Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Thursday 28 May 2026
Previously Convicted Offender Sentenced to 15+ Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Harrison County man has been sentenced to federal prison for committing offenses that involve the sexual abuse of children.
Jason W. Smith, 52, of Bowerston, Ohio, has been sentenced to 188 months (15.6 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker, after pleading guilty in February to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, and Possession of Child Pornography, also known as Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $42,000 in restitution to victims.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from July to September 2025, Smith received and distributed numerous digital files that contained the sexual abuse of children. Investigators found that he was an active participant in multiple online chat groups where he engaged with other child predators. During a search warrant execution of his residence, agents seized Smith’s electronic devices along with multiple sex-dolls depicting adolescent-aged girls and toddlers. Forensic analysis of his electronic devices uncovered more than 1,000 images and videos of CSAM, with the majority involving the rape and torture of toddlers. Upon further investigation, Smith was found to be a previously convicted sex offender.
The investigation was led by the FBI Cleveland Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
###
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 26 Months After Police Discover Guns and Cocaine in His CarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Gerald Ezell, 36, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 26 months in prison in connection with his unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Ezell pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2026, before Judge Amir H. Ali to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 26-month prison sentence, Judge Ali ordered Ezell to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 57-month prison term.
According to court papers, on Sept. 21, 2025, Metropolitan Police officers approached Ezell's parked car for a missing front registration tag. As an officer approached, he observed Ezell, who was seated in the front passenger seat, make a furtive movement toward his waistband. Ezell then got out of the car. He locked it and walked away. Looking through the car window, the officer spotted a Glock 19 pistol in plain view on the front passenger floorboard where Ezell had been sitting.
Officers recovered the 9mm pistol, which was loaded with a round in the chamber, along with a 31-round extended magazine loaded with 27 rounds. A second search by special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and members of the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division Crime Scene Search Unit turned up another firearm, a Derringer .22 Magnum caliber pistol, on the floorboard between the front passenger seat and the center console.
Law enforcement also recovered about 4.6 grams of cocaine, more than a hundred unused half-gram plastic containers typically used to distribute narcotics, and a digital scale with white powder residue.
Ezell previously had been convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm on three separate occasions, in 2010, 2014, and 2019. Due to his previous felony convictions, he was prohibited from possessing any firearm.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English.
25cr341
Port Arthur woman guilty of drug trafficking as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigation in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Port Arthur woman 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.
Latisha Mae Thebeau, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on May 28, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in October 2024, law enforcement began investigating James William Quinney, Jr., for trafficking drugs in Beaumont and the surrounding area. During the investigation, Quinney was identified as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed kilogram quantities of methamphetamine to other distributors, including Thebeau, for redistribution. Thebeau conspired with Quinney and others to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine throughout the Jefferson County area.
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; Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; Beaumont Police Department; Orange Police Department; Orange County Sheriff’s Office; Texas Department of Public Safety; Lumberton Police Department; and Galveston County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Lee.
Thebeau 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.
###
Poplar man sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for murderRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Poplar man convicted of murder and using a firearm in the commission of the murder was sentenced to 186 months in prison and five years of supervised release Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Michael J. Ackerman, 74, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of second-degree murder and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that early in the morning on Sept. 14, 2025, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s deputies in Billings received a call and were told Ackerman had admitted to killing three people – Jane Doe 1, John Doe and Jane Doe 2. Deputies then tried to contact Ackerman inside the house in Billings.
After deputies read Ackerman his Miranda rights, he agreed to speak with law enforcement. He said on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, he was in his home in Poplar and he and the rest of the people in the house were using methamphetamine. Ackerman believed Jane Doe 1, John Doe, and Jane Doe 2 were “setting him up.” Ackerman said he was in the bedroom with Jane Doe 1, and Jane Doe 1 had a pistol in her hand. In response, Ackerman picked up his Smith and Wesson 9 mm pistol and shot Jane Doe 1 twice in the head. The defendant then said he heard John Doe and Jane Doe 2 moving in the next room so walked over where John Doe and Jane Doe 2 were sleeping and shot them both. Ackerman told deputies they would find the deceased inside his house in Poplar.
Yellowstone County contacted Fort Peck Law and Justice Department officers, who went to the Poplar residence and received no response. They were granted a telephonic search warrant from the Fort Peck Tribal Court and went inside the house at around 5:30 a.m. Inside they found the dead bodies mentioned by Ackerman – Jane Doe 1, John Doe, and Jane Doe 2. All three had gunshot wounds and four 9 mm casings were close to the bodies.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
XXX
#26-103
Pittsburgh Financial Advisor Sentenced to 27 Months of Prison and Ordered to Pay $4.7 Million in Restitution for Defrauding Investment ClientRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 27 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay more than $4.7 million in restitution on his conviction of defrauding an investment client, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Thomas Pipich, 74.
According to information presented to the Court, Pipich stole millions of dollars from an investment client in order to conceal losses he incurred on behalf of another client. In 2005, Pipich helped to create an investment fund, BarTom Investments, LLC, into which a friend committed millions of dollars. BarTom thereafter suffered catastrophic investment losses that resulted in it having minimal bank and investment account balances as of May 2017. In an attempt to conceal these losses, Pipich created a sham loan between BarTom and another investment client, and transferred a total of more than $3 million from the other client to BarTom pursuant to this purported loan. He also told a series of lies about the purported loan, including providing false asset summaries that overstated the value of the purported loan and pretending that the loan was secured when it was not. Ultimately, Pipich paid himself more than $800,000 from the proceeds of the purported loan, and lost at least $2.6 million through further investment losses.“This defendant, a financial advisor, betrayed his friend and client, and he stole millions of dollars,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “Working with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to ensure that financial advisors who abuse their clients’ trust in order to enrich themselves will be investigated and prosecuted, and as this case demonstrates, face serious consequences and years of incarceration.”
“Fraud schemes like this one directly jeopardize the savings, retirement plans, and financial security victims spent decades building. The harm from this is absolutely life changing,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec. “The FBI and our partners will follow every dollar to find anyone who thinks they can manipulate investor confidence to pad their own bank account. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that you will be held accountable.”
Assistant United States Attorney William Guappone prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pipich.
Phillip W. Williams, Jr., Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Northern District of AlabamaRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Following his nomination by President Donald J. Trump and confirmation by the United States Senate, Phillip W. Williams, Jr., was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. The oath of office was administered by Chief U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala.
As United States Attorney, Williams will lead the largest of three districts in the state of Alabama, overseeing the prosecution of a broad array of federal crimes and the litigation of civil matters in which the United States has a legal interest. The Northern District of Alabama spans 31 of the state’s 67 counties and 2 of the state’s most populous cities, Birmingham and Huntsville.
“This is an incredible honor.” Williams said. “I am deeply grateful for my God equipping me for this day, and I appreciate President Trump and the members of the Senate who have made this dream a reality. I look forward to serving my state and nation as U.S. Attorney and pledge that I will do all that is possible to ensure that justice is applied fairly and consistently.”
Williams also believes that his experiences in the military have further prepared him for this position, saying, “I have a deep love for the rule of law, and all the more so for having seen firsthand how craven and erratic a society can become when the rule of law is abandoned or neglected.”
Prior to his appointment, Williams served as the managing member of the Gadsden-based law firm Williams, Driskill, Huffstutler & King. He has been actively practicing law for over two decades and has ranked as AV-Preeminent as a peer-evaluated Attorney. In addition to his private practice, Phil was also the President and senior on-air talent for Rightside Media. In conjunction with Rightside Media, he was the daily host for a live, multi-state, syndicated radio broadcast, Rightside Radio; a regionally and nationally syndicated opinion writer; and frequent on-air contributor to national news networks. He previously served two terms in the Alabama Senate from 2010 until 2018, where he chaired the Senate Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development and served as Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee.
A decorated 30-year veteran of the United States military, Williams comes from a family with a long military tradition. He is an Airborne Ranger qualified Army Officer with 30 years of service, having retired with the rank of Colonel (USAR). Phil served two combat tours in the Global War on Terror, one each in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as one tour in the Pentagon in the Army Staff’s Special Operations Division. He served at all levels in both conventional and special operations forces. His last troop-leading position was as the Battalion Commander for the 1-167th Infantry. He retired from military service in 2017.
Williams earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Alabama and a Juris Doctor from The Birmingham School of Law.
Philippine National Sentenced to 18 months in Federal Prison for Filing Fraudulent Applications for Employment Authorization for Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
SAIPAN, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that on May 27, 2026, Venerando Aquino Martin, age 56, an illegal alien originally from the Republic of the Philippines, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 18 months imprisonment for Visa Fraud Against the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a). The Court also ordered him to serve one year of supervised release and pay a $200 mandatory assessment fee.
Between September 23, 2023, and April 9, 2025, Martin submitted approximately 242 fraudulent Form I‑765: Application for Employment Authorization applications, falsely claiming that the applicants qualified for employment. As a result of this scheme, 66 Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) were unlawfully issued and subsequently used by undocumented aliens to obtain employment within the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
“Martin engaged in fraudulent conduct at every step of his scheme,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “All 66 EAD recipients have had their work authorizations revoked. The aliens involved have either been placed in or are pending initiation of removal proceedings. We will aggressively enforce immigration violations to ensure that foreign nationals meet the qualifications of our work visa programs.”
“Visa fraud weakens our immigration system and puts our communities at risk,” said CJ Ammons, Acting Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations. “We’re keeping a close eye on everyone and everything crossing our borders. If you violate our customs or immigration laws, you will face consequences. Don’t risk it.”
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations Saipan and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Garth R. Backe for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Oxnard Man Sentenced to Nearly 5½ Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking at Least 1,700 Animals into the United States from MexicoRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man who smuggled at least 1,700 reptiles from Mexico to the United States over a six-year period was sentenced today to 65 months in federal prison.
Jose Manuel Perez, 34, of Oxnard, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin.
Perez pleaded guilty in August 2022 to two counts of smuggling goods into the United States and one count of wildlife trafficking.
From January 2016 and to February 2022, Perez and other co-conspirators smuggled wildlife into the United States from Mexico and elsewhere, including Hong Kong, without obtaining the permits required by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and without declaring any wildlife imported into the United States.
Perez and his co-conspirators used social media to buy and to negotiate the terms of the sale and delivery of wildlife in the United States. Perez advertised for sale on social media the animals smuggled from Mexico into the United States, posting photos and videos that depicted the animals being collected from the wild.
The animals – which included Yucatán box turtles, Mexican box turtles, baby crocodiles and Mexican beaded lizards – were imported into the United States from Mexico and Hong Kong without the permits required by CITES.
For the animals smuggled from Mexico, co-conspirators retrieved the wildlife from Cuidad Juárez International Airport in Mexico and eventually shipped the animals by car to El Paso, Texas. Perez paid his co-conspirators a “crossing fee” for each border crossing – the amount of which depended on the number of animals transported, the size of the package, and the risk of being detected by the authorities.
On other occasions, Perez and a co-conspirator traveled to Mexico to purchase additional live animals that had been taken from the wild so that the animals could be smuggled into the United States. Once the animals had been smuggled into the United States, they were transported to Perez’s then-residence in Missouri. But after he moved to California, the wildlife was transported to his residence in Ventura County.
In total, Perez caused the illegal smuggling and importation of at least 1,700 animals with a fair market value of more than $739,000.
Perez is serving a nine-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in May 2023 to three counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. He is not legally permitted to possess firearms because his criminal record includes felony convictions in Ventura County Superior Court for street terrorism and assault with a deadly weapon.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service investigated this matter. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew W. O’Brien of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section and Juan M. Rodriguez of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Senior Trial Attorney Gary Donner of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, prosecuted this case.
Oregon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Traffic FirearmsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a firearms trafficking ring, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Freddy John Bish, 52, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in September 2025, Bish drove a vehicle with 12 firearms from Oregon to California to meet an unidentified co-conspirator in Central California who planned to take the guns to Mexico. California Highway Patrol stopped Bish and seized the weapons.
On November 20, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Bish with conspiracy to traffic firearms and trafficking firearms.
On January 21, 2026, Bish pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance from Tigard Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Sherwood Police Department, and California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Maloney prosecuted the case.
This arrest 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 Portland comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, USMS, IRS-CI, ATF, USPIS, CBP, TSA, U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon Air, Army National Guard Counterdrug program, and Oregon-Idaho HIDTA with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Omaha Man and Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Brian T. Smith, 52, and Myria K. Phaisan, 50, both of Omaha, Nebraska, were sentenced in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Smith on May 18, 2026, to 27 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Smith’s release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release. Smith was also ordered to pay $455,707.81 in restitution.
Senior Judge Bataillon sentenced Phaisan on May 26, 2026, to a five-year term of supervised release. Phaisan was also ordered to pay $228,402.65 in restitution.
Smith and Phaisan’s co-defendant, Syed Hussain, has not yet been apprehended by law enforcement. Hussain is charged by Indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, one count of identity theft, one count of misuse of a social security number, and one count of aggravated identity theft. An Indictment is a charging document that contains one or more individual counts that are merely accusations. Hussain is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Smith and Phaisan participated in a scheme using interstate wire communications to defraud various government benefit programs that had been instituted by the United States government in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Specifically, members of the conspiracy fraudulently applied for funds from the Housing Assistance Fund and Emergency Rental Assistance as well as applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans. The conspirators registered internet domains that were variations in spellings or nomenclature of legitimate mortgage companies or financial institutions in order to further their fraudulent activities. The conspirators also acquired names and personal identifying information of individuals to create fraudulent identity documents, such as driver’s licenses, or other documents, to include W-9s, mortgage statements, and rental agreements in support of fraudulent applications. Hussain is alleged to have participated in the same acts as Smith and Phaisan.
As a result of this scheme, the conspirators caused a loss across all programs at issue totaling $1,187,860.90 and an additional intended loss of $42,334.37.
On April 7, 2026, 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.
This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Norwalk Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KIMBERLY DELACRUZ, also known as “K,” 31, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment and 18 months of supervised release for her role in a southwestern Connecticut narcotics trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Norwalk Police Department identified Delacruz’s paramour, Jose Orjuela, as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in the Norwalk area. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Orjuela and others transported kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Texas and Ohio, and kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and heroin from New York City, and distributed the narcotics in and around Norwalk through a network of associates. Orjuela and Delacruz stored narcotics and drug proceeds at their Marlin Drive residence in Norwalk, and also used the Darien residence of a co-conspirator to store narcotics and drug proceeds, convert cocaine into crack cocaine, and package narcotics for street sale. Delacruz assisted Orjuela in the packaging and distribution of narcotics.
Orjuela, Delacruz, and others were arrested on April 29, 2024. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple federal search warrants and seized approximately 15,000 dose bags of suspected fentanyl, approximately 350 grams of raw heroin, and quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine.
Orjuela was apprehended while attempting to flush several hundred grams of fentanyl down a toilet in his residence.
On July 22, 2025, Delacruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin.
Delacruz, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on July 15.
On May 14, 2026, Orjuela was sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Norwalk Police Department, the Darien Police Department, the Stamford Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Kenneth L. Gresham.
New Orleans Man Sentenced Following His Second Conviction for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DARREN FOLEY (“FOLEY”), age 38, was sentenced on April 30, 2026 by U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon to 26 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, FOLEY has previous felony convictions for aggravated assault of a police officer, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On May 14, 2024, law enforcement officers spotted FOLEY, who had active warrants out for his arrest, in front of a residence on Magic Street in New Orleans. FOLEY fled into the residence and hid a Glock Model 26, nine-millimeter pistol, that was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug-Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –ROBERT POLK (“POLK”), age 23, pleaded guilty on May 19, 2026 before Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to possession with intent to distribute tapentadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(a)(i); being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8); and possessing a stolen firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(j) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, since at least 2024, POLK sold tapentadol and marijuana in the New Orleans area. On May 20, 2024, New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) officers encountered POLK at a tire shop on North Claiborne Avenue. POLK was in possession of a loaded handgun, and tapentadol pills and marijuana that he intended to sell. POLK was arrested but later released. On December 11, 2025, POLK stole a Glock Model 23 pistol from an associate. On December 30, 2025, law enforcement searched POLK’s residence and found the stolen Glock pistol hidden inside a cooler. Due to prior felony convictions in Arkansas for aggravated assault on a family, or household member, and terroristic threatening in the first degree, POLK is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
As to his drug-trafficking conviction, POLK faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, POLK faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to each other and any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, POLK faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possessing a stolen firearm, POLK faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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.
NOLA man guilty of drug trafficking as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigation following Interstate-10 traffic stop in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A New Orleans 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.
Darrell Charles Coleman, 37, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on May 28, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on June 27, 2024, Coleman was stopped for speeding on Interstate-10 in Beaumont. Coleman and his passenger, Kory Jarvis Schaffer, were returning to Louisiana from Houston. A search of the vehicle revealed more than four kilograms of methamphetamine and nearly 500 grams of fentanyl, which Coleman and Schaffer possessed for redistribution to others. Schaffer, also of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on May 18, 2026.
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; Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; and Beaumont Police Department with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Lee.
Coleman and Schaffer each face 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.
###
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 16½ Years in Federal Prison for Nine RobberiesRead the Press Release
First Assistant United States Attorney Brad D. Schimel of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that, on May 27, 2026, Jeremiah Tyler (22, of Milwaukee) was sentenced to 16½ years in prison for committing nine robberies (seven completed and two attempted) of gas stations in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties between July 18, 2025, and August 18, 2025. In six of the completed robberies, Tyler brandished a firearm. In one of the attempted robberies, Tyler discharged a firearm.
Following his term of imprisonment, Tyler also will spend three years on supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution.
“These were very serious and dangerous crimes. Thank God no one was hurt,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Schimel. “The message cannot be clearer: Those who commit crimes with guns will be relentlessly pursued, and they will be locked up. We have no higher priority in our mission to keep our communities safe.”
“Jeremiah Tyler created fear in our community when he committed seven robberies and attempted another two. Not only did he brandish a firearm to instill fear and further his illegal actions, but in one case he discharged the firearm,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. “The sentence he received reflects the seriousness of Tyler's actions and should serve as a warning to anyone contemplating violent criminal actions. The FBI and our Milwaukee Area Violent Crime Task Force will continue to relentlessly pursue, investigate, and hold accountable those who commit violent crimes in our communities.”
“Armed robberies are dangerous, can escalate quickly, and cause harm to our community. The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) is grateful for the hard work of everyone involved that brought this individual to justice,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. “MPD values our collaboration with our law enforcement partners in criminal cases like this to build a safer city for everyone to live, work, and play.”
“We are grateful for the assistance and cooperation of our law enforcement partners, which resulted in the arrest of Mr. Tyler,” said West Allis Chief Patrick Mitchell. “Law enforcement agencies take violent crime seriously, and we effectively share information and cooperate on a regional basis. This conviction and sentence should serve as a reminder that violent crime is not tolerated.”
“It is abhorrent when citizens are victimized by individuals like Jeremiah Tyler,” said Menomonee Falls Chief Mark Waters. “Thankfully, through the joint effort of diligent law enforcement professionals and a skilled prosecution team, Mr. Tyler will be held accountable for his actions. We trust his conviction will help his victims heal while simultaneously deterring others from committing such heinous acts.”
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crime Task Force, the Milwaukee Police Department, the West Allis Police Department, and the Menomonee Falls Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on X
Mexico, Missouri Man Sentenced for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Mexico, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court to seven years’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Frank Gray, IV, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 84 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Gray had previously pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025, admitting that he possessed a Glock handgun in Columbia, Mo.
According to court documents, Gray traveled to the downtown Columbia, Mo. area in the early morning hours of Nov. 10, 2024, and pulled out a weapon during a confrontation with other individuals in the area. Both the other individual and Gray fired shots. Numerous vehicles, as well as two bystanders, were hit by bullets. Gray has prior felony convictions, including a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and was on federal supervised release when he committed this offense.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Operation Take Back America
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.
Mexican national illegally living in Dallas sentenced to 18 years in federal prison as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigation for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – An illegal alien has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Angel Luis Lopez-Montero, 45, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on May 28, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in 2024, an investigation into illegal trafficking of drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine, identified Lopez-Montero as a source of supply for methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas. Lopez-Montero admitted to being personally responsible for the distribution of at least 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas Field Office; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CD; United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); United States Secret Service (USSS); Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS); TEXOMA HIDTA; and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
###
Mexican National Sentenced for Role in Violent Drug Trafficking Organization Linked to Murders of Couple and Unborn ChildRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Ricardo “Ricky” Orizaba-Zendejas, a Mexican national unlawfully present in the United States, was sentenced in federal court today to 20 years in prison for drug and firearms offenses tied to a violent trafficking organization based in Yakima, Washington.
According to evidence presented at trial in February, Orizaba served as a trusted lieutenant, drug dealer, and enforcer for the organization, which sourced narcotics from Mexico and transported them through Southern California ports of entry through California to Yakima.
Prosecutors established that the organization was linked to the murders of a husband and his pregnant wife, Cesar Murillo and Maira Hernandez, both former associates who had expressed a desire to leave the organization and cooperate with federal agents.
Evidence showed Orizaba played a central role in the organization’s operations, including trafficking fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine; transporting drug proceeds; collecting debts; arranging gun-for-drugs transactions; and protecting the organization’s leadership and drug loads.
The court heard testimony and reviewed exhibits reflecting Orizaba’s vital role in the organization that murdered and buried Murillo, Hernandez, and their unborn child to further its drug trafficking operations. The evidence showed the killings did not slow the organization’s activities; instead, Orizaba continued working closely with co-defendant Benjamin “Tony” Madrigal-Birrueta, the leader of the trafficking organization, in ongoing drug trafficking operations and threats of violence against those perceived to challenge the organization.
During a February 2023 search of Orizaba’s residence, agents seized more than 11,000 fentanyl pills, nearly one kilogram of fentanyl powder, more than 1.6 kilograms of heroin, a loaded AR-15 rifle, body armor, a money counter, scales, and cash packaging materials. A veteran Yakima narcotics detective testified during the trial the fentanyl seizure was the third largest in the Yakima area at the time.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Dana M. Sabraw told Orizaba, “It’s hard to overstate the nature and scope of this conspiracy, and the violence within that conspiracy.” Judge Sabraw added that Orizaba played a key role in that conspiracy, including a role in the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine, trailing a load driver from Visalia to Washington, wiring money to others involved in the conspiracy, delivering large sums of money to co-conspirators in Los Angeles, buying guns for drugs, getting drugs from another witness, and responding to Madrigal’s orders, including as the enforcer or protector.
“This defendant was a critical part of a violent drug trafficking organization that chose to murder a young couple and their unborn child as they attempted to escape for a better life,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
“Today’s sentencing is a testament to the tireless dedication and collaboration of HSI and our federal, state, and local HSTF partners to dismantle criminal organizations and bring justice to victims and their loved ones,” said HSI San Diego acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. “The brutal murders of victims, and their unborn child were carried out by the cartel in furtherance of their illicit activity. We remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantling violent drug trafficking organizations and holding those responsible for such heinous crimes accountable.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Wong and Alexandra Foster.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr1684-DMS
Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas Age: 23 Yakima, WA
SUMMARY OF COUNTS OF CONVICTION
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years and up to life, or death
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime – 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Drug Enforcement Administration
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Washington State Police
California Highway Patrol
Yakima Police Department
Tulare County Sheriff’s Office
Visalia Police Department
Fresno Sheriff’s Office
Fresno Police Department
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 San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Melissa Holyoak Sworn in as United States Attorney for the District of UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – On May 28, 2026, Melissa Holyoak was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah. Prior to her new appointment, former United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Holyoak as the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah on November 17, 2025, and First Assistant United States Attorney on March 17, 2026. President Donald J. Trump nominated Holyoak to serve as the U.S. Attorney on January 29, 2026, and she was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 18, 2026.
“It is an honor to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah. “I am grateful to President Trump and the United States Senate for trusting me to lead this outstanding office and work closely with our federal, state, tribal, and local partners, in my home state. I look forward to continuing the work to ensure the safety of our citizens and uphold the rule of law.”
Prior to her role as Interim United States Attorney, Holyoak was an FTC Commissioner, from March 25, 2025, to November 17, 2025, where she strove to vigorously enforce the antitrust and consumer protection laws. In that role, she spoke widely about a range of FTC priorities including improving competition enforcement, effectively applying existing laws to emerging trends in technology, and protecting children and teens online. Holyoak also served as Solicitor General with the Utah Attorney General’s Office from September 2020 to March 2024, where she oversaw civil appeals, criminal appeals, constitutional defense and special litigation, and antitrust and data privacy divisions. She also managed multistate matters including those involving consumer protection and antitrust claims.
Holyoak also served as president and general counsel of Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest firm and in other public interest attorney positions with the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Center for Class Action Fairness. Holyoak represented class members challenging unfair class actions and consumers fighting regulatory abuse in federal district courts and appellate courts across the country.
Holyoak has argued appeals in the Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and D.C. Circuits. She is a former prosecutor and attorney with O’Melveny & Myers LLP. She graduated from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2003 as a member of the Order of the Coif and Law Review. Holyoak is a member of the Utah, D.C., and Missouri (inactive) bars. Holyoak is married and has four children.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy Targeting a Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Massachusetts man who admitted to participating in a murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting a federal witness connected to a criminal matter before the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts has been sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island.
Kareem Pires, 27, of Wareham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 8 years imprisonment. Pires pleaded guilty on February 26, 2026, to conspiracy to tamper with a witness or informant by killing or attempting to kill in a murder-for-hire plot.
According to court documents, Pires participated in a conspiracy to arrange for the killing of a federal witness connected to a pending federal criminal case. The agreement between Pires and co-defendant Elijah Melton to kill a witness in an official proceeding in the District of Massachusetts, formed while Melton was awaiting trial at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island.
“This sentence sends a clear message that threats and acts of violence against witnesses will be met with serious consequences,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “Protecting the integrity of the justice system depends on the willingness of witnesses to come forward and testify without fear of intimidation or retaliation. Our office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to investigating and prosecuting anyone who seeks to obstruct justice through violence.”
“Harvard Street gang member Kareem Pires’s recent confession to plotting to kill a witness in a federal trial has now landed him behind bars for the next eight years. The FBI was able to foil this cold and calculated plan aimed at subverting the course of justice, thanks to a cooperating witness who worked with us to expose it,” said Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “No one involved in the administration of justice should ever be the subject of threats or violence, and the FBI will continue to bring all its resources to bear to disrupt deadly plots like this one.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey A. Erickson and Peter I. Roklan.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island; Boston Police Department; Massachusetts State Police; Somerville, Dedham, Malden, Brockton, Quincy, and Wareham, Massachusetts Police Departments.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for February 2024 Saco Drive-By ShootingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A New Bedford, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jason Johnson-Rivera (a/k/a “Ouda”), 20, to 10 years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Johnson-Rivera pleaded guilty on January 23, 2026. Johnson‑Rivera’s codefendants, Joshua Estrada (aka “Mac”), 20, and Yancarlos Abrante (aka “Glizzy”), 22, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2025, and will be sentenced later this year.
According to court records, on February 9, 2024, Johnson-Rivera, Estrada and Abrante fired at least five rounds from a 9mm handgun into another vehicle as part of a dispute over drug territory. Shortly after they fired on their drug rivals and fled the scene, they drove their vehicle against traffic and through a red light, crashing into another passenger vehicle and a school bus, after which they fled the scene on foot. No one was seriously injured because of this incident. Court records reflect that Estrada, Abrante, and others had been trafficking cocaine in and around Saco and Biddeford since at least January 2024.
The Saco Police Department, FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the New Bedford (Mass.) Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
###
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Charge in Connection with Disability Benefits ScamRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Maryland man pled guilty in federal court, today, to charges stemming from a social security disability benefits scam.
Andrew Langford, 50, of Ft. Washington, is charged with one count of wire fraud in connection with the scheme. U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) records show that from January 2014 through May 2021, Langford received more than $270,000 in disability benefits that he was not entitled to.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, Mid-Atlantic Field Division of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). This prosecution is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in January 2014, and continuing through May 2021, Langford devised a scheme to defraud the SSA to obtain money to personally enrich himself and to benefit him and his associates. Back in November 2008, Langford applied for SSA disability benefits, reporting that he was unable to work due to a disabling condition.
Then in May 2009, Langford applied for child/auxiliary benefits for his three minor children. Later in 2009, SSA notified Langford that he was eligible for and would begin receiving disability benefit payments. SSA also notified Langford of his responsibility to inform the agency if he returned to work or if his health improved.
As part of the scheme, Langford operated two cleaning companies — NDA Cleaning Services, LLC, and CK Janitors, Inc. — registered in Maryland and Virginia, respectively. Langford utilized an IRS system to apply for Employer Identification Numbers for his businesses associated with the alleged fraud. But Langford failed to report that he returned to work as required. Langford concealed his ownership of the businesses, along with his income and ability to work, from the SSA.
In August 2020, when a SSA employee inquired about the businesses, Langford verbally advised that he never heard of NDA Janitorial Services or NDA Cleaning Services. Langford also maintained he last worked in 2008.
But records showed that in March 2015, Langford filed Articles of Organization for NDA Cleaning Services, LLC, and then in October 2018, he filed Articles of Reinstatement for the business. Langford is also listed as the resident agent for the business. Further, records from the Virginia State Corporation Commission Information System show Langford is listed as the director/CEO of CK Janitors, Inc., from November 2015, through April 2018.
Then in September 2019, the SSA mailed Langford a Continuing Disability Review notice, informing him of an impending review of his disability case. In January 2020, after the SSA didn’t receive required documentation, it mailed Langford a proposed decision to end his benefits. The SSA’s decision was based on the agency’s review of documents, including his earning records, as reported to the IRS.
In May 2021, SSA mailed Langford notices informing him that he received SSA disability and child/auxiliary payments overpayments to which he was not entitled. IRS records revealed that Langford earned more than $100,000, annually, for tax years 2012, 2014, and 2016.
Langford faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud. 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. Sentencing is set for Tuesday, September 1, at 10:30 a.m.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the SSA-OIG and TIGTA for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting 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.
# # #
Maryland Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm Charges Resulting from HSTF InvestigationRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man pled guilty in federal court, today, to charges stemming from his role as a drug supplier.
Alcedo Hodge, Jr., 29, of Parkville, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charges are in connection with a multi-state federal drug investigation.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
In 2024, the DEA investigated a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Richmond, Virginia. Investigators identified Co-Conspirator 1 (CC-1) as one of the DTO’s re-supply sources, along with Hodge. Then in December 2024, law enforcement intercepted wiretap conversations about the DTO’s cocaine re-supply in the Baltimore Metropolitan area.
On December 5, investigators covertly followed a DTO member who drove from Virginia to Owings Mills, Maryland, to meet CC-1. During the surveillance, law enforcement observed Hodge arrive at a secluded shopping center parking lot. The DTO member and CC-1 then followed Hodge in their vehicles.
While in the parking lot, investigators saw CC-1 exit Hodge’s vehicle. Then, as Hodge left the parking lot, CC-1 called the DTO member over to his vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the DTO member after he returned to Virginia later that day. Investigators searched the DTO member’s car, recovering one kilogram of cocaine.
Additionally, in January 2025, investigators observed Hodge engaging in another suspected drug transaction. Then on March 17, 2025, investigators initiated a traffic stop on Hodge in Baltimore County after observing an additional suspected drug transaction. During the traffic stop, a K-9 unit scanned the vehicle and returned a positive alert for the controlled substances. Investigators searched the vehicle and recovered three kilograms of cocaine; a fully loaded Glock semi-automatic handgun equipped with a 22-round capacity extended magazine; and approximately $78,000 in cash.
After law enforcement arrested Hodge, investigators searched his Parkville residence. Inside his residence, investigators recovered an additional three kilograms of cocaine; another loaded firearm, which was stolen; and two digital money counters. Hodge acknowledged that he intended to use the recovered firearms and U.S. currency to facilitate his drug offense.
Hodge faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine along with a minimum of five years and a maximum of life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar set sentencing for Tuesday, August 18, at 11 a.m.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Homeland Security Task Force (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 Baltimore comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA); the Maryland State Police (MSP); the Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BCPD, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Miner who is prosecuting this federal case.
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.
# # #
Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Handgun on Chicago Train and Doing so While on Court-Ordered Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun on a Chicago train while he was on court-supervised release from a prior drug trafficking conviction.
GERALD PITTMAN was arrested on July 28, 2025, aboard the Chicago Transit Authority’s Blue Line train while drinking a beer, smoking, and holding a red shopping bag that contained a loaded handgun. Pittman had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
One of Pittman’s prior felonies was a federal drug trafficking conviction, for which Pittman was on court-supervised released at the time of his arrest on the Blue Line.
Pittman, 39, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. On May 19, 2026, U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani sentenced Pittman to 30 months in federal prison. Following this term of incarceration, Pittman must serve an additional six months in federal prison for violating the terms of his court-supervised release from the drug trafficking case. That brings the total term of Pittman’s period of incarceration to three years.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department.
Shortly before Pittman’s arrest and federal prosecution, U.S. Attorney Boutros expanded the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the CTA, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city. The expansion represented the first time anywhere in the country that the PSN program was deployed on mass transit and the first time in Chicago that the city’s downtown economic corridors were given the federal PSN designation.
The federal investigation was conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement partnership that focuses exclusively on investigating and prosecuting violent offenders who utilize firearms in commission of their crimes in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois. Every firearm-related case in Chicago is processed through the CGIC on a daily basis.
“Defendant did not possess a gun in a private residence; he was carrying it in a shopping bag while riding on the L, where gun violence has risen at an alarming rate in recent years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Maione argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Gun-wielding riders like the defendant have caused an increasing share of Chicagoans to fear for their lives when riding Chicago’s public train system. Indeed, defendant’s offense—carrying a gun on a CTA train while impaired—is the type of behavior driving violent crime on public transportation, instilling fear in innocent transit patrons, and scaring countless others away from riding trains that are meant to serve everyone in this city.”
Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Importation of Obscene MattersRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced that Josiah Paul Yeasley, 37, of Nampa, was sentenced to a combined seven-year sentence in federal prison for two counts of Importation of Obscene Matters.
According to court records, in May of 2023, Yeasley was serving a term of supervised release for his prior Access with Intent to View Child Pornography conviction. In connection with that sentence, Yeasley had monitoring software installed on his cell phone. After receiving an alert from the software, a probation officer discovered Yeasley had computer-generated images that depicted the sexual abuse of minors on his cell phone.
During a consensual interview with law enforcement, Yeasley admitted to searching for and acquiring obscene images depicting the sexual abuse of children. He admitted to visiting various websites that featured girls, teens, and kids.
Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Yeasley to a lifetime term of supervised release on his prior case. Yeasley pleaded guilty to the charge on January 29, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Robins prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, 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.
###
Madison Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Battites Wesley, 55, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 84 months in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Wesley pleaded guilty to these charges on March 19, 2026.
While on state supervision following his release from prison for shooting someone, officers arrested Wesley during a traffic stop on September 5, 2024. When arrested, he possessed over 85 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded Beretta handgun, over $2,400, and two digital scales. During an interview with law enforcement, Wesley admitted to dealing various drugs and acknowledged the presence of the handgun found by law enforcement.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson expressed concern over Wesley’s decades-long pattern of criminal conduct and violations while on supervision. Judge Peterson also found Wesley’s possession of a loaded firearm particularly dangerous, given Wesley’s prior conviction for shooting another person.
The charges against Wesley were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this 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).
# # # #
Madison Man Sentenced to 20 Months for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Curtis Perryman, 39, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 20 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Perryman’s prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Perryman pleaded guilty to this charge on March 18, 2026.
During a dispute with another man in the foyer of an apartment building on July 21, 2025, Perryman retrieved a handgun from his apartment, returned to the foyer, pointed the gun at the male, and threatened him. When officers arrived at the scene, Perryman said his fiancé was the one who had the firearm, but surveillance video showed Perryman possessing the handgun before handing it to his fiancé. Officers found a Mossberg 9mm handgun with a loaded magazine next to it in Perryman’s apartment.
Perryman’s criminal history includes two juvenile robbery cases, one of which involved him possessing a sawed-off shotgun, and two adult robbery convictions that resulted in 15-year prison sentences. At the time of the federal offense, Perryman was under supervision for forgery and identity theft. Because of these felony convictions, Perryman was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said Perryman escalated the dispute by introducing a gun. Perryman’s criminal record, impulsiveness, and willingness to engage in violence led Judge Peterson to conclude Perryman was a danger to the community.
The charge against Perryman was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF as well as state and local agents throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this 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).
# # # #
Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Hiding More Than $6 Million in PayrollRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to his involvement in payroll tax avoidance and workers’ compensation insurance fraud.
Henry Lam, 68, pleaded guilty to failure to collect and pay over taxes and mail fraud. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Aug. 27, 2026. In July 2025, Lam was arrested following his June 2025 indictment.Between 2016 and 2023, Lam owned and operated HL Temporary Services – a temporary employment agency in Lowell that served client companies in Massachusetts. The client companies paid HL Temporary Services for the temporary employees’ work on an hourly basis. Lam cashed these client’s checks at check cashing businesses in Massachusetts and paid the temporary employees primarily in cash. By using cash payments, Lam hid over $6.1 million in payroll and avoided paying more than $1.5 million in required payroll taxes. It is further that Lam also used HL Temporary Services’ false payroll numbers to obtain worker’s compensation insurance at lower premium rates.
The charge of failure to collect or pay over taxes provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and restitution. The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, restitution, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Las Vegas man sentenced to more than two years in prison for stealing coins, precious metal from Helena shopRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Las Vegas man who stole nearly $59,000 in coins and precious metal from a Helena business was sentenced today to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $276,153.08 in restitution to the Helena business as well as five other theft victims, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Bishop Lott, 47, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Lott, along with Ricky Rynell Rose, broke into Wayne Miller Coins in Helena and stole $58,629 worth of coins and precious metal. Rose pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to 39 months in prison.
The Helena Police Department got a call March 3, 2024, saying that Wayne Miller Coins had been burglarized earlier that day. As part of their investigation, Helena police officers reviewed surveillance footage from multiple businesses and analyzed email account data, which led them to Lott and Rose, who had taken the stolen material to Nevada.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Helena Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation.
XXX
#26-106
Knox Woman Sentenced to 12 Months for Financial FraudRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Pamela McDonald, 41 years old, of Knox, Starke County, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. McDonald was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay $21,280.42 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, Pamela McDonald worked as the “jail matron” at the Starke County Jail. Her duties included paying invoices with funds from the jail commissary account. She devised a scheme to unjustly enrich herself by depositing commissary funds into her personal PayPal account while camouflaging the transfers as payments for legitimate invoices. Between August 15, 2022, and May 15, 2023, McDonald made at least 19 unauthorized withdrawals and pocketed at least $20,621.85 that she was not entitled to receive. She also used a Starke County debit card to purchase a video gaming chair, a memory foam mattress, and a full-size bed frame for her home totaling $658.57, resulting in a total loss to Starke County of $21,280.42.
“Starke County entrusted Pamela McDonald with maintaining the welfare of its prisoners. She took advantage of that trust to steal over $20,000 from the jail and the prisoners, presuming that no one would care about them. She chose to no longer wear the white hat of law enforcement and found out that justice is blind. Fraud is a serious crime warranting a serious response, no matter the identity of the victim. In some ways, her level of corruption is even more troubling because she acted while filling a position of authority in the community. Thanks to the combined efforts of the FBI, Indiana State Police, Indiana State Board of Accounts, Prosecuting Attorney Leslie Baker’s team in the Starke County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever, the public can see that public corruption will not be tolerated for their work bringing McDonald to justice,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said.
“McDonald was supposed to be a public servant in her role at the Starke County Jail, but she chose to use her position of trust to line her own pockets,” said Timothy J. O’Malley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Office. “The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to investigate all public officials who use their positions for personal gain.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police Organized Crime and Public Corruption Unit, the Indiana State Board of Accounts, and the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office. It was prosecuted as part of the Northern District of Indiana’s Small County Outreach Program, which aims to bring federal law enforcement resources to bear in rural counties throughout the Northern District of Indiana. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever.
Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to $83,332 COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – McCayla Myers, 27, of Cabin Creek, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting theft of government money. Myers admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $83,332.00 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about April 22, 2021, through on or about May 22, 2021, Myers provided her personal information to another individual to apply for and obtain four PPP loans, each for $20,833.00, through fraud. Two of the loan applications falsely claimed those loans were for an automotive repair business, and the other two falsely claimed those were for a delivery service business.
The CARES Act made forgivable PPP loans available to businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to replace their normal income and for certain other eligible essential expenses. As part of her guilty plea, Myers admitted that she knowingly defrauded the PPP program, that she did not own or operate the businesses listed on the loan applications, and that she did not have payroll or other qualifying business expenses at that time. Myers further admitted that she spent the PPP loan proceeds on clothing, firearms, vacations, and other personal expenses while knowing that none of these purchases were eligible expenses.
Myers also admitted that she sought to have one of the $20,833.00 loans forgiven on or about December 16, 2022, by falsely claiming that she had spent $19,000.00 of the proceeds on payroll.
Myers is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Myers also owes $83,332.00 in restitution.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Frail is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, 2026, 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.
The Fraud Section leads the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds.
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. 2:26-cr-53.
###
Justice Department Sues States for Denying Undercover License Plates to Federal Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice filed lawsuits against Maine, Washington, Oregon, and Massachusetts challenging their unconstitutional policies denying confidential license plates to federal agents. This comes after each state refused to rescind their unconstitutional policies in response to a prompt letter from the Department explaining the policies’ illegality.
Not only are these policies unconstitutional, but, as alleged in the complaint, these policies threaten the operational effectiveness and safety of federal agents who have faced a wave of targeted harassment. If federal agents cannot use confidential plates, dangerous individuals can track and evade law enforcement. There is no justification for states to deny confidential license plates to federal agents.
“This Department of Justice will exercise any and all lawful authorities to support the brave men and women of law enforcement,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe and must be able to carry out their duties effectively. By denying undercover license plates to DHS components, including ICE, while issuing them to their own state agencies, these governors are pursuing discriminatory and obstructionist policies against federal law enforcement. These actions undermine federal immigration enforcement, allow dangerous criminals to escape justice, and terrorize American communities.”
“The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the operational effectiveness and safety of law enforcement from these unconstitutional state policies,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Acting Attorney General Blanche has instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. This lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country.
Judge Sentences New Bern Fentanyl Dealer to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Gerard Alexander Brimmer, 30, to over 12 years in prison for selling fentanyl while armed. Brimmer pleaded guilty on February 26, 2026, to one charge of possession with the intent to sell 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one charge of possessing a gun in furtherance of that crime.
“This criminal chose a false path to ‘easy money’ selling deadly poison, fentanyl, to folks in his community instead of making a positive contribution to society,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “He callously risked his own children’s lives by exposing them to fentanyl and his loaded guns. This sentence ensures New Bern will be protected from Brimmer for over a decade. Simple Lesson: Drugs Kill, Prison Awaits – Do Right.”
Craven County Deputies began investigating Brimmer in July of 2023 after a deputy pulled over a vehicle he rode in. A search of the vehicle recovered several baggies of fentanyl and a water bottle that contained a fentanyl solution after Brimmer dumped powder fentanyl into it. Craven County continued investigating Brimmer through a series of controlled purchases of fentanyl in October 2023. At that time, Brimmer sold bright purple-pink fentanyl from his garage. Deputies conducted a traffic stop on Brimmer when he left his house after one of the controlled purchases and found 3.5 grams of fentanyl in his pocket. Brimmer had his 8-year-old and infant children in the car during the stop. Deputies also searched Brimmer’s home and recovered 50 grams of fentanyl in the garage, $1,040, and two loaded guns. The cash included four marked bills from the controlled purchase earlier in the day.
Brimmer faced a mandatory minimum of 10 years, but the federal judge gave an even longer sentence. At the time of his offense, Brimmer had already been convicted of a felony. The State convicted him of felony possession of cocaine in 2018 and kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a felon in 2021.
Sheriff Hughes stated, “this conviction demonstrates the successful partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and federal law enforcement in tackling drug trafficking.” Hughes warned that drug dealers will face severe consequences for operating in the area, emphasizing that the office will maintain its collaborative efforts with state and federal agencies to shut down drug operations throughout Craven County.
“Drug networks often fuel gun violence and endanger our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “Through collaborative efforts with our local, state and federal partners, we’re making sure that those who threaten our public safety are brought to justice.”
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Craven County Sheriff’s Office, New Bern Police Department, NC Probation, and ATF investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-FL, Case No. 4:24-CR-46-M, and Case No. 4:24-CR-22-M.
Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Smuggling Firearms from United States to HaitiRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Francesca Charles (28, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms, unlawfully shipping firearms, and smuggling goods from the United States. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 18, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, in February 2025, officials in the Dominican Republic seized 18 rifles, 5 handguns, firearms magazines, more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition, and a silencer from inside a container that had been shipped from Miami, Florida. The shipping container was destined for Haiti. The firearms and ammunition were not listed on the shipping manifest, which instead listed household goods. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as well as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), learned that Charles, Jacques Pierre, and Jeff Pierre were the purchasers of at least 20 of the 23 firearms seized from the shipping container.
Throughout the investigation, agents learned that the defendants had purchased at least 46 firearms between May 2024 and February 2025, most of which were the same make and model as the firearms recovered in the Dominican Republic. Thirty-seven of those firearms were purchased between August 9, 2024, and February 10, 2025. Charles purchased at least 24 of the 46 firearms.
Agents also obtained records that Jacques Pierre had purchased two Barrett .50-caliber rifles, which are heavy-duty military-style weapons that are typically mounted to the tops of vehicles and used in furtherance of violence by gangs and cartels. One of the Barrett rifles was recovered from the aforementioned shipment in February 2025. The second Barrett rifle was recovered in November 2025 during a clash between Haitian police and an armed gang.
Travel and shipping records showed that the co-conspirators facilitated a shipment to Haiti shortly after purchasing a large number of firearms, then traveled to Haiti around the time the shipment was scheduled to arrive in Haiti. Travel records also showed that the defendants traveled to the Dominican Republic three days before the shipping container was intercepted.
In related court proceedings, Jacques Pierre (age 32) and his brother, Jeff Pierre (age 34), both citizens of Haiti residing in Florida, have been charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms, smuggling goods from the United States, and unlawfully shipping firearms. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the ATF and HSI with assistance from the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince and the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.
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.
Jacksonville Man Indicted for Downloading Child Sexual Abuse Videos Using the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Andy Robert Ardelean (35, Jacksonville) has been charged by indictment with using the internet to download and receive videos depicting young children being sexually abused. If convicted, Ardelean faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Ardelean was arrested on May 19, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, between December 2025 and March 2026, detectives from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office conducted an online investigation of individuals using the internet to receive and share child sex abuse material. This investigation revealed that a computer using an internet protocol (IP) address in Jacksonville was hosting child sexual abuse videos that were available for sharing over the internet. The detectives connected to this computer on several occasions and were able to download numerous videos depicting young children being sexually abused. Further investigation revealed that the IP address resolved to a residence where Ardelean lived.
On May 19, 2026, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Ardelean’s residence and seized a laptop computer from his bedroom. A forensic review of the laptop showed that on April 23, 2026, the computer was used to download and receive at least one video depicting a young child being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
International Falls Man Federally Indicted for Kidnapping Zimmerman Minor and Production of Child Pornography Involving a Second MinorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen today announced the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment charging Joseph Andrew Bragg with the January 21, 2026, alleged Kidnapping and Attempted Transportation of a minor victim. He is also charged with the alleged Production and Possession of Child Pornography involving a second minor victim.
According to state and federal court documents, on January 21, 2026, a minor child under the age of 10, Victim 1, returned home to the usual school bus drop-off at approximately 3:53 p.m. The drop-off location was a block from Victim 1’s home. Video surveillance confirmed that Victim 1 started walking toward her home, then turned around and walked back the way she had come. Victim 1 did not arrive home and Victim 1’s mother reported her missing that afternoon.
Victim 1’s mother reported having an unusual online interaction approximately two weeks earlier with a Facebook profile username “Joseph Bragg.” The individual alleged he worked in childcare and asked if she or anyone she knew was looking for babysitting services. Victim 1’s mother reported feeling uncomfortable and ultimately blocking the individual. Further investigation identified the Facebook profile as belonging to Joseph Andrew Bragg.
Law enforcement developed a phone number for Bragg and found that he had rented a vehicle with Tennessee (TN) license plates associated. Location tracking data showed that Bragg’s phone number and the rental vehicle were traveling together south on Interstate 35 moving toward Iowa.
Just after midnight on January 22, 2026, a sergeant with the Albert Lea Police Department stopped a vehicle matching the description of the rental vehicle after confirming that it bore the same TN license plate as the suspect vehicle. Bragg was identified as the driver. He told police that he was driving a rental and that he was on his way to Arkansas. Police saw a minor female in the backseat of the vehicle partially covered by a red suitcase. The minor was removed and confirmed to be Victim 1.
Further investigation revealed that the phone Bragg possessed the night of Victim 1’s kidnapping contained several video and photo files depicting child sexual abuse material of multiple minor victims. Victim 2 was positively identified in several of those files.
Bragg made his initial appearance in District Court on May 28, where the Court ordered him detained.
“The allegations set forth in this indictment are every parent’s worst nightmare,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Joseph Bragg allegedly abducted a young child, took her from the love and safety of her home and family, and tried to take her out of the state for his own purposes. Separately, the child sexual abuse material allegedly produced and possessed by Bragg are despicable evidence of a terrifying sexual interest in children. The FBI is dedicated to stopping child predators, keeping children safe, and bringing offenders to justice. In partnership with the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office and the BCA, we did just that. I hope the fact that the alleged offender will answer for these allegations in federal court helps to restore a sense of safety to victims.”
“As alleged in this indictment, Joseph Andrew Bragg is the very definition of a predator. When he allegedly abducted his young victim, we issued an AMBER Alert, and our agents worked urgently with local and federal investigators to find them, ultimately uncovering his scheme to access and target children,” Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said. “Minnesota’s children must be protected by all of us and we will use every tool at our disposal to bring them to safety, and to bring those who would harm them to justice.”
“The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office will never forget the unbelievable amount of assistance provided by law enforcement, fire departments, and volunteers that day,” said Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office Commander Ben Zawacki. “Our Criminal Investigative Division deserves tremendous credit for the tireless work they did that night and the multiple days after until the investigation was concluded.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI, with assistance from the Zimmerman Fire Department, the Albert Lea Police Department, the Plymouth Police Department, and the Northstar Search and Rescue. The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation through reports or evidence control.
Investigators believe there may be more victims relevant to this investigation. If you or your minor dependent(s) have any information regarding Joseph Andrew Bragg, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepcion is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In Celebration of Freedom 250, the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Mississippi Contributes to the Local Food PantryRead the Press Release
OXFORD – As part of America’s 250th birthday celebration, Freedom 250, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country are honoring America by spearheading a gift-in-kind charity drive for their staff to participate in to benefit the community. In the Northern District of Mississippi, U.S. Attorney Scott Leary announced their office held a food drive for the local food pantry.
The Pantry of Oxford and Lafayette County ministers to the emergency ad short-term food needs of local low-income residents by supplying food to eligible clients. A representative of the Pantry confirmed their current customer count is 500-600 children and adults who are able to come to the Pantry and get enough food for a family of four for one week. They were very grateful and reiterates that “No amount is too small to make a significant impact! Every contribution to our organization is an investment in our community that yields incredible returns!”
Freedom 250 is celebrated in every city, every town, every stretch of American road. You can find a celebration near you at the above hyperlink.
Illegal reentry into US lands convicted felon in federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old illegal alien from Mexico has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country again, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Leonardo Cordona-Hernandez illegally resided in Houston and pleaded guilty Dec. 9, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has now ordered Cordona-Hernandez to serve 72 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the United States.
Cordona-Hernandez has prior felony convictions for robbery or attempted robbery with dangerous weapon, conspiracy to traffic in a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm by felon and driving while intoxicated.
Authorities first removed Cordona-Hernandez from the United States in October 2011, and he repeatedly returned illegally. On Feb. 14, 2024, law enforcement discovered him again in Houston with no authorization to be in the United States.
Cordona-Hernandez 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. Attorney Ben Hostetter 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.
Illegal Alien from India Sentenced to 10 Years in Homeland Security Task Force Investigation of Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Kavankumar Patel, 27, of Gujarat, India, was sentenced on May 26, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for two counts of sex trafficking of a minor. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Patel to 10 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Patel’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. However, Patel is in the United States illegally and faces deportation after completing his prison sentence.
On January 6, 2025, the Omaha Police Department received a report of a theft. Responding officers identified indicia of sex trafficking. The Homeland Security Task Force and the Omaha Police Department immediately began investigating and recovered two minor females, aged 15 and 16, who had been brought to the AmericInn hotel at 2920 S. 13th Court in Omaha from out of state to be sold for commercial sex.
The two minor females reported that their traffickers had instructed that the minors must engage in sex with hotel staff for a reduced room rate or they would be kicked out of the hotel. Two hotel employees paid the trafficker to have sex with one of the minors and a third hotel employee had sex with the other minor. Patel, an employee at the AmericInn, admitted that he used money from the hotel till to pay the traffickers to have sex with one of the minors at the hotel. Hotel employees then permitted the traffickers and minors to remain at the hotel for multiple days. The traffickers would post online advertisements for commercial sex and arrange commercial sex acts involving the minor victims. The minors reported having little food and feeling like they had no choice but to engage in sex acts as directed.
“The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will never tire of working as hard as we need to work to protect the most vulnerable victims in our communities,” said United States Attorney Lesley Woods. “The Homeland Security Task Force rescued these children from a living nightmare, and anyone with knowledge or suspicion of human trafficking in our communities should reach out to state or federal law enforcement immediately to report those concerns and to be part of the effort to free all of Nebraska’s victims of human trafficking.”
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, USPIS, the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division, and assistance of the Omaha Police Department with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska.
Husband and Wife Admit to Promoting Prostitution in Illicit Massage Parlors in New Jersey and New YorkRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A husband and wife admitted to conspiring to promote prostitution in spas in New Jersey and New York, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Zhejun Piao, 38, and Miyeon Choi a/k/a “Maya,” 38, both of Palisades Park, New Jersey, each pleaded guilty on May 26, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court to an Information charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel and use of the mail and any facility in aid of a racketeering enterprise.
According to documents filed in the cases and statements made in court:
Choi admitted to being a leader or organizer of the conspiracy in which she, Piao, and other co-conspirators owned or operated the following nine massage parlors, often referred to as spas:
- Coco Spa in Paterson, New Jersey;
- Gold Spa and 785 Spa in Passaic New Jersey;
- 365 Spa in Fairview, New Jersey;
- Queen Spa and Hawaii Spa in Edgewater, New Jersey
- Good Day Spa in East Brunswick, New Jersey;
- Spa Wellness in Toms River, New Jersey; and
- New Soothing Day Spa in New Rochelle, New York.
Each of the spas operated in a similar way in which women workers provided sexual services to paying customers in exchange for a fee of $160 or $175. Many of the spas provided customers with loyalty or rewards cards whereby customers would receive a stamp for each visit and receive a free visit after collecting a certain number of stamps. The spas typically opened for service from approximately 8:00 am to midnight, seven days a week with many of the women living at the spas, and according to ledgers for the spas, some of the women performed sexual services to approximately 20 men a day.
As a leader of the conspiracy, Choi admitted to among other things, recruiting women to work at the spas, communicating with customers by phone to book appointments, controlling the money generated by the spas, and advertising the sexual services offered at the spas online. She also admitted to directing other co-conspirators in furtherance of the conspiracy, such as requesting one co-conspirator to deliver groceries and condoms to spas or delegating responsibilities to communicate with customers and record appointments to another co-conspirator.
For his role, Piao admitted to delivering supplies to the spas, including groceries, mouthwash, cleaning supplies, medications, and condoms, as well as picking up ledgers, receipts, and cash proceeds from the spas. Both Choi and Piao admitted to storing tens of thousands of condoms in their home in addition to approximately $1.2 million in cash. As part of their guilty pleas, Choi and Piao agreed to forfeit the cash, numerous designer handbags, luxury watches, and jewelry.
The charge of conspiracy to commit interstate travel and use of the mail and any facility in aid of a racketeering enterprise carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; the U.S. State Department, Diplomatic Security Service; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Jeanne Hengemuhle. He also thanked HSI New York, Hudson Valley Office; Customs and Border Protection; the Passaic County Prosecutors Office; Passaic County Sheriff; Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; Bergen County Sheriff; Edgewater Police Department; Fairview Police Department; Paterson Police Department; East Brunswick Police Department; New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice; South Toms River Police Department; Edison Police Department; South Toms River Police Department; Morris County Prosecutor’s Office; Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office; New Rochelle Police Department; Westchester District Attorney’s Office; Federal Air Marshals; New York State Police; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Westwood Police Department; and the Ridgefield Park Police Department; and the Palisades Park Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.
###
Defense counsel:
Miyeon Choi: Warren Sutnick, Esq.
Zhejun Piao: Paul Brickfield, Esq.
choi.information.pdf piao.information.pdfHonduran Nationals Sentenced to More Than Two Decades in Prison for Kidnapping OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – HECTOR MONDRAGON-FLORES (“MONDRAGON”), age 33, and EDWIN SALGADO-NUNEZ (“SALGADO”), age 31, were sentenced on May 21, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe for multiple felony offenses including kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
MONDRAGON was sentenced to 27.5 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, along with an $800 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously being convicted by a jury of all eight counts of a superseding indictment against him. The jury found MONDRAGON guilty of kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 1201(c); two counts of interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a); conspiracy to receive a ransom payment, and two counts of receipt of a ransom payment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1202(a) and 371; and assault on a federal officer using a deadly weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b).
SALGADO was sentenced to 22 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, along with a $500 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to five counts of a superseding indictment against him. SALGADO pleaded guilty to kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 1201(c); interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a); and conspiracy to receive a ransom payment, and receipt of a ransom payment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1202(a) and 371.
According to court documents and evidence at trial, on October 2, 2024, MONDRAGON and SALGADO kidnapped the victim and bound his feet together and bound the victim’s hands together behind his back. The two men then held the victim at gunpoint in MONDRAGON’s apartment and demanded payment of a $7,000 ransom from the victim’s father for his son’s release. MONDRAGON called the victim’s father over 50 times and threatened to kill the victim if the ransom was not paid. The victim’s father agreed to pay the ransom but reported the kidnapping to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) on his way to the ransom exchange. NOPD detectives monitored the ransom exchange and arrested SALGADO after the victim’s father paid $3,000 cash to an associate of MONDRAGON and SALGADO. Before he was arrested, SALGADO attempted to flee by ramming a law enforcement vehicle.
Following SALGADO’s arrest, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to co-defendant Janette Ramirez’s apartment. MONDRAGON then demanded a ransom payment from the victim’s girlfriend for his release. After the victim’s girlfriend was unable to successfully transfer the payment to MONDRAGON or Ramirez, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to an ATM. The victim then withdrew $400 and gave it to MONDRAGON to secure his release.
The next day, law enforcement officers spotted MONDRAGON at an apartment complex in New Orleans East. When officers attempted to arrest him, MONDRAGON pulled out a gun, forced his way into an occupied apartment, and took a hostage inside the apartment. The hostage escaped when MONDRAGON attempted to climb out of a window. As MONDRAGON was kicking out the window screen, he pointed his gun at two law enforcement officers, who forced him to turn back inside. MONDRAGON barricaded himself in the apartment for nearly eight hours until the NOPD SWAT team deployed tear gas and forced him to surrender.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit are 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 protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
***
Honduran Man Indicted for Assault Against Law Enforcement and Damage to Government PropertyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –JAIRO YOEL MONTOYA-AMADOR (“MONTOYA-AMADOR”), age 21, a Honduran national, was charged in a two-count indictment on May 22, 2026, for assaulting a federal officer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1)(A), and damaging government property, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1361, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on May 14, 2026, as law enforcement officers attempted to pull over the vehicle he was driving and execute a box‑in maneuver, MONTOYA‑AMADOR tried to force his way out by ramming a pickup truck occupied by a United States Deportation Officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In doing so, he forcibly assaulted the officer, who was performing official duties. He also caused more than $1,000 in damage to a Department of Homeland Security vehicle.
As a consequence, MONTOYA-AMADOR faces a maximum term of imprisonment of eight (8) years, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, as to Count One of the indictment. He faces a maximum imprisonment of ten (10) years, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.00, as to Count Two of the indictment. A mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 applies to both counts.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro Latsis of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced to Time Served for Illegally Re-entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe sentenced JULIO VALERIO-SENTENO (“VALERIO-SENTENO”), age 40, to time served after having pled guilty today to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. The Court also sentenced VALERIO-SENTENO to one (1) year of supervised release and ordered him to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, VALERIO-SENTENO was previously removed from the United States on July 1, 2011, February 27, 2012, and October 2, 2013. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on May 15, 2025, and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is responsible for 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
* * *
Homeland Security Task Force investigation into firearms trafficking results in federal prison sentence in the Eastern District of Texas for Oklahoma manRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – An Oklahoma man has been sentenced to federal prison following an investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Steven Mark Moore, 27, of Yukon, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to straw purchase of firearms and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on May 28, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in 2022, an investigation revealed firearms purchased at various pawn shops and gun shows were linked to various crimes in the United States as well as deadly cartel-related shootings in Mexico. The investigation identified Moore as a source of funding used to purchase the firearms from legitimate sources to illegally resale the guns at an inflated price to individuals involved in criminal activities.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas Field Office; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CD; United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); United States Secret Service (USSS); Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS); TEXOMA HIDTA; and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
###
Hays man sentenced to a year in prison for assaulting womenRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Hays man convicted of assaulting two women on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced to prison today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Lane Blake Kirkaldie, 21, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of simple assault. For the assault with a dangerous weapon charge, Kirkaldie will serve 12 months a one day in prison; for the simple assault, he’ll serve six months. The two sentences will run concurrent.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2025, Kirkaldie and a group of people were gathered at a house on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation to celebrate New Year’s. At some point in the night, according to witnesses, Kirkaldie got into an altercation with Jane Doe 2, with whom he was in a romantic relationship. Kirkaldie was told to leave; Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 left the house with him.
The trio walked to a business in Lodge Pole where Kirkaldie was captured on surveillance video throwing things and then lunging toward Jane Doe 2. The video also shows him making threatening comments while holding a glass bottle. A second surveillance video from inside the business shows both Jane Does leave the building, with Kirkaldie trailing them outside. He tried to approach Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 1 put herself between them. She held Kirkaldie back as Jane Doe 2 returned inside. Kirkaldie then pushed Jane Doe 1 away and struck her in the head with the glass bottle, which cut her head deeply enough to require stitches.
A third surveillance video captures the three back inside the building. Both women are crying and Kirkaldie can be heard making more threatening comments. He then appears either to strike or attempt to strike Jane Doe 2 in the face.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
Great Falls man pleads guilty to drug chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who was caught trafficking fentanyl pills admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Zachary Taylor Cortez, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and faces five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, at least four years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for September 24, 2026. Cortez was remanded pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that from June to August 2024, the Great Falls Police Department launched an investigation into Cortez and a co-defendant, whom law enforcement officials suspected were distributing fentanyl in town. Through the course of the investigation, officers obtained a warrant to track and search Cortez’s vehicle. Police then pulled over the vehicle and discovered 97 grams of fentanyl in pill form and a digital scale.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Great Falls Police Department, the Russell Country Drug Taskforce, and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.
Grafton Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
RUTLAND – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 27, 2026, Terry Russ, 43, of Grafton, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 72 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Russ pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and possessing a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense.
According to court records, ATF’s investigation into Russ first began when Russ was connected with a firearm used in an incident in Springfield, Massachusetts, in which police officers were shot and one was seriously injured. Russ later sold an untraceable privately-manufactured firearm with 53 rounds of ammunition, 200 bags of fentanyl, and 15.5 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant. A subsequent search of Russ’s property resulted in the seizure of 12 additional firearms, 12.5 grams of fentanyl, and 69.5 grams of cocaine.
At sentencing, the government noted the scale of Russ’s drug dealing, highlighting witness statements indicating that Russ had served as many as ten clients per day, keeping multiple firearms in close proximity to where he conducted drug transactions. The government’s sentencing memo also highlighted Russ’s significant criminal history and his prior convictions for violent offenses, including four convictions for assault and two convictions for violating abuse prevention orders, as well as prior convictions for burglary and drug offenses.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Vermont State Police; and the Brattleboro Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Corinne Smith and David Golubock. Terry Russ was represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.
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.
Gosnell Co-Conspirator Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — John Badger Thorpe, 69, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive and distribute child sexual abuse material and two counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in December 2023, Thorpe began communicating with former Charleston County Magistrate Judge James Benjamin Gosnell, Jr., via text message and encrypted apps. Thorpe and Gosnell discussed their shared sexual preference for minors, primarily the violent sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. In the summer of 2024, Gosnell traveled to Thorpe’s home in Florida with a flash drive containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Thorpe and Gosnell viewed the CSAM together, and then Gosnell left the thumb drive of CSAM with Thorpe, who then sent it back to Gosnell in Charleston via FedEx. In August and September of 2025, Thorpe distributed CSAM to Gosnell by sending him an explicit image of a toddler they discussed abusing.
Thorpe faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and up to a lifetime of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Thorpe after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Orville and Emily Limehouse are prosecuting the case.###
* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.
NOTE: James Benjamin Gosnell, Jr. has pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of child sexual abuse material involving a prepubescent minor, three counts of receipt and attempted receipt of child sexual abuse material, conspiracy to receive and distribute child sexual abuse material, and distribution of child sexual abuse material. He is scheduled for trial beginning Aug. 24, 2026.Fraudster Who Sold Personal Information of over 7 Million Elderly Americans to Jamaican Scammers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Today, a North Carolina man was sentenced to 121 months in prison and three years of supervised release for running a seven-year scheme where he victimized millions of elderly Americans by selling their personal information to Jamaican lottery fraud scammers. He was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $5,214,688.48.
According to court documents, Troy Murray, 57, of Hickory, North Carolina, devised a scheme where he organized, maintained, and sold lists containing the names, phone numbers, physical addresses, and, in some cases, ages and email addresses, of elderly Americans to individuals in Jamaica involved in lottery fraud schemes. From 2016 to 2023, Murray sold these lists to Jamaican scammers, who perpetrated lottery fraud on elderly American consumers, earning Murray hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
Murray was a prolific and well-known lead list broker for Jamaican scammers. To complete the transactions, scammers would typically call email, or text Murray for a list of names. Murray then provided a price per list, typically $500, for 100 to 300 names. Initially, Murray instructed scammers to provide payment via wire transfer; however, after multiple monetary wire transmission services blocked him from using their services, he instructed scammers to send him pre-paid gift cards to pay for the lists instead. Murray’s list broker service was so well known in Jamaica that that his pseudonym, “Steve Dixon,” was referenced by a Jamaican musical artist in a 2022 song lyric.
After receiving payment from the Jamaican scammers, Murray used the funds to purchase farm equipment, vehicles, and collectibles like bars and coins made of precious metals. Murray also sent money he made from the scheme to one of his sons to purchase personal property and pay for his business and living expenses.
During the scheme, Murray sent at least 22,000 lead lists to scammers. These lists contained the names and personal information of over seven million elderly Americans and garnered Murray over $5.2 million. Victim losses exceeded $9.5 million.
In January 2026, Murray pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel David Sullivan and Trial Attorney Ryan Norman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Four Men Accused of $1.7 Million Water Heater Refund ScamRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four men have been indicted in St. Louis and accused of a fraudulent scheme involving the return of used water heaters in exchange for $1.7 million in gift certificates.
Aron Suarez-Ruiz, 22, Jose Antonio Alvarez-Raya, 38, Daniel Barreras-Magallanes, 41, and Francisco Aguilar-Ortiz, 27, were each indicted in U.S. District Court on Wednesday with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Alvarez-Raya, Barreras-Magallanes and Aguilar-Ortiz appeared in court Thursday and pleaded not guilty.
The indictment says that from at least March 2026 through May 18, 2026, the men obtained used water heaters in California and transported them on rented trucks to home improvement stores around the country. Using counterfeit labels with false serial numbers, the men returned the water heaters to the stores for a refund in the form of gift certificates, the indictment says. The men then used those gift certificates to purchase power tools, it says. The indictment alleges the scheme to defraud resulted in losses of more than $1.7 million.
In one example provided in the indictment, on May 14, 2026, Alvarez-Raya and Suarez-Ruiz returned hot water heaters labelled with counterfeit serial numbers at stores in Wentzville, Cottleville, St. Charles, St. Louis County and Arnold. On May 18, 2026, Barreras-Magallanes and Aguillar-Ortiz returned two used hot water heaters at store in Wentzville, the indictment says.
A motion seeking the detention of Alvarez-Raya says the men made multiple stops at other stores on the way to Missouri and that Alvarez-Raya recruited Suarez-Ruiz to participate. Aguilar-Ortiz recruited Barreras-Magallanes from Mexico, another motion says. Alvarez-Raya, Aguilar-Ortiz and Barreras-Magallanes are illegal immigrants, the motion says. Alvarez-Raya had been living in Washington state. Aguilar-Ortiz is from the Los Angeles area. Suarez-Ruiz was living in Louisville, Kentucky.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Arnold Police Department and the Wentzville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.