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13 July 2026
Stockton and Modesto Men Indicted in Separate Felon in Possession Firearm CasesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announces the separate indictments of a Stockton man and a Modesto man that highlight the Office’s commitment to prosecuting felons who unlawfully possess firearms and to reducing gun violence in the Eastern District of California.
Man with prior manslaughter conviction charged for illegal firearm possession
George Onesavanh, 43, of Stockton, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on April 27, 2026, Onesavanh was found in possession of a gun in Stockton. Onesavanh is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions that include voluntary manslaughter and carrying a concealed weapon.
The Stockton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
Multiple Instagram posts lead to arrest
Samian Sivansay, 27, of Modesto, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms after posting photos and videos of guns on Instagram on June 14 and 16, 2026. According to court documents, law enforcement tracked Sivansay’s vehicle from Arizona to California, attempted a traffic stop, and briefly pursued him in a high‑speed chase before ending the pursuit for safety reasons. Soon after, officers found the vehicle abandoned and recovered nine firearms inside, many matching those shown on Sivansay’s Instagram. Sivansay is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions that include robbery with a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Stockton Police Department, the Stanislaus County Sheriff, and the California Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole M. Vanek is prosecuting both cases.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
St. Petersburg Sexual Offender Sentenced to 11 Years for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Nathaniel McAlpine (48, St. Petersburg) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian Miller to 11 years in federal prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. McAlpine was found guilty by a jury on September 24, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, McAlpine, while on supervised release for possession of child pornography, engaged in conversations with the purported mother of a child wherein he coerced, encouraged and persuaded the purported mother to engage in sexual activity with her child. Through investigation, agents determined the purported mother to actually be an online scammer.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
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 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 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.justice.gov/psc.
Sioux City Man Found Guilty of Multiple Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Jonathan Seff, age 50, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted by a jury on July 9, 2026, after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Seff was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of methamphetamine near a protected location (an elementary school), and two-counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, methamphetamine and fentanyl. The verdict was returned following about three hours of jury deliberations.
Seff was previously convicted in the Northern District of Iowa of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine that contained five grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
Evidence presented to the jury in this case revealed from at least April 1, 2025, to January 7, 2026, Seff was obtaining and distributing methamphetamine. Seff was obtaining illegal drugs from the dark web that he purchased using cryptocurrency. On October 9, 2025, Seff distributed more than 5 grams of pure methamphetamine to another person within 1,000 feet of a school in Sioux City.
On October 13, 2025, Seff was arrested for operating while under the influence after hitting a legally parked car on a Sioux City street and flipping his own car. Law enforcement officers recovered over 800 counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl, more than $4,000 cash, a digital scale with methamphetamine on it, several baggies, and MDMA from Seff’s car.
On January 7, 2026, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department responded to a home in Spirit Lake for individuals trespassing in an unoccupied home. Seff had contacted an individual on a recorded jail call and sent them to the home that he had been staying at to “clean up,” directing them to specific locations within the home. Law enforcement officers located more than ten grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, baggies, fentanyl, and MDMA in the house.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Seff remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Seff faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, an $8,000,000 fine, and 8 years to life on supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department, the Dickinson County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-04071.
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Sex offender who failed to register and absconded from community supervision sentenced for illegal gun possessionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 40-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a loaded “ghost gun,” announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Raymond Lawrence Massey was convicted in Clark County, Washington in 2011 of assault with sexual motivation. After serving more than seven years in state custody, he absconded from community supervision and failed to register in King County as a sex offender. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson said, “illegally possessing a firearm is a serious offense.”
According to records filed in the case, Massey was convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old while claiming to be armed with a firearm. He was sentenced to 81 months to life in prison and was required to register as a sex offender. Instead, Massey left the area where he was on community corrections and moved to the Seattle area. He did not register as a sex offender. When Department of Corrections officers located him, he had a polymer 9 mm firearm, loaded with a red dot sight on the barrel. The gun was privately manufactured – known as a “ghost gun” as it lacks a serial number which can be traced by law enforcement.
In asking for a guidelines sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “Once located, the defendant ran from officers and refused commands to comply with arrest. Once caught, the defendant alerted officers to the fact that he was armed with a non-serialized handgun with an extended capacity magazine and a red dot optic designed to assist with precision aiming. The fact that the defendant committed this offense while on supervision is problematic in and of itself. Further troubling, the defendant had then twice escaped from Department of Corrections supervision for a crime of sexual violence, was not compliant with sex offender registration, was living amongst citizens unaware of the risk he posed to their safety.”
Massey will be on three years of federal supervised release following his prison term. He is required to register as a sex offender. Judge Evanson noted that Massey will have the benefit of supervision in the federal system saying, “Our probation officers are extraordinary and want you to succeed” in a crime-free life.
The case was investigated by the Washington State Department of Corrections, the Seattle Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Savannah man sentenced to nearly 10 years in federal prison on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: A Savannah man has been sentenced to prison in federal court following a plea agreement for firearm- and drug-related crimes.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa G. Wood and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Jamel Adams, 42, of Savannah, was sentenced to 116 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. Court documents and testimony show that in December 2024, Savannah Police initiated a traffic stop of Adams when he attempted to flee on foot. After being apprehended, a search of Adams’s vehicle led to the discovery of 20 grams of methamphetamine and 31 grams of fentanyl.
Adams also pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. During the same encounter, Savannah Police found a Springfield XD5, .45 caliber pistol in Adams’s vehicle.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This sentence reflects the serious consequences for those who choose to threaten the safety and well-being of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Our office, together with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to aggressively prosecuting offenders who endanger the public and holding them accountable under federal law.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Savannah Police Department and was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner and Makeia R. Jonese.
Rockford Man Sentenced to More Than Six and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Robbing a United States Post Office with a FirearmRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A man has been sentenced to more than six and a half years in federal prison for robbing a United States Post Office in Rockford last year.
On May 27, 2025, ANTHONY JOHNSON walked approximately one block from his residence in Rockford to the Post Office, where he reached for a firearm in his waistband and told the clerk to give him all the money in the cash register. After stealing approximately $219, Johnson ran back to his residence, crossing private backyards on his way.
Johnson, 59, of Rockford, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of robbing money from the United States. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Johnson to six years and eight months in federal prison and ordered him to pay full restitution to the U.S. Postal Service.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.
“Robbing a Post Office with a gun is a violent offense that places innocent human lives in immediate, terrifying danger,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The U.S. Postal Service serves a critically important government function, and its employees must be allowed to perform their duties for the American people safely and securely. Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize cases that involve threats, violence, and intimidation against federal officials. The federal law enforcement apparatus in Chicago will pursue, apprehend, and convict those who choose to compromise the safety of our public servants.”
“The safety of our postal employees and postal infrastructure is paramount,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Bucciarelli. “Letter carriers, clerks, and other postal employees serve our communities, and violence against them affects us all. This conviction serves as a warning that targeting the U.S. Postal Service will result in federal law enforcement relentlessly pursuing those responsible until they are brought to justice. We thank the Rockford Police Department and the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office for their dedication and partnership in securing this conviction.”
Rochester man going to prison for trafficking gunsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Todd L. Addison, 38, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted firearms trafficking, was sentenced to serve 87 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca.
On multiple occasions between March 2025 and August 27, 2025, Addison purchased as many as seven firearms, including one with an obliterated serial number, from Federal Firearms Licensees in Pennsylvania, transported them to New York, and sold them illegally to individuals in Rochester. Addison knew that at least one of the persons he sold the firearms to was a felon who intended to dispose of the firearm unlawfully.
On August 27, 2025, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rochester Police Department Violent Crime Task Force executed federal search warrants at Addison’s Hudson Avenue residence and on a vehicle that he used to travel to and from Pennsylvania. During the search of the vehicle, law enforcement recovered a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, 56 rounds of ammunition, and pistol magazines. During the search of Addison’s residence, they found empty pistol boxes for various firearms, multiple black pistol holders, and a gun cleaning kit.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola. The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
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Rochester man charged with threatening President Trump’s son, Donald Trump. Jr.Read the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that James Gerald Eckert, Jr., 39, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with threats to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon a member of the immediate family of the President, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, on June 18, 2026, a member of the U.S. Secret Service on duty at the residence of President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., was alerted that several threats were made against Trump Jr. The threats, made in the group chat feed of Trump Jr.’s podcast “Triggered with Donald Trump Jr., included: “im going to kill you, (expletive), I am going to kill this (expletive) on the screen.” The threats were posted by an account with the username JamesGeraldEckertJr/@JamesGeraldEckertJr.
While viewing the podcast on the online video platform Rumble, JamesGeraldEckertJr/@JamesGeraldEckertJr was also streaming himself on Rumble. Eckert, Jr. repeats, both verbally, as well as by posts in the live chat, similar threats against Trump Jr. as well as the CEO of Rumble, for most of the duration of an approximately eight-minute video. The threats included, “your (expletive) dead, its over guys” and “I'm going to go to YouTube and be calm and I’m still going to (expletive) kill Trump Junior. We’re going to get to World Peace. (Expletive) die guy. Try to get out of this surviving. (Expletive) you forever. (Expletive) you forever.”
On June 7, 2026, prior to the threats made against Donald Trump Jr., Eckert, Jr. posted a message on the Facebook account of “James Gerald Eckert Jr.” stating: “Mayor Malik Evans, I am coming for your family. Seriously, you will lose them to me personally. Stand by. This will not go away until you are dead or [REDACTED] is behind bars. Deal with this.” On June 11, 2026, the same Facebook account made a threatening post against New York State Senator Samra Brook, on the senator’s official Facebook page. The comment stated: “You are going to die.”
Eckert made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was held pending a detention hearing on July 20, 2026.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani. The complaint the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Charles T. Perras and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
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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Repeat Offender Sentenced to Prison for Armed Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A South Georgia resident with three prior felony convictions for drug distribution was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison for armed drug distribution.
Quentin Hall, 30, of Valdosta, was sentenced to serve 204 months in prison to be followed by six years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on July 8, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on April 8. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat offenders with guns will face long prison sentences without parole for continuing to endanger others and breaking the law,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Our office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure career criminals are held fully accountable.”
“This case highlights the critical need for collaboration among law enforcement agencies. Together, we are dedicated to safeguarding our communities and ensuring that those who threaten public safety are brought to justice,” said ATF Atlanta’s Resident Agent in Charge Robert Davis.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Hall was pulled over for a traffic violation on Nov. 26, 2024, on 7th Avenue in Moultrie, and didn’t immediately pull over, but instead continued driving and entered the Art Center Apartments. While the car he was driving was still moving, Hall jumped out and ran away holding a bookbag.
A Moultrie Police Department officer chased after Hall; Hall threw his bookbag as he ran, then lost his balance and fell to the ground. Hall ignored the officer's verbal commands to lie on the ground and not move, but pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the officer, and said to “go on” before he turned and ran. The chase continued, with Hall again falling and dropping the gun before picking it up and continuing to run. He ran behind a stairway and eventually surrendered to officers.
Law enforcement retrieved the firearm that Hall had pointed at the police officer, which had a round in the chamber. Inside Hall’s backpack, officers found several small baggies containing cocaine and other drugs. Later, Hall admitted to officers that the drugs belonged to him and that the gun was not his, but a family member’s. He said he blacked out when he pointed the gun at the officer. Hall told officers that he was on parole and had been out of prison for 16 months.
Hall has three prior drug distribution state convictions, two in Colquitt County, Georgia, and one in Bulloch County, Georgia. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Moultrie Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamara Jarrett and Monica Daniels prosecuted the case for the Government.
Philippine National Pleads Guilty to Knowingly Bringing Nearly 200 Kilograms of Cocaine on El Segundo-Bound Oil TankerRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Philippine national pleaded guilty today to knowingly bringing nearly 200 kilograms of cocaine on an oil tanker inbound from Ecuador to El Segundo earlier this year.
Ceasar Tubay Gelacio, Jr., 43, of The Philippines, pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly bringing cocaine on a vessel arriving in the United States. He has been in federal custody since May 21.
According to his plea agreement, in May 2026, Gelacio was an able-bodied seaman on the Aquatravesia, an oil tanker that was scheduled to arrive in El Segundo. While at port in Ecuador, Gelacio agreed with an unknown person using the moniker “Luis” to possess and conceal more than five kilograms (11 pounds) on the vessel.
Gelacio concealed approximately 195 kilograms (430 pounds) of cocaine in the vessel’s garbage space and in his room aboard the vessel.
On May 21, 2026, the Aquatravesia traveled near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. When it arrived in U.S. territory, Gelacio knew the cocaine remained on the vessel.
On that day, law enforcement recovered approximately 195 kilograms of cocaine concealed in trash bags in the vessel’s garbage space area. According to court documents, the vessel’s crew had discovered the cocaine and alerted the ship’s captain, who later discovered Gelacio possessed the drugs. The captain then secured the cocaine and notified law enforcement.
United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson scheduled an October 19 sentencing hearing, at which time Gelacio will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Coast Guard are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Monika L. Hara and Kyle W. Kahan of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Pair convicted for scheme to defraud seriously ill veterans by calling medical facilities to steal personal informationRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former King County Jail inmate and his accomplice were convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for their scheme to target seriously ill veterans for fraud, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. 47-year-old Darryl Lamont Young was convicted of all 14 counts in the indictment while his co-defendant, 29-year-old Aqeelah Ngiesha Williams, was convicted of 12 counts. The jury deliberated about six hours following a four-day trial. Both defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft. Both were convicted of six counts of aggravated identity theft. Young was convicted of six counts of wire fraud and Williams was convicted of four counts of wire fraud. Young remains in custody while Williams remains on bond. U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.
According to the records in the case and testimony at trial, Young, while incarcerated, used the jail phone system to place calls to the local Veterans Affairs medical center. These calls were free and the local VA medical center did not receive the jail’s announcement that the call was from an inmate. Impersonating a VA employee, Young would then ask to be transferred to out-of-state medical facilities. Because the local VA transferred the call, the out-of-state medical center did not know that the call was from an inmate. Once connected to the out-of-state medical center, Young posed as a VA employee — “Jason in bed control” or “Travis” in “patient registration”—who needed information about the patients currently in the Intensive Care Unit, including their names and the names and phone numbers of their emergency contact person. Having served in the military, Young had some understanding of VA hospital operations.
Once Young had information about a seriously ill veteran, he would call Williams who placed a three-way call to the veteran or the veteran’s emergency contact. Young would pretend to be a VA employee who needed the veteran’s credit or debit card information to deposit COVID stimulus benefits into the veteran’s bank account. Once Young and Williams had the veterans’ card information, they used it to deposit funds into Young’s commissary and jail call accounts.
Young and Williams targeted more than 30 VA and non-VA medical facilities and targeted more than 60 victims. They attempted 130 fraudulent transactions on victim accounts and obtained about $8,300 from the scheme.
In closing argument Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang told the jury “This was a shared plan, a shared purpose, a shared role—using fraud to steal from vulnerable victims. These defendants forced their way into the hospital through the phone lines with lies and deception.”
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by two years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case.
The case is being investigated by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. (VA-OIG) and the United States Secret Service (USSS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yunah Chung and Sok Tea Jiang.
Oklahoma City Felon Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal Prison after Pointing a Firearm at Three People Inside VehicleRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – STEVEN CHARLES GIVENS, 52, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 144 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, on September 28, 2025, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to a residence after receiving reports that a man was pointing a firearm at a vehicle. Officers observed the suspect, later identified as Givens, standing outside a pickup truck. Witnesses reported to officers that three individuals inside the truck attempted to leave the parking lot, but Givens blocked their path with his vehicle before pointing a firearm at them for more than eight minutes while threatening to kill them. Officers then arrested Givens and recovered a firearm.
Court records also reflect that on October 10, 2025, after Givens had been arrested, he attempted to pressure and influence a witness to stop cooperating with law enforcement.
On November 4, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Givens with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Givens pleaded guilty on January 6, 2026, and admitted he possessed a firearm despite his previous felony convictions.
At a sentencing hearing on July 9, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Givens to serve 144 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing her sentence, Judge Dishman noted the dangerous behavior of the defendant, the need to protect the public, the need for significant deterrence, and the defendant’s significant criminal history. Public records reflect that Givens has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include:
- second degree burglary and concealing stolen property in case number CF-1992-3265;
- robbery by force in case number CF-1992-5666;
- possession of a controlled dangerous substance in case number CF-2001-560; and
- assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in case number CF-2005-5984.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (OTBA), 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. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of OTBA, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ohio Woman and Two Sons Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Pandemic-era Programs of More Than $5MRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Three Lorain County residents, a mother and her adult sons, have been charged with conspiring for more than five years to defraud the IRS and several taxpayer-funded programs established to assist small business owners during the pandemic.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Junera Holt Sr., 55, and her sons, Divante Holt, 32, and Richard Henry, 35, with:
- Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
- Wire Fraud
- Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation of False Tax Returns
- Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Bank Fraud
Additionally, Junera Holt was charged with:
- Filing a False Tax Return
- Aggravated Identity Theft
- Bank Fraud
Henry was additionally charged with:
- Bank Fraud
- Engaging in Monetary Transactions in Criminally Derived Property
According to allegations contained in court documents, defendants orchestrated two conspiracies to submit fraudulent applications and claims in efforts to seek more than $5 million in government funds. These methods included obtaining both tax refunds and COVID-19 pandemic stimulus funds through identity theft, the use of shell entities, and numerous misstatements.
In the tax fraud conspiracy, between 2019 and 2024, the conspirators are alleged to have filed numerous false claims with the IRS in their own names and in the names of shell entities and identity theft victims. They are alleged to have claimed approximately $1,533,395.
It is also alleged that the defendants engaged in a wide-ranging conspiracy to obtain COVID-19 pandemic stimulus funds, primarily unemployment insurance benefits for those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The amount of funds alleged to have been fraudulently sought was approximately $3,273,455.
Additionally, allegations contained in the indictment outline that in 2021 the defendants submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking at least $337,645 in U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for purported small businesses—funds intended to help small businesses to continue to employ their workers during the pandemic.
This investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Wojtasik and Erica Barnhill for the Northern District Ohio are leading the prosecution.
The Department of Justice has created 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.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jeffrey Allen Jones, also known as “Ben,” 46, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 7, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ Huntington residence and seized approximately 44 grams of fentanyl, approximately 23 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and a loaded Glock 23 .40-caliber pistol. As part of his guilty plea, Jones admitted that he possessed the seized controlled substances and intended to distribute them, and that he possessed the firearm to protect himself and the seized drugs.
Jones also admitted to selling fentanyl on four occasions between January 2, 2025, and March 5, 2025, in quantities of approximately 1 gram each time to a confidential informant at the Huntington residence and in exchange for $80.
On December 17, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington motel room, where they arrested Jones and seized approximately 15 grams of crack and 5 grams of fentanyl in his possession.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-153.
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Nicaraguan Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry of a Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ORLANDO JOSE JARQUIN OROZCO (“JARQUIN”), age 36, a native of Nicaragua, was sentenced on July 9, 2026, by United States District Judge William J. Crain after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
JARQUIN was sentenced to forty-two months imprisonment, a fine of $100,000, a three-year term of supervised release, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, JARQUIN reentered the United States after he was previously deported on November 16, 2016. Prior to his deportation, he was convicted of second-degree battery in Jefferson Parish.
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.
United States Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration in investigating this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Machinegun Possession and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RALPH PRICE (“PRICE”), age 28, pleaded guilty on July 9, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Suboxone, and marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 841(b)(1)(E); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and possession of a machinegun, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(o) and 924(a)(2), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, since at least 2024, PRICE had been selling drugs in the New Orleans area. On March 13, 2025, law enforcement officers executed search warrants on PRICE’s vehicle, and an apartment where PRICE was staying. Officers found Suboxone strips inside PRICE’s vehicle, and marijuana and methamphetamine inside the apartment. Near the drugs in the apartment, officers also recovered a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter caliber pistol equipped with a loaded extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device. The machinegun conversion device transformed PRICE’s semi-automatic handgun into a fully-automatic machinegun.
Casings from PRICE’s machinegun were a ballistic match to casings recovered from a shooting at a gas station on Crowder Boulevard one week earlier. Surveillance footage of the shooting shows PRICE walk towards a man standing near a vehicle, confront him, and then fire at the man several times while retreating across the parking lot.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, PRICE will serve 15 years in prison. The Court took PRICE’s guilty plea but deferred its decision on whether to accept or reject the negotiated plea until sentencing. PRICE also faces a term of supervised release of at least three years up to life. Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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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New Jersey man arrested for local fentanyl overdoseRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 34-year-old Trenton, New Jersey, resident has been charged with possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance resulting in death.
Authorities have now taken Edgar Guzman into custody at his residence. He will make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in New Jersey and is expected to appear in Corpus Christi federal court in the near future.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment July 8, 2026, which was unsealed upon his arrest.
The charges allege that on April 18, 2026, law enforcement responded to a call in relation to a cardiac arrest and discovered an unresponsive individual. Emergency personnel arrived on scene and declared the victim to be deceased, noting signs of drug use in the residence and near the body, according to the allegations.
Court records indicate the cause of death was fentanyl toxicity.
Authorities allegedly recovered messages from the victim’s phone and other evidence from the residence. The indictment alleges the victim would order fentanyl from Guzman who would then ship it through the mail to Corpus Christi using flat rate shipping envelopes.
If convicted, Guzman faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine.
Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine K. Tucker prosecuted the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Nebraska Woman Sentenced to more than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rushville, Nebraska, woman convicted of four counts of Wire Fraud and three counts of Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on June 29, 2026.
Buffy Redfish, age 57, was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,744,415.36 in restitution.
From May 2006 to November 2024, Redfish worked for the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s (OST) Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO), which enforces the tribal requirement that all employers engaged in business on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation give preference to qualified Native Americans in employment, contracting, and other business or economic development activities. One of Redfish’s duties was to collect TERO fee checks from contractors and transfer them to OST’s revenue department for deposit into the tribe’s general fund. Between November 2017 and May 2024, Redfish and a co-defendant, working together, developed a scheme to defraud OST by diverting TERO fee checks totaling more than $4.7 million belonging to the tribe and depositing the checks into the co-defendant’s bank account. The two then split the embezzled funds between themselves and used the funds for their own personal benefit, including purchasing homes and vehicles. Redfish is a member of the Gila Tribe in Arizona.
“This Administration has made prosecution of government fraud a top priority,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “This substantial prison sentence for stealing millions of dollars from the Oglala Sioux Tribe is another step forward by our office in fulfilling that directive.”
“Together with her co-defendant, Buffy Redfish stole $4.7 million from an Oglala Sioux Tribe program and out of the hands of the people of the Pine Ridge Reservation," said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "The FBI will take every necessary investigative step to stop fraud and ensure the integrity of public programs. Those entrusted with public and tribal funds must uphold that trust or they face significant prison sentences."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Redfish was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison Following Federal Drug and Gun ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Today, United States Attorney Thomas Govan announced that a Montgomery, Alabama man has been sentenced to prison following convictions for methamphetamine distribution and the illegal possession of a firearm.
On July 9, 2026, a United States District Court Judge sentenced 33-year-old Robert Marshall Jr. to 140 months in prison. Following his term of imprisonment, Marshall will serve four years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, on February 6, 2023, law enforcement in Montgomery conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Marshall. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and a handgun. Marshall has previous felony convictions in Autauga County and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
On February 25, 2026, Marshall pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Montgomery Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and John J. Geer, III prosecuted.
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.
Mobile Man Convicted at Trial for Participating in a Multimillion-Dollar Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A federal jury convicted a Mobile man today for his participation in a multimillion-dollar bank fraud conspiracy involving theft of mail, identity theft, counterfeiting of stolen checks and money orders, and fraudulent financial transactions.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a four-day jury trial, Jacody Deauntae Roberts Williams, 22, participated in a nationwide fraud conspiracy that affected dozens of victims in multiple states between 2018 and 2025. The scheme involved widespread theft of mail, identity theft, counterfeiting of millions of dollars’ worth of stolen checks and money orders, and fraudulent deposits of fictitious financial instruments into numerous bank accounts.
The jury reviewed evidence that on several occasions between 2022 and 2025, Williams and other members of the conspiracy fraudulently opened accounts at banks in Mobile and elsewhere to conduct sham deposits of counterfeit checks and money orders. For example, in October 2022, one of Williams’s coconspirators, Patrick E. Williams, impersonated an identity-theft victim using a fake driver’s license to open a bank account and conduct fraudulent deposits of altered money orders. Similarly, in March 2024, another of Williams’s coconspirators, Shaquan L. Manassa, impersonated other victims, used fake driver’s licenses, and opened a business bank account in the name of a bogus Alabama corporation to conduct fraudulent deposits of counterfeited money orders and checks.
In February 2025, Williams’s coconspirator, Nicholas Jon Neil Robinson, was released from federal prison for a previous COVID-19 loan fraud conviction. The jury reviewed text messages and Instagram messages in which Williams and Robinson coordinated for Williams to fraudulently open a bank account to aid the scheme. On March 25, 2025, Williams and another coconspirator visited a bank branch in Mobile and lied to a teller on account-opening documentation. Williams then gave Robinson his debit card and bank account login information. On March 31, 2025, Robinson fraudulently deposited a $34,000 counterfeited check, altered to be made payable to Williams, into Williams’s account. The bank refused the deposit. The original check had been stolen from the mail. The victim owner of the check testified at trial that the original check had been intended to pay school tuition for a special-needs child.
In April 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at the home of one of Williams’s coconspirators, Demetrius J. Manassa, in Atlanta, Georgia. During that search, agents seized dozens of counterfeited money orders and checks, including some bearing Williams’s name. Agents also seized piles of stolen mail, several fake driver’s licenses and credit cards, bogus Alabama corporation documents, a loaded firearm, a counterfeiting station, and other evidence of the scheme.
The jury reviewed dozens of incriminating Instagram messages that Williams exchanged with coconspirators. For example, in June 2023, a coconspirator asked Williams, “What type of scams y’all doing,” to which Williams responded, “I gotta tell u in person.” Later, in November 2023, Williams messaged a coconspirator asking to illegally purchase Percocet pills and stating that “the bank closed before we can get the money off this account.” Between January and April 2024, Williams exchanged messages with a coconspirator about defrauding several banks, including Bank of America and Wells Fargo, offered to find banks for the coconspirator to defraud, and discussed purchasing a how-to guide for committing fraud referred to as a “method.” Williams also shared a video of a stolen check being fraudulently “washed,” shared images of himself and others possessing bulk cash, and discussed defrauding several banks with his coconspirators.
Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock will sentence Williams in October 2026. Williams faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a five-year supervised release term, and an obligation to pay any victim restitution to be ordered by the court. The court previously sentenced two of Williams’s coconspirators, Demetrius J. Manassa and Jarrod A. Ross, to 180 months and 84 months in prison, respectively, for their involvement in the scheme. Several other coconspirators are pending sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the United States Secret Service, the Mobile Police Department, and the Jackson Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller and Michael Tabarrok are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Mexican National Previously Twice Removed from the United States and Previously Convicted of Illegal Reentry Indicted Again for Same OffenseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Hilario Sifuentes-Cordero (42, Mexico) has been charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and subsequent removal from the United States. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on June 30, 2026, Sifuentes-Cordero was found to be unlawfully present in the United States after having previously been removed from the United States on May 24, 2007, and November 1, 2008. Sifuentes-Cordero had not applied for or received permission from government authorities to re-enter the United States after his last removal. Sifuentes-Cordero was previously convicted of illegal re-entry on October 15, 2008.
An indictment is only an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
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.
Maryland Man Indicted on Domestic Terrorism Charges Against Federal Official and OthersRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced, today, that a Maryland man faces indictment in connection with domestic terrorism charges.
Daniel Amos, 51, of Aberdeen, is charged with three counts of repeatedly making harassing telephone calls and one count of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland, and Chief Henry Trabert, Aberdeen Police Department (APD).
According to the indictment, between April 15, 2024, and April 16, 2026, Amos repeatedly made telephone calls, and initiated communication with a telecommunications device, solely to harass Individuals 1, 2, and 3.
Additionally, Amos threatened to assault Individual 3, a federal law enforcement officer working for the Supreme Court of the United States Police Department. Through Amos’s threats, he intended to impede, intimidate, and interfere with Individual 3’s ability to perform his official job duties. Amos also intended to retaliate against Individual 3 for performing his official duties.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Amos faces a maximum of two years in prison for each count of repeatedly making harassing telephone calls and 10 years for influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Supreme Court of the United States Police Department – Protective Intelligence Unit, HSI, and APD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia McLane, who is prosecuting the federal case, along with Investigator William Nickoles, for his valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Marrero Resident Guilty of Federal Firearm Violations and Mail TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TREMAINE MYLES (“MYLES”), age 34, a resident of Marrero, pled guilty on July 8, 2026, to a four-count indictment for violations of the Federal Gun Control Act, and theft of mail, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Specifically, MYLES pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A; making a false statement to a firearms dealer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(6) and § 924(a)(1)(A); being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and theft of mail, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1708. Together, these charges expose him to a mandatory consecutive sentence of up to 2 years for aggravated identity theft; up to 15 years for the felon‑in‑possession charge; up to 5 years for the mail‑theft offense; and up to 5 years for the false‑statement offense. Each count also carries potential supervised‑release terms of up to three years, fines of up to $250,000, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Postal Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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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Marathon County Man Sentenced to 7 ½ Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Tyler Briggs, 33, Mosinee, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 ½ years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Briggs pled guilty to this charge on April 23, 2026.
On January 29, 2026, an undercover officer with the Wausau Police Department arranged to buy a small amount of methamphetamine from Briggs outside of a Wausau bar. When Briggs arrived, police arrested him and found over 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine in his backpack. During an interview, Briggs admitted to police that he was a drug dealer.
At Briggs’s sentencing, Judge Conley observed that over the past several years, Briggs had spent more time in jail than out in the community. Judge Conley found that the lengthy sentence was necessary because the large amount of methamphetamine in this case put Briggs in an entirely different category of drug distributor.
The charge against Briggs was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of agents from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Manchester Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Manchester Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of Firearms
CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court for the unlawful possession of multiple firearms, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Thomas Young, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 28 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On March 26, 2026, Young pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of firearms.
“The defendant possessed multiple firearms capable of inflicting massive damage and enough ammunition to equip a small militia. Today’s sentence underscores that felons are not legally allowed to possess firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “We will continue to work with law enforcement to disarm felons.”
“Getting guns away from people who shouldn’t have them, like Thomas Young, is a critical part of our concerted effort to crush violent crime in this city,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “If you’re in criminal possession of a firearm, the FBI and our partners will be glad to take it off your hands, in exchange for a nice pair of cuffs and time behind bars.”
Young was a convicted felon and unable to legally possess a firearm or ammunition. In September 2023, the FBI learned from a confidential source that Young was a gang member and selling firearms. Young agreed to sell the confidential source a modified AK-47 rifle for $2,200 and gave the confidential source two boxes. The first contained the AK-47, and the second contained magazines and ammunition. Young later tried selling another firearm, a .40 caliber carbine-style gun, to the confidential source for $1,350. In April 2024, law enforcement searched Young’s home and found two shotguns, shotgun shells, a silencer, and almost 500 rounds of ammunition.
The FBI led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert J. Thomas, 31, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 27, 2024, Thomas possessed a Glock Model 27 .40-caliber pistol in the Jefferson area of Kanawha County.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Thomas knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Putnam County Circuit Court on October 9, 2019.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price and third-year law student intern Jeffrey R. Watkins prosecuted 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-40.
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Justice Department Opens Application Period for Program to Enhance Tribal Access to National Crime Information DatabasesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information. TAP improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, including the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
“Making America safe again extends to Indian country and Native American communities across the U.S. who experience high rates of crime and victimization,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “For more than a decade the Department of Justice has offered TAP, an innovative program that enables Tribes to access and share critical crime data in real time with our national databases. With this information Tribal partners can solve crimes, locate fugitives, and use a variety of other tools to keep their communities safe.”
The program provides software, hardware, and training, as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems. The Department will accept TAP applications from July 13 to August 31. Tribes selected to participate will be notified in September. There are currently 152 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP.
Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children.
“The TAP program has significantly helped the La Jolla Tribal Police Department by strengthening our operational capacity, improving access to critical law enforcement resources, and expanding the training opportunities available to our officers,” said Abraham Chavero, Chief of Police, La Jolla Tribal Police Department. “Through TAP’s support, we have been able to streamline reporting processes, enhance data accuracy, and improve coordination with partnering agencies.”
“The Penobscot Nation Tribal Court has greatly benefited from participating in TAP,” said Rebecca Winter, Penobscot Nation Tribal Court Administrator. “Having direct access to national crime information systems has strengthened public safety efforts within our community. TAP has enabled our Court and law enforcement partners to access important information in real time, helping us better serve our tribal members.”
For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.
To qualify for funding, federally recognized Tribes must have – and agree to use TAP for – at least one of the following:
- A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act,
- A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers,
- A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or
- A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect.
TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice.
Justice Department Opens Application Period for Program to Enhance Tribal Access to National Crime Information DatabasesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information. TAP improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, including the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
“Making America safe again extends to Indian country and Native American communities across the U.S. who experience high rates of crime and victimization,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “For more than a decade the Department of Justice has offered TAP, an innovative program that enables Tribes to access and share critical crime data in real time with our national databases. With this information Tribal partners can solve crimes, locate fugitives, and use a variety of other tools to keep their communities safe.”
The program provides software, hardware, and training, as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems. The Department will accept TAP applications from July 13 to August 31. Tribes selected to participate will be notified in September. There are currently 152 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP.
Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children.
“The TAP program has significantly helped the La Jolla Tribal Police Department by strengthening our operational capacity, improving access to critical law enforcement resources, and expanding the training opportunities available to our officers,” said Abraham Chavero, Chief of Police, La Jolla Tribal Police Department. “Through TAP’s support, we have been able to streamline reporting processes, enhance data accuracy, and improve coordination with partnering agencies.”
“The Penobscot Nation Tribal Court has greatly benefited from participating in TAP,” said Rebecca Winter, Penobscot Nation Tribal Court Administrator. “Having direct access to national crime information systems has strengthened public safety efforts within our community. TAP has enabled our Court and law enforcement partners to access important information in real time, helping us better serve our tribal members.”
For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.
To qualify for funding, federally recognized Tribes must have – and agree to use TAP for – at least one of the following:
- A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act,
- A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers,
- A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or
- A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect.
TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice.
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OAG
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If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Illegal alien previously convicted of shooting girlfriend’s husband and other crimes sent to federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 30-year-old illegal alien from Honduras illegally living in Houston has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country.
Nelson Alberto Fajardo pleaded guilty March 10, 2026.
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has now ordered Fajardo to serve 46 months in federal prison. As an illegal alien, he is expected to be once again removed from the United States following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the country.
Farjardo has multiple prior convictions for burglary, possessing a firearm after a felony conviction, and aggravated assault.
Authorities removed him from the country in 2015, but he illegally returned. In 2022, he shot his girlfriend’s estranged husband at a residence in Houston, ordered to prison, and ultimately charged with felony illegal reentry.
Fajardo has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robin Whitney and Amanda Alum prosecuted 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 immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal Alien from Romania Receives Federal Sentence for Role in SNAP Benefits Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – An illegal alien, who is a citizen of Romania, received a federal-prison term, today, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Florin Serdaru, 29, to 39 months in prison for his role in a Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits fraud conspiracy. Judge Rubin also ordered Serdaru to pay $343,756 in restitution, and a money judgment of $91,873.52.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Northeast Region; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Chief Gregory Der, Howard County Police Department (HCPD).
SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, was a federally funded, national program established by the United States to alleviate hunger and malnutrition among lower income families. Each SNAP recipient receives an EBT authorization card that acts as a debit card and which electronically stores personal identifying information and other data concerning the applicant.
According to his plea agreement, Serdaru participated in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and multiple recipients of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefits. In 2022, Serdaru and his co-conspirators obtained EBT information from victims throughout the U.S., including in Maryland, California, Kentucky, Tennessee, New York, and other states. They used skimming devices and other means to carry out the conspiracy.
The co-conspirators played various roles in skimming operations, including acquiring skimming equipment, shipping equipment to co-conspirators, and installing or removing the equipment at the point-of-sale terminals at various commercial establishments. They also monitored the activity at the terminals where skimming equipment was installed and duplicated victims’ EBT cards using the information collected from the skimming devices. Co-conspirators then fraudulently purchased large bulk items using cloned EBT cards containing numerous victims’ personal identifying information.
On November 15, 2022, Serdaru, used a debit card, issued under the alias “Florin Florea” to upgrade a Sam’s Club membership plus account in Canton, Ohio. A review of the account revealed that approximately 168 unique EBT cards were used to make purchases using the account from July 2022, until at least June 2023, in Maryland and six other states. The co-conspirators made approximately $175,612.76 in SNAP purchases through the Sam’s Club account. Approximately $12,484.78 of the purchases were made in Maryland, using 14 separate victims’ EBT cards.
Law enforcement learned that an additional Sam’s Club account, in the name of “Alex Stan,” also used the phone number attributed to Serdaru in its account creation. After reviewing the “Alex Stan” Sam’s Club account, law enforcement found that the co-conspirators used approximately 29 unique EBT cards to make purchases from June 2022, until at least July 2022, in Maryland and four other states. The co-conspirators used the account to make approximately $46,439.84 in SNAP purchases. Approximately $43,449.60 of the purchases were made in Maryland, using 28 separate victims’ EBT cards.
Authorities also discovered that in June 2022, Serdaru created a BJ’s Wholesale account in the name of “Alex Stan,” using Serdaru’s home address. After reviewing the “Alex Stan” BJ’s account, authorities found that from June 2022, until at least October 7, 2022, the co-conspirators used approximately 179 unique EBT cards to make purchases on the account in Maryland and seven other states. The co-conspirators used the “Alex Stan” BJ’s account to make approximately $107,541.92 in SNAP purchases, using the EBT cards of 57 separate victims.
Additionally, on multiple occasions, Serdaru personally purchased items in bulk using cloned EBT cards containing the personal identifying information of victims.
Due to the loss of their SNAP benefits, at least 15 victims were unable to obtain food items until after the replenishment of their funds the following month. The total loss attributed to the conspiracy in Maryland is approximately $343,756.
Judge Rubin previously sentenced co-conspirator Fabritio Sardaru, 22, an illegal alien who is a citizen of Romania and Ireland, to two years in prison, and Maria Roza Tomescu, 22, to 28 months in prison, for their roles in the conspiracy.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USDA-OIG, MCPD, and HCPD for their work in the investigation, along with the Maryland Department of Human Services, Office of Inspector General, for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Higgins who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Huntington Man Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tavoyn Billy Morrison, 26, of Huntington, was sentenced today to time served and three years of supervised release for distribution of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 31, 2025, Morrison sold approximately 3 grams of crack to a confidential informant for $200 at a Huntington residence. As part of his guilty plea, Morrison admitted to conducting the transaction and further admitted that he sold approximately 3 grams of crack to a confidential informant for $200 outside of the Huntington residence on August 14, 2025.
Morrison is among seven individuals who pleaded guilty as the result of an investigation targeting the distribution of controlled substances in the Huntington area.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-156.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marrio Adam Kinchen, also known as “Kardi,” 37, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 2, 2025, Kinchen sold approximately 27 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Huntington address in exchange for $200.
Kinchen is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-20.
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Houston man guilty of drug trafficking as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigation in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Houston man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations following a Homeland Security Task Force investigation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Indolfo Hernandez, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on July 10, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in January 2024, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine throughout Texas and neighboring regions. The organization, based in Houston and operating within the Eastern District of Texas, was led by Hernandez. During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 16 kilograms of methamphetamine that had been distributed by Hernandez and his coconspirators.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from the FBI; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations - Houston (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas; DEA Beaumont HIDTA Task Force Group D23; Houston Police Department; Liberty County Sheriff’s Office; and Harris County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Lee.
Hernandez faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The actual sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
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Honduran National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YOVANI DE JESUS ALVAREZ MURILLO, 42, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with illegal reentry of a removed alien.
The criminal complaint alleges that Alvarez was first encountered in the U.S. in February 2005 when he was arrested by the New York State Police in Tarrytown, New York, and charged with driving while ability impaired by the consumption of alcohol. In August 2008, Greenwich (Conn.) Police arrested Alvarez, under the name “Geovany Alvares-Murillo,” on a charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs/alcohol. In December 2008, Stamford Police arrested Alvarez, under the names “Geovany Alvarez-Murillo” and “Geovany Alvares-Murillo,” for two counts of failure to appear in the second degree. In November 2009, Stamford Police arrested Alvarez, under the name “Geovany Alvares-Murillo,” on a charge of larceny in the third degree. In December 2011, Stamford Police arrested Alvarez, under the name “Geovany Alvares,” on a charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs/alcohol. In June 2012, Stamford Police arrested Alvarez, under the name “Geovany Alvares-Murillo,” on a charge of failure to appear in the first degree. In October 2012, Stamford Police arrested Alvarez, under the name Geovany Alvares-Murillo, on a charge of forgery in the second degree. Alvarez was convicted of, and sentenced for, these offenses.
The complaint further alleges that, in October 2012, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) interviewed Alvarez while he was serving a sentence in the custody of Connecticut Department of Correction. During the interview, Alvarez admitted that had illegally entered the U.S. in approximately 2002 by crossing the border from Mexico. Alvarez was removed to Honduras in October 2013.
The complaint further alleges that, Alvarez illegally reentered the U.S. and, in August 2021, under the name “Geovany Alvares-Murillo,” was arrested by Stamford Police on a charge of breach of peace in the second degree. He was convicted of the offense and ordered to pay a $150 fine. In May 2023, Alvarez, under the name “Geovany Alvares Murillo,” was arrested by Stamford Police on a charge of criminal trespass in the third degree. He was convicted of the offense and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.
The complaint further alleges that, in November 2024, Connecticut State Police arrested Alvarez, under the name “Geovanny Alvares,” on a charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. In August 2025, Stamford Police arrested Alvarez, also under the name “Geovanny Alvares,” for operating a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device (breathalyzer). Alvarez was convicted of these offenses on May 14, 2026, in Stamford Superior Court. He served a 60-day state sentence and was transferred to ICE custody today.
Alvarez appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was ordered detained.
If convicted of the charge of unlawful reentry, Alvarez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael S. Deel and Neeraj N. Patel.
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.
Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OBLAN ANTONIO CANALES-MARTINEZ (“CANALES-MARTINEZ”), age 51, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on July 9, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the charging document, the defendant was found in the United States on December 13, 2025, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States, after being previously deported on July 18, 2005.
According to court documents, federal agents arrived at an apartment complex in Metairie, Louisiana, and saw a white Toyota Tundra leaving the area. A search of the truck’s license plate revealed its owner to be CANALES-MARTINEZ, a Honduran national previously deported on July 18, 2005. The truck was followed to a Shell station located on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie, Louisiana. CANALES-MARTINEZ exited the truck and began filling it with gasoline. When the truck was stopped at a gas station, the uniformed federal agents approached CANALES-MARTINEZ. CANALES MARTINEZ then threw coffee in one of the agents’ faces and fled. After chasing and apprehending CANALES–MARTINEZ, the agents arrested him.
CANALES-MARTINEZ was sentenced to time served. He has been in federal custody since December 29, 2025.
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.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
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Honduran Criminal Alien Apprehended in Pensacola Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Osman Edgardo Cubas-Alvarenga, 38, a Honduran illegally present in the United States, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography and one count of illegal reentry of an alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “For more than a year, this criminal alien preyed upon and sexually exploited a minor child while he was illegally present in our country. This heartbreaking story underscores the commonsense reason why we must secure our borders and aggressively enforce our nation’s immigration laws: because the safety of our communities depends upon it. I appreciate the incredible investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to help bring this criminal alien to justice, and commit that my office will continue to aggressively prosecute sexual predators, like this defendant, to keep our kids and our communities safe.”
Court documents reflect that between January 2025 and February 2026, the defendant was engaging in a secret “relationship” with a sixteen year old victim in Pensacola. The defendant would communicate with the minor via encrypted social media applications, which included them exchanging sexually explicit material. The defendant video recorded sexual acts with the victim. Law enforcement obtained search warrants to uncover all the digital evidence and arrest the defendant.
The defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment, and a lifetime of supervision upon release as well as registration as a sexual offender. He also faces removal from the United States.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 24, 2026, at 10:00 am, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood and Operation Take Back America. Project Safe Childhood is 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. Operation Take Back America is 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.
High Museum of Art's Former Chief Operating Officer Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Brady Lum, the former chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art who pilfered more than $600,000 from the museum by doctoring invoices and approving transactions for personal purchases, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.
“Over several years, Lum deceptively plundered the southeast’s premier museum of visual art, embezzling more than half a million dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Criminals like Lum who steal from institutions that receive taxpayer money to serve the public will face prison time for their thievery and be compelled to repay their ill-gotten gains.”
“As he admitted in court, Brady Lum breached the trust of his organization and undermined the integrity of the museum,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains unwavering in its pursuit to hold accountable those who exploit their positions for selfish purposes.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Lum served as the High Museum of Art’s chief operating officer from January 2, 2019, until his resignation on December 9, 2025. As COO, he was responsible for planning, implementing, managing, and controlling the High Museum’s operational and financial activities.
During his tenure as COO, Lum repeatedly purchased non-business items and services for himself, including luxury guitars and other music equipment, personal music lessons, and woodworking equipment, through direct supplier invoicing and through the High Museum’s corporate credit card reimbursement process. Lum concealed the nature of his transactions in several ways, including by submitting altered invoices, using his position to exercise delegated expense approval authority, and using accounting adjustments to spread his expenses across different cost centers so that they would not be readily identified.
For example, in one instance, on or about November 29, 2024, Lum submitted an altered invoice for reimbursement through the High Museum’s online expense processing platform. While the submitted invoice showed a $9,147.87 purchase of equipment that appeared to be for the museum’s benefit, the original version of the invoice was for a high-end guitar and accessories that Lum kept for himself. Over the course of his scheme, Lum received more than 700 reimbursements, most of which were for less than $1,000, and stole more than $600,000 from the High Museum.
Brady Lum, 59, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 2, 2026 at 10 a.m. As part of his plea agreement, Lum will pay full restitution to the High Museum.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas N. Joy is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Guatemalan National Previously Removed from the United States Three Times and Previously Convicted of Illegal Reentry is Indicted Again for Same OffenseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Gaspar Mateo-Morales (41, Guatemala) has been charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Mateo-Morales faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and subsequent removal from the United States. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on June 28, 2026, Mateo-Morales was found to be unlawfully present in the United States after having previously been removed from the United States on February 25, 2011, March 25, 2011, and September 14, 2016. Mateo-Morales had not applied for or received permission from government authorities to re-enter the United States after his last removal. He was previously convicted of illegal re-entry on August 16, 2016.
An indictment is only an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
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.
Graduate Student Arrested for Hateful and Threatening Message at San Jose State UniversityRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Ziheng “Tony” Fang was arrested on a federal charge of false information and hoaxes. Fang made an initial appearance on July 10, in federal court in San Jose, California.
According to the allegations in a criminal complaint and court documents filed on July 9, Fang, 30, of San Jose, California, wrote a hateful and threatening message placed in a plastic cover sheet taped to the bathroom wall of a men’s restroom on the campus of San Jose State University (SJSU). Fang is a graduate student at SJSU, pursuing his Master’s Degree in Data Science.
The message was discovered on Nov. 5, 2025, and began with “!WARNING! MASS BOMB NEXT WEEK,” among other statements, accompanied by multiple swastika symbols. A photograph of this message is below:
Photograph of the message discovered on Nov. 5, 2025Fang’s fingerprint was found on this paper. A second message was also discovered on the wall of the same bathroom at the same time. It read “Kill all Jews, Muslims, Chinks, and Mexicans,” “Mass bombing 11/11 and 11/12 guess.”
As alleged in the complaint, since October 2024, SJSU Police Department personnel have recorded more than 20 instances of hateful and threatening messages written in men’s and gender-neutral restrooms around the SJSU campus. In many instances, these messages included threats specifying a particular date that an attack was allegedly intended to take place and/or weapons and methods that would be used such as bombs, knives, and shooting. The most recent hateful and threatening message was discovered on May 14.
Fang accessed buildings in the days leading up to the discovery of hateful and threatening messages in 16 of the 18 instances where key card access is required, according to the complaint. The next closest number of entries was from a SJSU staff member who worked with facilities and had a reason to be in each building. Surveillance footage also shows Fang entering and exiting the restrooms or restroom areas where some of the messages were written up to a day before their discovery.
According to the complaint, the SJSU President’s Office provided several email/text message alerts to notify students and staff before dates that attacks were allegedly set to take place. When alerts were issued, SJSU professors independently decided whether to cancel class or hold it virtually. University police and the college administration received multiple calls from people worried about coming onto campus because of the threats. Campus buildings on the dates specified in the messages were described as “ghost town,” as described in the complaint.
U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble of the FBI San Francisco Field Office made the announcement.
Fang is currently in federal custody. Fang is next scheduled to appear in federal court on July 13 for identification of counsel before Chief Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Griswold for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Connor Cheadle of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with the assistance of the San Jose State University Police Department.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Graduate Student Arrested for Hateful and Threatening Message at San Jose State UniversityRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – The Justice Department announced today that Ziheng “Tony” Fang was arrested on a federal charge of false information and hoaxes. Fang made an initial appearance on July 10, 2026 in federal court in San Jose.
According to the allegations in a criminal complaint and court documents filed on July 9, 2026, Fang, 30, of San Jose, wrote a hateful and threatening message placed in a plastic cover sheet taped to the bathroom wall of a men’s restroom on the campus of San Jose State University (SJSU). Fang is a graduate student at SJSU, pursuing his Master’s Degree in Data Science.
The message was discovered on November 5, 2025, and began with “!WARNING! MASS BOMB NEXT WEEK,” among other statements, accompanied by multiple swastika symbols. A photograph of this message is below:
Fang’s fingerprint was found on this paper. A second message was also discovered on the wall of the same bathroom at the same time. It read “Kill all Jews, Muslims, Chinks, and Mexicans,” “Mass bombing 11/11 and 11/12 guess.”
As alleged in the complaint, since October 2024, SJSU Police Department personnel have recorded more than 20 instances of hateful and threatening messages written in men’s and gender-neutral restrooms around the SJSU campus. In many instances, these messages included threats specifying a particular date that an attack was allegedly intended to take place and/or weapons and methods that would be used such as bombs, knives, and shooting. The most recent hateful and threatening message was discovered on May 14, 2026.
Fang accessed buildings in the days leading up to the discovery of hateful and threatening messages in 16 of the 18 instances where key card access is required, according to the complaint. The next closest number of entries was from a SJSU staff member who worked with facilities and had a reason to be in each building. Surveillance footage also shows FANG entering and exiting the restrooms or restroom areas where some of the messages were written up to a day before their discovery.
According to the complaint, the SJSU President’s Office provided several email/text message alerts to notify students and staff before dates that attacks were allegedly set to take place. When alerts were issued, SJSU professors independently decided whether to cancel class or hold it virtually. University police and the college administration received multiple calls from people worried about coming onto campus because of the threats. Campus buildings on the dates specified in the messages were described as “ghost town,” as described in the complaint.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble made the announcement.
Fang is currently in federal custody. Fang is next scheduled to appear in federal court on July 13, 2026 for identification of counsel before Chief Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins.
A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Griswold of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Connor Cheadle of the Civil Rights Division. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with the assistance of the San Jose State University Police Department.
Frisco furry enthusiast sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for transporting child for sexual exploitationRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Frisco man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for transporting a minor for sexual exploitation, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Joseph Ray Robertson, 37, pleaded guilty to transportation of minors and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard Schell on July 13, 2026. Judge Schell also imposed lifetime supervised release on the defendant.
According to information presented in court, in May of 2024, Robertson, a furry enthusiast, transported a minor from Frisco to Atlanta, Georgia for a furry convention. Furry refers to a subculture of enthusiasts of anthropomorphic (human-like) animals in which fans create animal characters with human personalities and traits. Robertson commissioned an elaborate, custom-made costume to further facilitate his furry persona. While at the convention, Robertson sexually abused the child by engaging in acts that would constitute child molestation and sodomy under Georgia State law. Additionally, Robertson purchased sexual stimulants and devices at the convention, and commissioned artwork depicting his furry persona engaged in sex acts with the minor victim.
“This defendant’s actions were depraved and absolutely justify every day of the imposed 20-year sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “Most children’s experiences with people costumed as animals comes in the context of fun encounters in theme parks. This defendant turned a furry costume into a nightmare of sexual abuse. It shocks the conscience that a child was allowed into a convention where adults were dressed up as furry animals and sex devices were being sold. Not one person in that convention contacted the authorities to protect the child. Every child deserves security, dignity, and a community that stands fiercely in their defense. Protecting children is one of our most solemn responsibilities, and we will act ferociously against anyone who threatens their safety.”
This case is 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by FBI and the Frisco Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller.
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Fresno Man Sentenced to 8.5 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Patrick Kasper, 33, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to eight years and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court records, on March 16, 2022, Kasper failed to yield when law enforcement attempted to pull him over for a traffic stop. Kasper engaged law enforcement in a vehicle pursuit at speeds of over 110 miles per hour. Kasper stopped at a residence and fled inside, leaving on the ground a black Smith & Wesson M&P 40 Shield .40-caliber pistol loaded with seven rounds of .40-caliber Smith & Wesson ammunition. Kasper is a five-time convicted felon for offenses that include possession of a controlled substance for sale, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and domestic violence. Because of these felony convictions, Kasper is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On April 21, 2025, Kasper pleaded guilty.
The Fresno Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arelis M. Clemente prosecuted 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Fourteen New Indictments Returned for Immigration Offenses in JuneRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Pensacola and Gainesville – Today, United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced that 14 previously deported illegal aliens have been separately indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States in the month of June.
According to court records, the 14 illegal aliens indicted in the month of June include:
- Marcelino Mendez-Gomez, 42, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Walton County in May 2026, after previously being deported in 2013 and 2019. Change of plea and sentencing took place on July 8, 2026, at 11:30 am before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida.
- Adelmo Alvarado-Lopez, 55, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Bay County in May 2026, after previously being deported twice in 2018. Trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
- Salvador Martinez Andrade, 41, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in May 2026, after previously being deported in 2012. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, at 8:00 am before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida.
- Bernado Perez Bartolon, 46, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in May 2026, after previously being deported twice in 2024. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, at 8:00 am before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida.
- Pedro Flores-Perales, 40, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Walton County in May 2026, after previously being deported seven times: once in 2010; once in 2013; and five times in 2014. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, at 8:00 am before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida.
- Jonathan Gonzaelz-Resendiz, 35, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Walton County in May 2026, after previously being deported four times in 2012. Trial is scheduled for August 17, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II in Pensacola, Florida.
- Josue Orlando Medina-Lira, 35, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in May 2026, after previously being deported in 2009 and 2023. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, at 8:00 am before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida.
- Ernesto Perez-Vasquez, 36, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in May 2026, after previously being deported in 2010 and 2014. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, at 8:00 am before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida.
- Miguel Angel Quiroz-Perez, 53, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in June 2026, after previously being deported twice in 2017. Trial is scheduled for August 17, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II in Pensacola, Florida.
- Selvin Fernandez Ruis, 33, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in June 2026, after previously being deported in 2023. Trial is scheduled for August 17, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II in Pensacola, Florida.
- Denis Eduardo Garache Moncada, 33, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Bay County in May 2024 and on or about March 2024, after previously being deported in 2019. Trial is scheduled for August 24, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
- Hugo Angeles-Cruz, 42, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Bay County in May 2026, after previously being deported in 2016. Trial is scheduled for August 24, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
- Andres Antonio Mendez, 34, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Jackson County in June 2026, after previously being deported three times in 2015. Trial is scheduled for August 24, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
- Ramon Alfredo Solano-Cruz, 36, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Bay County in May 2026, after previously being deported 2012 & 2019. Trial is scheduled for August 24, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Mendez-Gomez faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine pursuant to allegations of prior convictions qualifying for an increased maximum sentence.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The cases involved investigations by Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations with the assistance of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Lynn Haven Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith L. Steer, Alicia H. Forbes, Jeffrey M. Tharp, Emma Schwann, Walter E. Narramore, Thomas S.P. Geeker, Brooke Lindsay, Joseph A. Ravelo, and Tyler Fleming are prosecuting the cases.
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, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Four Sentenced After Firearms Investigation Following a Million-Dollar BurglaryRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—The last of four co-defendants was sentenced to federal prison last Friday after burglaries of a home in Coos County, Oregon, and stealing cash, gold, silver coins, and firearms. The following individuals have been sentenced:
- Daniel Knapp, 58, of Port Orford, Oregon, was sentenced last Friday to 24 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release;
- William Travis Cutlip, 41, of Port Orford, was sentenced July 7, 2026, to 24 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release;
- Kyle Vanalstine, 31, of Bandon, Oregon, was sentenced July 7, 2026, to 77 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release; and
- Matthew Knapp, 48, of Ashland, Oregon, was sentenced June 24, 2026, to five years of probation.
According to court documents, a federal firearms investigation began after a significant residential burglary. On Dec. 19, 2023, Matthew Knapp, Daniel Knapp, and Cutlip broke into the vault of a Coos County residence and stole approximately one million dollars in cash, gold, silver coins, and at least one firearm. After returning to one of their residences, Matthew Knapp was seen possessing a stolen pistol. The investigation revealed several messages showing Matthew Knapp’s history with firearms and accessories nine months prior, in March 2023. Matthew Knapp is a felon and prohibited from having a firearm. Matthew Knapp was later convicted of Aggravated Theft I in state court.
Several days later, on Dec. 23, Vanalstine broke into the same vault and stole approximately 40 firearms, including assault rifles, pistols, and at least one silencer and transferred many of them to Cutlip. Several stolen firearms stored at Cutlip’s property were later recovered in California.
On Jan. 5, 2024, law enforcement stopped and searched Vanalstine while he was driving in Curry County, Oregon. In his car, Vanalstine had more than one kilogram of methamphetamine, scales and a loaded pistol. Vanalstine was convicted in state court for the burglary of the residence and for a separate possession of a controlled substance case and was sentenced to prison for both offenses.
On Jan. 9, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Cutlip’s residence in Port Orford and seized a stolen silencer and the assault rifles pictured below:
In January 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Daniel Knapp’s residence and found a .22 revolver, which was unconnected to the burglary. Daniel Knapp is a felon and prohibited from having a firearm.
On Dec. 11, 2024, Cutlip pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in firearms. He was convicted in state court for burglary.
On Dec. 4, 2025, Vanalstine pleaded guilty to trafficking in firearms and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In February 2026, Matthew Knapp and Daniel Knapp pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was prosecuted by the ATF, FBI, SCINT (South Coos Interagency Narcotics Team), Coos County Sheriff Office, and Oregon State Police, with assistance from Coquille Tribal Police, Bandon Police Department, Coos Bay Police Department and the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team (DINT). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sweet.
Former Registered Nurse from LeMars Sentenced for False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Chad Hoppe, age 49, from LeMars, Iowa, was sentenced July 9, 2026, to more than two years in prison after a march 9, 2026, guilty plea to false statements relating to health care matters and aggravated identity theft.
Evidence in the case revealed that between May 2024 and March 2025, Hoppe diverted fentanyl and dilaudid allegedly for patient use. Instead, he used the controlled substances personally and failed to complete or falsified the related health care paperwork. During this time, Hoppe was an Iowa licensed registered nurse. He inputted false orders for narcotics claiming to have permission from a licensed physician, when he did not. Hoppe diverted “staggering” amounts of liquid fentanyl and dilaudid. In March 2025, for example, while working as a supervisor, Hoppe pulled out over 9,000 mcg of fentanyl. The next closest staff member at the same facility pulled out a total of 700 mcg of fentanyl that month.
Hoppe was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 30 months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hoppe was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals Investigations Division Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-04042.
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Former L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Obstructing Federal Probe into Crypto ‘Mogul’ Threats Against VictimRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for obstructing a federal investigation into a now-jailed, self-styled cryptocurrency businessman by lying that he never witnessed the wannabe crypto mogul threaten and extort $25,000 from a party planner at his Bel Air mansion.
Scott Allen Simpkins, 34, of Brea, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who fined him $10,000.
Simpkins pleaded guilty on March 17 to one count of obstruction of justice. He resigned from LASD’s Special Enforcement Bureau after pleading guilty to the felony.
According to his plea agreement, Simpkins was a deputy assigned to LASD’s Lakewood Station and worked for LASD’s Special Enforcement Bureau and SWAT team. He also worked approximately six to eight shifts as a private security guard for Saavedra & Associates and received cash payments for his services.
Saavedra & Associates was a private company owned and operated by then-LASD Deputy and one-time federal task force officer Eric Chase Saavedra, 43, of Chino, that employed active LASD deputies and law enforcement officers and provided private security services for clients.
One of those clients was Adam Iza, 25, who resided in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, was a self-styled cryptocurrency businessman who called himself “The Godfather,” and who has been in federal custody since September 2024. Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of conspiracy against rights, one count of wire fraud, and one count of tax evasion, and awaits sentencing.
On June 1, 2026, Iza pleaded guilty in the District of Connecticut to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) related to his involvement in an attempted robbery of Bitcoin and a kidnapping in Danbury, Connecticut, in August 2024.
In August 2021, Iza hired Simpkins, fellow then-LASD Deputy Christopher Michael Cadman, 34, of Fullerton, and other law enforcement officers to provide private security at a party at his Bel Air mansion. At the time, Simpkins knew Iza possessed at least one firearm.
After the party ended, at around 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. on August 15, 2021, Simpkins learned the party planner – identified in court documents as “R.C.” – had been kicked out of the party for erratic behavior.
The next day, Simpkins worked another shift at Iza’s Bel Air mansion and – along with Cadman – escorted R.C. to Iza’s office and closed the door behind them. Iza – seated behind his office desk – then took steps to intimidate R.C. to obtain $25,000 by placing four or five rounds of live 9mm ammunition on his desk across from R.C. While speaking to the victim, Iza picked up the live ammunition and twirled a bullet in his hand as he spoke threateningly to R.C.
During this meeting, Iza accessed R.C.’s phone after demanding that $25,000 be transferred from R.C.’s bank account to an Iza-controlled bank account. After the transfer occurred, Simpkins and Cadman escorted R.C. out of Iza’s mansion.
After this incident, Iza hired Saavedra & Associates as his private security provider and made substantial payments to Saavedra and his employees. Simpkins and Cadman each earned $1,400 for their shifts during the August 2021 party and the August 16 incident with R.C.
In response to Simpkins and Cadman helping to secure a long-term contract with Iza, Saavedra & Associate paid them approximately 10% of the company’s total profits for the contract’s first month.
After Iza’s arrest in September 2024 and the R.C.-related conduct being charged – along with other crimes – in a federal criminal complaint and an indictment against Iza, the FBI executed a search warrant on Simpkins’ person and seized his phone.
In a November 2024 meeting with federal law enforcement concerning Iza and corrupt LASD deputies and in which Simpkins was warned that lying would result in criminal prosecution, Simpkins lied repeatedly to FBI agents and federal prosecutors that he saw no ammunition or shell casings inside Iza’s office during the incident with victim R.C. Simpkins further lied when he said he saw no financial transactions occur.
Simpkins admitted in his plea agreement that he knew his lies had the natural and probable effect of interfering with the criminal investigation and legal proceedings against Iza and were material to the investigation.
In addition to Iza, Saavedra and Cadman, among others, have pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges and await sentencing.
Former LASD Deputy Michael David Coberg, 44, of Eastvale, is serving a 63-month federal prison sentence and was ordered to pay $127,000 in restitution for helping Iza extort a rival and arrange the sham illegal drug possession arrest of another adversary in Paramount in 2021.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll of the National Security Division prosecuted this case.
Former Hominy Bookkeeper Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A former Hominy bookkeeper was sentenced today for Bank Fraud after stealing more than $393k from a family business, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Susan Marie Garrison, 54, of Sand Springs, to 33 months' imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. She was ordered to pay $393,025.09 in restitution.
From 2017 through 2022, Garrison was a trusted bookkeeper handling the finances for a family business in Hominy. Court documents show that her duties include managing financial activities, bank accounts, and preparing records. In total, Garrison admitted to writing more than 240 checks to herself, all of which she cashed and deposited into her own checking accounts.
Garrison was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons at a later date.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.
Former Deputy U.S. Marshal Sentenced for Assault on Prisoner in Louisiana CourthouseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A former Deputy U.S. Marshal was sentenced today to 45 months in prison for assaulting a federal inmate and writing a false report about the incident.
In April 2026, after a three-day trial, a federal jury in the Western District of Louisiana convicted Joshua Firmin, 49, of one count of Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law and one count of Falsification of Records.
“The great majority of law enforcement officers do essential work honorably and lawfully under difficult and high-risk conditions,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “But Joshua Firmin knowingly overstepped his authority when he assaulted a shackled prisoner and failed to uphold the trust placed in him when he lied about it in official documents. Today’s sentence represents appropriate accountability, and we are grateful to the law enforcement personnel who reported the misconduct and cooperated with the investigation.”
“The civil rights protections afforded to all U.S. citizens are a fundamental part of the Constitution,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “The unlawful civil rights violation committed by Mr. Firmin against a shackled inmate, not only tarnishes the reputation, it also engenders public distrust of the innumerable law enforcement officers who so honorably protect and serve all of us. Today’s sentencing ensures that Mr. Firmin is being held accountable for his actions.”
“Firmin violated his oath as a law enforcement officer by abusing his authority,” said Special Agent in Charge Cloey Pierce of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) South Central Region Houston Office. “The DOJ OIG will continue working with its law enforcement partners to ensure that anyone participating in this type of behavior will be brought to justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on February 29, 2024, Firmin, who was then assigned to operations duties at the federal courthouse in Lafayette, Louisiana, learned that a prisoner awaiting a court appearance in the courthouse cell block had made insulting remarks about Firmin to another courthouse employee. Shortly thereafter, Firmin entered the courthouse cellblock and unlocked the cell where the prisoner was being held, yanked the prisoner, who was restrained in handcuffs, waist shackles, and leg irons, out of the cell by his hair and slammed his head into the cellblock wall. As a result of the assault, the prisoner suffered a laceration to his scalp that required staples to close. Following the assault, Firmin wrote an official use of force report in which he falsely stated that the prisoner had attempted to spit on him and then inadvertently struck his head on a door while resisting efforts to escort him to another cell. However, another Deputy U.S. Marshal, who had witnessed the assault, promptly reported the misconduct to his chain of command, leading to an investigation by the DOJ OIG.
The case was investigated by the DOJ OIG South Central Region Houston Office.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Re-Issued 7/13/2026
Former Corrections Sergeant Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Dealing in Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Former corrections sergeant at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Ralph Contreras Jr., 40, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff to 15 years in prison for receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between Sept. 29, 2024, and Jan. 2, 2025, Contreras received and distributed CSAM through social media apps. He specifically sought out CSAM that depicted prepubescent minors. At the time of his arrest, Contreras was working as a corrections sergeant.
Contreras pleaded guilty on April 13, 2026.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the DOJ to combat the 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue the victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return filed on behalf of a trust he controlled.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McDonald Preval, of Miami, filed numerous false tax returns on behalf of himself and purported trusts he controlled. The trust tax returns reported that the trusts had earned significant income and made tax withholding payments to the IRS, purportedly entitling the trusts to large tax refunds. In fact, the trusts did not have the claimed income, and did not make payments in the amounts claimed on the returns, and therefore were not entitled to the refunds Preval claimed. He also filed tax returns for 2023 that did not include the income from his employment. The false tax returns Preval filed and caused to be filed on behalf of purported trusts and himself collectively sought tax refunds totaling more than $4.2 million.
Preval pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Kavitha Bondada of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Tax Section, are prosecuting 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.