Manca for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, with valuable assistance from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Virginia Man Sentenced in D.C. to 81 Months for His Role in Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Augment, 38, of Lorton, Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 81 months in prison in connection with conspiring to distribute fentanyl in the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Augment repeatedly sold fentanyl in quantities large enough to kill hundreds of people, flooding a city already ravaged by an opioid crisis with one of the most lethal drugs on the market,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This sentence reflects the grave danger he posed to our community and our determination to hold fentanyl traffickers accountable.”
Augment pleaded guilty on March 4, 2026, before Judge Timothy Kelly to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kelly ordered Augment to serve five years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested an 87-month prison term.
According to court papers, between April 2024 and October 2024, Augment conspired with others to distribute fentanyl in Washington, D.C. During that period, he sold fentanyl to a law enforcement agent on multiple occasions. Those sales included about 157 grams for $4,000 and 278 grams for $8,750.
In July 2024, Virginia State Police stopped Augment's vehicle after he left a co-conspirator's apartment in the District. Officers recovered fentanyl and about $12,473 in cash, along with a ledger containing money orders totaling about $32,478. A subsequent search of Augment's home turned up about $27,000 in cash, a heat sealer, and a handgun case. Augment admitted responsibility for between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA Washington Division with valuable assistance provided by Virginia State Police.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Solomon Eppel.
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United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Issues Rare Special Report Regarding Federal Grand Jury AppearancesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today issued a rare Special Report confirming what he has already stated publicly in response to intense press interest and inquiries: He has never appeared before any grand jury hearing or deliberating evidence on any matter since becoming U.S. Attorney on April 7, 2025.
As addressed in the Special Report, U.S. Attorney Boutros’s only appearances in the federal grand juries of the Northern District of Illinois were to welcome grand jurors when first impaneled, and thereafter, his only other appearances were in his official capacity as the Chief Legal Advisor to federal grand juries where he addressed generally the role, function, and importance of the grand jury in our constitutional system of government and laws. In the latter context, U.S. Attorney Boutros appeared only after informing the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, who supervises all federal grand juries in the District, that he would be doing so. Then, his appearances as Chief Legal Advisor to the grand juries consisted of him providing brief general comments about the important role of the grand jury under the U.S. Constitution, and the need for grand jurors to be fair and impartial. His comments coincided with the reading of a letter from the Chief Judge to the various grand juries; U.S. Attorney Boutros has not seen, read, or heard the contents of the Chief Judge’s letter.
As a condition to issuing today’s Special Report, U.S. Attorney Boutros obtained court-ordered authorization for the release of grand jury materials and minutes. Today’s Special Report is being made available to the public in the public interest as well as the interest of justice in light of wide-ranging speculation about U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros’s appearance in what some have dubbed the “Broadview 6” grand jury, which is the panel of grand jurors from the Special June 2024 Grand Jury hearing evidence on that specific matter. That speculation was created on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in open court, when counsel for the one of the defendants in United States v. Rabbitt, et al., 25 CR 693 (Perry, J.) stated in relevant part in open court before going into closed session that: “We have a belief that the U.S. Attorney had personal contact with this grand jury. We have not been provided with that transcript. I believe there’s an update on that. If that did occur, we would like that as well.” Rabbitt, et al., Transcript, 05/26/2026, p. 22, lns. 13-16.
The Special Report conclusively shows that a transcription error by the court reporter transcribing the audio recording of the grand jury minutes from October 23, 2025, inadvertently and mistakenly stated “USA (inaudible),” instead of “AUSA Bond,” with the latter being a reference to Assistant United States Attorney Aaron Bond, the Chief of the Office’s Narcotics Section, who had appeared before the same grand jury on a different, unrelated matter on October 9, 2025. Thus, the grand jury minutes from October 23, 2025, reflect a classic case of mistaken identity, namely, that “USA (inaudible)” appeared before that grand jury on a matter when in fact, Chief of Narcotics Aaron Bond appeared before the same grand jury on a different matter on October 9, 2025. Steps are being taken to attempt to correct the relevant minutes.
The full Special Report can be read here.
# # # #
Note: The Special Report consists of grand jury materials that would otherwise be subject to grand jury secrecy pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e), including highly secretive grand jury “minutes,” which are those portions of a grand jury session where an Assistant U.S. Attorney speaks to grand jurors about the law or sometimes the application of the law to the facts, without a witness present. Prior to publishing these materials in the Special Report, U.S. Attorney Boutros obtained court-ordered authorization from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
special_report.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas Closes Out May with 350 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 350 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 22 to May 28, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes, burglary, patronizing prostitution, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, 172 were filed in Del Rio, where Jeremias Perez-Ramirez, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents and charged with illegal re-entry. Perez-Ramirez was recently deported for the fourth time in February. A felon, his criminal record contains three DWI convictions, two convictions for driving with a suspended or invalid license, and unlawful restraint.
USBP agents also arrested convicted felon and illegal alien from Mexico, Martin Roman-Barrera. Roman-Barrera was last deported in 2014, after he was convicted of aggravated battery in a public place and sentenced to three years of confinement. Prior to that, he was convicted of two DUI misdemeanors and driving on a suspended or revoked license.
In El Paso, federal prosecutors filed 152 new immigration cases, including an illegal re-entry charge against Ecuadorian national Luis Oswaldo Zhagui-Zhagui. Zhagui-Zhagui was removed from the U.S. for the third time in September 2025. In November 2021, his license was revoked after being convicted of his second DWI.
A Midland-Odessa man was arrested near Fort Hancock and charged with alien smuggling. USBP agents pulled over a blue Mazda CX-5 on Interstate-10 Westbound at mile marker 78. A criminal complaint alleges that the vehicle was driven by Eduardo Zepeda, who was transporting five illegal aliens. Zepeda had allegedly received a call at home from a friend in Mexico, recruiting him to pick up the illegal aliens and transport them to a hotel in El Paso for $500 per person.
In San Antonio, Mexican national Gaspar Rodriguez-Garcia was transferred into ICE custody from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, where he had been serving a three-year sentence for his third DWI conviction. Rodriguez-Garcia has twice been convicted of illegal re-entry. He now faces an illegal re-entry charge for the third time.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Two Rochester men charged with narcotics conspiracy in superseding indictmentRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Quentin L. Yancey a/k/a Q, 39, and Johnny B. Mays a/k/a Blaze, 41, both of Rochester, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. In addition, Yancey is charged with using and maintaining a drug-involved premises, and six counts of money laundering.
According to the superseding indictment, between 2018, and May 26, 2022, Yancey and Mays conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Rochester area. The superseding indictment further states that Yancey utilized two Lyell Avenue residences to conduct his drug trafficking activities. In addition, between June and September 2021, Yancey is accused of making three deposits totaling $42,910 into a federal credit union account in the name of a property management company to conceal the proceeds of his drug trafficking activities.
Yancey and Mays were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and were detained. Joseph Zaso was previously charged and convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani. The superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Two Mexican nationals indicted on cocaine chargesRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging two Mexican nationals with drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Victor Alfonso Martinez-Hernandez, 36, and Cesar Alejandro Madrid-Candelas, 19, were each indicted on one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Martinez-Hernandez and Madrid-Candelas are accused of possessing cocaine on May 20, 2026, with the intention of distributing it. Both defendants are from the City of Juarez in Mexico.
The Wichita Police Department is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Patricia Rodriguez-Chavez, 46, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Two Felons Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Ship Methamphetamine and Fentanyl from California to FloridaRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Clarence Black, Jr. (50, Tampa) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to 20 years and 6 months years in federal prison for drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl while being on federal supervised release. Judge Chappell also sentenced Jarrek Fabrion Myrick (40, Fort Myers) to 15 years and 6 months in federal prison for drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Black pleaded guilty on November 19, 2025, and Myrick pleaded guilty on January 27, 2026.
According to court documents, between January 25, 2025, and February 4, 2025, Black and Myrick traveled to California and shipped methamphetamine and fentanyl to the Tampa and Southwest Florida areas. The drug-laden parcels were intercepted. The total quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl was approximately over 90 pounds.
Black was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine at the time he committed the offenses. Myrick had a prior conviction for second-degree murder.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Three School Employees from Mississippi and Missouri Sentenced for Embezzling Nearly $400,000 in Department of Education FundsRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN, MS – Two former school superintendents and a schoolteacher have been sentenced for stealing almost $400,000.00 from the Department of Education. These arrests, and ultimate prosecution, was an action on part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. The defendants in this were:
- Mario Willis, 58, of Southaven, Mississippi, was sentenced April 22, 2026, in federal court in Aberdeen, Mississippi before Judge Sharion Aycock. He had previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Embezzle Federal Program Funds and was sentenced to twenty months in federal prison beginning June 15, 2026. He was also sentenced to three years supervised release and ordered to pay $393,300.00 in restitution.
- Earl Joe Nelson, 57, of Biloxi, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Embezzle Federal Program Funds and was sentenced May 13, 2026, by Judge Sharion Aycock to 14 months in federal prison beginning July 13, 2026. Additionally, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Judge Aycock also ordered Nelson to pay a total of $143,300.00 to his victims for restitution.
- Monekea M. Smith-Taylor, 53, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Embezzle Federal Program Funds and was sentenced on this date Judge Sharion Aycock to 16 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release and additionally, she was ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution to the victims.
According to court documents, Mario Willis was the superintendent of Hollandale School District. From July 2019 to May 2022, Joe Nelson was the superintendent of Clarksdale Municipal School District. In October 2022, Nelson became the superintendent of Leake County School District. Monekea Smith-Taylor was a schoolteacher in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Nelson and Willis used their position as school superintendents to commit the crimes and, together with Smith, embezzled public funds for their own enrichment.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary said, “This administration has emphasized the investigation and prosecution of those who steal taxpayer dollars. The embezzlement of school funds is just the type of crime the National Fraud Enforcement Division is calling on us to emphasize. We must remain diligent to ensure education dollars go where intended, to our children.”
“Mr. Willis abused his position of trust for personal gain, and with today’s action, will now be held accountable for cheating those he promised to serve – Hollandale School District’s school children and their families,” said Jamila Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General [OIG] Eastern Regional Office. "The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate education funds for their own selfish purposes. Students and taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
Shad White, Mississippi State Auditor stated, "Thank you to my team that helped uncover the facts on this case and to the US Attorney’s Office for prosecuting. We will continue to work as hard as we can to hold anyone who steals taxpayer funds accountable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Three Companies to Pay More Than $4 Million to Settle Lawsuit Stemming from Gender Reveal that Caused Inland Empire WildfireRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Ohio-based smoke bomb designer and importer, and two other companies have agreed to pay more than $4 million to the United States for costs and damages from the El Dorado Fire of 2020, which was ignited as part of a gender reveal photo shoot, burned nearly 23,000 acres, and caused a firefighter’s death.
Wholesale Fireworks Corp., a Hubbard, Ohio-based company, and its subsidiary, American Fireworks Warehouse LLC, agreed to pay $4 million to settle claims brought on behalf of the United States Forest Service.
A third defendant, Pink or Blue Gender Team Inc., a Florida-based company, has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle claims related to the fire.
The fire was ignited on September 5, 2020, by a pyrotechnic device at a couple’s gender reveal party in El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa. The fire spread to the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest, burning a total of 22,744 acres, damaging or destroying nine structures and 15 outbuildings, and killing one firefighter.
The couple responsible for the gender reveal party later pleaded guilty to criminal charges in San Bernardino County Superior Court.
In September 2023, the United States sued the three corporate defendants to recover Forest Service costs for fighting the fire and the damage it caused to federal land.
The United States alleged that the defendants were liable because the fire was caused by a gender reveal smoke bomb that Wholesale and AFW designed, imported, distributed, marketed, and advertised and Pink or Blue distributed, marketed, and advertised that ignited the dry vegetation.
The defendants further allegedly failed to safely design and label the smoke bombs and failed to properly warn customers about the fire risk of the smoke bombs, despite being aware of their dangers. These smoke bombs should never have been sold into California, where they are illegal.
Assistant United States Attorneys Yujin Chun and Katherine Hikida of the Civil Division handled this matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
San Jose Man Sentenced to over Ten Years in Federal Prison for Robbing and Assaulting A U.S. Postal Service Letter CarrierRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Robert Cordova, also known as Robert Cordona, was sentenced today to 129 months in federal prison for robbing and assaulting a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman handed down the sentence.
Cordova, 51, of San Jose, was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 23, 2025, on charges of federal robbery and assault. He pleaded guilty to both counts of the indictment on March 31, 2026. According to the plea agreement, Cordova admitted that he went inside a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail truck with the intent to steal mail. A USPS letter carrier approached him as Cordova was taking mail. Cordova punched the letter carrier in the face, knocking him to the ground. Cordova then got on top of the letter carrier and continued to punch him several times in the face and head.
According to court documents, the letter carrier sustained a broken nose, a fractured orbital socket, and had a permanent metal plate placed inside of his face due to his injuries. Judge Freeman found that Cordova qualified as career offender under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
“Today’s sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting federal employees who serve the public every day. Anyone who attacks postal workers—or any public servant—will be held fully accountable,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime committed in this case. Hardworking people come into your neighborhoods to deliver mail, they deserve respect and protection,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood. “Postal inspectors will not relent from bringing anyone who harms a postal worker to justice. I want to thank the San Jose Police Department for their excellent response and teamwork and the Northern District of California U.S. Attorney's Office for their determination in prosecuting this case.”
The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for transport to the Bureau of Prisons. In addition to the prison term, Judge Freeman sentenced Cordova to a 3-year period of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal C. Hong is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by USPIS and the San Jose Police Department.
Salvadoran National Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day in Prison for Immigration OffenseRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Omar Adali Mojica-Manzano, 37 years old, of El Salvador, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien with a prior felony conviction, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Omar Adali Mojica-Manzano was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and a $100 Special Assessment. The supervised release term would go into effect should the Defendant remain in, or return to, the United States within that period following expected removal proceedings.
“An illegal alien in possession of cocaine violated our nation’s borders yet again despite being deported three previous times in 2014, 2022, and 2023. He clearly does not believe the laws of our country apply to him. His criminal history includes convictions for illegal entry, failure to provide vehicle registration, and alien unlawfully found in the United States after deportation. The Defendant needs to return to his home and not return,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the East Chicago Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.
Sacramento Man Charged with Bringing Explosive Material into Sacramento International AirportRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A criminal complaint was filed today charging Kimani Osayande Jones, aka Kimani Osayande Jackson, 49, of Sacramento, with unlawfully possessing explosive material in an airport, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, at about 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2026, Jones attempted to go through a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at the Sacramento International Airport and board a flight. He was wearing a scarf covering his face and latex gloves on his hands. In his carry-on bag, Jones had an M-type explosive device and a torch lighter capable of lighting the explosive, as well as a knife, scissors and scissor blades, an aerosol can, and zip ties. Jones also have five cellphones, one of which had a 15-minute timer ready to start, and another had a message from an unidentified number on the screen that stated, “we will be awaiting your call.” Jones was arrested, and the explosive device was safely removed by Sacramento County Sheriff Bomb Technicians and an FBI Special Agent Bomb Technician.
The explosive device was subsequently examined and tested, and the powder and fuse were determined to be viable and energetic. The explosive device had the potential to cause injury and, if the explosive device had detonated next to a window on a pressurized aircraft flying above 10,000 feet, it had the potential to damage the aircraft and cause a possible loss of cabin pressure.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Jones faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Romanian National to be Sentenced for Participation in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Romanian national who participated in a large-scale fraud scheme that used fake business websites to steal more than $1.8 million from consumers across the country is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on June 4, 2026, at 9:40 a.m. in Las Cruces.
In his plea agreement, Claudiu Pesteleu, 44, a Romanian national illegally present in the United States, admitted that from May 2023 through June 2024, he participated in a nationwide fraud scheme that used fake websites impersonating legitimate businesses to trick victims into wiring money for various consumer products, including cars and equipment. Victims believed they were making legitimate purchases, but the funds were instead directed to bank accounts associated with shell companies created using fake passports and other fraudulent identity documents.
Pesteleu, whose role in the scheme was to help conceal the fraudulently obtained money, obtained fake identity documents and used them to establish sham businesses. He then opened bank accounts for these shell companies using the fraudulent documents. These shell companies and aliases included Zammer Equipment LLC (Matthias Zammer), Super Exotic Deals LLC (Samuel Der Saar), Premier E. Liquidators LLC (Fred Laport), Adler Pre Owned LLC (Boris Adler), Bittman Motors LLC (Fritz Bittman), Nikkos Cargo LLC (Nikos Adonis), and Becker Automotive LLC (Karl Becker). Pesteleu also used the alias Thomas Muller. Consumers were directed to wire funds to accounts associated with these entities, believing they were purchasing legitimate goods.
In total, approximately $1.8 million in fraudulently obtained funds was wired by victims to bank accounts controlled by Pesteleu. Pesteleu then conducted numerous financial transactions with the money to conceal the source of the funds and hinder law enforcement efforts to identify the scheme and seize the proceeds.
At the June 4 hearing, the parties are expected to present a revised plea agreement that stipulates a sentence of 30 to 39 months of imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Robert C. Brack will determine whether to accept the agreement and sentence Pesteleu in accordance with its terms.
If you believe you were a victim of Pesteleu, please contact the Homeland Security Investigations tip line at 866-347-2423.
If you would like to attend the sentencing hearing, please contact Victim Specialist Jacquie Gutierrez at (575) 522-2304 before the hearing date for more information.
Homeland Security Investigations Deming investigated this case with assistance from the Gainesville, Florida Police Department. Las Cruces Criminal Chief Richard Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner are prosecuting the case.
Richmond man pleads guilty to federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.
According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2025, law enforcement searched two residences associated with Drequan Keymontay Peoples, 34. As investigators approached one of the residences, Peoples fled in a vehicle. Virginia State Police Troopers followed and ultimately apprehended Peoples. Peoples possessed a backpack that contained $42,290, 23 oxycodone pills, 20 Alprazolam pills, and two cellphones.
During the searches of the residences, investigators recovered approximately 958 grams of suspected cocaine, 252 grams of suspected heroin/fentanyl, marijuana, 340 grams of suspected liquid THC, 102 grams of suspected mushrooms, $2,429, nine firearms, and ammunition.
Peoples is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Virginia State Police 1T Tri-County Drug Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Henrico County Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John C. Blanchard and Katherine E. Groover are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-27 .
Randolph Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Randolph man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for cocaine trafficking and firearm charges, following a series of arrests targeting Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang and their Randolph-based affiliates.
Giovany Fouyolle, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Fouyolle pleaded guilty on March 25, 2026, to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Fouyolle’s co-defendant, Adonis Graham pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and is scheduled for sentencing on July 2, 2026.
Fouyolle and Graham were arrested on Dec. 17, 2025, after search warrants were executed at numerous residences and stash houses associated with the Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang and their Randolph-based affiliates. One of the places searched was a unit at the Imprint Apartments in Dorchester, which Fouyolle used as a stash location. Approximately 1,170 grams of cocaine, along with two loaded guns and $2,000 cash in bare kitchen cabinets, were located in the apartment.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Field Division; the Abington, Acushnet, Ashland, Boston, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Chelsea, East Bridgewater, Medford, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Stoughton, Taunton and West Bridgewater Police Departments; Plymouth and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments; Massachusetts Department of Correction; Plymouth, Norfolk and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Cutshall and Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Ontario Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Ontario, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for transporting fentanyl from Portland to Malheur County, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Joe Luis Parras, Jr., 43, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in May 2025, High Desert Drug Task Force (HDDTF) investigators learned that Parras would be traveling from Portland to Malheur County with a supply of fentanyl. Parras was pulled over by Oregon State Police for an active warrant and arrested. Pursuant to a search warrant, HDDTF investigators searched the car and found more than 200 grams of powdered fentanyl. Investigators also seized methamphetamine and additional fentanyl on Parras during his arrest.
On Dec. 9, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Parras with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Parras pleaded guilty on March 10, 2026.
The HDDTF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Maloney prosecuted the case.
The HDDTF is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. HDDTF is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) which is composed of members from the Oregon State Police, Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Land Management and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. HDDTF is supported by the Ontario Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baker City Police Department, Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Nyssa Police Department, Payette Police Department, Fruitland Police Department, Payette County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, Nampa Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell Police Department, Malheur County District Attorney’s Office and numerous other local and federal law enforcement partners.
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including the HDDTF.
Old Town Meth Trafficker Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Ronald Carl Peavy II, 49, of Old Town, Florida, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This drug trafficker’s days of running deadly narcotics in our community are over thanks to the excellent investigative work by the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office with support from the DEA. Meth has been a scourge that devastated entire communities for far too long, but under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche the Department of Justice is aggressively pursuing drug traffickers through Operation Take Back America to deliver the safe, drug-free streets our citizens deserve.”
Court documents reflect a Dixie County Sheriff’s Office deputy found the defendant’s car parked in the middle of an intersection in the early morning hours. After several minutes of the car not moving, the deputy approached and found the defendant asleep with the car running but placed in park. The deputy woke up the defendant and ensured he was not suffering from a medical problem. After smelling marijuana in the vehicle, the deputy searched the car and found two zippered cases, one of which contained more than 400 grams of methamphetamine, and the other contained approximately 77 grams of marijuana.
“The successful prosecution of this offender sends a clear message that drug trafficking has serious consequences,” said Dixie County Sheriff Darby Butler. “The substantial quantity of methamphetamine recovered in this case represented a significant threat to the safety of our community. Thanks to the diligence of our deputies and the strong collaboration between our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, dangerous drugs were removed from our streets, and an offender was held accountable for his actions. We remain committed to working alongside our partners at every level to keep Dixie County safe.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James A. McCain.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Ocala Man Sentenced to over 11 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Pound of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Tyrone Pierson (29, Ocala) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Pierson pleaded guilty on January 2, 2026. Pierson’s co-defendant, Reshawn Graham, pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, and is currently scheduled for sentencing on June 25, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on October 7, 2025, an undercover law enforcement officer negotiated the purchase of a pound of methamphetamine with Graham. Later that day, Pierson met with the undercover officer and told the officer that the source of supply for the drugs had been delayed. The next day, Graham again reached out to the undercover officer and stated that Pierson now had the methamphetamine. Afterward, Graham and Pierson were arrested by law enforcement at a predetermined meeting location for the drug transaction. Pierson was wearing a bag that contained approximately 438 grams of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Oahu Man Charged with Threatening to Kill Governor of Michigan and Shoot up Michigan State CapitolRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Ronald Saville, 48, of Honolulu, was charged by criminal complaint on June 1, 2026, with sending interstate communications containing threats. Saville was located and arrested in Abilene, Texas on June 1, 2026. His initial appearance was held in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on June 1, 2026, and he was ordered detained pending transportation to the District of Hawaii.
According to court records, on May 9, 2026, Saville emailed the Michigan State Police identifying himself, referencing the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan, and stating that he was “going to walk in with a gun at A.R. 15 and open fire and kill as many people as possible. I mean what I say I’m not a joke.” A short while later, Saville sent a second email to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stating, “just to let you know on Tuesday second, Lancy, Michigan is never gonna be the same again going to walk into the state capital shoot it up and kill as many people as possible than that I’m coming for you[.]”
Saville called the FBI on May 12, 2026, and told an FBI agent that he wanted to kill Governor Whitmer because of her political affiliation, that he had been conducting online research to plan a trip to Michigan to carry out his threat, and that he still intended to carry out his threat.
Saville was previously convicted twice in federal court in the District of Hawaii for making threats toward former United States President George W. Bush in 2006 and toward former United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway in 2012.
If convicted, Saville faces up to 5 years in prison per count and a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release.
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
FBI is investigating the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.
Nurse Practitioner Convicted for Illegal Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Middle District of Tennessee convicted a Tennessee woman yesterday for illegally distributing controlled substances.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Heather Marks, 43, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner who was licensed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to distribute controlled substances. Marks prescribed controlled substances to patients seeking pain treatment at Lifeforce Pain and Wellness (Lifeforce), a pain clinic located in Carthage, Tennessee. Lifeforce was a small, rural clinic that purported to provide pain treatment. From September 2016 through May 2018, Marks and others overprescribed highly addictive opioids, including oxycodone and oxymorphone, to Lifeforce patients. Marks herself prescribed nearly a million opioid pills to almost 1,000 Lifeforce patients over the course of the conspiracy. These patients were often addicted to illegal drugs and the opioids Marks and others prescribed to them at Lifeforce. Marks ignored obvious signs of Lifeforce patients taking illegal drugs at the time she prescribed them opioids, which put these patients in danger of overdosing. Marks further prescribed opioids to Lifeforce patients who she knew were likely selling the opioids on the street. Lifeforce patients would often travel hundreds of miles to obtain opioid prescriptions at Lifeforce because they knew Marks would prescribe the opioids they needed to either abuse or sell on the street.
Lifeforce, the pain clinic in Carthage, Tennessee, where Marks illegally prescribed controlled substances.The jury convicted Marks of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances and eight counts of illegally distributing controlled substances. She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 1, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee; Special Agent in Charge Terrence G. Reilly of the FBI; Special Agent in Charge Kelly Blackmon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Chris Ramage of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) made the announcement.
FBI, HHS-OIG, and TBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Jim Hayes and Trial Attorneys Lauren Randell and Manu Sebastian of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.