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8 July 2026
Two Men Indicted for Staged-Collision CarjackingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –ALFRED SEYMOUR (“SEYMOUR”), age 19, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, and DAMION JONES (“JONES”), age 20, a resident of Walker, Louisiana, were indicted on June 11, 2026 for carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C § 2119(1), and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment and information presented at a court hearing in the case, on January 22, 2026, JONES was driving a vehicle in which SEYMOUR was a passenger. JONES and SEYMOUR followed another vehicle on to I-10 and then intentionally struck the back of that target vehicle. When the driver of the target vehicle pulled over to inspect the damage, SEYMOUR and JONES pointed guns at the driver, forced two passengers out of the target vehicle at gunpoint, and then stole the target vehicle.
As to the carjacking offense, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. As to the charges of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation 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.
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.
Updated 7/0/2026
Two Georgians Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl from ChinaRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A Georgia inmate and a co-conspirator were sentenced to federal prison today for trafficking fentanyl and a synthetic designer drug from China into the state resulting from a Homeland Security Task Force investigation led by FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
“The defendants took part in an international drug trafficking scheme from behind bars, moving fentanyl and other dangerous drugs from China into Southwest Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Our office, in collaboration with law enforcement, is dedicated to dismantling criminal organizations, whether they operate from prisons or across borders.”
“These defendants profited from the opioid epidemic and endangered thousands of lives by trafficking fentanyl,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta's Athens office. “Disrupting the manufacturers and distributers of this poison remains a high priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners.”
“The defendants of this fentanyl trafficking ring will spend a significant time behind bars and will no longer be able to plague our communities with this dangerous drug,” said Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Postal Inspectors will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal organizations that utilize the mail system for criminal misuse.”
Devito Duran Young, aka “Big” aka “Big Man,” 45, of Macon State Prison and Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 327 months in prison to be followed by eight years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance on April 1.
Trace Davrin Works, 29, of Mableton, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 262 months in prison to be followed by eight years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl on April 1.
The following co-conspirators pleaded guilty on April 15 and will be sentenced on August 6:
Andreaus Benard Oliver Sr., aka “Doomie Oliver,” 43, of Cordele, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $2 million fine.
Andreaus Benard Oliver Jr., aka “Dray Oliver,” 27, of Cordele, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance on April 15 and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Two co-conspirators were charged by a federal indictment returned on May 14, 2025, and unsealed on August 7, 2025, and remain at-large:
Xin Wang, 28, of China, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and she faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a $5 million fine for the fentanyl charge and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance charge; and
Gao Yong, 29, of China, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III is presiding over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Young conspired to acquire and distribute fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids (marijuana) from China to the United States beginning in 2023. At the time, Young was an inmate at Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia, and Oliver Sr. was incarcerated at the Macon Transitional Center located on the prison campus.
The shipments of the synthetic cannabinoids arrived at an address occupied by Oliver Jr. on 4th Avenue in Cordele. Wang and Yong are alleged to have facilitated the sale and distribution of the synthetic controlled substances from China to customers around the world, including to Oliver Sr. and Young.
Online advertisement of drugs for sale; this evidence was admitted as part of the forfeiture proceedings.
While in prison, Young placed multiple orders of fentanyl using encrypted chat applications he accessed using a contraband cellphone. Young directed Works to acquire the fentanyl and ship it to customer addresses, including addresses in the Middle District of Georgia, and both Young and Works paid for the drugs with cryptocurrency.
Oliver Jr. and other co-conspirators placed multiple orders for synthetic cannabinoids from Wang and Yong online and paid them with cryptocurrency, directing the packages to addresses in Cordele and his 4th Avenue residence, referred to as the “lab.”
After a package originating from China was intercepted by law enforcement, agents executed a search warrant at Oliver Jr.’s residence on July 22, 2024, and found more than 175 metal pans with sheets of paper; multiple jugs and bottles containing suspected cannabinoids; several measuring beakers; more than 350 dried sheets of paper soaked with cannabinoids; return address labels purporting to be from various attorneys; shipping labels addressed to inmates in jail and prison facilities around the country; cash; and ledgers indicating how many sheets had been processed. In addition, $170,000 in cryptocurrency was seized and forfeited from Wang as part of the investigation.
Interior of Oliver Jr.’s residence which served as an illegal drug conversion lab. This image shows papers soaked in pans with synthetic cannabinoid liquid. This photo was admitted during the criminal proceedings.
Young and Works are being held accountable for trafficking 2,610 fentanyl pills weighing 279.64 grams and Young is being held accountable for trafficking 5,502.55 grams of MDMB-4en-PINACA, a new synthetic cannabinoid.
This investigation and prosecution are part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative. The HSTF is a United States government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and transnational criminal organizations worldwide. This initiative identifies TCOs engaged in a wide range of criminal schemes that violate federal law, while dismantling cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks that fuel violence and instability that threaten the safety and security of the United States and its global partners. It also places a particular emphasis on criminal offenses involving children and ensures the use of all available law enforcement tools to prosecute offenders and/or facilitate the removal of criminal aliens from the United States. Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from the ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) investigated the case, with assistance from the GBI and Georgia Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Three Texas Tax Preparers Sentenced to Prison as Part of False Tax Return SchemeRead the Press Release
Three Texas tax return preparers – a tax return preparation business owner and two of his employees – were sentenced today to 50 months, 26 months, and 18 months in prison for their roles in conspiring to file false tax returns on behalf of clients. Two other tax return preparers who admitted to filing false tax returns for clients as part of the same scheme still await sentencing.
“No matter the scheme, the agency, or the program involved, those who cheat on their taxes for personal enrichment undermine the very foundation of public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Fraud Division is working across all fronts to detect, investigate, and prosecute criminal tax violations. We will protect the integrity of our tax system and ensure that those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of honest citizens face the full weight of federal prosecution.”
“Though they used a pencil and paper rather than a gun and a mask, these defendants are nothing more than common thieves,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The United States is ‘We the People,’ and when you steal from the people, we will hold you to account. Thank you to our partners at the National Fraud Enforcement Division for their great work here on behalf of the American people.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately January 2019 to October 2022, Mathews Chacko, Anish Pillai, and Subhala Suresh conspired to defraud the United States by filing tax returns for clients that contained false business expenses. These false expenses artificially reduced the taxes that the clients owed to the IRS, which enabled them to receive refunds to which they were not entitled. At times, Chacko and his co-conspirators included false business expenses on client returns without their clients’ knowledge, then sometimes provided false explanations to clients justifying the false items. At other times, Chacko and his co-conspirators informed clients by email that they were submitting false information to the IRS. Chacko admitted to causing a tax loss to the United States exceeding $3.5 million but less than $9.5 million. Pillai admitted that he caused approximately $1.5 million to $3.5 million in losses to the United States. Suresh admitted that she caused approximately $250,000 to $550,000 in losses to the United States.
Chacko pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Pillai and Suresh both pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. Chacko was sentenced to 50 months in prison, Pillai was sentenced to 26 months in prison, and Suresh was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Marissa R. Brodney and Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Three Juveniles Arrested by Make DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Onyx Austin, 17, Pierce Arrington, 17 and Reggie Mateck, 16, were arrested and charged as adults in D.C. Superior Court in connection with an armed robbery committed on July 6, 2026, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The three juveniles were charged on July 8, 2026. They made their initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond and were presented on charges involving the armed robbery of two victims.
“There will be zero tolerance for those committing crimes in D.C., especially juveniles,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “For too long by virtue of their age, they have been able to escape real consequences for their criminal behavior. Their crimes not only harm individual victims but also upend the lives of law-abiding residents and undermine the safety of our neighborhoods. That is why it is essential to lower the age of accountability for these young criminals who are emboldened because of the D.C. Council’s refusal to recognize the violence that they are committing on other D.C. citizens. The rights of victims are paramount and criminals will face the full force of the law.”
According to the government’s evidence, on July 6, 2026, Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a call for service near the 3300 Block of 7th St. Southeast for a report of an armed robbery where one suspect placed two victims in chokeholds. Another suspect pushed a handgun into a victim's ribs and threatened them. The suspects stole one victim’s wallet, both victims’ cell phones, and $1,700 from one victim’s bank accounts. Officers located and arrested the suspects at one of the suspect’s mother’s residences.
This case is being 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.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Marshal Robert Anthony Dixon.
The case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Campbell.
Charges in a complaint are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Indianapolis Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for String of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Three men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a string of armed robberies carried out across Indianapolis in July 2024.
Emmanuel Collins, 27, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Jujuan Beecher, 25, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to four counts of interference with commerce by robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Tayveon Majors, 23, was sentenced in 2025 to five years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery.
According to court documents, on July 4, 2024, Collins, Beecher, and two unknown individuals robbed a GoLo gas station on East Washington Street. Collins and another individual pointed a firearm at the clerk and demanded money, forcing the employee behind the counter at gunpoint. Beecher guarded the door and acted as a lookout. The men fled on foot with approximately $350 in cash and a box of lottery tickets.
Five days later, on July 9, Collins, Beecher, and two other individuals robbed a Shell gas station on East New York Street in a similar manner, stealing approximately $1,000 in cash, lottery tickets, and cigarettes.
On July 13, Collins, Beecher, and another individual robbed a Phillips 66 gas station on Kentucky Avenue. Collins held the clerk at gunpoint while Beecher guarded the door, stealing $2,134 in cash. Majors acted as the getaway driver.
The final robbery occurred on July 18 at a Dollar Tree on Washington Street. Beecher and another individual entered the store, held the cashier at gunpoint, and demanded money while multiple customers were present. They took the register drawer containing approximately $230 in cash and fled in a vehicle. Majors again acted as the getaway driver.
Collins, Beecher, and Majors were arrested later that evening in the same getaway car. During a search of their vehicle, officers recovered three handguns used to commit the robberies.
“No one who is shopping for their family or simply working for a living should face the threat of armed robbery. In addition to the physical and emotional toll on the victims, these types of robberies also have broad repercussions for entire communities, forcing them to live in fear,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Through Operation Take Back America, our office will continue holding violent individuals accountable and making our neighborhoods safe.”
"These defendants used firearms and violence to terrorize innocent people for their own personal gain. Today's sentences send a clear message that those who commit violent crimes in our communities will be identified, investigated, and held accountable,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI remains committed to investigating violent crime and working with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation- Indianapolis Division and IMPD investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judges Jane Magnus-Stinson.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Third defendant sentenced to federal prison for theft of mail in AugustaRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: A federal judge has ordered a third defendant to be confined in federal prison after conviction for mail theft.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Torrance Urban Miller, 49, of Miami, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Theft of Mail.
Millers’ codefendants, Joshua Mister Holmes, 21, of Miami, and Coleshia Carter, 22, of East Point, Georgia, were previously sentenced after pleading guilty to Theft of Mail, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft.
There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and testimony, from January 2023 to January 2024, the defendants took part in a mail theft scheme in which they would steal mail from Augusta area U.S. postal receptacles looking for business checks. They would take the business checks they had stolen and create counterfeit checks which were then deposited into accomplices’ accounts and withdraw the money.
“Closing this case out with a substantial prison sentence is a victory for the business victims in and around Augusta,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “The tireless efforts of all of the agencies involved should be commended.”
The FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service and Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigated the cases, which were prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia First Assistant U.S. Attorney David H. Estes.
Texas man gets max sentence for federal firearms violation related to attempted murder of police officerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 22-year-old Premont man has been ordered to federal prison for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Damian Rodriguez aka Diablo pleaded guilty March 31.
U.S. District Judge David Morales has now ordered Rodriguez to serve 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Rodriguez’s use of the firearm with the obliterated serial number to commit several crimes, including attempted murder of a local victim as well as a police officer. In handing down the sentence, Judge Morales noted the Rodriguez’s actions and sentenced him to the maximum possible sentence allowed under the law. At the sentencing hearing, Rodriguez was held responsible for the attempted murder of both the local victim and the police officer.
On Dec. 29, 2025, law enforcement was dispatched to a local residence in response to a call regarding multiple gunshots. Surveillance footage of the area revealed the shooter, later identified as Rodriguez, firing multiple gunshots into the residence from an adjacent alley. Further investigation revealed he had made multiple threats to the victim’s life on social media. Authorities recovered 11 shell casings at the residence, but the victim did not sustain any injuries.
Two days later, a local police officer discovered multiple threats on his life from Rodriguez’s social media accounts. Law enforcement learned Rodriguez had been walking in the area with a loaded gun and attempted to locate him. Rodriguez saw them and began shooting. During another incident the same day, shots had also been fired at law enforcement. The shell casings at those scenes matched those from the prior attempted murder scenes.
The investigation led to a residence where authorities located Rodriguez. Among his belongings was a Colt .223 caliber rifle with an obliterated serial number. Analysis and tests showed a match between the firearm and the shell casings from the prior shootings.
At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez had also made multiple comments regarding his attempts to shoot and kill the police officer.
Rodriguez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Police departments in Premont and Falfurrias, Brooks County Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.
Tampa Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Transporting and Possessing Computer Generated Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Bruce Raymond Robinson, Jr. (44, Tampa) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for the transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting an actual minor. Robinson was found guilty following a bench trial on December 5, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Robinson knowingly transported and possessed CSAM. Robinson created the CSAM by editing thousands of pornographic images and videos to depict the face of a known minor female. Robinson shared this material with others online.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Tampa Bay Pain Management Clinic to Pay $115,000 for Discriminating Against Disabled Veteran with Service AnimalRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has reached an agreement with APC, INC., a pain management clinic with locations in Tampa and Brandon, to settle allegations that it violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against a disabled veteran with a service animal. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office opened an investigation into APC after receiving a complaint from a disabled United States military veteran who uses a service animal to provide him with non-violent protection, rescue work, and assistance when he experiences seizures and episodes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a result of the investigation, the United States determined that APC violated the ADA when it discriminated against the complainant and his wife by refusing to allow the complainant to attend a post-hospitalization medical appointment at APC’s Brandon office with his service animal. APC claimed to have a “no pets policy” and that their office is a “sterile environment.” APC’s denial caused the complainant to experience a PTSD episode, followed by repeated seizures during the car ride home and over the next several days, and to abruptly discontinue the medicine an APC physician had prescribed him while he was hospitalized.
“Service animals are not pets—they provide critical assistance for individuals with disabilities,” said United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “Many of our nation’s military veterans use service animals to assist them with service-connected disabilities. Our office does not tolerate discrimination against individuals with disabilities who use service animals and will ensure they receive equal access to healthcare.”
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, APC must pay $100,000 to compensate the complainant and his wife for the discrimination they faced. APC must adopt, maintain, and enforce a service animal policy and a non-discrimination policy regarding the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability. Both policies must be conspicuously posted in APC’s reception areas and on its website. APC must also provide training to all personnel on the non-discrimination requirements under the ADA and post a “Service Animals Welcome” sign in all public entryways of its facilities. For the next two years, APC must report any disability discrimination complaints it receives to the United States. Finally, APC must pay a $15,000 civil penalty to the United States to vindicate the public interest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra N. Karahalios handled this case.
Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations, including professional offices of health care providers, from discriminating against individuals on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations (“goods or services”). In general, Title III prohibits public accommodations from subjecting an individual on the basis of disability to a denial of the opportunity to participate in or benefit from its goods or services. Specifically, public accommodations must make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures that are necessary to afford their goods or services to individuals with disabilities who have service animals. Public accommodations are also prohibited from denying equal goods or services to individuals because of their relationship or association with someone with a disability.
Individuals who believe they may have experienced discrimination may contact the Civil Rights Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida by calling our Civil Rights Hotline at (813) 274-6095 or emailing us at [email protected]. To fill out our civil rights complaint form, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights-complaint-form.
The Attorney General is authorized to investigate alleged violations of Title III of the ADA and to bring a civil action in federal court if the United States is unable to secure voluntary compliance in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance. Ensuring that professional offices of health care providers do not discriminate against patients with disabilities is an issue of general public importance.
For more information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (Voice) or (833) 610-1264 (TTY). Accessibility specialists are available to answer questions from individuals, businesses, and state or local governments. All calls are confidential.
Settlement AgreementStore Owner Sentenced for Operating Multi-Million-Dollar SNAP Fraud MillRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a small convenience in Boston was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars’ worth of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The defendant’s monthly SNAP redemptions in his 150 square foot store ranged from $100,000 – $500,000 per month, far outpacing full-service supermarkets which redeem approximately $82,000 per month in SNAP benefits.
The defendant also sold liquor and emergency food supplies intended for food-insecure children overseas.
Antonio Bonheur, 75, of Mattapan, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to two years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Bonheur was also ordered to pay restitution of $1 million in the form of a money judgment and approximately $400,000 in seized funds were ordered forfeited. In March 2026, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of food stamp fraud and one count of wire fraud. Bonheur was arrested and charged in December 2025.
“SNAP is a lifeline for hardworking Americans – not a slush fund for criminals,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Antonio Bonheur came to the United States and repaid this country’s generosity by orchestrating a multi-million-dollar scheme that robbed taxpayers and stole from families who genuinely depend on this program to put food on the table. His so-called “convenience store” was a sham – a 150-square-foot fraud storage closet with bare shelves and virtually no food inventory. The only thing moving across his counter in any meaningful volume was stolen taxpayer money. Even more outrageous, while looting millions from SNAP, Mr. Bonheur was collecting SNAP benefits himself after state authorities accepted his claims of “poverty” with little meaningful scrutiny. That spectacular failure of oversight gave him exactly the opportunity he needed to exploit a system built on trust. Every dollar he stole had to be earned by an honest taxpayer first, and every dollar diverted weakened a program meant to protect our nation’s most vulnerable. This office will relentlessly pursue and prosecute those who treat public assistance programs as criminal profit centers to steal from the American people.”
“The outcome of this investigation should send a message of deterrence to those individuals who choose to steal taxpayer funds for personal use. Maintaining the integrity of USDA funding remains a priority for our agency. We appreciate the partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in pursuing this type of fraud and holding bad actors accountable,” said Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Northeast Region.
“Food-stamp fraudster Antonio Bonheur came into our country and took total advantage of it, setting up a tiny shop in Mattapan that was essentially nothing more than a front for massive fraud. He stole millions from a taxpayer funded program aimed at helping the poor, to instead make himself rich, and double dipped on a critical safety net that he too claimed he needed to survive,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The selfishness and unremitting greed on display in this case is astonishing, and this sentence makes it clear that fraud is never the ticket to lasting financial gain. The FBI and our partners are working hard to crack down on crooked businesses of all kinds, whether they’re cheating the public, the government, or as in this case, both.”
Bonheur owned Jesula Variety Store, which operated as a small variety store within a single street-facing storefront in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston. Jesula Variety Store occupied approximately 150 square feet. The store had a single cash register, no shopping carts, no handbaskets, no refrigerators or freezers and only minimal food inventory.
According to the charging documents, for more than three years, Bonheur operated the store primarily as a vehicle for large-scale SNAP trafficking rather than a legitimate retail business. Despite the store’s limited size, inventory and food offerings, Jesula Variety Store exhibited extraordinarily high SNAP redemption volumes, far beyond what could reasonably be supported by legitimate food sales. Transaction data revealed that the store had exceptionally large and anomalous average monthly SNAP redemption rates when compared to similarly situated businesses of the same size, type and location. Specifically, Bonheur’s monthly SNAP redemptions for Jesula Variety Store regularly exceeded $100,000 – with many months exceeding $300,000 and, at times, $500,000. By comparison, one full-service supermarket in the same area redeems approximately $82,000 per month in SNAP benefits.
Additionally, transaction-level data showed that only approximately 10% of SNAP transactions were for amounts under $40, while more than 70% of transactions exceeded $95. Such transaction patterns are typically associated with large supermarkets, not small variety stores with limited food inventory.
During undercover operations conducted over the course of the investigation, SNAP benefits were trafficked for cash from Jesula Variety Store on four occasions. In each instance, the defendant worked the cash registers and personally exchanged SNAP benefits for cash. Bonheur also sold liquor in exchange for SNAP benefits.
Additionally, Jesula Variety Store also sold MannaPack meals, a donated food product manufactured by the nonprofit Feed My Starving Children. These meals are paid for entirely by charitable donations intended for shipment and distribution to food-insecure children overseas and are never authorized for retail sale. Bonheur sold donated MannaPack meals in his store for approximately $8 per package, profiting from food intended for humanitarian relief.
Jesula Variety Store carried little legitimate food inventory and generated minimal lawful revenue, therefore Bonheur relied almost entirely on USDA-funded SNAP redemptions as his source of income. To conceal the nature and source of these funds, Bonheur maintained numerous secondary bank accounts through which SNAP proceeds were transferred, withdrawn as cash and redeposited to create the appearance of legitimate business activity while obscuring the true source of funds. The scheme generated approximately $7 million in fraudulent SNAP redemptions, from which Bonheur personally retained roughly 20 percent of the proceeds.
Despite receiving millions of dollars per year in SNAP redemptions through Jesula Variety Store, Bonheur was issued a SNAP card for himself by the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance. In applying for his SNAP benefits, Bonheur made multiple false statements concerning his income and assets. Using those false representations, he obtained SNAP benefits that he then trafficked for cash through his own store while simultaneously operating the multi-million-dollar fraud scheme.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is 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 Foley; USDA OIG SAC Parker; FBI SAC Docks; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
South Texan sent to prison after using child sexual abuse material to entice a minor to produce pornographic materialRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 20-year-old Edinburg man has been sentenced for distributing child pornography and coercion and enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Carlos Genaro Rodriguez-Luna Jr. pleaded guilty April 23, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now sentenced Rodriguez-Luna to 262 months and 60 months for the coercion and enticement of a minor and distribution of child pornography convictions, respectively. They will run in part consecutively for a total 300-month term of imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court heard about the disturbing content Rodriguez-Luna collected and distributed to others. Additionally, the court heard how Rodriguez-Luna communicated with a 13-year-old minor victim discussing his disturbing fantasies.
In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the seriousness and gravity of the content involved in the case. Rodriguez-Luna was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Rodriguez-Luna will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
The investigation began in December 2024 after authorities identified a social media account sharing images and videos of people performing self-inflicted harm and child sexual abuse material. Rodriguez-Luna was the owner of that account.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence where they located and seized several electronic items and his cell phone. Authorities observed a current conversation between Rodriguez-Luna and a 13-year-old female who he identified as his girlfriend. The investigation revealed Rodriguez-Luna distributed child pornography to the minor and discussed sexual assault fantasies. He also asked her to produce sexually explicit material and send to him.
Additional content on the devices included sexual acts committed on infants, toddlers and prepubescent children as well as other severe material he collected and distributed.
Rodriguez-Luna admitted to previously downloaded and viewed child pornography at his Edinburg residence.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI McAllen conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Son of Las Cruces Bounty Hunter Charged in Federal Child Exploitation Case Following Search in Human Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man has been charged with federal child exploitation offenses after investigators allegedly discovered evidence on his cellular telephone during the execution of a search warrant related to a separate federal investigation.
According to court documents, on May 12, 2026, federal agents executed a search warrant at a Las Cruces residence as part of an ongoing investigation connected to Robert Jay Hernandez. During the search, the FBI seized multiple electronic devices, including a cellphone belonging to Hernandez’s adult son, Matthew Esai Hernandez, 37.
A forensic extraction of the phone, conducted pursuant to additional warrants, revealed evidence that Hernandez engaged in sexually explicit communications with individuals who represented themselves as minors and possessed Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
Hernandez allegedly used messaging applications, including Telegram and Kik Messenger, to solicit sexually explicit images. In one Telegram conversation, he confirmed the age of a minor and requested explicit photos. In multiple Kik conversations, he engaged in sexual messaging with individuals who stated they were minors and received CSAM images.
In a separate prolonged Telegram conversation spanning approximately 21 months, Hernandez allegedly received numerous CSAM images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children, and he continued to receive and possess such material throughout the communication.
Hernandez is charged with attempted coercion and enticement of minors, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Hernandez faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and up to life in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Armijo and Grant Gardner are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Shoplifting Arrest Leads to Federal Firearm Conviction for Tallahassee FelonRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Lamar Bunch, 35, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case demonstrates the dangers faced by our brave law enforcement partners every day as they confront criminals to keep our communities safe. It also underscores the urgency with which my office must continue to act to ensure armed serial offenders, like this defendant, are kept behind bars where they belong so they cannot continue terrorizing our streets with their criminality.”
Court documents reflect that an off-duty Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputy was working a security detail at Dillards when he observed the defendant shoplifting. The deputy made contact with the defendant outside of the store, and, while talking with him, the defendant opened his backpack where the deputy could see a pair of jeans inside the bag with the tags still on them. When the deputy attempted to detain the defendant, he fled on foot. The defendant was caught, arrested and a search of the defendant’s backpack yielded the stolen pair of pants with the size and price tags still attached and a 9-millimeter pistol.
The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions for burglary, robbery, and attempted burglary.
The defendant faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The case involved an investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 11, 2026, at 1:00 pm, in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Sex offender sentenced to 15 years for possessing nearly 10,000 sexually explicit videos and images of childrenRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 71-year-old Bacliff man has been ordered to federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material for the second time, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Wesley Joseph Slanina pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now sentenced Slanina to serve 186 months in federal prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release, during which time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.
At the hearing, the court held him accountable for possessing over 7,000 images and heard additional information that Slanina was previously convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material and using a government-issued laptop to access prohibited material. Slanina was further ordered to pay $71,000 in restitution to the victims and will also be ordered to re-register as a sex offender.
The investigation began in June 2019 when law enforcement discovered Slanina sharing multiple files containing child sexual abuse material using peer-to-peer software. The videos and images depicted children, including infants and toddlers, in various sexual acts.
On June 10, 2020, authorities executed a search warrant at his home and discovered and seized several electronic devices.
Forensic analysis of his personal computer and 129-gigabyte storage card resulted in the discovery of 2,503 videos and 7,172 images containing child sexual abuse material.
Slanina will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Leo, Amanda Alum and Michael Day prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Seven Sentenced in Homeland Security Task Force Drug CaseRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that in separate sentencings, seven men have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley for their roles in a large drug trafficking organization operating in Madison.
Keean Moore, 49, Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on May 22, 2026, to 11 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Moore pleaded guilty to the charge on February 27, 2026.
Jimmie Leuaxay, 33, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on May 28, 2026, to a total sentence of 15 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl and for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Leuaxay pleaded guilty to these charges on February 26, 2026. Leuaxay was also ordered to forfeit 16 guns, ammunition, and more than $26,000.
James Dubois, 31, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on May 28, 2026, to 66 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Dubois pleaded guilty to the charge on March 11, 2026.
James Land, 37, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on June 4, 2026, to 6 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The prison term will be followed by 4 years of supervised release. Land pleaded guilty to the charge on March 12, 2026.
Keean Moore Jr., 26, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on June 16, 2026, to 5 years in federal prison for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 4 years of supervised release. Moore Jr. pleaded guilty to the charges on March 24, 2026.
Travis Corrado, 46, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on June 17, 2026, to 5 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The prison term will be followed by 4 years of supervised release. Corrado pleaded guilty to the charge on March 24, 2026.
Shavarim Wicks, 48, Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on June 17, 2026, to 5 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The prison term will be followed by 4 years of supervised release. Wicks pleaded guilty to the charge on April 8, 2026.
In early 2024, law enforcement began investigating members of a drug trafficking organization operating in Dane County led by Jamar Purnell. During the investigation, officers worked with confidential informants to purchase significant quantities of drugs. Officers seized drugs and firearms during search warrants executed at residences and vehicles associated with the organization.
Wicks, Moore, and Leuaxay were identified as primary distributors for Purnell. They would deliver methamphetamine, heroin/fentanyl, and cocaine on behalf of Purnell. Wicks operated as Purnell’s primary distributor from early 2024 until his arrest on May 29, 2024.
On May 29, 2024, Wicks delivered 449 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of heroin/fentanyl to a confidential informant in Madison. Investigators arrested him later that day and searched the vehicle he was operating, finding 38 grams of heroin/fentanyl, 12 grams of cocaine, and $5,730 in U.S. currency, which included prerecorded buy money. Investigators also executed a search warrant at a residence in Madison where Wicks and Purnell trafficked drugs. There, investigators located 10,720 grams of methamphetamine and 166 grams of heroin/fentanyl.
On July 31, 2024, Moore delivered 549 grams of methamphetamine on behalf of Purnell to a confidential informant in Madison. On January 3, 2025, Moore delivered 454 grams of methamphetamine on behalf of Purnell to a confidential informant in Madison.
On September 12, 2024, Leuaxay delivered 446 grams of methamphetamine on behalf of Purnell to a confidential informant in Madison. On October 15, 2024, Leuaxay delivered 447 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Madison.
On March 18, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at Leuaxay’s residence in Madison and found seventeen firearms in the master bedroom. They also found 223 caliber ammunition, 357 ammunition, 45 caliber ammunition, and 9mm ammunition, 189 grams of cocaine, $26,225 in U.S. currency, and body armor.
Also on March 18, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at Moore’s residence in Madison and found 389 grams of methamphetamine, 226 grams of cocaine, 688 grams of marijuana, 22 caliber ammunition, and $2,000 in U.S. currency.
Dubois, Land, Corrado, and Moore Jr. were identified as drug distributors for the organization. Investigators attributed the following drug quantities obtained for further distribution: over 2,200 grams of methamphetamine and 190 grams of fentanyl for Dubois, over 1,300 grams of methamphetamine and 80 grams of fentanyl for Land, and over 1,100 grams of methamphetamine and 120 grams of fentanyl for Corrado.
Moore Jr. operated at the direction of his father, Moore. On August 9, 2024, Moore Jr. delivered 450 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Madison at the direction of Moore. On July 9, 2025, investigators arrested Moore Jr. on a federal arrest warrant. He was searched incident to his arrest and found in possession of a loaded Ruger .380 caliber pistol. Moore Jr. is a previously convicted felon and unable to legally possess a firearm.
Jamar Purnell, 49, Chicago, Illinois, was previously sentenced by Judge Conley to a total sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
A total of sixteen individuals were charged in connection with this drug trafficking organization. Treagir Sander, Kyle Haag, and Waylon Degenhardt have entered guilty pleas for their involvement and will be sentenced in the coming months. Alisha Lavine is scheduled for a plea hearing on July 14, 2026. Cases against Dajuea M. Purnell, William M. Marshall, Anthony E. Hohenstein, and Yasir W. Stackhouse are still pending, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charges against Moore, Leuaxay, Dubois, Land, Corrado, Wicks, and Moore Jr. were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Madison Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and Kathryn Ginsberg prosecuted this case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Program 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 federal 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.
Sells Man Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a ChildRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Mario JB Juan, 39 years old, of Sells, Arizona, pleaded guilty on June 26, to one count of Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 8, 2026, before United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez.
Juan admitted that in 2015, he knowingly engaged in sexual contact with the victim, who was under the age of 12 at the time. Juan was employed at the Head Start Program in Sells at the time.
A conviction for Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life.
Anyone with information regarding this defendant or who may have also been a victim of this defendant is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-01242-TUC-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-121_Juan# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Schenectady Man Sentenced for Possessions of Multiple Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
Schenectady Man Sentenced for Possessions of Multiple Illegal Firearms
ALBANY, NEW YORK –Steven Dunn, age 38 of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced on June 24, 2026 by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci to a total of 15 months in Federal Prison to be followed by a term of three years of supervised release. The sentence stems from his conviction to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Schenectady Police Department and the Rotterdam Police Department.
On January 21, 2025 Schenectady Police responded to a complaint for a suspicious vehicle. A search of defendant’s vehicle revealed a quantity of methamphetamine and a Mossberg 535 shotgun. Approximately 6 months later, a search warrant was conducted on his residence and another shotgun was recovered. Defendant is a convicted felon stemming from a prior Burglary conviction in Schenectady and is prohibited from possessing both firearms.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Thanks to the dedication of our partners at the Schenectady Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, this defendant is no longer a threat to our streets. Mixing lethal narcotics and illegal firearms creates a volatile and unpredictable combination, and I thankful this investigation stopped Mr. Dunn before that volatility could harm the community.”
Schenectady Police Chief Brian Whipple stated: "This sentence is another example of what can be accomplished through the strong partnerships between the Schenectady Police Department, ATF, the United States Attorney's Office, and our law enforcement partners. We remain committed to proactively identifying those who illegally possess firearms, removing dangerous weapons from our streets, and holding offenders accountable. Every illegal firearm we recover has the potential to prevent violence, save lives, and spare another family from tragedy. We will continue using every tool and every partnership available to make Schenectady a safer community."ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo stated: “This defendant repeatedly demonstrated a blatant disregard for federal law by illegally possessing firearms despite being prohibited from doing so as a convicted felon. Every illegal firearm recovered represents a potential act of violence prevented. Today’s sentence reflects the outstanding partnership between ATF NY Albany, the Schenectady Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, U.S. Marshals and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, whose collective efforts continue to hold violent offenders accountable and make our communities safer.”
Assistant United States Attorney Paul DerOhannesian handled the sentencing.Romanian National Sentenced for Money Laundering Scheme Involving Fake Vacation RentalsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Romanian National, Liviu Mihai Dumitru, 44, was sentenced to 48 months’ incarceration on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Dumitru created and ran a software platform from January 2016 to September 2023 that helped its users carry out online auction fraud and vacation rental fraud. The platform offered tools for producing ads, creating and managing invoices, and handling payments, all designed to support these fraudulent schemes.
Users of Dumitru’s platform, including Ionut-Razvan Sandu and Dumitru’s co-conspirator, Mihai Daniel Dan, posted fraudulent ads on sites like eBay, Craigslist, and Airbnb, advertising cars or vacation rentals that did not exist. They paid for access to Dumitru’s platform, which helped them generate fake ads, create spoofed websites that mimicked legitimate listing pages, and integrate payment mechanisms.
Once victims were persuaded the listings were real, the Users sent them convincing invoices generated through the platform. The platform also notified Users when victims submitted payment. Many victims were encouraged to pay in cryptocurrency. For a period of time, Dumitru’s platform helped create cryptocurrency addresses managed through Coinbase accounts registered under false identities.
Dumitru admitted to operating the platform for 99 months, and conceded at least 14,000 individuals were victimized through its use. If you feel that you have been victimized by this scheme, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/vacationrentalfraud and provide all available information to support your claim.
Mihai Dan, Dumitru’s co-defendant, is pending extradition in the United States.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Robert Holman, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistance was provided by the Romanian National Police (Service for Combating Cybercrime) and the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (Agency for Prosecuting Organized Crime). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Dieruf is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Randolph Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Randolph man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug trafficking and firearm charges, following a series of arrests targeting gangs in the Brockton and Randolph areas.
Jose Mendes, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy scheduled Mendes’s sentencing for Oct. 5, 2026. Federal complaints were unsealed against seven defendants charged with drug and firearm crimes in February 2026.
On Dec. 17, 2025, authorities executed search warrants at numerous residences and stash houses associated with the Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang and their Randolph-based affiliates. Two of the places searched were Mendes’s current and former residences in Randolph. In Mendes’s bedroom at each residence, loaded handguns and over 100 pressed blue pills containing fentanyl were found. One of the firearms was a Glock pistol with a machinegun conversion device attached and an extended magazine. Also found was cocaine and methamphetamine in one of the bedrooms. In a basement living room, various items commonly used in large-scale drug trafficking, such as a kilogram press device, a respirator mask, digital scales, plastic bags and bottles of cutting powder were located.
Guns and drug trafficking materials found at one of Mendes’s residences
The charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, supervised release for at least three years and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, supervised release for up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000. 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Division; the Abington, Acushnet, Ashland, Boston, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Chelsea, East Bridgewater, Medford, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Stoughton, Taunton and West Bridgewater Police Departments; Plymouth and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments; Massachusetts Department of Correction; and the Plymouth, Norfolk and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Cutshall and Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Priest on administrative leave arrested, charged with receipt and possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jeffrey Nowak, 46, of Lackawanna, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
According to the criminal complaint, in August 2019, the defendant, a priest in the Diocese of Buffalo, was placed on administrative leave as an investigation was conducted following allegations of inappropriate contact with children and harassment of a seminarian. In December 2019, an email address linked to Nowak, [email protected], was identified as an address that accessed a New Zealand cloud-based digital storage and file-hosting website/application, which contained photos and videos files of sexually exploited children. In May 2021, the FBI conducted an investigation, executing a search warrant for the email address [email protected], however, no child pornography was found, and the investigation was closed in July 2023.
In late 2025, the FBI Criminal Division’s Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Section, Child Exploitation Operational Unit (CEOU), received a referral from law enforcement located in Scotland related to a Telegram group whose members participated in group Zoom calls during which members were observed viewing and sharing child pornography. Investigators linked one of the participants to the username PigBoy666, which was later identified as Nowak. As a result, the investigation into Nowak was re-opened by FBI Buffalo in March 2026.
On July 8, 2026, a search warrant was executed at Nowak’s residence, during which investigators seized multiple electronic devices, including a cell phone, laptop, iPad, a USB storage device, and suspected narcotics. An initial review of the electronics, including the USB storage device, recovered several folders containing videos of child pornography.
“Defendants like Jeffrey Nowak go to great lengths, and in this case great distances, to hide their criminal behavior,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “Once in a position of trust, Nowak hid behind a keyboard and took part in the tragic exploitation of one of society’s most vulnerable populations, our children. Nowak has now been exposed and can no longer hide and will be held accountable for his disgraceful behavior.”
“Crimes involving the receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material are among the most disturbing offenses the FBI investigates. It is especially troubling when the crime is allegedly committed by a trusted leader of faith,” said Allen D. Davis II, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. “Criminals who receive, possess, or distribute this material fuel the continued exploitation of innocent children. No position of trust, title, or status will shield anyone from accountability. FBI Buffalo, and our law enforcement partners, will continue to protect innocent children, identify child predators, and bring offenders to justice.”
Nowak will make an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer on July 9, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis II, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Robbing a Kensington Pharmacy at GunpointRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Michael Nixon, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 264 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for the gunpoint robbery of a pharmacy in the city’s Kensington section.
In March of this year, the defendant was convicted at trial of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, arising from the armed robbery.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on December 22, 2021, shortly before 6 p.m., Nixon forced a pharmacy employee (“Victim #1”) back into the store, as Victim #1 was attempting to get to their car. Once inside the pharmacy, Nixon demanded access to the store’s controlled substances safe and told Victim #1 to put the narcotics from the safe into plastic bags. As Victim #1 did so, Nixon repeatedly pointed a black firearm at them and urged them to hurry up. Once the defendant had the bottles of drugs, he exited the store, ran to a waiting blue Dodge Charger, and got into a passenger seat.
Nearby Philadelphia Police Department (“PPD”) Narcotics Strike Force (“NSF”) officers observed Nixon flee the store and enter the vehicle. At that time, the NSF officers attempted to stop the Charger, but the vehicle sped off and led police on a high-speed pursuit through the city. During the vehicle pursuit, PPD officers saw what appeared to be medicine bottles being thrown from the vehicle.
Following a minor vehicle accident at the 3100 block of Janney Street in Philadelphia, both Nixon and the driver of the vehicle were taken into police custody.
PPD officers went back to the route of travel and recovered multiple bottles of controlled substances, specifically alprazolam tablets and one partially broken bottle containing methylphenidate hydrochloride tablets, which matched the substances stolen from the pharmacy.
This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Stram and Justin Oshana.
Peru Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Dex Dilan Willard, Jr., 38 years old, of Peru, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Willard was sentenced to 46 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release. Restitution is deferred until the restitution hearing on September 29, 2026.
“The Defendant will serve nearly four years in the Bureau of Prisons and five years of supervised release thereafter for possessing video portraying child sexual abuse involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years of age. Possession of child pornography is not a victimless crime, as a child was violated during its creation. Possessors of such deviant material continue to harm the innocent child victim into perpetuity, so long as the porn exists and they create a deplorable black market for the evil material. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Indiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew A. Krumwied and former Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones. Our children are safer because of their efforts,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew A. Krumwied and former Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Pensacola Fentanyl Traffickers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Thomas Christopher Morton, 47, and Laurie Ann Chapman, 54, both of Pensacola, Florida, were each sentenced to five years in federal prison. Morton was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and three counts of distribution of fentanyl. Chapman was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “President Donald J. Trump designated fentanyl as a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ because that’s exactly what it has been shown to be, leaving death and devastation in its wake. Anyone caught trafficking this poison will be aggressively prosecuted by my office.”
Court records indicate that Morton and Chapman were the targets of a multi-month joint agency investigation. During that time, law enforcement conducted surveillance and documented multiple instances of both defendants distributing fentanyl. The investigation concluded on May 29, 2025, when officers conducted a traffic stop and found the defendants in possession of more than 100 grams of fentanyl intended for a prearranged sale.
“Every time our dedicated agents and law enforcement partners seize fentanyl we save lives,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, Tampa Field Division. “Fentanyl traffickers remain DEA’s top priority.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Oneida County Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Distribution, Receipt, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Patrick Weaver, age 36, of Waterville, New York, pled guilty in federal court yesterday to distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone.
As part of his plea, Weaver, who is a registered sex offender because of a prior conviction related to child pornography, admitted that in July of 2025 he used an internet-based messaging application installed on his cell phone to receive from and distribute to other users of the application numerous images and videos of child pornography. Weaver also admitted that in February of 2026, he possessed additional images and videos images and videos of child pornography on another cell phone.
“This defendant’s disturbing conduct continued even after he was first caught and convicted,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “Day in and day out, members of law enforcement—especially the Special Agents at Homeland Security Investigations—work tirelessly to track, investigate, and build cases against child predators like Mr. Weaver. I am grateful for their relentless efforts, and I am proud that our office was able to secure a plea that will keep this defendant away for many years.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Patrone stated: “Patrick Weaver’s guilty plea exposes the grave conduct of a repeat sex offender who again chose to distribute, receive, and store images and videos documenting the sexual abuse of children. By uncovering and disrupting his use of online platforms to fuel this exploitation, HSI has helped protect vulnerable victims and reinforced the safety of our community. Together with our law enforcement partners, HSI Syracuse remains firmly committed to pursuing offenders who target children, wherever they operate and however many times they attempt to reoffend.”
Because of Weaver’s prior conviction, the distribution and receipt charges against him carry a term of imprisonment between 15 and 40 years while the possession charge carries a term of imprisonment between 10 and 20 years. Each count carries a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Weaver will also be required to continue registering as a sex offender upon his release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Sentencing is currently scheduled for October 29th, 2026, in Syracuse, New York before United States District Judge Elizabeth C. Coombe.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from the NYSP Computer Crimes Unit (CCU). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Norfolk men sentenced to prison for drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk narcotics dealer and his supplier have been sentenced to prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents, William Deshaun Martin, 48, was a source of supply for Jaquan Deshaune Johnson, 29. During March and April of 2025, law enforcement investigators conducted a series of controlled purchases of cocaine base, powder cocaine, and hydrocodone pills at a hair salon and Johnson’s apartment, both in Norfolk. During one of the transactions, Johnson travelled to Martin’s residence to pick up the narcotics. During another transaction, Martin travelled to Johnson’s apartment to deliver the narcotics.
On April 28, 2025, investigators searched Martin’s residence and recovered a firearm, a 10-round magazine, various ammunition, marijuana, $1,666, and a digital scale. Investigators also recovered 21.73 grams of cocaine hydrochloride and 15.63 grams of cocaine base.
Johnson was sentenced yesterday to three years and four months in prison. Martin was sentenced on June 4 to six years in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, and the Norfolk Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Pham prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-142.
Nihilistic Violent Extremist Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison in San AntonioRead the Press Release
A San Antonio-based member of a Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) group related to the 764 network was sentenced today to 40 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and to pay $10,000 in restitution for racketeering activity and multiple acts relating to the sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, Alexis Aldair Chavez, also known as Zack and Zack8884, 19, was an administrator and online leader of the ‘8884’ network, which is a network related to 764. These NVEs share accelerationist goals that include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. Government. Members of 8884 work in concert with one another towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors.
NVEs engage in criminal conduct within the United States and abroad, in furtherance of political, social, or religious goals that derive primarily from a hatred of society at large and a desire to bring about its collapse by sowing indiscriminate chaos, destruction, and social instability. NVEs demand, coerce, and extort victims to engage in variety of violent conduct, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder.
“Chavez’s crimes reveal the ruthless exploitation and manipulation at the core of NVE groups,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “These organizations target children as part of their broader mission to spread terror. These groups ultimately seek nothing less than the destruction of our society. NSD will use every resource at its disposal to identify and prosecute 764-linked criminality and to protect the most innocent among us from these predators.”
“What Alexis Chavez and other members of these Nihilistic Violent Extremist groups have done to the vulnerable children they target is among the most disturbing conduct this office has prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Parents need to know what their children are doing online and must stay engaged, ask difficult questions, and not fall into the trap of believing their child is “just playing games” or “just talking with their friends.” There is darkness present within many people in this world that want nothing more than to see the United States and western civilization fail. There is no limit to the actions these individuals will take to accomplish that goal, including torturing and abusing children. Regardless of one’s inherent motivations, our office and our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels investigate and prosecute these cases with absolute dedication because protecting our children is not just a priority; it is the priority.”
“Nothing is more abhorrent than those who prey on children and other vulnerable members of our society and this defendant will pay a steep price for doing just that,” said Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI has made it a high priority to identity and arrest Nihilistic Violent Extremists who coerce juveniles into horrific acts of self-harm. We will never let up on our efforts and will continue working closely with our Justice Department partners to ensure these predators are held accountable.”
“This sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering resolve to identify, hunt down, investigate, and prosecute criminals like Chavez who prey on children through violent online networks, including 764, and orchestrate horrific, unspeakable acts of exploitation and violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “These predators use social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, chat rooms, and video services to groom vulnerable children. Staying engaged in your child's online life, maintaining open communication, recognizing the warning signs, and reporting suspicious online activity to law enforcement are critical to stopping these offenders. Learn more at: PSA. The FBI will use every lawful authority at our disposal to dismantle these criminal networks and hold offenders accountable because no child should ever become the next victim of these predators.”
On or about October 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator attempted to have a minor female kill herself in a video chat by overdosing on pills. The two conspirators recorded the attempted suicide to obtain “content” that would allow them to maintain and increase their status within 8884. Approximately two months later, Chavez and the minor female victim worked together to coerce a female located overseas to strip naked on camera, cut herself, and engage in sexual acts. They also extorted another female by forcing the victim to cut the name “Zack” into herself.
Around Dec. 29, 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator coerced another minor female to cut her tongue as well as torture and kill a cat on a live video call. That same month, Chavez and another co-conspirator worked together to groom and extort several other minor females. In one instance, the two conspirators coerced a female victim to light her arm on fire and have the fire burn through her skin and deeper into her body, while on a recorded video chat within the 8884 channel. They also groomed another minor female victim, forcing her to drink her own urine and attempt to overdose on unknown pills.
On or about Jan. 23, 2024, Chavez and a co-conspirator threatened and coerced a minor female victim to engage in sexually obscene activities and other egregious acts. He was arrested on Oct. 24, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2025, to one count of racketeering, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
The FBI San Antonio Field Office investigated the case with assistance from FBI Washington Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Bill Harris for the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department remains vigilant against the threat of Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) networks, like 764, that operate within the United States and around the globe. NVEs often target vulnerable individuals, including minors, using social media platforms to share CSAM and gore material, and groom victims toward committing acts of violence. Victims are often extorted, coerced, compelled, and blackmailed into complying with NVE demands, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder. For more information on how to protect children and others, read about the online risks here: Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI and the FBI’s March 2025 public service announcement.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
New York Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NICOLAS BROWN, also known as “Breezy,” 30, of New York, New York, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 180 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on multiple occasions in March 2024, Brown arranged Uber trips to pick up one to three teenage girls, two of whom were under the age of 18, from a state-run group home in Connecticut and deliver them to him at various Connecticut hotels and shopping malls where he engaged in sexual conduct with one of the minor victims. On one occasion, an Uber trip that Brown arranged took the two minors to meet him at the Bridgeport train station. Brown and the two minors traveled to Manhattan, and then to a hotel in South Hackensack, New Jersey, where they stayed for several days.
On March 20, 2024, Brown was located at a hotel in Danbury and arrested on state charges. An iPhone seized from Brown at the time of his arrest revealed videos depicting child sex abuse, including videos that that he took engaging in sexual conduct with a minor victim.
Brown has been detained since his state arrest. On December 20, 2024, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography and one count of possessing and accessing with intent to view child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Hartford Police Department, and the Danbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Lembo.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Danbury for its cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to over a Decade in Prison for Drug-Trafficking and Machinegun PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – BRANDON DUNN (“DUNN”), age 20, was sentenced on July 8, 2026 by U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to 11.5 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $300 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846, and possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2) announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, since at least 2023, DUNN sold marijuana and tapentadol in the New Orleans area. On May 9, 2024, New Orleans Police Department Officers were surveilling DUNN’s residence. DUNN arrived in a stolen Infinity Q60 and exited the driver’s seat of the vehicle. When DUNN saw the officers, he fled on foot and discarded a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device and an extended magazine loaded with 25 rounds of ammunition. DUNN was apprehended after a short chase. There was a distributable quantity of marijuana in DUNN’s stolen car and DUNN had over $1,000 cash in his pockets. Inside DUNN’s bedroom, officers recovered a money counter, over $15,000 in cash, a Romarm/Cugir Model Micro Draco, 7.62x39millimeter semi-automatic pistol, credit cards in other people’s names, and a washed check.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The 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.
New Orleans Man Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ANDRE BELL (“BELL”), age 38, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 8, 2026 by United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to 78 months’ imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and $400.00 in mandatory special assessment fees, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, two counts of distribution of heroin and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on April 14, 2025, Special Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms identified a co-conspirator as a trafficker of narcotics and firearms and made three controlled purchases from him. On each occasion, BELL supplied the narcotics and firearms that the co-conspirator sold to the buyers.
On August 3, 2023, the co-conspirator arranged a sale of heroin to an individual he believed was a legitimate buyer and indicated BELL would deliver the substance. A meeting place was set, and the co-conspirator met with individuals he thought were legitimate buyers, in their vehicle. Shortly thereafter, BELL arrived and provided 14.07 grams of heroin and fentanyl to the co-conspirator who distributed the drugs to the buyers.
On August 8, 2023, an individual the defendant believed to be a legitimate buyer negotiated the purchase of a half-ounce of cocaine and one ounce of fentanyl from the co-conspirator. At the meeting place, the co-conspirator provided the buyer with 12.95 grams of cocaine and informed the buyer that BELL was delivering the fentanyl. BELL then arrived and provided a half-ounce of fentanyl to the co-conspirator who then distributed the fentanyl to the buyer.
On August 11, 2023, the co-conspirator arranged a sale of a firearm to an individual he believed to be a legitimate buyer. At the meeting place, the co-conspirator delivered to the buyer a “ghost gun, a firearm that is not serialized making it difficult to trace. The ghost gun was provided to the co-conspirator by BELL.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
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Mexican national sentenced to 6 months in prison for illegal reentry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Mexican citizen who was in the country illegally after having been removed three times before was sentenced Tuesday to six months in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Rogelio Hernandez-Olivares, 45, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Hernandez-Olivares was in the United States illegally after having been removed once in 2009 and twice more in March and October of 2025. On Jan. 20, 2026, Border Patrol agents encountered Hernandez-Olivares during a traffic stop in Rocker. Hernandez-Olivares initially gave authorities a false name but admitted to being in the country illegally. Hernandez-Olivares was later correctly identified and law enforcement learned he had been removed from the country three times before.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
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.
Metropolis man sentenced to 63 months for attempted possession and distribution of fentanylRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a Metropolis man to 63 months of federal imprisonment after he admitted to attempting to possess with intent to distribute over 54 grams of fentanyl.
Jason J. Gallo, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl in February. Following imprisonment, Gallo will serve four years of supervised release. The district court also assessed a $1,500.00 fine.
“Fentanyl is incredibly dangerous and continues to threaten our communities, said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who choose to traffic this lethal drug will be held accountable.”
Between March and April 2024 law enforcement intercepted two packages of fentanyl pills being delivered from California to Gallo’s residence in Metropolis. According to court documents, on or about April 10, 2024, in Massac County, Gallo attempted to possess with the intent to distribute approximately 54 grams of fentanyl.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate those utilizing the U.S. Mail for illicit activities, including the distribution of narcotics. Today’s sentencing reflects the diligent investigative work by Postal Inspectors, and our law enforcement partners,” said Inspector in Charge, Nicholas Bucciarelli, who leads the Chicago Division, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office.
“Intercepting this fentanyl is another victory in stopping illegal drugs from reaching and harming our communities,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP is committed to combatting drug trafficking and will continue to focus on this crime that destroys lives.”
The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation with support from the Metropolis Police Department and the Illinois State Police’s Southern Illinois Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Sanders prosecuted the case.
Memphis Gynecologist Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Adulterating Medical Devices and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – In January of this year, Sanjeev Kumar, 45, was found guilty by a federal jury of 18 counts of adulteration of medical devices, 16 counts of misbranding medical devices, and 6 counts of health care fraud. Today, on July 8, 2026, Kumar was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman to 240 months in prison with two years of supervised release. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, “This defendant used his medical license to target a vulnerable population of women seeking treatment in extremely personal and intimate procedures. He was motivated by greed, disregarded clear medical risks, and caused significant physical and psychological harm to his victim-patients. No punishment is enough to achieve justice in this horrific case, but we hope that this 20-year sentence will send a strong message of deterrence while holding Kumar accountable for his crimes."
Evidence presented at the trial demonstrated that Kumar was a Mayo-trained gynecologic oncologist who operated Poplar Avenue Clinic, a women’s health clinic in Memphis, Tennessee. The hysteroscopy with biopsy is an in-office procedure where a hysteroscope is inserted into the vagina, pushed through the cervix, and into the uterus. A grasper or pipelle is then inserted through the hysteroscope to take a sample of the endometrial lining of the uterus. The procedure is used to diagnose endometrial cancer. The FDA cleared several single use hysteroscopes and graspers, as well as reusable hysteroscopes to complete these procedures. The single use devices were to be used once and then discarded. To correctly disinfect the devices cleared for reprocessing, Kumar had to strictly follow manufacturer instructions.
Kumar routinely failed to subject the reusable devices to vital reprocessing steps between patient use thereby endangering patient safety. The single use devices, even if they had been correctly reprocessed, had to be labeled as such; and Kumar did not label them. Kumar used adulterated medical devices in more than 15,000 hysteroscopy with biopsy procedures on Medicare and Medicaid patients between September of 2019 and April of 2024.
Kumar purchased less than 200 new hysteroscopes and 3 of the 6 single use graspers of a certain type he purchased in 2019 were still in use in the office in April 2024. Thousands of women were subjected to hysteroscopies with biopsy using the dirty devices.
"Today's sentencing demonstrates that healthcare providers who seek to unjustly enrich themselves by using adulterated medical devices on unsuspecting patients will be held accountable to the highest extent of the law," said Special Agent in Charge Juan Berrios, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. "We will continue to investigate and bring to justice providers who put profits over patient safety."
“Today’s sentencing underscores the serious harm posed by a physician who repeatedly violated the trust his patients placed in him. By performing thousands of invasive procedures with adulterated devices and billing Medicare and Medicaid for unsafe care, Dr. Kumar put vulnerable women at significant risk while diverting critical taxpayer resources for his own gain,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to ensure that those who forsake patient safety for profit are held fully accountable.”
Kumar billed more than $41 million for the hysteroscopy with biopsy procedures between September 2019 and April 2024. He netted more than $4.8 million for this procedure from Medicare and Medicaid alone. That amount does not include any hysteroscopy with biopsy procedures performed on patients with private health care insurance.
A separate hearing to determine restitution has been set on October 2, 2026.
"Dr. Kumar put profit ahead of patient safety," said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "As a physician, he had a duty to protect the health and well-being of the patients who placed their trust in him. Instead, he endangered thousands by reusing single-use medical devices in pursuit of financial gain. This sentence reflects the seriousness of that betrayal and is a victory for patient safety, the integrity of our healthcare system, and the taxpayers who ultimately bear the cost of healthcare fraud. Together with our partners, the FBI will continue to hold accountable fraudsters who choose greed over their patients' health."
“Patients deserve to know they can trust the professionals caring for them,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “With today’s sentencing, this provider is being held fully accountable for the harm caused by putting his own financial interests ahead of the people he was trusted to care for. I’m proud of the work of our team at TBI and all our partners who helped bring this case to its conclusion. We remain committed to holding individuals accountable when they prey on the very individuals they’re supposed to protect.”
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum, Scott Smith, and Sarah Pazar Williams prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a Federal Officer and Failing to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Cedric E. Cundiff, age 68, of Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court on June 29th, 2026, to assaulting a federal officer, failing to register as a sex offender, and committing a crime of violence while failing to register as a sex offender.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division Craig Tremaroli, and Christopher Amoia, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of New York made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Cundiff admitted that in June 2025, Cundiff was charged in Suffolk Superior Criminal Court in Massachusetts with multiple felony offenses, including armed robbery. He was released pending trial, but failed to appear in court as required in August 2025, which resulted in a warrant being issued for his arrest. Cundiff admitted that in approximately September 2025, he moved from Massachusetts to Syracuse, because he did not want authorities to know where he was living. The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force for the Northern District of New York was asked to assist in efforts to arrest Cundiff. On January 29, 2026, members of the Task Force went to an apartment in Syracuse after receiving information that Cundiff may be staying there. Cundiff further admitted that when Task Force members knocked on the apartment door, he answered the door and falsely told them that his name was William, before shutting the door and fleeing to a rear bedroom of the apartment. As Cundiff admitted, when Task Force members entered the apartment to apprehend him, he took efforts to prevent officers from opening the bedroom door. When a Task Force member attempted to open the bedroom door, Cundiff slashed the Task Force member’s hand with a knife, which caused multiple lacerations and a fractured finger. Cundiff also admitted that as a result of a 2005 Massachusetts conviction for aggravated rape, he was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and further, that he knowingly failed to register when he changed his residence to New York.
“This case underscores how lenient bail restrictions put the public and law enforcement at risk, this defendant should never have been released in the first place,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “While released pending trial, Mr. Cundiff believed he could evade justice by fleeing to another state, but thanks to the diligent work of the U.S. Marshals Service, he was quickly located and arrested, where he violently resisted, slashing an officer with a knife. This guilty plea ensures he is held behind bars where he can no longer continue to reoffend.”
Christopher Amoia, Acting U.S. Marshal stated, “The guilty plea entered by Cedric Cundiff holds him accountable for not only failing to meet his legal obligation to register as a sex offender, but also for the violent actions he took while attempting to evade arrest. Individuals who disregard registration requirements and resort to violence against law enforcement officers pose a significant threat to public safety. The United States Marshals Service remains steadfast in its commitment to locating and apprehending violent fugitives, protecting communities, and supporting our law enforcement partners in bringing dangerous offenders to justice.
“Mr. Cundiff’s violent attack illustrates the risks our law enforcement partners face every day while protecting our communities. The FBI’s response should send a clear message that anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer carrying out their duties risks spending decades in federal prison like Mr. Cundiff,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli, Albany FBI.Under the plea agreement, the defendant will serve a sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of 5 years, and be required to pay restitution to the victim of the offense.
Sentencing is currently scheduled for October 27th 2026, before Chief Judge Brenda K. Sannes.
FBI and U.S. Marshals Service are investigating the case, with the assistance of the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Adrian S. LaRochelle are prosecuting the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A Maryland man was sentenced today in connection with charges stemming from his attempt to join and fight for ISIS.
U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Michael Sam Teekaye Jr., 22, to 15 years in prison followed by lifetime supervised release, for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Teekaye revealed his plan to join and fight for ISIS to an undercover officer (UCO).
“Mr. Teekaye sought to support a foreign terrorist organization that has committed unspeakable acts of violence and took real-world steps to carry out a terrorist attack in Maryland,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O’Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Today’s sentence underscores that those who seek to aid terrorist organizations will be identified, prosecuted, and held fully accountable. I commend the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law-enforcement partners for their exceptional work in disrupting this threat and protecting our communities before any harm could occur. There is no margin for error when it comes to terrorism.”
“This sentencing reinforces the gravity of Michael Teekaye’s crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Undoubtedly, lives were saved because law enforcement thwarted Teekaye’s plan to join ISIS and murder Americans. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force works around the clock to protect our country by identifying threats like this and preventing them from being carried out and harming our citizens.”
According to court documents, between March and April 2023, Teekaye engaged in multiple conversations with the UCO. During these conversations, Teekaye told the UCO he wanted to travel to Africa to join ISIS as a “mujahid,” or fighter. Teekaye also told the UCO that his “plan B” was to carry out an attack in the United States against Jews and people who support Israel. He said that he researched buildings close to him that support Israel and thought about how to “gun down key members or anyone involved.”
On three occasions in May and June of 2024, Teekaye purchased ammunition and range time at a shooting range in Severn, Maryland, which he later told the UCO was part of his “training.” Then in July 2024, Teekaye attempted to purchase a Kalashnikov K-9 9mm assault rifle, but since Teekaye was on probation in a state criminal case, the purchase was denied.
Between August and October 2024, Teekaye told the UCO that he engaged with a Somali ISIS fighter regarding his plans to travel to Somalia to join ISIS. Teekaye explained that he would first fly to Turkey, then travel to Ethiopia, and then cross the border into Somalia. He sent the UCO screenshots of an Ethiopian e-Visa he obtained from the ISIS fighter. On Oct. 4, Teekaye told the UCO that he received airline tickets from the ISIS fighter. He also sent the UCO screenshots of his travel itinerary showing that he planned to depart from Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) on Oct. 14, and fly to Istanbul, Turkey, with a layover in London.
Then on Oct. 10, Teekaye sent the UCO a photo of himself wearing a black mask and holding a large machete, and he added, “Victory or shahada [i.e., martyrdom] … either you do it here or over there or both.” On Oct. 11, the UCO asked whether Teekaye was “sure” he wanted to join ISIS. Teekaye responded that he was “sure” because he had done “a lot of research” and “they are the only group that has the most true and sincere intentions.”
On Oct. 14, FBI agents arrested Teekaye at BWI after he checked in for his flight and proceeded through security. After his arrest, Teekaye made the following unprovoked statements, among others: “I’m just gonna get out in 20 years and I’m just gonna do it here. Okay? Okay? It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I’ll just do it here then, when I get out.” He then made reference to a recent attack in which ISIS prison inmates killed four Russian penal colony guards, and threatened to kill a guard while in prison. He continued: “You think 20 years is something? I’ll be like 40 when I get out, then I’ll just do it. I don’t care. It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I’ll come and I’ll kill your soldiers. I’ll kill you, and I’ll kill . . . .” While making these statements, Teekaye kicked and spat on one of the arresting agents.
Following Teekaye’s arrest, the FBI searched his cell phone pursuant to a search warrant. The cell phone showed that he conducted multiple searches for specific Jewish and Israeli individuals and organizations in Howard County. Additionally, law enforcement discovered that Teekaye conducted searches about “how to break into a home” and “how to escape murder.” One of these individuals, a rabbi, submitted a victim-impact statement. The rabbi also spoke at the sentencing, detailing how Teekaye’s crime impacted him and the Jewish community.
On Oct. 24, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Maryland returned an indictment charging Teekaye with one count of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization (i.e., ISIS), and one count of assaulting a federal officer. Teekaye pled guilty to the first count on January 30, 2026.
After Teekaye entered his guilty plea, and before he was sentenced, guards discovered two homemade weapons in Teekaye’s jail cell, including a large knife, as pictured below:
Image of homemade knife in Teekaye's cell.U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI Baltimore Field Office for its work in the investigation and praised the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with the FBI’s Newark and Richmond Field Offices and New York Police Department, for their valuable assistance.
The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman for the District of Maryland with the assistance of Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man learned his fate in federal court, today, in connection with charges stemming from his attempt to join and fight for ISIS.
U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Michael Sam Teekaye, Jr., 22, to 15 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Teekaye, who pled guilty to the charges in January 2026, unknowingly revealed his plan to join and fight for ISIS to an undercover officer (UCO).
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.
“Mr. Teekaye sought to support a foreign terrorist organization that has committed unspeakable acts of violence and took real-world steps to carry out a terrorist attack in Maryland,” Hayes said. “Today’s sentence underscores that those who seek to aid terrorist organizations will be identified, prosecuted, and held fully accountable. I commend the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law-enforcement partners for their exceptional work in disrupting this threat and protecting our communities before any harm could occur. There is no margin for error when it comes to terrorism.”
“This sentencing reinforces the gravity of Michael Teekaye’s crimes. Undoubtedly, lives were saved because law enforcement thwarted Teekaye’s plan to join ISIS and murder Americans,” Paul said. “The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force works around the clock to protect our country by identifying threats like this and preventing them from being carried out and harming our citizens.”
According to court documents, between March and April 2023, Teekaye engaged in multiple conversations with the UCO. During these conversations, Teekaye told the UCO he wanted to travel to Africa to join ISIS as a “mujahid,” or fighter. Teekaye also told the UCO that his “plan B” was to carry out an attack in the United States against Jews and people who support Israel. He said that he researched buildings close to him that support Israel and thought about how to “gun down key members or anyone involved.”
On three occasions, in May and June 2024, Teekaye purchased ammunition and range time at a shooting range in Severn, Maryland, which he later told the UCO was part of his “training.” Then in July 2024, Teekaye attempted to purchase a Kalashnikov K-9 9mm assault rifle, but since Teekaye was on probation in a state criminal case, the purchase was denied.
During conversations with the UCO, between August and October 2024, Teekaye told the UCO that he engaged with a Somali ISIS fighter regarding his plans to travel to Somalia to join ISIS. Teekaye explained that he would first fly to Turkey, then travel to Ethiopia, and then cross the border into Somalia. He sent the UCO screenshots of an Ethiopian e-Visa he obtained from the ISIS fighter. On Oct. 4, Teekaye told the UCO that he received airline tickets from the ISIS fighter. He also sent the UCO screenshots of his travel itinerary showing that he planned to depart from Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) on Oct. 14, and fly to Istanbul, Turkey, with a layover in London.
Then on Oct. 10, Teekaye sent the UCO a photo of himself wearing a black mask and holding a large machete, and he added, “Victory or shahada [i.e., martyrdom] … either you do it here or over there or both.” On Oct.11, the UCO asked whether Teekaye was “sure” he wanted to join ISIS. Teekaye responded that he was “sure” because he had done “a lot of research” and “they are the only group that has the most true and sincere intentions.” Then on Oct. 14, FBI agents arrested Teekaye at BWI after he checked in for his flight and proceeded through security.
After his arrest, Teekaye made the following unprovoked statements, among others: “I’m just gonna get out in 20 years and I’m just gonna do it here. Okay? Okay? It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I’ll just do it here then, when I get out.” He then referenced to a recent attack in which ISIS prison inmates killed four Russian penal colony guards, and he threatened to kill a guard while in prison. He continued, “You think 20 years is something? I’ll be like 40 when I get out, then I’ll just do it. I don’t care. It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I’ll come and I’ll kill your soldiers. I’ll kill you, and I’ll kill . . . .” While making these statements, Teekaye kicked and spat on one of the arresting agents.
Following Teekaye’s arrest, the FBI searched his cell phone pursuant to a search warrant. The cell phone showed that he conducted multiple searches for specific Jewish and Israeli individuals and organizations in Howard County. Additionally, law enforcement discovered that Teekaye conducted searches about “how to break into a home” and “how to escape murder.” One of these individuals, a rabbi, submitted a victim-impact statement. The rabbi also spoke at the sentencing, detailing how Teekaye’s crime impacted him and the Jewish community.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI Baltimore Field Office for its work in the investigation and praised the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with the FBI’s Newark and Richmond Field Offices and New York Police Department, for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman, who is prosecuting this case, with the assistance of Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat, DOJ’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Man Sentenced to 200 Months’ Imprisonment for Role in Large-Scale Methamphetamine and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Juan Carlos Felix, 47, the lead defendant in a large-scale drug trafficking case that involved an extensive undercover operation, was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment.
On November 18, 2025, Felix pleaded guilty for his role in an expansive methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking operation responsible for moving large quantities of narcotics from California into the Midwest.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating in September 2023 after learning that Felix was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine from California to states in the Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Investigators infiltrated Felix’s network, and from September 2023 through May 2024 an undercover officer coordinated nine controlled narcotics transactions with Felix that collectively contained nearly 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than a kilogram of fentanyl.
Felix was formerly convicted of transporting controlled substances in Los Angeles in both 2015 and 2019, serving two and five years in prison, respectively. And here, Felix was not simply a member of a large drug trafficking organization responsible for facilitating shipments of illicit narcotics. Rather, Felix supervised and directed the activities of multiple Midwest-based members of the trafficking operation, including directing co‑defendants to collect payments and conduct drug exchanges on his behalf.
“The scale of Juan Felix’s operation was staggering,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Had these drugs reached Minnesota, the impact would have been devastating. Yesterday’s sentencing reflects our commitment to safeguarding the people of Minnesota by keeping dangerous drugs off our streets.”
“Juan Carlos Felix, a known Sinaloa Cartel affiliate, was operating out of Minneapolis with a network that spanned several Midwest states,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “There is truly no portion of the country immune to the threat of these drug trafficking organizations and the fentanyl, methamphetamine and other deadly drugs they are moving into our communities. The DEA is committed to dismantling these organizations cell-by-cell as we work toward eliminating these threats from the heartland.”
“This case highlights the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to keeping our communities safe from the scourge of methamphetamines and fentanyl,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove. “Every day, Postal Inspectors work to protect the mail from being misused by criminals, including large scale Drug Trafficking Organizations. The sentence handed down today should serve as a reminder to other perpetrators that we remain vigilant, along with our law enforcement partners, to swiftly bring anyone who engages in this activity to justice.”
“Drug trafficking reaches far beyond those involved in the illegal drug trade,” said Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “Traffickers fuel addiction, which victimizes families and threatens the safety of entire communities. The outstanding work of our agents and law enforcement partners ensured that Mr. Felix can no longer prey on the people of the Iron Range and Duluth areas. Their dedication and commitment to protecting Minnesotans have made those communities safer today.”
“The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office is proud to have assisted our DEA partners in removing a repeat drug trafficker from our community, protecting our residents from the large quantities of dangerous narcotics he had spent time and effort transporting and distributing,” said Chief Deputy of Carlton County Sheriff’s Office Dan Danielson.
“This case reflects the strength of our partnerships across every level of law enforcement. Mr. Felix’s operation pushed significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities, and this sentence reflects the seriousness of that harm,” said Chief of Police of Cloquet Police Department Derek Randall. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal, state, and local partners for their relentless work to hold him accountable and keep these drugs off our streets.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, US Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, Cloquet Police Department, and other federal and local law enforcement partners.
Assistant United States Attorney Garrett S. Fields prosecuted this case.
Lynchburg Man Sentenced to More Than 23 Years on Fentanyl and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Lynchburg man, who distributed thousands of fentanyl pills, pounds of methamphetamine, and kilograms of cocaine, among other drugs, while possessing a firearm, was sentenced to 280 months in federal prison.
This investigation was brought as part of the revamped Project Safe Neighborhoods, a combined law enforcement initiative that aims to provide a rapid response to violent crime, conduct strategic federal, state, local, and tribal partnerships, and increase accountability and deterrence to promote public safety.
John Coleman, III, 35, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, and more than a half kilo of cocaine, one count of distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, one count of distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and one count of using a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes.
“This office will aggressively target fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine traffickers in the Western District of Virginia,” First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I commend the outstanding work of our DEA partners for their outstanding work on this.”
“This sentence is a true testament of the efforts made by federal, local, and state law enforcement agencies to combat violent and unscrupulous criminals who endanger our communities and affect the quality of life in our neighborhoods. We will not rest until we arrest and prosecute all of them. The communities belong to our people, not to the criminals,” commented Christopher Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Washington Division.
According to court documents, in 2024, Coleman was known to law enforcement as someone who sold marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine while possessing firearms. As a result, officers performed several controlled purchases of ounces of methamphetamine from Coleman in June and July 2024. Subsequently, Coleman was stopped by law enforcement after making a trip to Atlanta, Georgia to pick-up drugs. At the time of the traffic stop, Coleman was found to be in possession of 23 pounds of marijuana and a firearm. At that time, he was arrested and released on bond.
However, he continued to sell narcotics and law enforcement continued to investigate.
On September 30, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Coleman’s residence and found $47,711 in cash, an additional firearm, 1,004 grams of cocaine, 118 grams of fentanyl, approximately, 40 grams of Oxycodone, and almost 20 grams of MDMA.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Christopher Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Washington Division made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Lynchburg Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case.
Long Beach Man Sentenced to 26½ Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery Spree that Ended in Fatal Car Crash During Police PursuitRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach man was sentenced today to 318 months in federal prison for committing armed robberies of three Los Angeles County businesses in September 2023, a crime spree that ended in a high-speed police chase that resulted in the defendant hitting and killing an innocent bystander with a stolen car.
Kaelenn Sinaukoko Maea, 29, was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
Maea pleaded guilty in April 2025 to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of possessing, using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a short-barreled rifle in furtherance, and during and in relation to, a crime of violence.
According to his plea agreement, Maea and his accomplices committed three armed robberies during a one-week span in late September 2023: specifically, a Downey liquor store, a Compton gasoline station, and a South El Monte convenience store, netting a total of approximately $5,050 in stolen cash.
Inside the Downey liquor store, Maea discharged a short-barreled rifle. While inside the Compton gasoline station, he brandished a short-barreled rifle at an employee and stood in the doorway to prevent the customers or employees inside from escaping. He also brandished the rifle at the South El Monte convenience store.
On October 9, 2023, Maea drove a stolen Range Rover used in the latter two robberies and fled from law enforcement, driving recklessly and at a high rate of speed. Shortly after fleeing, Maea crashed the stolen getaway car into a civilian motorist, killing the victim. Nevertheless, he continued that dangerous flight, hitting even more cars and injuring another civilian motorist. Maea then fled on foot and hid underneath a house until law enforcement arrested him.
The three co-defendants charged in this case have pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges.
- Isaiah Villasana, 27, of Carson, is serving a 10-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in April 2025 to a firearms charge for holding a victim at gunpoint during the Downey liquor store robbery.
- Mathew Salanoa, 32, of Placentia, is serving a 49-month federal prison sentence for participating in the Compton robbery after pleading guilty in August 2025 to one count of Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy.
- Salagi Iakopo, 26, of Compton, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on August 19.
The FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter. The Los Angeles Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, and the Downey Police Department provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Major Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Ledyard Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JASON GIBSON, 46, of Ledyard, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2020, Gibson was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography and sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, suspended after 30 months, and 10 years of probation. He was released from state custody in January 2021. In April 2023, Gibson’s probation was revoked for violating the conditions of his release and he was sentenced to 90 months of incarceration, suspended after six months, and 94 months of probation. He was released from state custody in August 2023.
On March 6, 2024, state probation officers made a routine home visit to Gibson’s residence and seized an unapproved cellphone that also contained a dark web application. Subsequent analysis of the phone revealed more than 200 child sex abuse images and videos, and numerous text messages with links to access child pornography on the dark web. On April 2, 2025, probation officers made another home visit to Gibson’s residence and seized an external hard drive. Analysis of the hard drive revealed more than 18,000 images and 1,400 videos depicting child sex abuse. Gibson has been detained since that date.
Judge Williams ordered Gibson to pay a total of $181,500 in restitution to 24 victims depicted in the images and videos he possessed.
On January 13, 2026, Gibson pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. The penalties in this matter were enhanced because of Gibson’s prior state convictions.
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Town of Groton Police Department, the Watertown Police Department, the Westport Police Department, and the Connecticut Court Support Services Division – Adult Probation Services.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Las Cruces Teenager Sentenced for Shooting That Left Victim Permanently Paralyzed During RobberyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces teenager was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for shooting an 18-year-old victim during a robbery, leaving the victim permanently paralyzed.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 25, 2022, Matthew James Aguilar, who was 16 years old at the time, and two other individuals arranged to meet with the victim to purchase marijuana. During the transaction, Aguilar and the other individuals decided to rob the victim instead of paying for the marijuana. As the victim attempted to drive away, Aguilar fired multiple rounds from a firearm into the passenger side of the victim’s vehicle. One of the bullets struck the victim in the back, causing a collapsed lung and permanent paralysis. The victim, who was 18 years old at the time, suffered injuries that left him a quadriplegic.
After the shooting, Aguilar initially denied involvement when interviewed by law enforcement. Investigators later obtained social media messages in which Aguilar admitted he had shot and paralyzed someone while attempting to rob him. In subsequent jail calls, Aguilar again described shooting a drug dealer in the back and causing the victim’s paralysis.
“Protecting the public requires a criminal justice system that can respond appropriately to serious acts of violence, regardless of the offender’s age,” said F.A. United States Attorney Ryan Ellison. “Our office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice and use every available tool to address violent crime in New Mexico.”
"Violence in our communities is never justified, and we will continue working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold violent offenders accountable and keep our communities safe-regardless of the offender's age; said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. "This sentence reflects the unwavering commitment of law enforcement and prosecutors to pursue justice for victims and remove dangerous criminals from our neighborhoods. Together, we will continue using every available resource to protect the public and ensure those who resort to violence face the consequences of their actions."
“Today’s sentencing is the result of outstanding collaboration between the Las Cruces Police Department, the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office,” said Jeremy Story, Chief of the Las Cruces Police Department. “This offender committed serious acts of violence that endangered our community and devastated the lives of his victims. Today’s outcome demonstrates what can be accomplished when local and federal law enforcement work together with a shared commitment to justice.”
Aguilar was initially charged as a juvenile under the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act. He later agreed to be prosecuted and sentenced as an adult and pled guilty to Interference with Commerce by threats and violence. Upon his release from prison, Aguilar will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department and Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Devon Aragon Martinez prosecuted the case.
Instagram highlights from sentencing
Indian National Sentenced to 121 Months for Transportation and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On July 8, 2026, ASHISH KAPOOR, a/k/a “Romy Kapoor,” (“KAPOOR”) age 28, a national of India, was sentenced for Transportation of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(1), (a)(4)(B), (b)(1), and (b)(2), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, KAPOOR traveled from Bombay, India to New Orleans, Louisiana on or about February 21, 2024, with a cellular phone containing digital videos and computer images containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, on April 11, 2024, KAPOOR downloaded a video depicting the sexual abuse of a child from an Internet Protocol address at his residence in New Orleans. On December 20, 2024, Special Agents with the United States Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and officers with the New Orleans Police Department arrested KAPOOR. In a recorded statement, KAPOOR confessed that he had seen and received child pornography using Whatsapp on his cellular phone.
KAPOOR also admitted to possessing more than 600 images depicting the sexual abuse of minors and further admitted that these items contained sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced KAPOOR to one-hundred and twenty-one (121) months in prison, five (5) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.00. Judge Guidry also ordered KAPOOR to pay restitution in the amount of $3,000 to a victim. KAPOOR will also be required to register pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act upon release from prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Customs and Border Protection, and the New Orleans Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney and Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force Leader Maria M. Carboni of the Public Integrity Unit.
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Illegal alien living in Garland sentenced to federal prison as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigation for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – An illegal alien has been sentenced to over 11 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.
Nestor Molina Molina, also known as Chocoalte, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on July 8, 2026.
According to information presented in court, Molina Molina, a Mexican national illegally living in Garland, was part of a cartel affiliated drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine imported from Mexico into Dallas and the North Texas area. Molina Molina negotiated the sale and delivery of multiple kilogram quantities of crystal methamphetamine in the Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas. During the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Garland, agents discovered a methamphetamine conversion laboratory along with large amounts of methamphetamine in the conversion process.
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 William R. Tatum.
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Illegal alien and Guatemalan national extradited to U.S. admit to roles in 2021 alien smuggling mass casualty event in Chiapas, MexicoRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two foreign nationals have pleaded guilty to smuggling charges related to the crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens which resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. These two are part of a group of six who were charged in this case. Five have now admitted to their role in a conspiracy to bring illegal aliens from Guatemala into the United States.
Agapito Jorge Ventura, 34, an illegal alien from Guatemala, and Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, 26, a Guatemalan national extradited in 2025, acknowledged they conspired with other smugglers to transport illegal aliens, both adults and unaccompanied minors, from Guatemala through Mexico to the United States.
Aliens paid Ventura, Zavala Quino and their co-conspirators to be smuggled into the United States, with Ventura coordinating from the Houston area. During the previous administration’s policy to parole illegal aliens into the United States, Ventura also facilitated the release of Guatemalan aliens who were smuggled illegally into the United States from U.S. immigration authorities, to include unaccompanied minors. Ventura provided co-conspirators, including Zavala Quino, with falsified scripts and instructions to provide to adults and unaccompanied minors on what to say to immigration officials if apprehended to secure their release. Ventura would also provide a person who would falsely pose as a relative of the apprehended alien to gain the alien’s release.
On Dec. 9, 2021, Ventura, Zavala Quino and others arranged for the aliens they were smuggling to the United States to be loaded into a tractor trailer that was to transport them through Mexico. Over 150 illegal aliens, including adults and unaccompanied minors, were crammed into the trailer. The vehicle ultimately crashed north of the Guatemala/Mexico border near Tuxtla Guiterrez, Chiapas, Mexico, resulting in deaths and serious bodily injury.
“With today’s guilty pleas, five defendants charged in this case have now been held accountable for one of the deadliest human smuggling tragedies in recent memory,” stated Marck. “These defendants treated more than 150 people as cargo, packing them into a tractor-trailer for profit with total disregard for human life. The Southern District of Texas will continue to hunt down smugglers wherever they hide, because there is no place on earth safe enough to escape justice for the lives lost on that Chiapas roadside.”
“This crime shows that human smugglers care only about profiting from their crimes, not about the illegal aliens they transport and the life-and-death risks to which they expose them” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These defendants worked together to exploit vulnerable people by breaking the immigration laws of this country, with deadly consequences that followed. Robust border enforcement avoids deadly results like this. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue those who put profit over people and ensure our nation’s immigration laws are enforced.”
“This case underscores U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations’ relentless pursuit of transnational criminal organizations that profit from the exploitation of vulnerable individuals,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of HSI. “The guilty pleas of these defendants send a clear message: those who orchestrate and facilitate dangerous human smuggling operations — placing lives at grave risk — will be held accountable. HSI remains committed to working with our domestic and international partners to dismantle these criminal networks, protect our borders and uphold the rule of law.”
Ventura and Zavala Quino pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring and attempt to bring an illegal alien into the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injury and resulting in death. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has set sentencing for Oct. 6. At that time, all face up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Daniel Zavala Ramos, 42, Josefa Quino Canil de Zavala, 44, and Alberto Macario Chitic, 33, all of Guatemala, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges.
Canil De Zavala, Macario Chitic, Zavala Ramos, Zavala Quino and Tomas Quino Canil were extradited from Guatemala in 2025 to face charges. U.S. authorities arrested Ventura at his residence in Cleveland in December 2024.
HSI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office conducted the investigation in partnership with HSI Guatemala and HSI Mexico. Valuable assistance was provided by HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C.; HSI Houston; HSI Laredo; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s International Interdiction Task Force; U.S. Border Patrol; Liberty County Constable, Precinct 6; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. Guatemalan prosecutors from the Office of Public Ministry and Mexican prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Lou Castillo and Jennifer Day are prosecuting the case along with Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha, the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking cartels and transnational criminal organizations commit. A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s HRSP Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section; Office of International Affairs and Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is also 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 Mexico Charged by the District of Utah After Allegedly Possessing a Large Quantity of Fentanyl Powder in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging an illegal alien from Mexico with drug and immigration crimes after 171 grams of fentanyl powder was allegedly found in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
Martin Erubiel Algandar Castro, 25, who was found illegally in Salt Lake City, Utah, was charged by complaint on June 30, 2026.
According to court documents, on June 25, 2026, law enforcement stopped a Jeep Cherokee driven by Castro for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, a K-9 officer alerted positive for the presence of drugs and the vehicle was searched. In the vehicle, law enforcement located and seized approximately 171 grams of suspected fentanyl powder, which field-tested positive for fentanyl. During the search, law enforcement also located and seized $1,513 on Castro and several wire transfer receipts sending money to Mexico.
As alleged in court documents, a brief search of Castro’s phone revealed evidence of distribution. Additionally, Castro is not a citizen of the United States, and the government is unaware of any ties that Castro has to Utah and to the United States.
Castro is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for July 9, 2026, at 10:45 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Pete Reichman for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illegal Alien and Guatemalan National Extradited to the U.S. Admit to Roles in 2021 Alien Smuggling Mass Casualty Event in Chiapas, MexicoRead the Press Release
An illegal alien from Guatemala and a Guatemalan national have pleaded guilty to human smuggling charges related to the crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens which resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. These two defendants are part of a group of six who were charged in this case. Five of six defendants have now admitted to their role in a conspiracy to bring illegal aliens from Guatemala into the United States.
Agapito Jorge Ventura, 34, and an illegal alien from Guatemala, and Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, 26, a Guatemalan national extradited to the United States in 2025, acknowledged that they conspired with other smugglers to smuggle and transport illegal aliens, both adults and unaccompanied minors, from Guatemala through Mexico to the United States.
“This crime shows that human smugglers care only about profiting from their crimes, not about the illegal aliens they transport and the life-and-death risks to which they expose them” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These defendants worked together to exploit vulnerable people by breaking the immigration laws of this country, with deadly consequences that followed. Robust border enforcement avoids deadly results like this. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue those who put profit over people and ensure our nation’s immigration laws are enforced.”
“With today’s guilty pleas, five defendants charged in this case have now been held accountable for one of the deadliest human smuggling tragedies in recent memory,” said U.S. Attorney John E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “These defendants treated more than 150 people as cargo, packing them into a tractor-trailer for profit with total disregard for human life. The Southern District of Texas will continue to hunt down smugglers wherever they hide, because there is no place on earth safe enough to escape justice for the lives lost on that Chiapas roadside.”
“This case underscores U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) relentless pursuit of transnational criminal organizations that profit from the exploitation of vulnerable individuals,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of HSI. “The guilty pleas of these defendants send a clear message: those who orchestrate and facilitate dangerous human smuggling operations — placing lives at grave risk — will be held accountable. HSI remains committed to working with our domestic and international partners to dismantle these criminal networks, protect our borders, and uphold the rule of law.”
Aliens paid Ventura, Zavala Quino, and their co-conspirators to be smuggled into the United States, with Ventura coordinating from the Houston area. During the previous administration’s policy to parole illegal aliens into the United States, Ventura also facilitated the release of Guatemalan aliens who were smuggled illegally into the United States from U.S. immigration authorities, to include unaccompanied minors. Ventura provided his coconspirators, including Zavala Quino, with falsified scripts and instructions to provide to adults and unaccompanied minors on what to say to immigration officials if apprehended to secure their release. Ventura would also provide a person who would falsely pose as a relative of the apprehended alien to gain the alien’s release.
On Dec. 9, 2021, Ventura, Zavala Quino, and others arranged for the aliens they were smuggling to the United States to be loaded into a tractor trailer that was to transport them through Mexico. Over 150 illegal aliens, including adults and unaccompanied minors, were crammed into the trailer. The vehicle ultimately crashed north of the Guatemala/Mexico border near Tuxtla Guiterrez, Chiapas, Mexico, resulting in deaths and serious bodily injury.
Ventura and Zavala Quino pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring and attempt to bring an illegal alien to the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injury, and resulting in death. They will be sentenced on Oct. 6 and each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Daniel Zavala Ramos, Josefa Canil De Zavala, Alberto Macario Chitic, Tomas Quino Canil, and Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, were extradited from Guatemala in 2025 to face charges. Authorities arrested Jorge Agapito Ventura, 33, at his residence in Cleveland, Texas, in December 2024.
Zavala Ramos, 42, pleaded guilty on April 7. Canil De Zavala, 44, and Macario Chitic, 33, pleaded guilty on June 11.
HSI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office investigated the case in partnership with HSI Guatemala and HSI Mexico. Valuable assistance was provided by HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C.; HSI Houston; HSI Laredo; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s International Interdiction Task Force; U.S. Border Patrol; Liberty County Constable, Precinct 6; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants. Guatemalan prosecutors from the Office of Public Ministry and Mexican prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Lou Castillo and Jennifer Day for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is also 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 Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Luis Virgilio Hilario, a/k/a Virgilio Luis Hilario, a/k/a Virgilio Hilario, a/k/a Agustin Santiagocordovas, a/k/a Liuis Virgiliohilario, a/k/a Luis Hilario Virgilio, a/k/a Luis Hilario-Virgilio, a/k/a Luis Virgilio-Hilario, age 35, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Atoka County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Stringtown Police Department.
On May 5, 2026, Hilario pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, on March 27, 2026, Hilario, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on November 2, 2018, and July 20, 2018, and after previously being convicted of a felony.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Hilario will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Raciel Osorio Lopez, a/k/a Raciel Osoriolopez, a/k/a Raciel Osorio-Lopez, age 33, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Atoka, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Stringtown Police Department.
On April 28, 2026, Osorio Lopez pleaded guilty in federal district court. According to investigators, on March 27, 2026, Osario Lopez, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on April 28, 2015, August 19, 2015, and March 9, 2017.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.
Honduran National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Nearly $500,000 Home Depot Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Darwin Alberto Corea Calderon, 34, a Honduran national, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in carrying out a refund scheme and conspiracy that defrauded The Home Depot stores in North and South Carolina of nearly half a million dollars, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“Those who defraud retailers make prices higher for all of us,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Corea’s crimes were born out of greed, not necessity. This was a calculated scheme that he repeated over and over, and would continue to repeat, until federal law enforcement brought it to an end.”
According to court records, from 2022 to 2025, Corea conspired to conduct an extensive refund scheme against The Home Depot that caused the retailer to issue hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent refunds. Corea targeted more than a dozen Home Depot stores in the region, including stores in Charlotte, Cornelius, Gastonia, Kannapolis, Matthews, and Statesville, as well as stores in Rock Hill and Spartanburg, South Carolina. In total, the scheme defrauded Home Depot of more than $464,000. In addition to the refund scheme, Corea also committed theft by engaging in a skip-scanning scheme, in which he purposely failed to scan products at Home Depot’s self-checkout registers and walked out with them.
U.S. v. Corea - Corea at the Home Depot in Cornelius, North Carolina on June 14, 2023.
At today’s sentencing hearing, the government also presented evidence of Corea’s 2024 state felony larceny conviction in Cabarrus County for stealing power tools, a vacuum, and a microwave from Lowe’s Home Improvement.
Corea previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals until he is transferred to a federal facility upon placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. After serving his prison sentence, Corea will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation of the case and thanked The Home Depot for its invaluable assistance throughout the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Honduran National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that BELIN ANTONIO GONZALEZ-GARCIA, also known as Belin Garcia and Belin Gonzalez, 39, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with illegal reentry of a removed alien.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in October 2009, Gonzalez-Garcia, under the name Belin Gonzalez, was convicted in Connecticut state court of assault in the first degree and sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment, suspended after seven years, and three years of probation. In April 2015, Gonzalez-Garcia was removed from the U.S. to Honduras. In September 2016, U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) encountered and arrested Gonzalez-Garcia in Brownsville, Texas. He was subsequently convicted in the Southern District of Texas of illegal reentry of a removed alien and sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment. In December 2018, Gonzalez-Garcia was again removed to Honduras.
The complaint further alleges that, in August 2020, USBP encountered and arrested Gonzalez-Garcia in La Joya, Texas. In January 2021, he was convicted in the Southern District of Texas of illegal reentry of a removed alien and sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment. In June 2023, he was again removed to Honduras. In December 2023, USBP encountered and arrested Gonzalez-Garcia in Eagle Pass, Texas. In January 2024, he was again removed to Honduras.
The complaint further alleges that, on June 7, 2026, Connecticut State Police arrested Gonzalez-Garcia, who identified himself as “Belin Garcia,” in Andover, Connecticut, following a car accident. Gonzalez-Garcia was charged in Connecticut Superior Court in Rockville with illegal operation of motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, evading responsibility – injury/property damage, failure to drive in proper lane, and operating a motor vehicle without a license. He was released on a $2,500 bond.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took Gonzalez-Garcia into custody on June 23, 2026.
Gonzalez-Garcia appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was ordered detained.
If convicted of the charge of unlawful reentry, Gonzalez-Garcia faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Michael S. Deel.
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.
Henryetta Resident Sentenced for Making Threatening Interstate CommunicationsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jason Mance Van Orsdol, a/k/a Jason Mance VanOrsdol, age 47, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of Interstate Transmission of Threatening Communications.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On March 4, 2026, Van Orsdol pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 24, 2025, while on a phone call with an ATF agent, Van Orsdol threatened to kill the agent.
“Threats against law enforcement officers will never be taken lightly,” said ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner. “Every ATF special agent puts themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities, and those who threaten violence against them will be investigated and held accountable. This sentence demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting our personnel and ensuring that anyone who attempts to intimidate or threaten federal law enforcement faces the full weight of the justice system.”
“Policing is difficult and dangerous work, and threats against the dedicated agents, investigators, and officers who serve is reprehensible and cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands firm in its commitment to support law enforcement partners who risk their lives daily securing the rights and safety of the public.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Van Orsdol will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.