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Thursday 14 May 2026
Virginia Man Sentenced for Making Threats Against Public OfficialsRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Winchester, Va., man, who made online threats to kill, kidnap, or injure former Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Barrack Obama, was sentenced recently to 30 months in federal prison.
Frank Lucio Carillo, 68, pled guilty in April 2025 to one count of sending threatening communications through interstate commerce.
According to court documents, Carillo used the social media platform GETTR to post thousands of messages using the name “joemadarats1.” GTTR is publicly accessible, and users can post articles, statements, and links to other websites, as well as comment on and reply to other users’ posts.
On July 27, 2024, FBI Phoenix received information concerning a threat made against an employee of the Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder’s Office posted on GETTR by a user with the name “joemadarats1.”
FBI searched the “joemadarats1” user account and discovered approximately 4,359 posts, comments, and replies made by the user targeting various public officials including, but not limited to Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barrack Obama
In a February 2024 post, “joemadarats1” said he had his “AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED.”
Authorities used GETTR subscriber information and other investigative methods to determine that the “joemadarats1” username was used by Carillo at his residence in Winchester, Virginia.
On August 2, 2024, authorities at the FBI Richmond executed a search warrant at Carillo’s home and seized a 9 mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The FBI in both Richmond, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona, and the United States Secret Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case.
Ventura Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of Minors Two Months After His Release from State Prison for Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking two minors two months after his release from California state prison, where he served time after being convicted of child sex crimes.
Kai Whitney Sommers, 38, of Ventura, and registered sex offender, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of minors. He has been in federal custody since June 2024.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, Sommers was convicted and sentenced in September 2021 in Los Angeles Superior Court for statutory rape and lewd or lascivious acts with a child 14/15 years and offender 10+ years older. In that case, Sommers enticed a minor on an online chat room to make money as an escort. He then lured the victim to meet with him, took her to his house, and sexually assaulted the victim.
In June 2023, Sommers was released on post-release community supervision in Los Angeles County and later accepted for supervision in Ventura County. The supervision terms for Sommers include no access or possession of any digital devices that access the internet.
In August 2023, approximately two and half months after his release, Ventura County Probation conducted a search at Sommers’ residence and determined that he was in possession of digital devices that contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and during this same month had been in communication with a minor on a messaging platform geared toward teens.
During the review of Sommers devices, law enforcement identified a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl who met Sommers on the online platform. Sommers had requested he and the victims move the conversation to a secure application where he could entice and coerce the minors how to make extra money as escorts.
Sommers enticed one victim to produce CSAM and enticed the other victim to provide fully clothed images for him that, unknown to both victims, he then posted multiple commercial sex advertisements of each victim. The ads on an adult website depicted the victims as “18-year-old” escorts. Sommers also pretended to be the victims while he communicated with the potential adult clients. Sommers told the minors that if the clients asked how old they were, they had to say, “18.”
Sommers ultimately coerced one of the victims to meet with two adult men he found on the adult website and on both occasions a commercial sex act occurred in exchanged for money.
Sommers further admitted in his plea agreement to possessing in August 2023 a phone that contained nearly 150 visual depictions of CSAM. He also admitted to distributing CSAM.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled a September 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Sommers will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The FBI and the Ventura Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Major Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Venezuelan Gang Member Sentenced for "Jackpotting" and Ordered to Pay RestitutionRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – A Venezuelan man with ties to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) international gang was sentenced today for conspiracy to commit bank fraud by United States District Judge Michael P. Mills. Darrin Daza-Segura, 26, living as an illegal alien in Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today to ten months with three years of supervised release. Additionally, he is to pay the victim $47,250 in restitution.
According to court documents, upon release of this prison sentence, the defendant will be surrendered to the custody of ICE for removal from this country. He will not be allowed to re-enter without the written permission of the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Commonly known as “Jackpotting,” Daza-Segura and his co-defendant Winder Alexander Canelon-Tiapa travelled throughout Mississippi and reprogrammed bank ATMs to disperse large amounts of cash. They successfully stole $47,000 from ATMs at Mississippi banks and attempted to steal much more. ATM Jackpotting is a significant problem throughout the country and is a known crime commonly perpetrated by members of the TdA gang from Venezuela.
Winder Alexander Canelon-Tiapa has also pled guilty in this case is set to be sentenced before Judge Mills on May 28, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, “These Venezuelan gang members have been categorized as terrorists. In Mississippi, you can trace where they go from Interstate 55 and Highway 45. They do not live here but have come to victimize our citizens in North Mississippi. We are not going to stand for such actions in this district.”
The Cyber Crime Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated the case.
“Criminals are always finding new, innovative ways to steal your hard-earned money," said Attorney General Fitch. “And when it gets in their hands, sometimes it funds their criminal enterprises. Working together with our federal, state, and local partners, we were able to stop a dangerous TdA gang member from defrauding Mississippians and potentially using your money to finance their crimes.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois Announces First-of-Its-Kind Individual Self-Disclosure ProgramRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois today announced the formation of a first-of-its kind Program that both encourages and incentivizes individuals to voluntarily report and/or self-report criminal wrongdoing for non-violent offenses and fully cooperate with the government in its investigation and any subsequent prosecution of other offenders. The Individual Self-Disclosure Program applies exclusively to individuals and does not overlap with the Department of Justice’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy of March 10, 2026. Any corporate disclosures will be governed by the DOJ’s Corporate Enforcement Policy.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office implemented the Individual Self-Disclosure Program to provide greater certainty and equal-access transparency to individuals and their counsel as to what they can expect in exchange for their full, truthful, and complete reporting of criminal wrongdoing and subsequent cooperation. Those who fully and voluntarily self-report criminal wrongdoing that is previously unknown to the government will have the opportunity to secure one of three tiers of potential benefits: (1) letter immunity; (2) a deferred or non-prosecution agreement; or (3) criminal prosecution with substantial sentencing relief. An individual who receives a deferred or non-prosecution agreement under the Program must agree to disgorge any proceeds from the criminal activity through forfeiture or other means and pay restitution to victims consistent with the individual’s role in the offense and applicable law.
The Office will maintain its prosecutorial discretion to determine on a case-by-case basis whether an individual who reports wrongdoing merits one of the three tiers of benefits. As set out in the Program, among the factors that the Office will consider are whether the criminal conduct had previously been made public or was previously known to law enforcement; whether the individual disclosed the criminal conduct voluntarily and not in response to a government inquiry or imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation; the completeness and timeliness of the disclosure; and the individual’s role and participation, if any, in the wrongdoing. There are additional considerations that the Office will factor in its assessment, as is outlined in greater detail in the Program.
The Program supersedes the Northern District of Illinois’s Individual Self-Disclosure Pilot Program for Organizational Misconduct announced on Sept. 16, 2024.
“One of the key hallmarks of effective leadership is constantly striving for progress and innovation,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “When I began serving as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois on April 7, 2025, I embarked on a deep, root-cause analysis of what was working and what was not working in the Office. In fraud and other adjacent program areas, I determined fairly quickly that an overhaul of our self-disclosure program was needed. From there, I personally rolled up my sleeves and got to work reimagining a program that would lead to individual voluntary disclosures, be responsive to the defense bar and its concerns, protect the sanctity of prosecutorial discretion, and be fair and reasonable to individuals who make the difficult decision to come forward with information. Drawing upon some 25 years of experience in the criminal law field, including nearly ten years as Co-Chair of White Collar, eight years as a federal prosecutor in Chicago handling sophisticated white-collar prosecutions, 16 years of teaching criminal law at the University of Chicago Law School, including debating self-disclosure policies with colleagues and thought leaders, as well as authoring some 160 articles and two books on various white-collar, corruption and adjacent topics, I put ‘fingers to keyboard’ on re-envisioning an individual self-disclosure program that not only works, but also comports with Administration priorities. For the first time in the Northern District of Illinois, individual wrongdoers now know upfront with transparency and much greater certainty whether and how they can be rewarded when they self-disclose wrongdoing, fully cooperate with our investigation, and remediate the misconduct. Incentivizing individuals to come forward and do the right thing will result in a better outcome for victims and a just result for the citizens of our District. Although we expect this new self-disclosure Program to substantially increase our intake of fraud and other adjacent investigations, make no mistake: our Office will continue to vigorously pursue criminals who elect to roll the dice and not come forward and self-report their criminal activities. The defense bar now has a unique tool at their disposable that we hope will be used with great frequency. As such, for those individuals who make the decision not to self-report, they should not expect to be treated nearly as favorably as those who turn the corner and take account of their criminal conduct.”
Individuals who wish to make a voluntary disclosure must complete this form and submit it to [email protected]. Although anonymous reporting is not allowed, a new, unique feature allows for attorneys to reach out as an initial matter to the Front Office of the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office to provide an attorney proffer of their client’s wrongdoing, role in the offense, and the other criteria and factors discussed in the Program. Attorneys can do this without identifying their client.
The Program is not available to individuals whose misconduct involved violence, the threat of violence, gun trafficking and firearm offenses, terrorism, drug trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, or any sex offense involving fraud, force, coercion, trafficking, or a minor victim. Additionally, absent extraordinary or unique circumstances, elected federal, state, local, or foreign officials, and federal law enforcement officers, are not eligible to participate in the Program. Click here for a full list of the Program’s terms and conditions.
ndil_voluntary_self_disclosure_program_2026.pdf ndil_individual_self-disclosure_program_intake_form_2026.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah Recognizes Law Enforcement During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah hosted the 2026 United States Attorney’s Awards for Law Enforcement Ceremony. The event took place during National Police Week (May 10 -16, 2026) to honor the courage, sacrifice and dedication of law enforcement officers everywhere.
The United States Attorney’s Award recipients from local, state, and federal law enforcement partners were recognized for their individual exceptional work and distinguished achievements and contributions to the mission of the Department of Justice. This year’s ceremony is in special memory of fallen officers, Officer Eric Estrada and Sergeant Lee Sorenson of the Tremonton-Garland Police Department, who paid the ultimate sacrifice on August 17, 2025.
“We owe Utah’s local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies a profound debt of gratitude. Our men and women in blue work diligently to protect the citizens of Utah at great personal sacrifice, and as we were reminded recently, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “We are thrilled to participate in National Police Week by honoring these sacrifices and the selfless commitment to protect and serve.”
To learn more about National Police Week visit https://www.policeweek.org/.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Officers During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In observance of National Police Week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement and pays tribute to the officers who have fallen in the line of duty. National Police Week is observed Sunday May 10, through Saturday, May 16, 2026.
“During National Police Week, we honor the brave men and women in law enforcement—especially in the Northern District of Alabama—who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. These men and women run toward danger without hesitation and deserve our unwavering respect,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby. “We especially remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Their courage, service, and dedication to their community will never be forgotten.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe.
The names of 363 officers killed in the line of duty were added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. These names were read on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C. To learn more about National Police Week, please visit www.policeweek.org.
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Recognizes the Law Enforcement Community During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today recognized the tremendous service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers during National Police Week.
“Serving as a sworn law enforcement officer is among the greatest callings in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “All of us at the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office consider it a privilege to work with the valiant men and women of law enforcement who serve our communities with honor, integrity, and bravery. National Police Week reminds us that behind every badge is a story of service, sacrifice, and family. To those brave officers in uniform, I say thank you for risking your life, wellbeing, and security to keep the rest of us safe. To the families of the fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price, we grieve your tragic loss and renew our commitment to supporting law enforcement each and every day and to continuing to fight the good fight on behalf of the people of the district that we serve.”
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as the annual Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which that date falls as National Police Week. During National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, and loyalty.
On Wednesday, the names of 363 officers killed in the line of duty, including Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew, were added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil. Officer Bartholomew served CPD honorably for ten years and was tragically killed on April 25, 2026. He is survived by his wife and three children.
To learn more about National Police Week, please visit www.policeweek.org.
Two Pakistani Men and One Indian Man Charged with International Narcotics Trafficking on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on May 12, 2026 charging two Pakistani men and one Indian man living in Hong Kong in connection with international narcotics trafficking using the dark web, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Waleed Shamim, 33, Sameer Shamim, 41, and Shareef Beig, 52, were indicted for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to import controlled substances.
“As alleged, these defendants used dark web marketplaces and international shipping networks to move narcotics and counterfeit pills into the United States and target customers in New Jersey. Individuals who believe they can hide behind online aliases while trafficking dangerous drugs across international borders are mistaken—this Office and our law enforcement partners will identify them, disrupt their operations, and hold them accountable.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“The indictments of these foreign nationals highlight the grave dangers posed by transnational organizations who aim to distribute and import controlled substances into the United States,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our partners at U.S. Postal Inspection Service to identify and dismantle international narcotics trafficking networks that exploit the anonymity of the dark web.”
“Postal Inspectors, federal prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners have diligently worked to identify and disrupt the activities of dark web marketplaces suspected of peddling illegal pills. Postal Inspectors will continue to tirelessly investigate these types of crimes that utilize the U.S. Postal Service to facilitate illegal activity and bring those behind these hidden walls to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen.
According to the indictment filed in this case:
Between November 2021 and June 2022, Waleed Shamim and Sameer Shamim operated vendor accounts on various illicit dark web marketplaces under the moniker “Horsemen” or “Horsemen1,” and recruited people to assist in reshipping narcotics to customers. Waleed Shamim and Sameer Shamim, along with Shareef Beig, coordinated shipments of thousands of pills containing narcotics from Hong Kong to the United States.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to import controlled substances each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited officers and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy in Newark, and inspectors the U.S Postal Inspection Serves, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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shamimetal.indictment.pdfTren de Aragua leader extradited on terrorism and international drug distribution charges following Homeland Security Task Force investigationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 24-year-old Venezuelan national is set to make his initial appearance in Houston federal court for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and significant drug trafficking offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka Chuqui, 24, is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.
Colombian authorities arrested him in Colombia March 31, 2025, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He has now arrived in Houston and is set for an initial appearance May 15 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan of the Southern District of Texas.
According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. The charges allege the proceeds were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.
As a TdA leader, he allegedly oversaw criminal activities in Colombia such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution and murder.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment Dec. 16, 2025, which also charges three other TdA leaders - Yohan Jose Romero aka Johan Petrica, 48, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez aka Juancho, 45, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano aka El Viejo, 38, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to TdA. Mosquera Serrano is also named in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine charges along with Flores.
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20, 2025.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Jose Romero and Rivas Nunez are also fugitives. Anyone with information concerning either individual is asked to contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Romero and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith and Trial Attorneys James Keller and Kelly McGann of Joint Task Force Vulcan.
This case is part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and Districts of Nevada and Arizona as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Task Forces are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of the HSTF established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sheriff's Office; ATF; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation and IRS Criminal Investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Colombian National Police (Policía Nacional de Colombia) and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación), Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, and Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the provisional arrest and extradition of Flores to the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tren de Aragua Leader Extradited on Terrorism and International Drug Distribution Charges Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
A 24-year-old Venezuelan national is set to make his initial appearance in Houston federal court for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and significant drug trafficking offenses.
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores also known as “Chuqui,” 24, is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.
Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia on March 31, 2025, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He has now arrived in Houston and is set for an initial appearance on May 15 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan for the Southern District of Texas.
According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. The charges allege the proceeds were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.
As a TdA leader, Flores allegedly oversaw criminal activities in Colombia such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and murder.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment Dec. 16, 2025, which also charges three other TdA leaders - Yohan Jose Romero also known as "Johan Petrica," 48, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez also known as "Juancho," 45, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano also known as "El Viejo," 38, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to TdA. Mosquera Serrano is also named in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine charges along with Flores.
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist on Feb. 20, 2025.
If convicted, Flores faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Jose Romero and Rivas Nunez are also fugitives. Anyone with information concerning these individuals is asked to contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Romero and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith and Trial Attorneys James Keller and Kelly McGann of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).
This case is part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include the Southern District of Texas, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and Districts of Nevada and Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations(ICE)(HSI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sheriff's Office; ATF; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation and IRS Criminal Investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Colombian National Police (Policía Nacional de Colombia) and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación), Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, and Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the provisional arrest and extradition of Flores to the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay $13.6 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations Relating to Improper Payments to PhysiciansRead the Press Release
Settlement found here:
takeda_settlement_-_final_executed_agreement_-_redacted.pdfSACRAMENTO, Calif. – Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A., Inc. has agreed to pay $13,670,921 to resolve allegations that it knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to healthcare providers to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, an antidepressant medication that Takeda marketed and sold to treat major depressive disorder.
“The Department of Justice is committed to vigorously pursuing violations of the False Claims Act arising from illegal kickbacks,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Such conduct can erode the trust that patients place in their healthcare providers and lead to higher drug costs for American taxpayers.”
“This settlement demonstrates the continued commitment of my office to ensure that patients’ best interests remain paramount,” said Eric Grant, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California. “Prescribing decisions should not be influenced by drug companies’ payments or side perks made available to physicians.”
“Alleged kickback schemes such as those described in this matter undermine the trust that patients place in their providers and federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “This settlement underscores that HHS-OIG, together with our law enforcement partners, will investigate and hold accountable entities that attempt to disguise purported honoraria or other improper payments as legitimate compensation. Decisions regarding patient care should never be influenced by extravagant meals or other inducements.”
The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other federal health care programs. The statute is intended to ensure that the judgments of healthcare professionals are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
The civil settlement resolves allegations that, from January 2014 to October 2020, Takeda paid improper remuneration, including in the form of speaker honoraria and meals at high-end restaurants, to healthcare professionals to induce them to prescribe the antidepressant medication Trintellix in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. The United States contends that Takeda selected certain healthcare providers to be part of the Trintellix speaker bureau and provided them paid speaking opportunities with the intent that the speaker honoraria and meals would induce them to prescribe Trintellix. The government further contends that certain prescribers who attended multiple programs on the same topic and received meals and drinks from Takeda received no educational benefit from attending duplicate programs.
“As the investigative arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of programs that directly affect our service members and their families,” said John E. Helsing, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “When companies use kickbacks to influence prescribing, they erode trust in healthcare providers, misuse federal healthcare funds, and put the health and readiness of our warfighters at risk. DCIS will continue working with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to stop schemes that threaten those who faithfully serve our country.”
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and HHS’s Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Thiess for the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Kimya Saied of the Justice Department’s Civil Fraud Section handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Takeda Agrees to Pay $13.6M to Resolve False Claims Allegations Relating to Improper Payments to PhysiciansRead the Press Release
Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A. Inc. has agreed to pay $13,670,921 to resolve allegations that it knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to healthcare providers to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, an antidepressant medication that Takeda marketed and sold to treat major depressive disorder.
“The Department of Justice is committed to vigorously pursuing violations of the False Claims Act arising from illegal kickbacks,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Such conduct can erode the trust that patients place in their healthcare providers and lead to higher drug costs for American taxpayers.”
“This settlement demonstrates the continued commitment of my office to ensure that patients’ best interests remain paramount,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “Prescribing decisions should not be influenced by drug companies’ payments or side perks made available to physicians.”
“Alleged kickback schemes such as those described in this matter undermine the trust that patients place in their providers and federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “This settlement underscores that HHS-OIG, together with our law enforcement partners, will investigate and hold accountable entities that attempt to disguise purported honoraria or other improper payments as legitimate compensation. Decisions regarding patient care should never be influenced by extravagant meals or other inducements.”
“As the investigative arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of programs that directly affect our service members and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge John E. Helsing for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “When companies use kickbacks to influence prescribing, they erode trust in healthcare providers, misuse federal healthcare funds, and put the health and readiness of our warfighters at risk. DCIS will continue working with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to stop schemes that threaten those who faithfully serve our country.”
The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other federal health care programs. The statute is intended to ensure that the judgments of healthcare professionals are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
The civil settlement resolves allegations that, from January 2014 to October 2020, Takeda paid improper remuneration, including in the form of speaker honoraria and meals at high-end restaurants, to healthcare professionals to induce them to prescribe the antidepressant medication Trintellix in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. The United States contends that Takeda selected certain healthcare providers to be part of the Trintellix speaker bureau and provided them paid speaking opportunities with the intent that the speaker honoraria and meals would induce them to prescribe Trintellix. The government further contends that certain prescribers who attended multiple programs on the same topic and received meals and drinks from Takeda received no educational benefit from attending duplicate programs.
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and HHS’s Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Kimya Saied of the Justice Department’s Civil Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Thiess for the Eastern District of California handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Three Illegal Aliens from Venezuela Plead Guilty to Operating a Sex Trafficking Ring in Baton RougeRead the Press Release
Osleidy Vanesa Chourio Diaz, age 28, a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.
Today’s conviction is the third conviction in this ongoing investigation. Previously, in April 2025, Josmar Jesus Zambrano-Chirinos, age 25, a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and in January 2026, Allbert Herrera Machado, age 25, also a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.
According to admissions made during their guilty pleas, between February 2024 and April 26, 2024, Zambrano, Chourio Diaz and others were involved in a scheme to recruit women from outside the United States, to arrange for them to enter the United States illegally, and, using force, threats of force, fraud, coercion, and a combination of such means, to cause them to work as prostitutes. Machado knowingly agreed to assist the scheme.
In furtherance of the scheme, Zambrano and Chourio Diaz rented an apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where at least two women lived and worked as prostitutes. In early 2024, Zambrano and Chourio Diaz assisted the first victim as she entered the United States illegally from Mexico. Zambrano discussed with the victim in advance that she would owe a substantial debt to Zambrano and others; that she would be working as a prostitute in the United States; and that while she would keep some of the funds from her prostitution activities, most of the funds would be applied to her debt. Zambrano also facilitated a second victim’s travel to Baton Rouge. Zambrano and Chourio Diaz arranged for the victim to work as a prostitute out of the apartment they had rented, and they led the victim to believe that she, too, owed them a large debt.
Meanwhile, Machado resided at the apartment with the victims and controlled their day-to-day movements and activities. Machado would message customers to schedule sexual encounters with the victims and collect and control payments from customers, who paid in cash. He would also communicate with Zambrano and Chourio Diaz regarding the victims and would receive instructions regarding (a) how much and how often the victims should work, (b) what portion of the proceeds the victims could keep, and (c) whether and under what circumstances the victims could leave the apartment.
On April 26, 2024, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call placed by one of the victims at the apartment. Deputies arrived at the residence and located Machado and two victims inside the apartment. During a subsequent search of the apartment, deputies recovered evidence confirming that the apartment was being used as part of a prostitution business, including stacks of cash, numerous used condoms, sexual items and devices, multiple cell phones containing messages from potential “clients” who were asking to meet, and several ledger books that appeared to document how much money each of the victims had made each day and how much of their debt remained.
If convicted, each defendant faces a lengthy federal prison sentence, as well as the forfeiture of any and all proceeds from the offense. They are each also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing their sentences.
U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office with valuable assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin M. Anderson and Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel, lead the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Thirteen Charged as Feds Crack International Gun Smuggling Ring Exploiting the U.s. and Canada BorderRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Erin Creegan announced today that five defendants have pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses and that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging eight additional individuals in connection with an international firearms trafficking conspiracy that funneled illegally obtained weapons from New Hampshire through the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in New York.
According to court documents, the conspiracy began on or about July 1, 2021, and continued through at least October 2024. Members of the trafficking network recruited individuals in and around Keene, N.H. and Dummerston, V.T., to conduct straw purchases, buying firearms on behalf of others who were legally prohibited from doing so or who sought to conceal their identities, at federally licensed dealers in the region, including American Trikes & Motorsports in Keene, N.H.
The investigation uncovered that members of the Akwesasne reservation in New York would travel to Vermont where they enlisted Justin Jackson to purchase firearms on their behalf. Justin Jackson was prohibited from purchasing firearms and so he utilized Melissa Longe, Dustin Tuttle, and Caleb Wilcott to obtain firearms that the defendants had requested. ATF and HSI have identified approximately 51 firearms potentially trafficked from New Hampshire to Canada through Vermont and New York, several of which were subsequently recovered at various crime scenes, to include kidnapping and attempted murder, in Canada.
GUILTY PLEAS
The following five defendants have pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante, to federal firearms related violations:
- Justin Jackson (1:26-cr-00008-JL-TSM), 46, of Dummerston, V.T., pleaded guilty, on March 24, 2026, to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. His sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2026.
- Melissa Longe (1:26-cr-00004-JL-TSM), 44, of Dummerston, V.T., pleaded guilty, on Feb. 4, 2026, to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, and sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony. Her sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 14, 2026.
- Dustin Tuttle (1:25-cr-00097-JL), 25, of Keene, N.H., pleaded guilty, on Jan. 5, 2026, to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, and sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony. His sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2026.
- Caleb Wilcott (1:26-cr-00022-JL-AJ), 23, of Chesterfield, N.H., pleaded guilty, on May 6, 2026, to false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 3, 2026.
- Doug Mulligan (1:26-cr-00013-JL), 80, of New Salem, Mass., pleaded guilty, on March 24, 2026, to being a felon in possession of a firearm arising from his handling of a firearm at American Trikes & Motorsports. His plea agreement contains an image of a note he left on the targets of the ongoing federal investigation stating, “ATF is watching U,” (pictured below). His sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2026.
INDICTMENT
On May 6, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging eight additional defendants – all of whom are residents of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation– with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking:
- Jonathan Hart, 31;
- Io-Rateka Swamp, 35;
- Ranonkwatseronhawi Gibson, 22;
- Tayson Terrance, 23;
- Nash Oakes, 29;
- Blade Oakes, 25;
- Montana Cook, 27; and
- Conrad Oakes, 25.
Gibson, Terrance, Conrad Oakes and Cook were taken into federal custody earlier this week on May 12, 2026 as part of an ATF led multi-agency takedown operation. Hart, Swamp and Blade Oakes are currently at-large in fugitive status.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP),Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police (SRMTP), Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS), New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision-Office of Special Investigations, Manchester Police Department, and the Keene Police Department have provided valuable assistance.
“This case alleges a sophisticated firearms trafficking network that exploited New Hampshire gun dealers, straw purchasers, and the international border to move dozens of firearms into Canada. Some of those weapons were later recovered at violent crime scenes involving offenses such as kidnapping and attempted murder. The defendants allegedly treated the Northern Border as a pipeline for illegal gun trafficking. It is not. Our office will continue working with our federal, state, local, tribal, and Canadian law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and prosecute organizations that threaten public safety on both sides of the border,” said Erin Creegan, United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire.
“This investigation demonstrates the value of intelligence-driven policing and cooperative law enforcement efforts. Crime gun intelligence connected firearms recovered at different crime scenes in Canada, advancing our Canadian partner’s domestic investigations into violent crime while simultaneously alerting ATF to a transnational firearms trafficking scheme at work in the United States. The individuals indicted in this case exploited both their access to firearms and the freedom to travel while undermining public safety in both countries. ATF is proud of our partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners here at home as well as with our colleagues in Canada. We will continue to work together to build safe communities on both sides of the border,” said Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Boston Field Division.
“These charges reflect the serious threat posed by illegal firearms trafficking networks that exploit borders, jurisdictions, and communities for profit. The firearms allegedly trafficked through this scheme fueled violent crime and were recovered in connection with serious offenses, including kidnapping and attempted murder. ATF remains committed to working alongside our local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and dismantle trafficking networks that endanger public safety on both sides of the border. This case is a strong example of what can be accomplished through coordinated intelligence sharing, collaboration, and relentless investigative work across jurisdictions. We are proud of the tireless efforts of ATF Boston and ATF New York personnel, HSI New York, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, the prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, and our Canadian law enforcement partners whose dedication and collaboration helped advance this significant investigation,” said Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of ATF New York Field Division.
“As alleged, this investigation uncovered a criminal network’s reckless and repeated exploitation of the Northern New York border area to smuggle firearms across the U.S.-Canadian border. At its core, this case underscores a simple truth: our border communities are not a free lane for criminal organizations — they are where our families live and where our livelihoods are built. HSI Massena and our partners will continue to follow the evidence, pursue every member of this network we can identify, and defend the safety of the public we are sworn to serve,” said Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of HSI New York (Buffalo) Field Division.
“This investigation highlights the value of integrated enforcement teams and strong international partnerships. Ontario Provincial Police members assigned to the Border Enforcement Security Task Force work side by side with U.S. agencies to share intelligence and target cross‑border criminal networks. Our collective efforts help prevent firearms and drugs from reaching our communities and underscore the shared responsibility we have for border security,” said Mike Stoddart, Chief Superintendent of the Ontario Provincial Police.
The charge of conspiracy to straw-purchase firearms provides a maximum prison term of 25 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than five years of supervised release. The charge of conspiracy to traffic firearms; sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, provides a maximum prison term of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release. The charge of false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm provides a maximum prison term of 10 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release. 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.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the New Hampshire Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs were established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat, and Paralegal Specialist Kristina McNamarra are handling the prosecution on behalf of the United States.
Suburban Houston resident admits to killing bald eagleRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old man who resides in Porter has entered a guilty plea to shooting and causing the death of a protected species, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Santos Guerrero admitted he shot a bald eagle at his residence Oct. 11, 2024.
Authorities responded to reports of the incident and saw video footage of the eagle being shot and falling from a tree. They proceeded to Guerrero’s residence and matched the tree to the one seen in the video. They located the eagle alive and transported it to an animal hospital, but it had to be euthanized due to its injuries.
A necropsy determined the bullet caused significant damage to the eagle’s wing. The impact from the fall also caused liver fractures, internal bleeding and a fractured leg.
Bald eagles are no longer listed as endangered but remain protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The law prohibits killing, possessing, selling, transporting, exporting or importing any bald or golden eagle, alive or dead, including any part, nest or egg, unless permitted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray accepted the plea and set sentencing for July 30. At that time, Guerrero faces up to a year in federal prison and $100,000 maximum fine.
Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Parks and Wildlife. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher and Adam Goldman are prosecuting the case.
Stephenson County, Ill. Man Sentenced to 150 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Stephenson County, Ill. man has been sentenced to 150 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting numerous children, including infants and toddlers.
For more than a decade, MATTHEW KAUFMAN enticed multiple children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and recorded it. Kaufman coerced and enticed some of the children via the social media application Snapchat. He stored hundreds of videos and images of the abuse on his electronic devices.
Kaufman is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2008 of a felony offense for possessing child pornography. The following year, he began the abuse that gave rise to this federal conviction and 150-year sentence.
Kaufman, 45, of Lena, Ill., pleaded guilty in 2025 to three counts of production of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Iain D. Johnston on Thursday imposed the 150-year prison term and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release. Kaufman was also ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution to his victims.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance.
“Over the course of at least thirteen years, defendant, a convicted sex offender, preyed upon vulnerable children for his own sexual gratification,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “By repeatedly and violently sexually abusing multiple young girls, defendant has proven that he is truly a predator and that each of the images and videos he created depict a crime scene.”
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to https://www.missingkids.org/ or calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 100 Months for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for illegally possessing a firearm.
Kai Wesley Burton, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 100 months in federal prison without parole, followed by three years of supervised release.
Burton was previously convicted of multiple felonies including unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. In May 2025, the Springfield, Missouri Police Department responded to a call at a restaurant in Springfield, Mo. Witnesses reported that a vehicle driven by Burton went through the drive-thru, bypassing the order kiosk, and drove directly to one of the windows. When he reached the window of the drive-thru, Burton had a pistol on his lap and that pistol was pointed at the building. Burton provided the employee at the window with a sticker containing a food order that had been placed and fulfilled about an hour prior. Due to the presence of the firearm, the employees made the food and gave it to Burton. Burton then drove away without paying for the food.
Burton returned to the restaurant several hours later. An officer attempted to stop and contact Burton. Burton then fled the scene. As police were trying to catch up to Burton, he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Officers located the vehicle a short time later. When officers searched the vehicle, they recovered a pistol with a 30-round extended magazine under the driver’s seat, a second pistol on the driver’s seat, methamphetamine, and a cellular phone belonging to Burton.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, and the Springfield, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 109 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Terrence Baker, 46 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Baker was sentenced to 109 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
“As a convicted armed robber who also had a felony conviction for possession of cocaine, the Defendant had no business possessing a firearm when he shot approximately 8 times at an occupied house located in a residential neighborhood in South Bend. Police Officers responded and observed multiple bullet holes in the side of the two-story house. Law enforcement located and collected spent casings and reviewed text messages sent by Baker threatening the occupant of the home over a $500 dispute. When officers found Baker a couple weeks later, he was in possession of the same .380 caliber handgun used in the shooting,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said.
“As part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and thanks to the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department with the cooperation of St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter and his office, AUSA Hannah Jones and AUSA Joel Gabrielse were able to prosecute him in federal court” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
“Preventing gun violence requires close coordination between our federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners. In this case, the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), provided a critical investigative link that helped identify and remove another violent offender from our community. The outcome in this case reflects our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as the South Bend Police Department and I am grateful for their continued collaboration and investigative assistance,” said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Joel Gabrielse.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Six Drug Traffickers, Including One Illegal Alien, Sentenced to Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana has secured prison sentences for six individuals convicted of trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and other controlled substances. Each prosecution stemmed from a separate investigation and was individually resolved in March or April of 2026.
DefendantConviction(s)SentencePrior ConvictionsAntwan Lamont Shackelford, 46, IndianapolisConspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine20 years’ imprisonment
10 years of supervised release
Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaineJoshua Richey, 43, IndianapolisPossession with intent to distribute controlled substances; Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime15 years’ imprisonment
8 years of supervised release
Dealing in methamphetamineCarlos Bullock, 27, IndianapolisPossession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine; Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon10 years’ imprisonment
8 years of supervised release
Armed RobberyAaron Burk, 50, Brazil, IndianaPossession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine10 years’ imprisonment
5 years of supervised release
Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Possession of marijuanaDerrick Anthony Griffin, 50, IndianapolisPossession with intent to Distribute five kilograms or more of Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl10 years, 10 months’ imprisonment
5 years of supervised release
Wilfredo Alexander Reyes-Dominguez, 26, Hamilton County, INPossession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime10 years’ imprisonment
4 years of supervised release
Notable Case Summaries:
Antwan Lamont Shackelford:
From at least February 2023 through March 29, 2023, Shackelford conspired with his co-defendant to distribute 107.3 grams of pure methamphetamine throughout the Southern District of Indiana, with Shackelford serving as the supplier. Shortly after completing a drug transaction, IMPD officers conducted a traffic stop and arrested both men. During processing at the Marion County Jail, Shackelford was found to be concealing two baggies—8.355 grams of pure methamphetamine and 2.47 grams of fentanyl—in his anal cavity.
Wilfredo Alexander Reyes-Dominguez:
On August 6, 2024, Reyes‑Dominguez was traveling on I‑465 to deliver drugs to a customer in Frankfort, Indiana, when he was stopped by law enforcement officers. He was accompanied in the vehicle by his two‑year‑old daughter, his wife, and his mother. A search of the vehicle uncovered 430.5 grams of pure methamphetamine, 43.1 grams of cocaine, packaging materials, a metal grinder, and a Glock 19X 9mm handgun loaded with seventeen rounds. The methamphetamine and cocaine were found inside his daughter’s diaper bag.
In a subsequent statement to law enforcement, Reyes‑Dominguez admitted that he had paid approximately $9,000 to cross the border and enter the United States illegally. As part of his guilty plea, he acknowledged that he will be subject to removal from the United States upon completion of his sentence and must surrender to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon release.
As part of these investigations, law enforcement seized and forfeited:
Drugs
• 124 grams of fentanyl
• 291 grams of fentanyl analogue
• 491 grams of methamphetamine
• 188 grams of heroin
• 1.3 grams of black tar heroin
• 73.5 grams of cocaine
• 127 grams of a substance containing marijuana
Firearms & Ammunition
• Glock 27 handgun with machinegun conversion device
• Ruger Single Six revolver
• Glock 19X 9mm handgun
• Assorted ammunition
Other Items
• Digital scales
• $285,406 in cash
The following agencies investigated or assisted in these cases:
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Federal Bureau of Investigation- Indianapolis
- Indiana State Police
- Metro Drug Task Force
- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
- Clarksville Police Department
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina Caraballo-Colon, Samantha Spiro, Kelsey Massa, Lindsay Karwoski, Michelle P. Brady, Patrick Gibson, and Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted these cases.
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Serial Fraudster Sentenced for Embezzling from Multiple Employers in San AntonioRead the Press Release
Image Credit: U.S. v. Vasquez Case #5:24cr246SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Daniella Vasquez, 48, worked as a comptroller for two separate companies between May 2021 and September 2022, where her responsibilities included issuing payments. During her tenure with both employers, Vasquez embezzled $759,235.74, issuing unauthorized payments to herself and her husband, Thomas Vasquez, as well as to companies for personal expenses. She spent much of the embezzled funds on luxury goods, vehicles, concerts, and sporting events, which she flaunted on social media.
Vasquez was arrested on Oct. 25, 2022, by the Shavano Park Police Department on state charges related to her embezzlement from one company. On July 20, 2023, she was interviewed by the FBI at a new place of employment regarding her embezzlement from the other company.
Vazquez was federally indicted on four counts of wire fraud on May 15, 2024. She pleaded guilty to one count on Aug. 5, 2025. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery presided over the case.
Image Credit: U.S. v. Vasquez Case #5:24cr246“Vasquez abused her employers' trust to live the high life, spending thousands of dollars to attend pop concerts and NFL games while wearing expensive luxury items and even rewarding herself with a $1,500 upscale spa experience,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “These greedy criminal schemes are tremendously harmful to the small businesses that are the lifeblood of our community. This sentence demonstrates our office’s commitment to holding fraudsters accountable and sends a message about the consequences they will face when we catch them.”
Image Credit: U.S. v. Vasquez Case #5:24cr246“The FBI worked closely with the Shavano Park Police Department to hold Vasquez accountable as she abused a position of trust by misusing corporate funds for self-enrichment and greed,” said Alex Doran, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “She used stolen funds to support a lavish lifestyle while flaunting the proceeds of her fraud on social media. The FBI has zero tolerance for fraud and the abuse of trust for personal gain. These crimes cause significant financial harm to businesses and erode public trust.”
The FBI and Shavano Park Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen prosecuted the case.
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San Xavier Man Sentenced to 340 Months in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact with a MinorRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Ski Redfeather Johnson, 37, of San Xavier, Arizona, was sentenced on May 7, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 340 months in federal prison. Johnson previously pleaded guilty to four counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor.
Between 2015 and 2020, Johnson engaged in abusive sexual contact with four different minor victims who were all under the age of 12 on multiple occasions at residences where he was living on the Tohono O’odham Nation. Johnson and the minor victims are enrolled members of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
“Ski Redfeather Johnson repeatedly preyed upon and stole the innocence of four children,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “This 28-year sentence reflects the relentless work of FBI Special Agents and Tohono O’odham Nation Tribal Police officers dedicated to protecting these children and bringing their perpetrator to justice.”
“This sentence underscores the severity of Ski Johnson’s crimes and thanks to the courageous victim who came forward, he will spend the next 28 years in prison,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day. “The FBI and our partners remain devoted to identifying, investigating, and holding accountable those who seek to harm our most vulnerable.”
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson Office and the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-8440
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-074_Johnson
San Joaquin County Man Charged for Unlawful Possession of Ammunition in Connection with Fatal Shooting at Oakland NightclubRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Jarvis Toussaint has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. Toussaint, who was already in federal custody for an unrelated offense, made his initial appearance in federal court in Oakland on May 13, 2026.
According to the criminal complaint and court documents filed May 8, 2026, and now unsealed, Toussaint, 40, of Mountain House, CA, is alleged to have engaged in a shootout in a crowded downtown Oakland nightclub in the early morning of March 7, 2026, in which two people were killed, including an Oakland woman who was shot as she attempted to run from the gunfire. At least five others also suffered gunshot wounds during the incident. Although Toussaint fled the scene following the shooting, investigators identified him through a combination of surveillance video, automated license plate reader technology, car dealership records, Instagram evidence, cell phone location data, and DNA analysis. The semiautomatic pistol Toussaint used in the shooting has not been found, but investigators recovered at the scene the spent shell casings from the rounds he had fired. At the time of the shooting, Toussaint had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and ATF Special Agent in Charge John Wester made the announcement.
Toussaint is currently in federal custody. Toussaint is next scheduled to appear in magistrate court on May 19, 2026 for a status conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ajay S. Krishnan.
A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the violation of possessing ammunition as a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonah P. Ross is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Analisse Iniguez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the Oakland Police Department.
Rogers Middle School Teacher and Coach Sentenced to More Than 31 Years in Prison for Online Exploitation and Coercion of MinorsRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A former teacher and coach from a Rogers Middle School was sentenced on May 13, 2026, to 375 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole to be followed by twenty-five years supervised release for the offenses of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Online Coercion and Enticement of Minors. The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, Bradley Quillen, age 31, utilizing the false online persona of a teenage boy contacted multiple minor females via social media and coerced them to produce and send him sexually explicit images. In April of 2024, the Waukesha County, Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office contacted the Benton County Sheriff’s Office after they identified Quillen as a target responsible for the coercion and enticement of two minor children, ages 8 and 12. Thereafter, the Benton County Sheriff’ Office, in conjunction with the FBI, obtained and executed a residential search warrant at Quillen’s home. A forensic review of Quillen’s electronic devices and social media profiles revealed that Quillen had been using Snapchat and Instagram to contact and exploit multiple minor girls.
At sentencing, the United States presented the Court with evidence and argument that Quillen engaged in a protracted scheme to utilize a fictitious underage social media profile in order to target, groom, and sexually exploit hundreds of minor females in Northwest Arkansas schools and across the United States.
Quillen was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in January of 2025 and entered a plea of guilty in November of 2025.
U.S. Attorney Kimberly D. Harris of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Rockford Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in Prison for Burning Down His Restaurant and Filing False Insurance ClaimRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — The owner of a Rockford restaurant has been sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison for burning down his restaurant and filing a false insurance claim.
JAMES PURIFOY intentionally started a fire inside the 15th and Chris restaurant, 201 15th Ave. in Rockford, on Jan. 22, 2023. To hide his involvement from law enforcement, Purifoy left the premises before police and fire personnel arrived to put out the fire. Purifoy admitted to obstructing the subsequent arson investigation by providing false statements to the Rockford Police Department, Rockford Fire Department, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Purifoy later filed a fraudulent insurance claim, which paid him $305,400.
Purifoy, 51, of Rockford, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to a federal arson charge. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the 66-month prison term during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge for ATF’s Chicago Field Division, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Timothy Morris, Jr., Division Chief of the Rockford Fire Department The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation and prosecution.
“Arson is a seriously dangerous crime which can have devastating consequences,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “An intentionally set fire unnecessarily risks the lives of bystanders and first responders. Others who engage in reckless and deceitful behavior must be on notice that they will be held accountable.”
“The City of Rockford Fire Department worked closely with the ATF throughout this long investigation,” said Division Chief Morris. “The joint effort between the ATF and City Fire Investigators resulted in a case closure. This outcome reflects our department's commitment to holding those who intentionally set fires fully accountable, protecting our community, our firefighters, and the integrity of the insurance system that citizens and residents depend on.”
Randolph County Man Indicted for CarjackingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Moberly, Mo. man has been charged by a federal grand jury with carjacking.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, on April 28, 2026, Brian Nicholas Koch, 28, drove his vehicle, which had been heavily damaged, to the Jefferson City Memorial Airport in Callaway County. He abandoned his vehicle in the parking lot of the airport and approached the victim, who was in her Toyota 4Runner. Koch threatened the victim with a starter pistol and a large machete in his attempt to steal her vehicle. The victim was able to drive away. Law enforcement arrived minutes later and apprehended Koch.
Koch recently completed a Missouri prison sentence for first-degree robbery and was on pre-trial bond in a separate case for the class B felony of committing violence to an employee of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
The allegations contained in the indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the allegations must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Komoroski and is being investigated by the Jefferson City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Previously Deported British Citizen Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN O’ROURKE, also known as JOHN CASEY, 27, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, O’Rourke has used several other aliases including “John O’Rouke,” “Michael Casey,” “John Joyce,” “Robert Davanzo,” “David Collins,” and “James McCormack.” On October 7, 2024, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended O’Rourke, under an alias, and four other individuals near Fort Covington, New York, close to Canadian border. An investigation revealed that O’Rourke did not have legal status in the United States and, on October 15, 2024, he was removed by foot from New York to Canada.
O’Rourke subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S. On February 18, 2025, O’Rourke was arrested under the name John Casey in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and charged with state offenses including evading responsibility and breach of peace. On March 2, 2026, O’Rourke was arrested under the name John Casey in Pleasonton, California, on an arrest warrant issued by a judge in Torrington, Connecticut, charging O’Rourke with larceny in the first degree, making home improvements without a valid home improvement certificate, and mispresenting or impersonating a registered contractor. O’Rourke also has a pending state case in Danbury, Connecticut for larceny.
Additional investigation revealed that O’Rourke has pending cases stemming from arrests under various aliases in Suffolk County, New York, in November 2023; Everett, Washington, in September 2025; Linden, New Jersey, in December 2025; and Snohomish County, Washington, in January 2026. He also is being sought by law enforcement in Surrey, England.
O’Rourke has been detained since his arrest in California on March 2, 2026. Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for August 6, at which time O’Rourke faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj. N. Patel.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse Materials ChargesRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A Stark County man, and previously convicted sex offender, has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography offenses.
Shane Stouffer, 46, of Canton, Ohio, has been sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko, after pleading guilty in January to the following charges in the indictment:
- Receipt of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
- Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)
He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, agents conducting investigations into suspected CSAM activity on social media platforms identified Stouffer in 2025. During a search warrant execution at his residence, which he shared with co-defendant Daniel J. Dobies, 57, investigators found electronic devices belonging to Stouffer which contained approximately 158 videos and 43 images which were CSAM. The files included depictions of children under the age of 12 being raped and molested.
During the investigation, agents conducted a criminal history search of Stouffer and Dobies. Stouffer was convicted in October 1999 for Rape and Gross Sexual Imposition involving minor victims and was again convicted of Gross Sexual Imposition involving a minor victim in 2014. Dobies also had prior convictions related to sexual abuse including Gross Sexual Imposition in 1991, and Attempted Rape in 1993.
Dobies also pleaded guilty to charges of receipt and distribution, as well as possession, of CSAM and is scheduled to be sentenced June 11.
The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Canton Resident Agency and the Canton Police Department with assistance from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Stark County Sex Offender Registry.
Assistant United States Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Pittsburgh Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Role in Network That Brought Kilogram Quantities of Cocaine to Western PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 144 months of incarceration, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction through a Homeland Security Task Force prosecution of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Jamal Stoner, 38, on May 13, 2026.
According to information presented to the Court, Stoner conspired with others to bring kilogram quantities of cocaine to the Pittsburgh region for redistribution. On September 27, 2021, law enforcement conducted a search of Stoner’s stash apartment, where they recovered 11 kilograms of cocaine. As part of his plea agreement, Stoner also accepted responsibility for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that the sentence was appropriate given the defendant’s recidivist history and involvement in kilogram quantity drug distribution.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations that 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. The Western District of Pennsylvania is part of the Philadelphia HSTF, which is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the United States Department of State–Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and state and local law enforcement partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Owner of Health Care Software Company Convicted of 1 Billion Dollar Medicare Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted the founder and owner of HealthSplash yesterday for his role in operating a platform that generated false doctors’ orders and prescriptions to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs out of more than $1 billion.
Photo of defendant Brett Blackman“The Department of Justice crushed one of the most egregious fraud schemes in Florida history,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This illegitimate operation stole more than $1 billion from American taxpayers — including hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries. This was cold, calculated, industrial-scale theft targeting the sick and elderly, coercing vulnerable people into buying unnecessary medical equipment. We will not rest until every fraudster ripping off the American people is held accountable.”
“The defendant orchestrated a massive telemarketing scheme that used foreign call centers and spam mailers to target our country’s senior citizens and defraud government health care benefit programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Fraud Division will continue to aggressively prosecute health care fraud schemes, hold criminals accountable, and protect the integrity of America’s health care system.”
“This was not health care. It was a billion-dollar fraud machine,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “The defendant built and operated a platform that generated false doctors’ orders, used foreign call centers to target seniors, and helped push medically unnecessary equipment through Medicare and other federal health care programs. Seniors were exploited. Taxpayers were robbed. Programs meant to care for the elderly, veterans, service members, and families were treated like a cash register. This conviction is a major victory for patients, taxpayers, and the rule of law, and it sends a clear message: if you steal from federal health care programs in South Florida, we will find you, prosecute you, and make sure fraud does not pay.”
"The scale of greed in this case is staggering. Brett Blackman and his co-conspirators systematically preyed upon hundreds of thousands of elderly and vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries, converting a platform meant for modern healthcare into a $1 billion vehicle for outright fraud,” said Brett Skiles, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Today's verdict sends a definitive message to unscrupulous healthcare executives and fraudulent networks alike: no matter how complex you make your web of sham contracts and shell companies, law enforcement will unravel it, and you will be held fully accountable."
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brett Blackman, 42, of Johnson County, Kansas, and his co-conspirators aggressively targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to get them to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces and other items. They then arranged for purported telemedicine doctors to sign bogus prescription orders for these items, so that their co-conspirators could bill Medicare for them. All told, Blackman and his co-conspirators billed Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs over $1 billion for this unnecessary equipment.
Blackman owned, controlled, and was the CEO of HealthSplash, which acquired Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC (DMERx) in September 2017. DMERx was an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for durable medical equipment (DME) and prescriptions for other items. As part of the scheme, Blackman and his co-conspirators connected pharmacies, DME suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders created using the DMERx platform. Blackman and his co-conspirators took a cut for themselves in exchange for the referrals.
Photo of mansion used in defendant's music video“This conviction further underscores our dedication to protecting the integrity of military healthcare from large-scale exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “Fraud of this magnitude drains vital resources and jeopardizes the care promised to our service members, retirees, and their families. DCIS, alongside our partners, remains steadfast in rooting out and dismantling these schemes, ensuring every conspirator faces justice.”
“This verdict shows exactly what happens when people exploit Medicare for personal gain,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “The actions of this defendant severely undermined the integrity of the Medicare program. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS‑OIG will continue to relentlessly pursue those who try to profit by defrauding federal health care programs.”
“This conviction sends a clear message that those who exploit VA programs and services for personal profit will be found and held accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Wentz with the VA Office of Inspector General Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to uncover complex fraud schemes, protect veterans and taxpayers, and ensure accountability.”
The fraudulent doctors’ orders and prescriptions generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had actually examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when, in fact, the doctors were simply paid to sign orders and prescriptions without any meaningful interaction with the beneficiary, and in some cases, no interaction at all. Doctors signed these orders and prescriptions without regard to whether the equipment was medically necessary. Testimony and evidence presented at trial from an undercover agent who posed as a Medicare beneficiary showed the scheme in action—starting with a foreign call center that pushed the undercover agent to agree to multiple braces to a doctor signing bogus orders for the braces using Blackman’s DMERx platform. The doctor’s order for one of these undercover agent beneficiaries claimed that the doctor conducted various tests that can only be performed in person even though the doctor never even spoke with the undercover agent “patient.”
The DME suppliers and pharmacies that were paying illegal kickbacks for these orders billed Medicare and other insurers for more than $1 billion. Medicare and the other insurers paid more than $450 million based on these claims. According to evidence presented at trial, Blackman and his co-conspirators concealed the scheme through sham contracts and by manipulating the doctors’ orders to avoid Medicare audits.
The jury convicted Blackman of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters. Blackman’s co-defendant, Gary Cox, was convicted in a prior trial and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Blackman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud conviction, five years for the conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks conviction, and five years for the conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters conviction. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 26, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Reginald Cuyler Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and Jennifer E. Burns assisted in the prosecution. Trial Attorney Evan N. Schlom with the Fraud Section’s Special Matters Unit provided valuable assistance.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Norwalk Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More than 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE ORJUELA, also known as “Hov,” 37, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 188 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for trafficking narcotics and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Norwalk Police Department identified Orjuela as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in the Norwalk area. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Orjuela and others transported kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Texas and Ohio, and kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and heroin from New York City, and distributed the narcotics in and around Norwalk through a network of associates. Orjuela stored narcotics and drug proceeds at his Marlin Drive residence in Norwalk, and also used the Darien residence of his co-conspirator, Christopher Pomponi, to store narcotics and drug proceeds, convert cocaine into crack cocaine, and package narcotics for street sale.
Orjuela, Pomponi, and others were arrested on April 29, 2024. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple federal search warrants and seized approximately 15,000 dose bags of suspected fentanyl, approximately 350 grams of raw heroin, and quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine.
Orjuela was apprehended while attempting to flush several hundred grams of fentanyl down a toilet. A search of a vehicle parked outside of his residence revealed a loaded 9mm pistol.
Orjuela has been detained since his arrest. On April 30, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and a quantity of heroin, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Pomponi pleaded guilty and, on November 12, 2025, was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Norwalk Police Department, the Darien Police Department, the Stamford Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Kenneth L. Gresham.
North Carolina Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Producing and Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A North Carolina man was sentenced on May 12, 2026, to 324 months in federal prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for producing child pornography of an Arkansas minor and for transporting a phone containing child pornography across state lines. The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, Brian Issac Hughes, age 21, communicated with a 15-year-old female through social media and arranged to travel to Arkansas to engage in sex acts with her. In April of 2025, Hughes flew from North Carolina to Arkansas and picked up the minor near her school before transporting her to a nearby hotel where he had sex with the minor and produced explicit images and videos of the act. Later the same night, Hughes distributed the produced imagery of the minor on social media. A subsequent search of Hughes’s cellphone revealed numerous child pornography files, including files of children as young as 4. Investigators also located social media chats in which Hughes distributed and received child pornography files with other online users and at least one chat thread in which Hughes posed as a 16-year-old female to trade files with another minor female.
Hughes was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in April of 2025 and entered a plea of guilty in November of 2025.
U.S. Attorney Kimberly D. Harris of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Nigerian Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Nigerian man, legally residing in Newark, New Jersey, Charles Nnamdi Emesim, 53, was sentenced on Wednesday to 115 months by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The Defendant engaged in a decade-long scheme to receive and launder the proceeds of different internet- and telephone-enabled scams, including romance scams, government imposter scams, lottery scams, investment scams, inheritance scams, and medical expense scams. Between December 9, 2013, through at least June 28, 2024, Emesim opened and operated at least 17 bank accounts in his name, or in names of his companies, Chadon Export or Chadon Trucking. Throughout this time, at least 23 individuals located around the United States were defrauded into sending a total of more than $700,000 to Emesim by mailing cash or cashier’s checks to his addresses, sending money transfers, or otherwise wiring funds into his bank accounts.
One victim, a senior citizen and widow living in the Eastern District of Kentucky, fell victim to a romance scam, believing she was in a romantic relationship with an individual named “Michael Oliver,” who wanted to transfer his wealth to the victim. To accomplish this goal, “Oliver” connected the victim with a “customs agent” to facilitate the receipt of money. The victim most frequently communicated with “Customs Agent Samuel Rock,” via WhatsApp. The victim traveled to the Lexington, Kentucky airport to meet with “Customs Agent Rock” in person, and during the meeting, gave him additional money, drove him to a local store, and bought him a computer tablet. The Court found that Emesim was the individual who impersonated “Customs Agent Rock” when meeting with this victim in person. This victim lost tens of thousands of dollars to this scam, by sending Emesim and his co-conspirators cash, cashier’s checks, and prepaid debit or gift cards.
Emesim often withdrew the victims’ funds in cash, transferred the money to accounts in the name of relatives or businesses, or transferred the funds to his own bank accounts or bank accounts belonging to family members located in Nigeria.
“Romance scams and financial fraud schemes are predatory crimes because they target victims through deception, emotional manipulation, and calculated exploitation,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This defendant spent years helping funnel stolen money from hardworking Americans, including an elderly victim in Eastern Kentucky who was manipulated into believing she was building a genuine relationship. These criminals do not see victims as people—they see them as targets. The Eastern District of Kentucky, alongside the FBI, will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute those who exploit trust, devastate families, and profit from fraud.”
“For more than a decade, Mr. Emesim preyed upon trusting men and women, stealing their hard-earned money to line his own pockets,” said Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a powerful reminder that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are steadfast in our pursuit of criminals who operate financial scams at the expense of innocent Americans, and that we will devote every available resource to seeking justice on behalf of victims and their families.”
During the sentencing hearing, the Court characterized Emesim’s conduct as heartless and unquestionably reprehensible, explaining that it caused terrible financial damage and incredible emotional and psychological tolls on the victims. The Court urged all people in this country with ears to hear that there will be accountability, and those convicted of these international, internet-enabled schemes will be met with a sentence that is far worse than the potential for profit.
Under federal law, Emesim must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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New York Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice as Part of Six-Defendant Prosecution of Nationwide, Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – JAMES MICHAEL KAFES (“KAFES”), age 57, a resident of Carmel, New York, pleaded guilty today before United States Judge Susie Morgan to Count 8 of an eight-count indictment charging KAFES and a co-conspirator, Josiah David (“David”), with conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1503(a) (Count 8), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, KAFES and David conspired to obstruct the due administration of justice, namely a federal grand jury investigation in the Eastern District of Louisiana concerning the operation of companies that sought investments to launch a medical reimbursement account program. Specifically, KAFES and David agreed, and arranged, for David to withhold material responsive to a federal grand jury from production and discouraged an owner-investor from meeting with federal investigative authorities. Additionally, on or about March 27, 2025, KAFES testified falsely while under oath before a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The federal investigation began as a result of a spin-off investment opportunity David and KAFES marketed related to The Total Financial Group (TTFG), a Louisiana business incorporated in 2005 that was located in, Covington, Louisiana, until its operations ceased in 2017. Denis Joachim incorporated, owned, and operated TTFG. TTFG and Joachim created and marketed a Medical Reimbursement Account program called “Classic 105,” which had three fundamental parts: monthly administration fees charged to employee-participants and employer-clients for participating in the program, a loan from a lender to employee-participants that would effectively offset the amount of an employee-participant’s monthly fee that the employee-participants never needed to repay, and an insurance policy secured on the life of the employee-participant and payable to the lender at the time of the employee-participant’s death to repay the loan amount. David, and a company under his control, Provision Corporation, LLC (“Provision”), formed an association with Joachim and TTFG to market Classic 105 to prospective employer-clients and to seek, ultimately unsuccessfully, financial institutions to fund the loan component of Classic 105.
Federal law enforcement authorities executed search warrants at Joachim’s residence and TTFG’s office in Covington, Louisiana in January 2017, effectively shutting down TTFG. Joachim was charged by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and thereafter pleaded guilty, based on the fraudulent development, marketing, and sale of Classic 105. Nevertheless, soon after the search warrant, David and KAFES signed a “letter of intent” promising Joachim they would establish a program that would be a successor to Classic 105. David and Provision then created a successor entity, The Premier Healthcare Solution, LLC (“Premier”), for two purported purposes: to develop and administer a program modeled on and that was a continuation of Classic 105 (the “New 105 Plan”) and to solicit investors to purchase “units” in Premier by representing that investor-owners would profit significantly once the New 105 Plan “launched.” Premier and David also entered into a consulting agreement with Joachim that agreed to pay Joachim up to $20,000 per month, which they referred to as “royalty payments,” despite Premier having no clients and generating no outside revenue. In fact, the New 105 Plan never launched.
KAFES was the President of Premier. While David was advertised as merely KAFES’s assistant, in reality he was responsible for its development, operation, and management and was its primary representative. The New 105 Plan had the same components as Classic 105. To convince potential and current investor-owners to contribute, David, KAFES, and the entities they oversaw, made numerous false statements and material omissions in their marketing efforts. Among the false representations David, KAFES, and their entities made were that the New 105 Plan was close to launch, that the New 105 Plan and its underlying intellectual property were “patent protected,” that Premier had already solidified funding for the loan component from financial institutions, and that law firms had vetted the New 105 Plan and found it to be legal and legitimate. David, KAFES, and their entities also withheld material information from current and prospective investors, including falsely characterizing their relationship with and obligations to Joachim, failing to disclose that DAVID (under his original name, “Dennis Lee”) had multiple felony convictions, suits filed against him for violations of state securities and/or consumer protection laws, public warnings about him issued by multiple state regulator entities, and a stipulated order for a permanent injunction and final judgment entered based on charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission, as well as understating David’s role in the program. In total, investor-owners made purchases and contributions totaling over $4,000,000. David, KAFES, and Premier sent over $550,000 of these funds to Joachim in more than 120 transactions.
KAFES face up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing before Judge Morgan has been scheduled for August 27, 2026. The trial of KAFES’s co-defendants is scheduled to begin on June 8, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration and Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. U.S. Attorney Courcelle also recognized the contributions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Criminal Division, is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Castle Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to trafficking fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Melvin Dorsey-Pace, 33, pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on February 12, 2025, Dorsey-Pace possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, as well as a quantity of a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for September 9, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Lawrence County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Dorsey-Pace.
Multiple defendants indicted on federal drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants have been indicted by the May term of the federal Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia on federal drug trafficking charges.
Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced the indictments. Those facing federal charges include:
- Tyriquez McFadden, 39, and Nichael Lessey, 44, both of Augusta, charged in a five-count indictment with Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Jacquez Sturgis, 36, of Augusta, indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and,
- Roman Kelly, 51, of Augusta, indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.
The charges carry statutory penalties up to life in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and local law enforcement partners and are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Kyle Davis and Kelsey L. Scanlon.
Monroeville Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Exchanging Vapes for Sex with 13-Year-OldRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Joseph Mitchell McDonald, age 60, was sentenced to life in prison after entering a guilty plea to Sex Trafficking of Children on February 6, 2026.
According to court documents, in March 2025, McDonald was found to be sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. The child was interviewed and reported that McDonald would give her vapes in exchange for sex acts. McDonald admitted that he provided the child with vapes in exchange for sex acts and her silence about the sex acts. McDonald admitted that the child was 12 years old when the abuse began.At sentencing, United States District Judge Steele imposed a life sentence of incarceration and a 15-year term of supervised release in the unlikely event that McDonald is ever released from prison. During his term of imprisonment, McDonald will be subject to sex offender treatment and mental health treatment. McDonald will be required to register as a sex offender and is to have no contact with minors. McDonald was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources
Michigan City Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Controlled Substance OffenseRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Charles Pheal, Jr., 35 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distributing 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Pheal was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
“The Defendant sold 100 methamphetamine pills while on probation for burglary of a dwelling and domestic battery where he kicked open a door of a residence and slapped a mother in the presence of three minor children. His criminal history also includes a misdemeanor domestic battery conviction where he broke into a residence through the window of a child’s bedroom and struck the child’s mother causing swelling to her left eye and scratches on her hands and knuckles. He was sentenced for that misdemeanor domestic battery on the same day that he was sentenced in a different case for carrying a handgun without a license. The criminal justice system’s efforts at the Defendant’s rehabilitation have failed because he chose to continue his career of antisocial behavior by peddling poison in our community,” US Attorney Adam Mildred said.
“While drug dealing, Mr. Pheal alleged to be selling ecstasy; however, his drugs were methamphetamine, a highly addictive and deadly substance. Methamphetamine is often mixed with illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, which are driving the overdose and poisoning deaths in the United States. Mr. Pheal’s actions are yet another example of the cruelty of drug traffickers. They always lie. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, along with their prosecution partners, will continue to collaborate to bring drug dealers to justice and to keep the Hoosiers of northern Indiana safe. Northern Indiana is not where drug dealers should want to do their evil work. Mr. Pheal is realizing that now,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the DEA North Central Laboratory and LaPorte County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.
Mexican National Sentenced for Role in Cross-Border Tunnel SmugglingRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – As a result of diligent work done by members of the Homeland Security Task Force, a Mexican national with Legal Permanent Resident status was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 42 months in prison for facilitating alien smuggling operations using cross-border tunnels and storm drains, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Ricardo Guadalupe Dominguez, 54, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, along with other members of an alien smuggling organization, used a subterranean passage and the connecting storm drain tunnels to bring aliens into the U.S. from Mexico. Dominguez facilitated the human smuggling events by providing vehicles and tools used to tamper and cause damage to the existing storm drains. Dominguez was also identified as being involved with the construction of a man-made cross-border tunnel that was discovered on Jan. 10, 2025.
Dominguez was arrested while attempting to cross into the U.S. from Mexico via the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. He pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to bring in aliens.
Co-defendant Oscar Ivan Carrillo was sentenced in January to 33 months in federal prison for conspiracy to use a border tunnel. Carrillo and others would guide aliens through the tunnels and into the U.S. At the tunnel exit, a box truck modified with a trap door was driven over a manhole cover; the trap door was then opened, allowing the aliens to climb up out of the tunnel and into the box truck without being detected.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Engelbaum prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with DHS, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 300 U.S. convictions; more than 250 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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Menifee County Man Sentenced for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Wellington, Ky., man, Jarod Nicely, 39, was sentenced on Thursday to 276 months by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
On February 24, 2025, law enforcement stopped a vehicle driven by Nicely for suspected traffic violations on I-75. Nicely was questioned about his travels and he said he was driving to see friends in Cincinnati but initially claimed not to know where they lived of their last names. Law enforcement conducted a search of Nicely and found $12,246 in cash bound by rubber bands in his wallet. A search of Nicely’s vehicle found approximately 94 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the center console, along with a stolen firearm. Nicely admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with intent to distribute it and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Les Hill, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel King is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Memphis Man and His Mother Sentenced to Prison for Armed Robberies of U.S. Postal Carriers and Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – On May 8, 2026, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Lakita Carroll, 46, to three and a half years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On April 15, 2026, Judge Parker sentenced Carroll's son, Marshun Lewis, 25, to 42 years in prison for committing a series of armed robberies of United States postal carriers in August 2023 and October, November, and December of 2024 in the Western District of Tennessee. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentences today.
According to information presented in court, Lewis conducted a series of armed robberies of United States postal carriers as a masked gunman for the purpose of obtaining keys to unlock blue collection mailboxes throughout the city of Memphis. He used the keys to steal checks and money orders from the mail for use in committing bank fraud. He then altered the payee information on the checks and money orders for deposit into third party accounts for withdrawal. Investigators located his vehicle on surveillance video at the scene of the robberies.
Postal Inspectors served a search warrant at his home and located stolen mail and the keychain for one of the stolen keys. Text messages located on his phone linked him to each of the robberies and several co-conspirators in the bank fraud scheme. Inspectors determined the total amount of stolen checks and money orders exceeded $940,000.
Carroll assisted Lewis by depositing stolen checks and money orders in her bank account. Carroll pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud.
After a four-day trial, Lewis was convicted as charged of four counts of robbery, four counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of possession of stolen mail. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "In order to break the cycle of violent crime in Memphis, we must break the generational lifestyles of lawlessness. This mother’s greed led to her son’s extreme violence, and their brazen selfishness has landed them both in federal prison. Their family business driven by a culture of criminality is over."
“As the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Inspection Service prioritizes the safety of our employees,” said Atlanta Division Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins. “Make no mistake. We will use every resource available when our postal carriers are robbed. Postal carriers are an integral part of our communities, and the Inspection Service is committed to ensuring their safety, protecting the sanctity of the U.S. Mail, and safeguarding the public’s trust in the Postal Service by holding those that commit violent crimes and theft accountable for their actions. We extend our appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their support in this case.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and William Bateman prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States government.
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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.
Memphis Fugitive Sentenced to over Seven Years for Illegal Possession of Seven FirearmsRead the Press Release
OXFORD, Miss. – Keon J. Carwell, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison, 3 years supervised release, for possessing seven firearms as a prior convicted felon after he was located in Hernando, Mississippi.
At the time of his arrest, the 39-year-old Carwell was wanted as a fugitive for eight years stemming from a federal gun charge in the Western District of Tennessee from 2016. On March 31, 2024, officers with the Hernando Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Carwell was riding in. Further investigation confirmed Carwell’s identity and active warrant. Officers found Carwell in possession of seven firearms, including a pistol identified as stolen in a burglary of a federal firearms licensee store, a rifle with an obliterated serial number and a sawed-off shotgun. Six of the guns were loaded. Carwell pled guilty to the charge on a prior date.
Senior U.S. District Court Michael P. Mills sentenced Carwell to 87 months imprisonment followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Scott F. Leary stated, “The Declaration of Independence stands as one of the greatest man-made documents ever written. It is the very foundation of our country. The Declaration states that we get our rights not from government, but from God. That our government was instituted to secure these God-given rights, and that our government derives its rights from the people of this great country. I hope the people of the Northern District of Mississippi are proud of their law enforcement officers, especially the people of Hernando, Mississippi. The Hernando Police Department conducted an investigation and apprehended a man that had been a fugitive for eight years. When arrested, the defendant was in possession of seven firearms, some of which were stolen and extremely dangerous. A community is safer today as a result of their hard work. A hardy thanks also to the ATF, day in and day out your trustworthiness in bringing these cases to fruition is commendable.”
“In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, ATF will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess firearms,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message that ATF will continue to work alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure these offenders are removed from our communities and held fully accountable so we can keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Hernando Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Maryland Man Sentenced in D.C. in Connection with Multi-Kilogram Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Marcus Devonta Williams, 47, of Brookeville, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 70 months in connection with his role as the Washington, D.C.-area distributor in a large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy that funneled multi-kilogram quantities of the drug from New York into the Washington metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Marcus Williams played a central role in a cocaine trafficking pipeline that moved multi-kilogram quantities of dangerous drugs from New York into the Washington metropolitan area,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He distributed cocaine to re-sellers throughout the region and profited substantially from that criminal activity. Today’s sentence reflects the serious harm caused by large-scale drug trafficking and demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable those who flood our communities with illegal narcotics.”
Williams pleaded guilty before Judge Amir H. Ali on Feb. 4, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In addition to the 70-month prison sentence, Judge Ali ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release and to pay a $150,000 money judgment. Federal prosecutors had requested a 78-month prison term.
According to court papers, beginning in the summer of 2024, the FBI investigated a large-scale cocaine conspiracy operating in the Washington, D.C., area, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. Williams served as the D.C.-area point person for the conspiracy, receiving multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine transported from New York by co-defendant Daryl Smith-Winfree. Williams then distributed it to re-sellers and individual buyers throughout the region.
Between February and April 2025, law enforcement made four controlled purchases of cocaine from Williams. During that same period, surveillance documented Williams meeting with Smith-Winfree in Wilmington, Delaware, in a manner consistent with drug supply transactions.
On March 24, 2025, GPS tracking data placed Williams' vehicle in a Walmart parking lot in Wilmington, where surveillance footage showed Smith-Winfree's vehicle pull alongside. Williams entered Smith-Winfree's vehicle briefly, then returned to his own truck carrying a brown paper bag.
The following day, Williams met co-defendant Tavon Valentine Lee in a Silver Spring, Maryland, parking lot. Lee entered Williams' vehicle empty-handed and departed two minutes later carrying a brown paper bag, which he deposited in a trash receptacle. Law enforcement recovered the bag, which contained packaging consistent with a kilo of cocaine, cocaine residue on cutting and mixing instruments, and a parking receipt bearing Williams' vehicle's license plate number. Montgomery County police stopped Lee shortly after and recovered about 257 grams of cocaine and a loaded firearm from his vehicle.
Later that day, law enforcement stopped Williams and recovered more than $33,000 in cash from his vehicle. On June 3, 2025, federal agents executed search warrants at Williams' Brookeville, Maryland, residence and a construction trailer associated with him, recovering about five to six ounces of cocaine, about $31,000 in cash, a money counter, and drug packaging materials. That same day, Howard County police stopped Smith-Winfree en route to resupply Williams and recovered about three kilograms of cocaine hidden in his vehicle.
The $31,000 in cash recovered from Williams’ residence.
A warrant for Smith-Winfree's iCloud account revealed digital ledgers tracking cocaine quantities supplied to Williams totaling 5.5 kilograms between January and February 2025. Williams agreed he was accountable for at least five kilograms of cocaine.
Smith-Winfree, 44, pleaded guilty on January 28 before Judge Ali to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced to 96 months in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Howard County Police Department, and the Arlington County Police Department.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Scarpelli and Michael L. Barclay.
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Madison Man Sentenced to over 8 Years for Drug Trafficking and Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jalen Hayes, 26, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on May 6, 2026, by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 97 months in federal prison for possessing controlled substances intended for distribution and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Hayes pleaded guilty to these charges on February 10, 2026.
In 2025, Hayes was under state supervision after being released from prison for an armed drug trafficking case. On July 5, 2025, he fled from a traffic stop. On July 25, 2025, officers arrested Hayes, who was carrying a backpack. Hayes set the backpack down and mouthed to his girlfriend, “get the bag.”
Officers searched the backpack and found a loaded 9mm handgun, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone, and Xanax pills. A search of Hayes’s phone showed he was advertising controlled substances for sale in social media posts and had purchased the 9mm handgun.
Hayes was prohibited from legally possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions, including convictions for armed robbery, armed drug trafficking, and distributing drugs in jail.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson observed that Hayes having a loaded gun meant he was ready to use it. Judge Peterson said that drug dealing is inherently violent and that risk increased by Hayes carrying a gun. Noting an epidemic of gun violence in the community, Judge Peterson said the purpose of the sentence was to send a message to Hayes and the community.
The charges against Hayes were the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF as well as state and local agents throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Madison Man Pleads Guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Madison man pleaded guilty on Wednesday, May 13th in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers stopped Cornelius Ellis and another man on September 13, 2024, in Hinds County and discovered that Ellis was in possession of a handgun at the intersection of Ridgeway and Missouri Street. At the time of the stop, Ellis had previously been convicted of two felony offenses in Hinds County including aggravated assault by firearm in 2015 where he served an eight-year sentence in the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
Cornelius Ellis is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Jackson Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Lynchburg Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Directing Drug Trafficking Operation While IncarceratedRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Lynchburg, Va. man, who used friends and family members to help him distribute more than a kilogram of fentanyl while he was incarcerated at the Lynchburg Adult Detention Center, was sentenced yesterday to more than 21 years in federal prison.
Tremon Jaquil Burford, 31, pled guilty on July 10, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
“We are committed to enhancing cooperative relationships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to eradicate the clear and present fentanyl threat to our citizens and communities. I commend Chief Edwards, the Lynchburg Police Department, and ATF for their outstanding work ensuring clear accountability in this case,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci.
“The success of this case was built on collaboration, trust, and the collective determination of multiple law enforcement agencies working toward a common goal,” said Lynchburg Police Chief Edwards. “Our partnership with federal investigators strengthened this operation from start to finish and sends a clear message that criminal organizations targeting our community will face a coordinated and relentless response.”
“Fentanyl trafficking continues to devastate our communities, destroying families and ultimately fueling violence and addiction,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Samuel Ward. Today’s sentence demonstrates our unwavering commitment to working alongside our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime and narcotics trafficking. ATF will continue identifying and dismantling the criminal networks responsible for distributing this deadly poison throughout our neighborhoods while holding those responsible fully accountable for their actions.”
According to court documents, from approximately February 2023 to November 2023, Burford headed an organization that trafficked tens of thousands of pressed fentanyl pills in the Lynchburg area while he was incarcerated at the Lynchburg Adult Detention Center awaiting trial on gang and firearm charges.
Burford was able to accomplish this using a network of co-conspirators outside of the jail— predominantly women with little to no criminal history, including his own relatives. These co-conspirators held controlled substances and money for him, communicated with suppliers and customers, and delivered drugs and drug proceeds at Burford’s direction.
Even following his conviction in this matter, Burford continued his brazen criminal activity. On September 8, 2025, he slipped a correctional officer a note offering him $2,500 to smuggle Suboxone strips into the jail.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lynchburg Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lee Brett and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case.
Leader of Multi-State Check Fraud Conspiracy ConvictedRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A New York man who led a multi-state check fraud scheme pled guilty today, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Inspector in Charge Felicia George of the Postal Inspection Service’s Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Philip Spampinato of the Transportation Security Administration Office of Law Enforcement/Investigations Detroit .
Nazaly Mason Smith, age 33, originally from Maryland, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud for a scheme where he was responsible for over $1,500,000 in losses.
At the hearing, Smith admitted to leading a check fraud conspiracy where he provided his subordinates with fake identification documents and stolen personal identifiable information (PII) for several victims. Smith then trained them to memorize the victims’ PII, open bank accounts in the victims’ names, and later fraudulently deposit the stolen checks.
Sentencing before United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith will occur after a presentence report is prepared. Smith faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than 30 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, and up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, TSA Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Dorval Norwood and K. Craig Welkener.
Leader of Alaska drug trafficking organization sentenced to 15 years in Homeland Security Task Force caseRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A California man that acted as the leader for an Alaska drug trafficking organization was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison for his role in the illegal enterprise.
According to court documents, in Spring 2022, Tyrone Hampton, 44, moved his pregnant wife and co-defendant, Stephanie Blanchard, 39, and two other associates from Southern California to Alaska to participate in the drug trafficking trade. The two associates were co-defendants Keith Crossley, 37, and Lawrence McGirt, 27. All three men were gang members in Southern California.
Upon arrival in Alaska, Hampton and his co-conspirators began selling illegal drugs, primarily heroin and fentanyl. One of the locations Hampton used for drug trafficking was an apartment in Wasilla. On April 12, 2022, the landlord of the apartment called law enforcement to trespass multiple people frequenting the apartment.
Hampton’s main drug supplier was codefendant Kevyn Watson, 43, a fellow gang member from California. At the time, Watson was serving a 40-year prison sentence in prison in Oklahoma. He had access to multiple contraband cellphones in prison. Watson used the phones to coordinate continued drug trafficking using his associates in California. Hampton and Watson coordinated the shipment of multiple packages of drugs to Alaska through the mail.
At some point in April 2022, Hampton’s cousin and co-defendant, Charles Holyfield, 41, of Arizona, reached out to Hampton about a debt that Hampton owed him. During that conversation, the two men agreed to have Holyfield mail illegal fentanyl pills from a supplier in Arizona to Alaska to be sold for a high profit and split the proceeds together. On April 25, Holyfield mailed over 2,500 fentanyl pills by stuffing them inside one of two pillows and packaging the pillows up in a box and addressing it to the Wasilla apartment building. Hampton directed Blanchard to send Holyfield $2,000 via wire transfer for the cost of the pills.
The next day, UPS attempted to deliver Holyfield’s package to the apartment in Wasilla but could not because there was no apartment number written on the label. UPS marked the package as “suspicious.” They searched the package, found fentanyl pills and alerted the Alaska State Troopers. This same day, Hampton directed Holyfield to board a flight to Alaska and Hampton picked him up from the airport. Hampton, Holyfield and Blanchard spent a night in a local motel.
United States Attorney's Office, District of Alaska; U.S. v. Holyfield et al., Case #: 3:22-cr-00084On April 27, Hampton, Blanchard and Holyfield drove from the motel to the Wasilla apartment and realized the package had not arrived yet. What the defendants didn’t know is the Alaska State Troopers (AST) had seized the drugs, resealed the package with sham drugs and obtained a state search warrant for the Wasilla apartment.
That same day, AST conducted a controlled delivery of the package and waited until Hampton, Holyfield, McGirt and Crossley returned to the building to execute the warrant and arrest them. Troopers recovered the package inside a closet and found evidence of a makeshift methamphetamine lab in the apartment.
On April 28, UPS notified AST that they received another suspicious package destined for the Wasilla apartment. Inside the package, AST found a tupperware container with one kilogram of heroin wrapped in six levels of packaging. Through the investigation, law enforcement determined that Watson and Hampton coordinated the shipment of this package, referring to the one kilogram of heroin as “the whole chalupa” in text messages. Hampton directed Keith Crossley and Lawrence McGirt to each transfer $2,500 in drug proceeds via wire transfer to two individuals in California as partial payment to Watson for the shipment of heroin.
United States Attorney's Office, District of Alaska; U.S. v. Holyfield et al., Case #: 3:22-cr-00084Court documents explain that in just over six weeks, Hampton deposited over $26,900 into his bank account through Cash App or ATM deposits. Extrapolated out over a year, Hampton was earning more than $228,000 a year dealing drugs in Alaska. He had no other legitimate source of income.
On June 20, 2025, Hampton pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of money laundering conspiracy. During sentencing, the Court also ordered Hampton to spend 10 years on supervised release after serving his federal prison sentence. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized that Hampton was motived by profit and preyed upon vulnerabilities to distribute fentanyl into Alaska. The Court also focused on Hampton’s characterization as a career offender that spent his life offending and hurting people and the communities he lived in.
“Mr. Hampton is a career criminal that moved his family and friends to Alaska for the sole purpose of peddling poison to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “With no legitimate source or income, an extensive criminal history, gang membership, and a propensity to seek out crime, Mr. Hampton poses a significant risk to community safety. Communities in both Alaska and California are safer knowing that this defendant will be behind bars for the next 15 years.”
“Hampton led a multi-state fentanyl and heroin trafficking conspiracy, recklessly endangering countless lives in Alaska and in the Lower 48,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “As a result of this investigation, Hampton and his co-conspirators will now be held accountable for their crimes. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue using all available tools to disrupt and dismantle criminal enterprises, holding traffickers accountable for the havoc they wreak on our communities.”
“Daily, drugs and those who peddle them put our friends and neighbors at risk. Taking drugs off the streets is critical to the safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners are committed to the health and safety of our communities; we will continue to bring traffickers like Mr. Hampton to justice.”
“This sentence should serve as serious warning to anyone trafficking drugs in our state. The Alaska State Troopers and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners will find you, arrest you, and hold you accountable for your actions," said Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes. "The incredible work by all of the agencies involved in this investigation and prosecution demonstrates the level of effort that Alaska law enforcement will put into dismantling illicit drug operations targeting Alaska.”
- Blanchard pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy on April 24, 2023. She was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and three years’ supervised release on Aug. 10, 2023.
- Crossley pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy on June 7, 2024. He was sentenced to roughly two years and eight months in prison and three years’ supervised release on Oct. 7, 2024.
- Holyfield pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Jan. 27, 2023. He was sentenced to time served and two years’ supervised release on Sept. 17, 2025.
- McGirt was found incompetent to stand trial due to a severe mental illness, and his case was dismissed on March 4, 2026.
- Watson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of money laundering conspiracy on May 17, 2024. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 10 years’ supervised release on Aug. 22, 2024.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers and IRS-CI Anchorage Field Office investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Anchorage Airport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Team and Mat-Su HIDTA Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Schroeder and Ainsley McNerney prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region One comprises agents and officers from Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations – Seattle; the United States Attorney’s Office(s) for the Districts of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Eastern Washington, and Western Washington; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); CBP – Office of Field Operations; CBP – Air & Marine Operations; U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
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Lancaster Medical LLC agrees to pay $500,000 to resolve allegations related to Paycheck Protection Program eligibilityRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that Lancaster Medical LLC, a former medical practice located in Depew, NY, has agreed to pay $500,000 to resolve allegations arising under the False Claims Act (FCA), that it fraudulently obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which it was not eligible to receive. This action is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Lancaster Medical LLC applied for and received a PPP loan in April of 2020, which was fully guaranteed by the SBA in the amount of $249,290. The United States alleges that Lancaster Medical LLC violated the FCA by falsely certifying its eligibility for the PPP loan. Lancaster Medical LLC was not eligible for the PPP loan because its assets had been sold pursuant to an asset sale in 2019—months before it applied for the PPP loan. The United States further contends that the PPP loan proceeds were used for impermissible purposes, such as personal expenses for Lancaster Medical LLC’s former owners. The United States further contends that after being informed that the PPP loan was not approved for forgiveness, Lancaster Medical LLC did not repay the loan.
The civil settlement also resolves pending civil forfeiture litigation in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, United States of America v. One 2020 BMW X5, Vin: 5UXCR6C00L9C83972, Titled and Registered to Kevin G. Cleary, 23-cv-272. In that action, the United States was seeking the forfeiture of a vehicle that it contends was proceeds of and traceable to the proceeds of Lancaster Medical LLC’s PPP loan.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Jason Buckley, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., and the United States Attorney’s Office. The FCA matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Coriell and Jonathan W. Ferris, and Investigator Peggy McFarland. The Civil Forfeiture matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Clare Kane.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination or admission of liability.
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Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to 240 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jimmy Bell, age 33, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 13, 2026, to 240 months’ imprisonment and a term of supervised release by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marihuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marihuana, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Bell had plead guilty on an earlier date. As part of his guilty plea, Bell admitted that on or about May 26, 2023, in Lackawanna County, he conspired with his co-defendants to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 2KG of methamphetamine and nearly 4KG of marihuana. Bell, a previously convicted felon, also admitted that he possessed a rifle with an obliterated serial number and additional ammunition and a Smith & Wesson .38 special handgun with an obliterated serial number and additional ammunition in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense.
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 matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Gerard Donahue prosecuted the case.
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Kansas City Tax Preparer Sentenced for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo. woman was sentenced in federal court for filing false tax returns for others.
Tanisha Spencer, 35, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes to 18 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Spencer to pay restitution of $730,709.00 to the Internal Revenue Service. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
On Dec. 3, 2025, Spencer pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the preparation and filing of false tax returns.
According to court documents, Spencer prepared income tax returns for pay for persons who contacted her via Facebook. She prepared the income tax returns in Kansas City, Mo., and the returns were electronically filed with the Internal Revenue Service in Kansas City, Mo. The Federal income tax returns prepared by Spencer included fraudulent sick leave and family leave credits, illegitimate fuel tax credits, and fraudulently inflated federal tax withholdings. By including these and other fraudulent items on the client’s tax returns, Spencer was able to manufacture substantial refunds to her clients that they would not have been entitled to if the returns had been accurately prepared.
Spencer charged her clients a return preparation fee of between $500 and $14,840 per return. The 156 returns that Spencer prepared claimed $4,047,531 in refunds, of which the IRS paid $689,872.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
National Fraud Enforcement Division
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.