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Thursday 14 May 2026
Kansas City Man Sentenced to 36 Months for Covid-19 FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a wire fraud case that resulted in more than $312,500 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Jarrell Curne, 37, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes to 36 months imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release based upon his guilty plea to wire fraud. Curne pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the CARES Act. The court also ordered Curne to pay restitution of $318,220.49 to the SBA. 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.
According to court documents, Curne was the owner of a Missouri limited liability company called Hustle Ova Everything Entertainment (Hustle). On May 13, 2020, Curne submitted a $312,500 PPP loan application to a bank on behalf of Hustle. In the loan application, Curne falsely stated that, in 2019, Hustle had an annual payroll of $1.5 million and 100 employees. In reality, Hustle had no eligible employees or payroll whatsoever.
Based on the fraudulent representations Curne made in the Hustle PPP loan application, on May 15, 2020, the bank transferred $312,500 to an account controlled by Curne in the name of Hustle. In furtherance of his wire-fraud scheme and in an effort for the SBA to forgive the Hustle PPP loan, Curne falsely certified that the loan proceeds were used for permissible business purposes under the PPP. In reality, the funds were used by Curne for personal expenses. 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.
Justice Department Investigation Determines Yale’s Medical School Discriminated Based on Race in AdmissionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has completed a year-long investigation into the admissions policies and practices at the Yale School of Medicine.
Yale’s documents show that its leadership intentionally selected applicants based on their race. Yale’s documents reveal that they studied how to use racial proxies to circumvent the Supreme Court’s prohibition on using race to select students. Yale’s admissions data demonstrate that Black and Hispanic students have a much higher chance of admission to Yale than White or Asian students with the same test scores.
“Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public’s clear mandate for reform.” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law.”
The investigation showed that, in general, Black and Hispanic applicants were admitted with consistently lower academic qualifications than their White and Asian counterparts. These facts support the Department’s finding that Yale violated the law by intentionally discriminating based on race in its admissions, in clear violation of federal law.
Medical schools use substantial federal financial assistance to train the next generation of doctors. The Department is continuing its focus on eradicating illegal race politics from admissions at medical schools, where quality and excellence are vitally important to public safety.
Jury Finds D.C. Man Guilty of First-Degree Sexual Abuse Against Two VictimsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maurice Spears, 34, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury for charges stemming from the sexual abuse of two different women, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Spears was found guilty of six counts of first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of felony threats, and one count of misdemeanor sexual abuse. The verdict was returned today, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2026.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 15, 2024, Spears went on a single date with the first victim. They ended up back in the defendant’s storage unit, where he was living. Inside the storage unit, the defendant threatened to kill the victim and her children if she left. Spears told her that he planned to force her into prostitution and that he had law enforcement in his pocket, even showing her a fake police badge. The defendant forced the victim to spend the next three days with him, walking her all over the District of Columbia. The defendant twice sexually assaulted the victim inside his storage unit. He later took her to Virginia and kept her in a motel room. Eventually, the victim’s family was able to learn the defendant’s identity and track him to the motel room, where they rescued her and took her to the hospital.
On July 26, 2024, the second victim met Spears when they were both at a services provider for homeless individuals. The defendant promised to help the victim get some shoes. When the victim ran into Spears the next day, he started to follow her around and refused to leave her tent when she asked him to. Eventually the defendant started threatening her, telling her that he was connected to law enforcement and that he had people who would harm her if he told them to. For the next five days, Spears refused to let the victim out of his sight. He repeatedly sexually assaulted her, including in her tent and at a storage facility where she rented a unit. Eventually, the victim was able to call 911 and escape from the defendant.
Spears was arrested on September 9, 2024, and has been in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Swanson and Sarah Roessler.
2024 CF1 009131
Indian National Pleads Guilty for Smuggling a Dozen Illegal Aliens Across Canadian Border into United StatesRead the Press Release
An Indian national pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to smuggle aliens from India across the northern border with Canada into the United States.
According to court documents, Shivam LNU, 22, directed smuggling operations beginning from at least October 2024 through June 2025, coordinating the illegal transport of aliens across the U.S.-Canada border into the Northern District of New York. The defendant’s role was to coordinate drivers to pick up aliens from the border and transport them further into the United States, specifically to stash houses around Northern New York and to hotels in Plattsburgh, New York. The defendant, who expected to be paid for his role, paid his drivers for each alien they smuggled. On Jan. 25, 2025, the defendant directed a co-conspirator to smuggle 12 aliens from India and the United Kingdom from Canada into the United States. The defendant paid his co-conspirator $100 per alien smuggled. On Jan. 26, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to stop two vehicles traveling in tandem near the U.S-Canada border. Both vehicles accelerated to avoid agents, triggering a pursuit. One vehicle went off the road and became immobilized, while the other was later stopped in Mooers, New York. The vehicles contained a total of 12 illegal aliens.
Shivam pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and three counts of alien smuggling for financial gain. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and 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.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York, and Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
HSI Rouses Point and U.S. Border Patrol Burke Station are investigating the case, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Deputy Chief Rami S. Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
Honduran National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft and Associated Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Nidia Roxana Maradiaga-Flores (28), an illegal alien from Honduras, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to two years and two months in federal prison for aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and making a false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. Maradiaga-Flores was found guilty on January 14, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II (Joint Venture) is enrolled in E-Verify, a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. Maradiaga-Flores was an illegal alien from Honduras with no lawful status in the United States. On March 23, 2022, Maradiaga-Flores applied for employment with the Joint Venture in Pinellas County and filled out an I-9 form for use in the E-Verify system. On that form, Maradiaga-Flores falsely identified herself as a United States citizen and used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration–Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler III and Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.
High-Ranking CJNG Leader Charged with Federal Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, Firearm Offenses, and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a superseding indictment yesterday against Audias Flores Silva, also known as “Jardinero,” 45, of Mexico, a high-ranking leader of the Mexico-based drug trafficking organization the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). The superseding indictment expands on charges first filed in August 2020, when Flores Silva was accused of trafficking cocaine and heroin into the United States, now alleging he also trafficked methamphetamine and conspired to launder drug proceeds from the United States back to Mexico.
Before his capture on April 27 by Mexican authorities, Flores Silva was reportedly a potential successor to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” the former top CJNG leader who died after a military operation to capture him in February 2026. The State Department designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025.
“Audias Flores Silva is charged with trafficking massive amounts of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine into our country and funneling the profits back to Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The drugs and violence that cartels inject into communities have no place in the United States. Our mission in the Criminal Division is to dismantle cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at every level, targeting their leadership, financing and operations and ensuring those who have harmed our country face justice.”
“Jardinero believed he would assume control of the violent foreign terrorist organization CJNG following the death of El Mencho. He was wrong.” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “Yesterday’s superseding indictment demonstrates the combined strength of DEA and the Homeland Security Task Force in dismantling the command and control structures of the cartels and holding their leaders accountable. I thank the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR) for taking Jardinero into custody in Mexico. DEA and our partners will continue to relentlessly pursue the leaders of these terrorist organizations, disrupt their global operations, and protect the American people from the violence, poison, and chaos they spread.”
“The superseding indictment of Audias Flores Silva underscores how the Homeland Security Task Force and our partners are systematically targeting the command structure of violent cartels that traffic drugs, violence, and fear into our communities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “The HSTF will continue to marshal the full strength of our interagency and international partnerships to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these transnational criminal organizations wherever they operate.”
Flores Silva is charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine for importation into the United States, use of a firearm, one of which was a destructive device, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted he faces a minimum penalty of at least 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
HSI and the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ghanaian Nationals Indicted for Romance Fraud ScamsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Two brothers from Ghana and a woman from the U.S. have been indicted for allegedly being a part of a criminal network that devised romance fraud schemes to obtain money from victims by mostly targeting the elderly in the United States.
An indictment was recently unsealed in United States v. Jamal Abubakari, et al., charging the following three individuals with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering:
- Jamal Abubakari, aka Jamal Abubakar, aka Arrangement, 22;
- Kamal Abubakari, aka Kamal Abubakar, aka Lancaster, 22; and
- Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, aka Amanda Joy Glum, aka Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman, 53.
All three defendants were arrested in Virginia and remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
According to allegations in the indictment, from about July 2024 to April 2026, the defendants targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media platforms to engage in romance fraud schemes. The defendants conspired with others to use fake personas to establish close personal relationships with the victims which were often romantic in nature. After being misled by false stories, the victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members. Portions of the funds were further provided to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere.
A series of cases related to this matter, which have also charged conspiracies tied to Ghana for targeting elderly victims, have been assigned to one U.S. District Judge to coordinate proceedings. While many defendants in those matters are pending trial or sentencing, nine defendants have already pleaded guilty and been collectively sentenced to approximately 50 years of imprisonment.
In United States v. Frederick Kumi, aka Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, aka Abu Trica, and Daniel Yussif, aka Denteni, aka Slab, Kumi, 31, of Swedru, Ghana, and Yussif, 31, of Accra, Ghana, were charged in December 2025 with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy.
In United States v. David Onyinye Abuanekwu, et al., the defendants below are currently serving prison sentences after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy:
- Dwayne Asafo Adjei, 29, a citizen of Ghana, was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment; three years of supervised release; and ordered to pay $372,943 in restitution.
- Nancy Adom, 30, of Akron and Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment; three years of supervised release; and ordered to pay $1,079,559 in restitution.
- Eric Aidoo, 46, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment; three years of supervised release; and ordered to pay $668,228 in restitution.
The defendant below is currently serving a prison sentence after pleading guilty to Obstruction of Justice:
Nader Wasif, 31, of Brentwood, Tennessee, was sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment; one year of supervised release; and ordered to pay $172,644 in restitution.
Additionally, Kelvin Asmah, 28, a citizen of Ghana, was recently arrested after being charged in a second superseding indictment.
In United States v. Otuo Amponsah, et al., the defendants below are currently serving prison sentences after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy:
- Otuo Amponsah 34, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment; three years of supervised release; and ordered to pay $3,324,675 in restitution.
- Portia Joe 28, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment; three years supervised release; and ordered to pay $2,035,438 in restitution.
- Anna Amponsah 35, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment; three years of supervised release; and ordered to pay $1,444,639 in restitution.
- Dwayne Asafo Adjei, 29, a citizen of Ghana, was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment; three years of supervised release; and ordered to pay $372,943 in restitution. This will run concurrent to the sentence from U.S. v. Abuanekwu et al.
- Hannah Adom, 27, of Akron and Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment; three years of supervised release; and ordered to pay $278,894 in restitution.
Defendant Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including prior criminal records, if any, roles in the offense, and the characteristics of the violations.
The investigation leading to the indictments was led by the FBI Cleveland Division.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.
U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer would like to acknowledge international and national partners for their valuable assistance in this matter:
- Ghana Attorney General’s Office
- EOCO – Economic Organised Crime Office
- GPS – Ghana Police Service
- Ghana Cyber Security Authority
- NACOC – Ghana Narcotics Control Commission
- Ghana Financial Intelligence Centre
- Ghana Immigration Service
- Ghana National Intelligence Bureau
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Sensitive Investigation Unit
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs
- U.S. Department of State
- FBI Washington Field Office
- FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia
Assistant United States Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Elliot Morrison are leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation and prosecution are in response to the Elder Justice Initiative Program originating from the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 (EAPPA). The mission of the EAPPA and Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and scams that target the nation’s elderly population.
Report suspected elder financial abuse at: tips.fbi.gov/home or justice.gov/elderjustice/financial-exploitation.
Former Reno Nurse Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Sharing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
RENO – A Reno man, previously employed as a registered nurse, who admitted to sending and receiving child sexual abuse materials was sentenced Wednesday by United States District Judge Anne R. Traum to 84 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. The government recommended 151 months and lifetime supervision.
According to court documents and information provided in court, between March 2024 and August 2024, Ryan Horton used the Kik messenger application to send and receive images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. A subsequent search of Horton’s cellphone conducted by the FBI revealed over 5,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including children as young as toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct with adults.
Horton pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
"The images shared by Mr. Horton exemplify the serious issue of child exploitation," said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. "By sharing and trading abusive images, his actions perpetuated a vicious cycle of harm. Horton possessed thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse; much of it was particularly violent, even depicting the abuse of children as young as toddlers. We extend our gratitude to the dedicated members of the FBI's Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task force and the U.S. Attorney's office for investigating these critical cases to hold dangerous child predators accountable."
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Horton will be required to register as a sex offender and keep the registration current in each of the following jurisdictions: (1) where he resides; (2) where he is an employee; and (3) where he is a student.
The case was investigated by the Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force comprised of the FBI, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, Sparks Police Department, and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Keenan prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
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Former Manager of Fraternal Order of Police Lodges Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., man, Kevin Ryan Straw, 40, was charged by information and pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove.
According to the information and his plea agreement, between 2021 and 2024, Straw served as President of Metropolitan Lodge 32, Fraternal Order of Police, based in Louisville, Ky., and, at various times, served as the Vice President and Government Affairs Chair of the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police, based in Frankfort, Ky. Straw devised a scheme to defraud both FOP Lodges and numerous individual victims of money through materially false pretenses, representations, and promises. Straw defrauded individuals through an investment fraud scheme, defrauding at least ten individuals out of a total of $80,200. In addition, Straw misappropriated $49,760 from Metro Lodge 32 through cash withdrawals he falsely claimed were made to transfer the funds to a different Metro Lodge 32 account. Finally, Straw charged $15,501.48 in personal expenses to the State FOP credit card and requested reimbursement from the State FOP for $41,562.97 in travel expenses not incurred. In total, Straw defrauded $187,024.45 from Metro Lodge 32, the State FOP, and the investment fraud victims. According to his plea agreement, Straw agreed to pay $187,024.45 in restitution.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Paul Humphrey, Chief, Louisville Metro Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the Louisville Metro Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate K. Smith.
Straw is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
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Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced in Connection with Arson and Wire and Bank Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal judge sentenced a former Maryland law-enforcement officer for his role in a wire-fraud conspiracy.
Judge Lydia Griggsby sentenced Philip James Dupree, 42, of Pikesville, to 70 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, arson, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud in connection with schemes to defraud an insurance company and three different financial institutions. Judge Griggsby ordered Dupree to pay $65,049.14 to the affected insurance company and $3,521 to the affected credit union. The 70-month sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to an unrelated sentence imposed in the District of Columbia.
Dupree, a former Fairmount Heights Police Department officer, and his co-conspirator, Mark Ross Johnson, Jr., 38, of Camp Springs, a former Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) officer, conspired with others to carry out the schemes.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced Dupree’s sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief George Nader, PGPD.
According to court documents, co-conspirators joined forces to commit two separate fraud schemes. Through the schemes, co-conspirators filed false police reports and falsified loss claims to obtain and attempt to obtain funds from an insurance company along with three different financial institutions.
In November 2018, as part of the insurance fraud scheme, Dupree and Johnson coordinated to burn Johnson’s Ford F450 truck that was experiencing mechanical and electrical problems. Dupree “discovered” the burning vehicle while on duty in Fairmount Heights and filed an impound report containing false statements regarding the recovery of the truck.
Johnson then used the report number in support of his claim filed with the insurance company for a total loss on the truck. He also submitted altered telephone records to his insurer to hide that he participated in a 16-minute conversation with Dupree just before Dupree “discovered” the truck. A fire investigator, hired by the insurer, testified that the Ford F450 fire was intentionally set, and originated in the passenger compartment of the truck. The insurer, relying in part on the police report and altered telephone records, paid out more than $68,000 to the lien holder on the truck.
Then, from May 2019 until June 2019, Dupree, Johnson, and others conspired to defraud three financial institutions. They coordinated the withdrawal of money from their financial accounts through ATMs so they could fraudulently claim their money was stolen. Then the co-conspirators sought reimbursement from their financial institutions.
In executing the scheme, Dupree and Johnson coordinated submitting police reports to PGPD. Through these reports, they falsely claimed their debit cards were stolen and then were used to withdraw funds from various ATMs without permission. One police report that Dupree submitted to support his claim of a stolen debit card was a complete fake. The report was never submitted to the Prince George’s County Record Management System. Additionally, the report included the name of a non-existent police officer as the preparer. It also carried over Johnson’s name as the “victim” from the separate report Johnson asked a co-conspirator to generate to submit to his credit union. The co-conspirators submitted fraudulent claims to the victim financial institutions seeking reimbursement for the purportedly unauthorized ATM withdrawals.
Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, at 2:30 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation and praised the Fairmount Heights Police Department for its assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Former Hanahan City Councilman Indicted on Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a 23-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging Kevin Phillip Hedgpeth, 48, of Hanahan, for sex trafficking of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, production, distribution, receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material and attempted production of child sexual abuse material.*
The indictment alleges from at least December 2021 through his arrest on federal charges in April 2026, Hedgpeth targeted, recruited, and sexually exploited children using the internet. Hedgpeth used social media apps to contact children—including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Telegram and X—where he posed as a minor himself. Through those apps, he pressured and often paid minors to record sex acts with other minors, including with some of their own family members. He then saved the files in password-protected folders accessible on his phone. He named the folders after the actual names of victims. Hedgpeth distributed those files to others over the internet—including to minors—without victim consent. Hedgpeth used the files to pose as a minor and to entice victims into producing additional content.
Hedgpeth exploited at least 19 children during the scheme, 13 girls and six boys, ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old. Most victims were in South Carolina, and some lived in his local community. During the scheme, Hedgpeth was a public official, serving as a City Councilman and as Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Hanahan.
Hedgpeth faces up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, supervision by the United States Probation Office for a term of lifetime following any term of imprisonment, restitution payable to victims, and additional financial assessments. He will remain detained pending trial.“The grand jury has charged Kevin Hedgpeth with a depraved, predatory criminal scheme through which he targeted the most vulnerable among us,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We look forward to holding Hedgpeth accountable to the fullest extent, and we will continue to dedicate every resource to defend children in our state.”
“The charges in this indictment are deeply disturbing and represent a profound betrayal of trust, especially by someone who held positions of public responsibility. No one—regardless of their title or status—is above the law,” said Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina. “Our commitment is unwavering: we will pursue justice for every victim and ensure that those who exploit their authority to harm children are held fully accountable. The gravity of these crimes demands a strong response, and we will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Investigators continue to seek the public’s help to identify possible victims. If you have relevant information to report, please contact HSI at [email protected], by telephone at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423), or through the online tip form at https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean H. Secor and Elliott B. Daniels are prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.
Former Director of Food Services for Plymouth Public Schools Pleads Guilty to Stealing Food and Equipment for Side BusinessRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Director of Plymouth Public Schools’ Food Services program pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a long-running fraud scheme that began in 2014 in which he allegedly stole food and commercial kitchen equipment for use and sale at his private business, the “Snack Shack” on Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, Mass.
Patrick Van Cott, 64, of Sandwich, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and two counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Aug. 19, 2026. Van Cott was charged in April 2026.
Van Cott was the Director of Food Services for the Plymouth Public Schools from 2003 until June 2025. Beginning in 2014, he also operated a seasonal business, the “Snack Shack,” on Sandy Neck Beach.
Van Cott admitted that, between 2014 and June 2025, he defrauded the Plymouth Public Schools by taking food and equipment purchased with funds, including U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds, and using it to run the Snack Shack. The equipment Van Cott ordered with school funds included two $2,200 refrigerators; a $3,950 two-door freezer; two 12-inch hot plates; a 24-inch griddle; a chargrill; a fryolator; shelving; a sandwich prep table; a convection oven; and hanging chalk boards. In addition, every summer starting in approximately 2014, Van Cott collected condiments, diced chicken, hot dogs, cooking oil, snacks, paper goods, coffee, food products and other miscellaneous items paid for by the Plymouth Public Schools or supplied by the USDA, then used and sold those items at the Snack Shack. Additionally, once or twice per week every summer starting in 2014, Van Cott directed Plymouth Public Schools cafeteria workers to slice at least nine pounds of deli turkey and 4.5 pounds of deli ham which he then sold at the Snack Shack. Van Cott also ordered over $3,000 in premium burger patties with school funds, which he intended to and did sell in menu items at the Snack Shack.
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted program administered on the federal level by the USDA that provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to public school children. In Massachusetts, meals for all students are free, and schools are reimbursed for meals through a combination of USDA funds and state funds.
The charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Plymouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for His Role in Ponzi Scheme, Losses Exceed $20 MillionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Dakota A. Smith, 35, has been sentenced to federal prison for his part in a Ponzi scheme. Smith previously pled guilty on November 18, 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for defrauding investors through a company called Peoples Equity Group (PEG), an investment company based in Miami, Florida that operated from 2021 to 2024. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Smith and his co-conspirator defrauded investors by misrepresenting to them that PEG owned small, profitable companies in e-commerce and aviation. Smith solicited investments based on promises that the investors would obtain ownership interests in the companies owned by PEG and its affiliated entities. In fact, Smith and his co-conspirator knew that neither PEG nor its affiliated entities had any ownership interest or control over the companies it marketed.
As a part of the fraudulent scheme, Smith presented fraudulent financial documents which purportedly showed the financial success of the acquired companies while on monthly video calls with investors located across the United States, including investors in West Tennessee and abroad.
On May 8, 2026, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Smith to 188 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Restitution was left open for a period of 90 days to continue allowing victims to make claims. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Ponzi schemes and crimes of dishonesty will be rooted out and punished. This sentence holds this thief accountable for his deceptive criminal scheme, protects investors, and will recover ill-gotten proceeds on behalf of victims.”
“Dakota Smith and his co-conspirator defrauded innocent victims through false promises of protected investments and guaranteed returns,” said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “These schemes not only steal hard-earned money, but also erode the financial security and trust of victims and their families. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners to protect the public’s investments and hold accountable those who facilitate these scams for their own gain.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Assistant United States Attorney Scott P. Smith prosecuted this case on behalf of the 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.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison Appointed to Serve on Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has appointed First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison of the District of New Mexico to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). The AGAC was created in 1973 and advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys on essential matters facing the Department of Justice.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, bottom left, joined other members of the AGAC at a meeting in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 2026. FAUSA Ellison and Acting AG Blanche photographed May 5, 2025, during tour of New Mexico’s National Defense Area"Serving on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee is a significant responsibility and an opportunity to ensure the challenges we face in New Mexico are heard at the highest levels of the Department,” said Mr. Ellison. “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to refine national policy and strengthen our collective efforts to uphold the rule of law. Over the last year, New Mexico has been at the forefront of President Trump’s mandate to secure our southern border and make America safe again. I’m grateful to Attorney General Blanche for the opportunity to serve and I’m proud that New Mexico will have a seat at the table where our Nation’s most important legal and public safety issues will be discussed.”
As First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of New Mexico. Prior to his appointment as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico in the Las Cruces Branch Office, most recently as Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Violent and General Crimes Section.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison prosecuted members of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (“SNM”) prison gang. He has also investigated and prosecuted other violent crimes, including VICAR murder, RICO conspiracy, carjacking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, murder-for-hire, and various firearms, immigration, and national security offenses.
The AGAC is comprised of 18 United States Attorneys and First Assistant US Attorneys who lead their offices, and Mr. Ellison will serve alongside the Committee’s Chairman Jay Clayton (Southern District of New York) and Vice-Chairwoman Leah Foley (District of Massachusetts), as well as U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop (Middle District of North Carolina), U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros (Northern District of Illinois), U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford (District of Oregon), U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine (District of Arizona), Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby (Northern District of Alabama), U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant (Western District of Tennessee), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli (Central District of California), U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon (Southern District of California), U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon (Eastern District of Michigan), Acting U.S. Attorney John Marck (Southern District of Texas), U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly (District of Colorado), U.S. Attorney David Metcalf (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro (District of Columbia), U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones (Southern District of Florida), and U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods (District of Nebraska).
Federal arrests shut down alien smuggling scheme at the western edge of the U.S. Border with CanadaRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Two residents of British Columbia, Canada appeared in U.S. District Court in Tacoma yesterday afternoon charged in connection with their scheme to smuggle Vietnamese citizens from Canada into the U.S., announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Van Phuong Vu, 28, of Vancouver, and Johnny Huynh, 36, of Burnaby, Canada, are charged with conspiracy to transport certain aliens for private financial gain. The men were arrested near the Bellingham Airport last week with eight Vietnamese nationals who had illegally crossed into the U.S. from Canada on Point Roberts and then flown from the Point Roberts airport to Bellingham.
“I commend the U.S. Border Patrol for their quick and diligent work in this case,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “An early morning alert of border crossing at the beach led to the apprehension of eight illegal aliens and charges against those who sought to profit from the smuggling event.”
According to the criminal complaint, on May 5, 2026, at about 8:30 in the morning, U.S. Border patrol was made aware of people crossing the border between Canada and the small enclave of Point Roberts. The group of people was crossing the border at the beach. Point Roberts is a peninsula of Washington state accessible by land only through British Columbia, Canada. From Point Roberts, the only direct way to the mainland U.S. is via plane or boat.
Around 10 AM, Border Patrol Agents at Bellingham Airport found the group of people that they suspected crossed the border at Point Roberts earlier that morning. Border Patrol Agents observed the group, accompanied by Huynh, exit the charter flight terminal and walk toward a nearby hotel, where they were intercepted. Border Patrol Agents learned that a second flight with additional travelers accompanied by Vu would be arriving soon and later intercepted that group near the airport. Border Patrol Agents ultimately determined a total of eight Vietnamese nationals had entered the U.S. without inspection. Some of the Vietnamese nationals told law enforcement they had agreed to pay between $13,000 and $15,000 to be smuggled into the U.S.
Vu, a Vietnamese citizen who is a lawful permanent resident of Canada, and Huynh, a Canadian citizen, are charged with the scheme to smuggle the aliens into the U.S. Some of the Vietnamese nationals communicated with the smuggling group via social media and were instructed to pay the smuggling fees when they arrived at their final destinations in the U.S., including New York or Tennessee.
Conspiracy to transport certain aliens for private financial gain is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by United States Border Patrol (USBP) Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Pecaro.
Federal Jury Convicts New Castle County Man of Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal jury convicted a New Castle County resident yesterday on charges of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Damion Thomas, 26, attempted to sell marijuana to an undercover police officer on July 2, 2024. Inside Thomas’s car, officers found pre-packaged cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. Officers later searched a bedroom at a residence associated with Thomas and found more cocaine, marijuana, and drug packaging materials. Officers also located a safe inside that bedroom. The safe contained over 180 grams of cocaine, almost 150 individual packages of fentanyl, a bulk supply of marijuana, drug packaging materials, cash, and a loaded revolver. Thomas was prohibited from possessing a firearm due, in part, to a 2018 conviction for attempted first-degree robbery.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace stated, “Today’s conviction sends a clear message that those who flood our communities with dangerous drugs—and especially those who do so while armed—will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I am grateful to our dedicated state and federal law enforcement partners whose tireless work made this just prosecution possible.”
Thomas faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for possessing the revolver in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and could be sentenced to a maximum of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2026, at 10:00 am.
The New Castle County Police Department, the Delaware Bureau of Community Corrections, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Delaware Division of Forensic Science. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Thurstlic-O’Neill and Corey J. Hauser prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-117-RGA.
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Extradited Honduran National Sentenced for His Role in International Human and Drug Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An extradited Honduran national was sentenced today to over four years in prison for his role in a scheme to smuggle nearly two dozen illegal aliens and kilos of cocaine into the United States.
“The defendant and his co-conspirators attempted to illegally bring aliens and approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine into the United States by boat,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His extradition from Honduras and this successful prosecution shows that the drug trade and human smuggling of illegal aliens often go hand in hand.”
“Along with his co-conspirators, Olvin Javier Velasquez- Maldonado conspired to flagrantly violate our federal immigration and controlled substances laws by attempting to illegally bring in more than 20 Honduran aliens and approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine to Louisiana,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “These crimes jeopardize and endanger the safety and welfare of our communities, as well as threatening our national security. This sentencing sends a clear message that those who engage in human smuggling and drug trafficking will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable for their actions. I am grateful for our continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners as we combat the scourge of human smuggling and illegal drug trafficking.”
According to court documents, Olvin Javier Velasquez-Maldonado, 40, of Honduras, conspired with at least six others to bring cocaine from Honduras to the United States. In February 2022, Maldonado and others attempted to illegally bring more than 20 Honduran aliens and approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, aboard the M/V Pop, a sportfishing vessel co-owned by co-conspirator Carl Allison of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Many of the aliens paid up to $20,000 to Allison or his co-conspirators to be smuggled into the United States.
During the February 2022 voyage, the M/V Pop developed engine trouble. Allison and others chartered a boat to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Before the chartered boat reached the disabled vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel off the coast of Louisiana and towed it to shore. After the vessel was towed to Jean Lafitte Harbor, a search of the vessel discovered approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment under a mattress in the captain’s sleeping quarters. Maldonado had packaged the cocaine and his fingerprints were found under the packaging.
Maldonado was extradited to the United States from Honduras on April 9, 2025, and he subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Honduras to secure the arrest and extradition of Maldonado. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training also provided assistance.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
Extradited Honduran National Sentenced for His Role in International Human and Drug Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An extradited Honduran national was sentenced today to over four years in prison for his role in a scheme to smuggle nearly two dozen illegal aliens and kilos of cocaine into the United States.
“The defendant and his co-conspirators attempted to illegally bring aliens and approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine into the United States by boat,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His extradition from Honduras and this successful prosecution shows that the drug trade and human smuggling of illegal aliens often go hand in hand.”
“Along with his co-conspirators, Olvin Javier Velasquez- Maldonado conspired to flagrantly violate our federal immigration and controlled substances laws by attempting to illegally bring in more than 20 Honduran aliens and approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine to Louisiana,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “These crimes jeopardize and endanger the safety and welfare of our communities, as well as threatening our national security. This sentencing sends a clear message that those who engage in human smuggling and drug trafficking will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable for their actions. I am grateful for our continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners as we combat the scourge of human smuggling and illegal drug trafficking.”
According to court documents, Olvin Javier Velasquez-Maldonado, 40, of Honduras, conspired with at least six others to bring cocaine from Honduras to the United States. In February 2022, Maldonado and others attempted to illegally bring more than 20 Honduran aliens and approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, aboard the M/V Pop, a sportfishing vessel co-owned by co-conspirator Carl Allison of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Many of the aliens paid up to $20,000 to Allison or his co-conspirators to be smuggled into the United States.
During the February 2022 voyage, the M/V Pop developed engine trouble. Allison and others chartered a boat to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Before the chartered boat reached the disabled vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel off the coast of Louisiana and towed it to shore. After the vessel was towed to Jean Lafitte Harbor, a search of the vessel discovered approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment under a mattress in the captain’s sleeping quarters. Maldonado had packaged the cocaine and his fingerprints were found under the packaging.
Maldonado was extradited to the United States from Honduras on April 9, 2025, and he subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Honduras to secure the arrest and extradition of Maldonado. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training also provided assistance.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
Drug Dealer Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Kiet Ly was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon. Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer handed down the sentence.
Ly, 46, of San Francisco, was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2025. Ly pleaded guilty on December 10, 2025, to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon, as well as to the related supervised release violations. According to the plea agreement, Ly admitted to having been convicted on or about September 21, 2016, of a felony offense, namely, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine in United States v. Ly, Case No. 3:16-CR-00297-CRB. While Ly was on supervised release for that case, law enforcement searched the car that Ly was driving on or about July 19, 2025. They found 117 grams of methamphetamine and a Glock pistol loaded with seven bullets.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Special Agent in Charge John Wester made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer also sentenced the defendant to a four-year period of supervised release and ordered that he be sentenced to one year for the supervised release violations to be served concurrently.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Chen is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Gabriel Flesher. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF and the San Francisco Police Department.
Detroit Man Sentenced for Fraudulent Check and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Detroit, Mich., man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a fraudulent check and identity theft scheme.
Derrick D. Walker, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Grey Kays to 90 months in prison without parole. The court also ordered Walker to pay $634,806.93 to the victims of the scheme. 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 Nov. 18, 2025, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. According to court documents, Walker participated in a conspiracy as a supervisor of a group that traveled around the United States cashing fraudulent checks. Members of the scheme, which included co-defendants Darrell Roseborough, Sheldon Samuels, and Tambria Davis, used the information of identity theft victims to open fraudulent accounts at financial institutions and cashed fraudulent checks that were made payable to the identity theft victims.
Roseborough made fraudulent checks and participated in the production and distribution of fraudulent driver’s licenses. Roseborough used FedEx to send fraudulent documents to where the scheme was operating, and Samuels and Walker passed the fraudulent documents onto Davis and other check passers who entered the banks to cash the fraudulent checks. Roseborough, the leader of the conspiracy, was sentenced to 204 months in prison without parole on Jan. 28, 2026. Sheldon Samuels pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to 78 months in prison on Jan. 21, 2026. On Jan. 27, 2026, Tambria Davis was sentenced to time served after being in custody in the Western District of Missouri since April 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper. It was investigated by the FBI.
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.
Destin Man Indicted for False Statement to a Federally Licensed Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Bryan Klein, 56, of Destin, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge today.
Klein appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Michael J. Frank in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 22, 2026, before United States District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida.
If convicted, Klein faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Defendant Convicted in Methamphetamine and Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Jumoke Ace Maceo Cryer, 38, was found guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and one count of possession of body armor by a prohibited person, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Cryer is the second defendant convicted as part of this conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, the defendant conspired with other co-defendants to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. The defendant, who was previously convicted of distributing methamphetamine in 2016, was observed on video entering a St. Paul drug stash house and leaving with 140 pounds of illegal narcotics. A subsequent search of his home resulted in the seizure of body armor, which the defendant was prohibited from possessing due to his violent criminal history.
Cryer was found guilty after a 3-day jury trial before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and Garrett S. Fields.
Covington Woman Sentenced for Distributing Brutally Cruel Animal Crush VideosRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that ARIEL KORNIENKO (“KORNIENKO”), age 43, a resident of Covington, Louisiana, was sentenced to 9 months of imprisonment and 6 months of home detention, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to distributing animal crush videos, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 48(a)(3).
According to the court documents, KORNIENKO distributed illegal animal crush videos online from on or about October 25, 2023, and continuing through on or about June 7, 2024. Specifically, KORNIENKO distributed obscene and shockingly cruel videos depicting impaling monkeys in the genitals, penetrating them with inanimate objects, lighting them on fire and subjecting them to serious bodily injury and a brutal death.
United States Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crimes Group in conjunction with HSI Wildlife and Environmental Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney and Ethan Eddy of the U.S. Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section.
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Convicted Felon Indicted on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Jeremy Jovon Randolph, 37, of Jennings, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Randolph appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 22, 2026, at 8:30 am before United States District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
If convicted, Randolph faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Conehatta Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – On May 14, 2026, a Conehatta man was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for sexual abuse of a minor. Additionally, once he is released, he will be placed on supervised release for an additional twenty years.
According to court documents, Quindon Bailey John, 24, engaged in sexual activity with two minors under the age of sixteen. John was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2024, and pleaded guilty to the charge in July of 2025.
U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger and Robert Eikhoff, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jackson Office, made the announcement.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne, Brian K. Burns, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kalleigh McCoy.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.
Columbia Man Charged with Bank Robbery, Brandishing Firearm During Violent Crime, and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was charged by a federal grand jury with bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Basil Jacob Kyles, 71, allegedly entered a bank in downtown Columbia, Mo., when he brandished a firearm and demanded that the teller give him money. The teller emptied her cash drawer that contained approximately $6,000 and gave it to Kyles. Kyles placed the money into a plastic bag and left the bank
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, Kyles is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years on the bank robbery charge, up to life imprisonment on the brandishing firearm charge, and up to 15 years on the felon in possession of a firearm charge. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney, Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Columbia, Missouri Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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.
Colorado Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Colorado business owner pleaded guilty to filing a false personal tax return with the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Manuel Rocha, of Aurora, Colorado, owned and operated Rocha’s Drain, a drain installation business, and Rocha’s Liquor, a liquor store, both located in Denver, Colorado. While operating these businesses, Rocha diverted income to additional bank accounts to conceal the true amount of money he earned.
Each year from 2015 through 2022, Rocha provided records and information to his tax preparers that omitted his diverted income. As a result, he underreported the income he and his businesses earned during each of these years. In 2021, for example, Rocha reported that his two businesses earned $57,907 in gross receipts. In reality, the businesses earned approximately $691,650—a difference of more than $600,000.
In total, Rocha caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $2.2 million.
Rocha is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25 and faces a maximum of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys David F. Scollan and Megan E. Wessel of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Charleston Man Sentenced for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Victor Lynn Jarrett, 74, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation for dealing firearms without a license.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May 2019 and March 2023, Jarrett purchased at least 79 firearms from licensed retailers and sold at least 72 of those firearms to others to make a profit. As part of his guilty plea, Jarrett admitted that he did not buy the firearms for his own personal collection, he did not have the required license when he sold them, and he sold them either from his Charleston residence or at various locations in the Charleston area.
Investigators determined that Jarrett sold firearms at locations including a gas station on the East End, a flea market near Capital High School, and from his truck parked on the side of the road in Kanawha City. Several of the firearms Jarrett purchased were recovered by law enforcement at local crime scenes.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-162.
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Charleston Man Found Guilty of Destruction of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston today found Joe Claude Schleider, 66, of Charleston, guilty of willful destruction of government property following a one-day bench trial conducted earlier.
Evidence at trial showed that on May 6, 2025, Schleider repeatedly struck an electric card entry scanner outside a federal facility in Charleston with a long pole-like metal object, causing approximately $1,800 in damages. Surveillance video footage showed Schleider approach the card entry scanner and strike it approximately eight times.
Schleider is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Federal Protective Service and the Charleston Police Department.
Johnston presided over the bench trial on April 14, 2026. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Joshua Hanks are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-173.
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Charges of Sexual Exploitation and Child Pornography Involving an InfantRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the arrest yesterday of CORY MATTHEWS, and the Indictment, on April 29th, of BETH SAIERS, a/k/a “Beth Young.” MATTHEWS and SAIERS are charged in separate charging instruments with sexual exploitation of an infant and the receipt and distribution of child pornography. MATTHEWS was taken into federal custody yesterday and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court and detained. BETH SAIERS was arrested in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 2026, pursuant to a Complaint that was unsealed on April 23, 2026. A Grand Jury in the Southern District of New York returned an Indictment of SAIERS on April 29, 2026.
“The charges here—sexual exploitation of an infant—allege horrific conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Every New Yorker wants children protected from life-scarring conduct. We know our community wants this conduct investigated and, as appropriate, charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The women and men of this Office are dedicated to that mission.”
As alleged in the charging documents and statements made in court:[1]
On or about April 16, 2026, law enforcement executed a search of MATTHEWS’s residence in Putnam County pursuant to a New York state search warrant. Among the items seized was MATTHEWS’s cellphone.
A search of the phone revealed chats on a social media application between MATTHEWS and SAIERS on April 14, 2026. In the course of the chats, MATTHEWS transmitted an image of an infant (“Victim-1”) to SAIERS, who responded “Put your dick in its face[.]” Thereafter, MATTHEWS transmitted an image in which Victim-1 is visible in the background and a man’s erect penis occupies the foreground. MATTHEWS asked, “Now what,” to which SAIERS responded, “Take a pic of my pedo dick in front of the babies face[.]” Thereafter, as MATTHEWS transmitted a series of sexually explicit photos and videos of Victim-1 to SAIERS, SAIERS commented on the images and directed MATTHEWS to engage in sexual acts involving Victim-1.
On or about April 16, 2026, MATTHEWS was arrested and charged in the Town of Kent, New York, with promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child. On or about April 19, 2026, following the discovery of the photos and videos depicting the sexual abuse of Victim-1, additional charges were added. The charges included, among other things, predatory sex assault against a child and rape in the first degree.
On or about April 23, 2026, SAIERS was arrested in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, pursuant to a Complaint filed on April 21, 2026, in the Southern District of New York. SAIERS was detained pending her removal to New York. On or about April 29, 2026, a Grand Jury in the Southern District of New York indicted SAIERS for sexual exploitation of a child and receipt and distribution of child pornography.
There may be other victims. If you have information to report, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.
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MATTHEWS, 38, of Kent, New York, and SAIERS, 41, of Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, are each charged with sexual exploitation of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; and receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Putnam County District Attorney’s Office, Putnam County Child Advocacy Center Team, Putnam County Department of Social Services, New York State Police, Town of Carmel Police Department, Town of Kent Police Department, and the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania Police Department in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcia S. Cohen and Jake Sidransky are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the Indictment and the description of the Complaint and the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Candidate for New York City Public Advocate Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, a criminal complaint was unsealed charging Angela Aquino, a 2025 candidate for New York City Public Advocate, with wire fraud in connection with her scheme to defraud New York City’s campaign finance system to obtain public matching funds. Aquino was arrested today and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon by United States Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Nadia I. Shihata, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charge.
“The defendant, a former candidate for citywide office, allegedly engaged in a months’ long brazen scheme to obtain fraudulently $1 million in public funds, exploiting a matching funds program designed to reduce corruption in the city’s campaign finance system,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will aggressively hold accountable would-be public officials out to steal taxpayer dollars.”
“New Yorkers deserve political candidates who uphold the highest standards of public service, demonstrating their integrity and commitment to the City and its people. Instead, as charged, this defendant allegedly orchestrated a bold scheme to manipulate the public matching funds system in an illegal attempt to unlawfully secure $1 million for her campaign, none of which she was entitled to receive,” stated DOI Commissioner Shihata. “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Office of the FBI for their partnership in rooting out corruption and protecting public funds.”
“Angela Aquino allegedly attempted to steal one million dollars from New York taxpayers by fraudulently inflating her campaign’s bank account to receive matching public funds. The FBI continues to hold accountable corrupt political candidates who try to buy the public’s support,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
New York City’s Matching Funds Program
The New York City Campaign Finance Board (“CFB”) offers a voluntary public financing program matching small-dollar contributions from New York City residents to candidates for city office. The program is available to any candidate running for city office, including Public Advocate. To be eligible for matching funds, candidates must meet a two-part fundraising threshold: first, they must collect a minimum number of contributions of $10 or more; and second, they must raise a minimum number of qualifying contributions from residents of New York City. To be eligible for the matching funds program, a candidate for Public Advocate must have raised at least $125,000 from at least 500 qualifying contributors. In addition, cash contributions are capped at $100 per contributor for purposes of qualifying for matching funds.
For a candidate to apply cash contributions toward the threshold necessary to become eligible for public matching funds, a candidate’s authorized committee was required to submit contribution cards to the CFB that listed, among other information, each contributor’s name, residential address, employer, occupation, and date and amount of contribution. The contribution cards also had to be signed by the contributors.
Candidates were prohibited from giving false information to the CFB. Candidates were also prohibited from using public matching funds for purposes that were illegal, improper, or not in furtherance of the candidate’s nomination or election. Violation of these prohibitions would render the candidate ineligible to receive public matching funds.
Once a candidate met the eligibility requirements to join the program, the CFB would provide the campaign with public funds at a matching rate of $8 to $1. Therefore, if a candidate raised $125,000 toward the fundraising threshold, the CFB would provide that candidate with $1 million in public matching funds.
The Fraudulent Scheme
As alleged in the complaint, the defendant engaged in a scheme to obtain $1 million in public matching funds, knowing that her campaign committee was not entitled to such funds. In particular, the defendant took numerous steps to artificially inflate the deposits into her campaign committee’s bank account to make it appear that the committee had met the $125,000 threshold for public funds. In fact, very little of the deposits were eligible contributions from New Yorkers.
In the first months of 2025, the defendant’s personal bank account received more than $130,000 that originated from the Philippines. Of this amount, at least $34,000 was a loan to the defendant from a contact there. The defendant, with others, repeatedly withdrew funds from her personal bank account in cash and deposited cash into her campaign committee’s bank account. These contributions were then identified to the CFB as contributions from residents of New York City that were eligible for public matching funds. Contribution cards submitted in support of these supposed contributions, which purported to identify the contributors and included their personal identifying information and their signatures, were falsified.
Aquino also cycled funds out of, and back into, the campaign committee’s bank account, sometimes using bank accounts of friends and associates as intermediary accounts to obscure the true source of the funds. The purpose of cycling the funds in this way was to make the total amount of deposits into the campaign committee’s account appear higher, such that the total contributions would appear to meet the CFB’s threshold.
Aquino also used funds from the campaign committee account to pay for her personal expenses, including the rent for her apartment, falsely reporting to the CFB that the payments were for legitimate campaign expenses. Aquino also lied to federal agents as to her relationship with the recipients of some of these expenditures. For example, Aquino told federal agents that her landlords helped with petitions and with campaigning, justifying the campaign’s payments to them. In fact, Aquino’s landlords had nothing to do with her campaign.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charge, the defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise and Sean Sherman are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Melissa Bennett.
The Defendant:
ANGELA AQUINO
Age: 47
New York, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-MJ- 93
sealed_complaint_signed.pdfCalifornia Political Consultant and Former Public Official Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, Filing a False Tax Return, and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Plea agreement found here:
williamson_plea_agreement.pdfSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Political consultant Dana Williamson, 53, of Carmichael, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, subscribing to a false tax return, and making false statements to a federal agent, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
“As part of an investigation that began in 2022, Williamson joins the two others who were charged in the ‘Conduit Scheme’ conspiracy in pleading guilty,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “These conspirators, three of whom are former public officials, shockingly looted campaign funds for personal benefit. Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue working to protect the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that those who scorn the law are held accountable.”
“Dana Williamson and her co-conspirators weaponized public trust for personal gain,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “They stole from a campaign account, fabricated contracts, filed false tax returns, and lied to federal agents. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation spent years investigating this case because integrity in public service isn't optional. No title and no political connection places anyone above the law.”
“Today’s plea highlights the calculated and far reaching nature of this scheme, which involved using pass through payments, creating fabricated records, and taking steps to mislead federal investigators,” said Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Oakland Field Office. “IRS-CI remains committed to uncovering complex financial fraud and holding those responsible to account.”
The Conduit Scheme
According to court documents, between February 2022 and September 2024, Williamson conspired with Greg Campbell, 52, of Davis, Sean McCluskie, 57, of Davis, and others to steal approximately $225,000 in funds from a dormant political campaign and funnel it to McCluskie for his personal use. Collectively, they funneled the money through various business entities and disguised it as pay to McCluskie’s spouse for what was, in reality, a no-show job.
False Tax Returns
From 2021 to 2023, Williamson claimed a total of approximately $1,718,277 million in business deductions for what were actually personal and nondeductible expenditures, such as food delivery services, luxury vacations to Mexico (twice) and Santa Barbara, private jet travel, purported wages for family members, home goods, veterinary services, landscaping services, and other nondeductible personal expenses. Williamson’s false deductions resulted in a tax loss of approximately $504,523, which she agreed in her plea agreement to pay back to the IRS in full as restitution.
False Statements
When questioned by FBI agents in November 2024, Williamson made false statements regarding the diversion of campaign funds, Williamson’s request to Campbell to create false and backdated contracts after she received a civil subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding Paycheck Protection Program loans to her business, and allegations of public corruption. These statements were designed to lead the FBI away from Williamson’s criminal activity by concealing the nature of the conduit scheme, denying the backdating of contracts, and hiding Williamson’s involvement in passing information to former clients and business partners to give them an advantage in litigation against the state.
This case is the product of a multiyear investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson, Katherine T. Lydon, and Matthew Thuesen, and Public Integrity Section Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey are prosecuting the case.
On Dec. 4, 2025, Campbell pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit offenses against the United States. On Nov. 20, 2025, McCluskie pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. They are scheduled for a status of sentencing hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on June 4, 2026.
A status conference regarding Williamson’s sentencing is scheduled before Chief Judge Nunley on July 9, 2026. Williamson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and $225,000 in restitution for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud; up to three years in prison, a $100,000 fine and $504,523 in restitution to the IRS for filing a false tax return, and up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for making false statements. The actual sentence and amounts of restitution, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
California Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $46 Million in Public Benefits and Laundering Proceeds to ChinaRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brian R. Cleland, age 72, a resident of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on May 14, 2026, to 120 months in prison by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $46.4 million.
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.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Cleland previously pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025, and admitted that he and his coconspirators Bruce Jin, Age 61, and Carlos A. Grijalva, age 60, both of Los Angeles, California, along with other unnamed coconspirators, conspired to obtain state unemployment compensation funds, and other public funds, through fraudulent means. Cleland, Jin, Grijalva, and others entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment. The funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits. Economic Impact Payments, or “stimulus payments,” were also obtained through fraudulent means.
Unnamed members of the conspiracy, including some believed to be located in China, established thousands of accounts at banks across the United States using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims. From there, fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts, including accounts in the names of people residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. These fraudulent UC claims were also generated by fraudsters based in China. As a result of this fraudulent activity, millions of dollars in fraudulent UC payments were made by Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and other states.
After UC funds were paid out, they were then transferred from identity theft victims’ accounts to companies controlled by Cleland, Jin, and Grijalva. For instance, Jin, through companies that he controlled known as Ample International and Jin Commerce, received over $12 million in UC funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. In addition, the defendants used ACH processing—a type of electronic bank-to-bank transfer—to obtain over $45 million in fraudulent funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. This money mostly went from the accounts of identity theft victims to companies controlled by Cleland and Grijalva, including MexUS Service, Group Mex USA, CCB Group, GC Accounting, and CLECO. After that, Cleland and Grijalva transferred over $30 million to Jin’s companies and over $6 million to a company controlled by an associate of Jin.
After Jin received the fraudulent funds, either from identity theft victims’ accounts or from Cleland and Grijalva through ACH processing, he then made international wire transfers totaling over $35 million to a bank account associated with a company in China, which is known in the Indictment as “COMPANY 2.” Jin also transferred over $2 million directly to the individual in China who controlled that company, who is referred to as “COCONSPIRATOR 2” in the Indictment.
Cleland was also ordered to pay approximately $46.4 million in forfeiture.
“Brian Cleland and his co-conspirators stole millions from struggling Americans during a national emergency — hiding behind fake businesses while robbing the American people of crucial unemployment benefits and other public funds. Deplorable schemes like this end now,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to those who attempt to exploit tax-payer funded programs; The Office of Inspector General, our law enforcement partners, and Vice President Vance’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud — will find you, investigate you, and hold you accountable to the highest extent of the law.”
"Fraud schemes targeting the funds which aid the American people undermines the programs built to support those in need," said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains committed to protecting the integrity of these programs and pursuing those who exploit them through fraud and deception.”
Jin was sentenced on April 30, 2026, to 144 months in prison and was ordered to forfeit over $59 million in US currency, along with other properties. Grijalva has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe and U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick B. Gushue prosecuted the case.
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Bangor Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Bradley Bellfleur, 33, to six years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Bellfleur pleaded guilty on July 23, 2024.
According to court records, Bellfleur was enrolled in the Penobscot Adult Treatment and Recovery Court in Bangor as part of his sentence for a 2022 burglary conviction. While enrolled in that court, investigators received information that he was trafficking fentanyl. A search of his residence recovered fentanyl and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Additional evidence—such as messages obtained from his cellular phones—showed that Bellfleur was working with individuals from Massachusetts and obtaining fentanyl on a regular basis for distribution in the Bangor area. Bellfleur was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in 2016.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated this case, with assistance from the FBI, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police, the Bangor Police Department, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office.
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. The Maine HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; IRS-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Border Patrol; Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.
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Baltimore County Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm Charges in HSTF CaseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore County man pled guilty in court today, to drug and firearm charges in connection with a federal drug surveillance operation.
Jacque “Hammer” Brown, 50, of Randallstown, Maryland, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, after authorities caught him with fentanyl during a traffic stop.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to the guilty plea, in March 2025, the DEA began investigating Brown after learning that he was dealing fentanyl in the Baltimore region. After investigators identified Brown’s vehicles and Randallstown residence, the court authorized law enforcement to install a GPS tracker on his vehicles and a “ping” order on his cellular telephone.
In April 2025, investigators observed a meeting between Brown and his drug supplier. It appeared that Brown engaged in a re-up with his supplier. A few days after the meeting, investigators saw Brown meet with multiple suspected drug customers throughout the day. Then law enforcement observed Brown leave his residence that evening with a plastic bag of suspected drugs. When Brown left in his vehicle, investigators initiated a traffic stop.
During the traffic stop, a K-9 officer responded to the scene, scanned the vehicle, and positively detected the presence of narcotics. After the positive alert, Brown, who was standing with a patrol officer, attempted to flee. As he fled, Brown threw a clear plastic bag. Then investigators quickly apprehended Brown, placing him under arrest.
After apprehending Brown, investigators retraced his steps and discovered a clear plastic bag that contained 15 grams of fentanyl on the ground. Officers also recovered a cellphone from Brown and three additional cellphones from his vehicle.
Following Brown’s arrest, law enforcement executed a search warrant on his Randallstown residence. Investigators searched Brown’s room, recovering 500 grams of fentanyl in multiple plastic bags; multiple digital scales; a hydraulic press; and sifters with drug residue. Law enforcement also found two firearms, a loaded 9mm Ruger and a Mossberg Maverick 12-gauge shotgun. Brown, who is a convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Additionally, investigators searched one of Brown’s phones and discovered messages between Brown and his fentanyl supplier. The messages revealed that Brown and his fentanyl supplier discussed the high potency of the fentanyl, and that Brown infused cutting agents in the narcotic to reduce the risk of overdosing.
Brown faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and 15 years for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson set sentencing for Tuesday, July 21, at 2:30 p.m.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Baltimore comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA); the Maryland State Police (MSP); the Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
This case is also 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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BCPD, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Miner and Ari D. Evans who are prosecuting this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Australian Man Caught in Arkansas Sting Operation Sentenced to More Than 28 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – An Australian permanent resident was sentenced on May 12, 2026, to 345 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole to be followed by lifetime supervised release for distributing child pornography and possessing a phone containing child pornography. 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, Gabriel Perkhofer, age 48, communicated with an undercover officer posing as the mother of two minor daughters. During the communications, Perkhofer described sexual acts that he wanted to perform and explicit images he wanted to produce with the minor daughters and sent two files of child pornography to the officer. Perkhofer thereafter traveled from Missouri to Arkansas to meet the “mother” and was arrested for state law violations. A subsequent review of Perkhofer’s phone revealed a large, years-long collection of child pornography and extensive communications between Perkhofer and other child pornography offenders.
Perkhofer was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in July of 2024 and entered a plea of guilty in December of 2025.
U.S. Attorney Kimberly D. Harris of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Williams, Devon Still, and Dustin Roberts 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.
21-Year-Old Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A man was arrested on May 12, 2026, in the state of Minnesota on criminal charges related to child exploitation.
According to court documents, in August 2024, Roberto Gadiel León-López, then 19, transported a then 13-year-old female minor, from her house to another location, with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
An investigation was initiated by law enforcement authorities related to this incident and, on April 15, 2026, a federal Grand Jury returned a one count indictment charging León-López with transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a). An arrest warrant was issued and, on May 12, 2026, León-López was arrested in Minnesota following a traffic stop. The defendant had his initial appearance on May 13 and is scheduled to have a detention and identity hearing on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Minnesota. He is expected to be transferred to the District of Puerto Rico after the scheduled hearings for further criminal proceedings.
“Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will prosecute criminals who exploit our children to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Protecting children from exploitation and abuse remains one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” said Carlos R. Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This arrest reflects the relentless work of our agents and law enforcement partners to identify offenders, locate them wherever they may be hiding, and ensure they are brought to justice. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue the protection of vulnerable children and prosecution of those who would seek to harm them.”
If convicted, Roberto Gadiel León-López faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum penalty of up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Wednesday 13 May 2026
York Man Sentenced to 210 Months’ Imprisonment for Offenses Relating to Death of A Five-Year-Old BoyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Adrian Moye, age 34, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 210 months’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on August 20, 2019, Moye left a five-year-old boy unattended in a vehicle parked on East Philadelphia Street in York. Moye’s loaded handgun was also in the vehicle. The gun was accidentally discharged, killing the five-year-old boy. Moye was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including drug-trafficking offenses. A subsequent investigation revealed that Moye also possessed cocaine for distribution.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the York City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
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Wyola man pleads guilty to sex offenseRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Wyola man who sent inappropriate text messages, photos, and videos to a minor admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Truman Frank Jefferson, Jr., 50, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement. Jefferson faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for September 29, 2026. Jefferson remained detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in June 2024 law enforcement responded to a home in Lodge Grass for a trespass complaint regarding Jefferson. There, 16-year-old Jane Doe disclosed Jefferson had been sexually harassing her for years. Jane Doe reported she began receiving inappropriate text messages, photos, and videos from him years earlier.
Doe described multiple instances when Jefferson messaged her to come see him and then requested she touch his exposed penis. Jane Doe said one of those incidents occurred when she was 14 or 15 years old in Bozeman when Jefferson sent her a text message instructing her to come outside to his vehicle because he had a present for her. Once she was close to him, Jane Doe observed his exposed penis and he told her to “touch it.”
Investigators recovered messages from Jefferson to Jane Doe. One of the recovered conversations was from Jefferson’s cell phone and contained his request to perform oral sex on Jane Doe. Jefferson, in his 40s when he was messaging Jane Doe, knew she was under 18 years old.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks is prosecuting the case. The FBI and BIA conducted the investigation.
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Winooski Man and Woman Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base and FentanylRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Todd Jarvis, 54, and Kylei Brown, 24, both of Winooski, Vermont, have been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl. On May 12, 2026, Jarvis appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Jarvis be detained pending trial. Brown is scheduled to have her initial appearance later today.
According to court records, the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted substantial surveillance of Jarvis after learning from sources that Jarvis was engaged in drug trafficking. DEA’s surveillance revealed that Jarvis was associated with multiple drug-involved locations in the greater Burlington area, that Brown frequently accompanied him on visits to these drug-involved locations, and that Jarvis was making short-duration trips to New York City. These observations led law enforcement to interdict Jarvis on the evening of May 10, 2026, while he was returning to Vermont from New York City. During a traffic stop in Shelburne, Vermont, Brown was driving, and Jarvis was the passenger. A search of Jarvis’ person revealed approximately 510 grams of suspected cocaine base and 24 grams of suspected fentanyl in his vest pocket. A search of Jarvis and Brown’s Winooski apartment occurred in the early morning hours of May 11, 2026, resulting in the seizure of additional suspected controlled substances and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Jarvis and Brown are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Jarvis and Brown face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Vermont Office, thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Task Force 21, the Burlington Police Department, and the Essex Police Department for their assistance.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nate Burris. Jarvis is represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq. Brown is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Williamsport Man Charged with Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Henry Herb, III, age 52, of Elmira, New York, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender upon relocating from Pennsylvania to New York.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that from December 2025 and continuing to April 1, 2026, despite being required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), upon relocating to New York from central Pennsylvania, Herb failed to register his address as required by SORNA.
This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Waterbury Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD McDANIEL, also known as “Shay,” 45, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for trafficking cocaine and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between March and June 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department investigated a drug trafficking organization headed by Robert Harrison, also known as “Firm” and “Lox.” During that time, investigators made eight controlled purchases of narcotics from Harrison and his associates, including McDaniel.
On June 20, 2024, law enforcement executed federal search warrants for locations connected to Harrison’s organization. A search of Harrison’s residence on Frost Road in Waterbury, his auto repair business on Todd Hollow Road in Waterbury, and a recording studio he operated on Woodtick Road in Waterbury, revealed more than 370 grams of cocaine, narcotic pills, four loaded handguns, gun magazines, numerous rounds of ammunition, and approximately $18,208 in cash. A search of McDaniel’s residence on Lone Oak Avenue revealed approximately 700 grams of cocaine, approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, drug processing and packaging materials, a money counter, and approximately $2,450 in cash. McDaniel was arrested on state charges on that date
McDaniel was arrested on federal charges on October 15, 2024. On December 15, 2025, he pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
McDaniel has been detained since March 20, 2025, when he bond was revoked.
Harrison pleaded guilty and, on August 11, 2025, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
Washington Man Charged with Harassing Endangered Monk Seal “Lani” by Hurling Large Rock at Her HeadRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, was charged by criminal complaint on May 12, 2026, for harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Lytvynchuk was arrested today, May 13, 2026, near Seattle, Washington by Special Agents of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Lytvynchuk is currently in custody and is scheduled for an initial appearance on these charges in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington (Seattle courthouse) on May 14, 2026 at 9 AM.
According to the criminal complaint unsealed today, Lytvynchuk was observed and filmed on May 5, 2026 walking along the shoreline in the Lahaina area of Maui tracking the movements of a Hawaiian monk seal, known as “Lani,” as she playfully pushed a floating log close to the shoreline. According to the complaint, Lytvynchuk then picked up a large rock, took aim, and threw the rock directly at Lani’s head. The rock narrowly missed her nose, startling her, and causing her to rear up out of the water. Witnesses immediately confronted Lytvynchuk and told him they had contacted law enforcement, to which Lytvynchuk reportedly responded that he was “rich enough to pay the fines,” before walking away. According to witnesses, Lani remained largely immobile for an extended period of time after the incident, which caused much concern over her welfare.
If convicted, Lytvynchuk, faces up to one year in prison for each charge, plus a term of supervised release. Lytvynchuk also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
“The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity. We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular endangered Hawaiian monk seals, like Lani,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We pledge that those who harass and attempt to harm our protected wildlife will face rapid accountability in federal court.”
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service – Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar is prosecuting the case.
Victorville Man Who Used Instagram to Pose as Teenage Football Player to Sexually Exploit Girls Sentenced to 45 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was sentenced today to 540 months in federal prison for sexually exploiting two teenage girls he met on Instagram, including by posing as a teenage boy to entice them into having a sexual relationship, and for bringing one victim from San Luis Obispo County to Mexico to engage in illicit sexual activity.
Daniel Navarro, 42, of Victorville, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte, Jr., who also ordered him to pay $15,000 in restitution. Navarro has been in federal custody since July 2022.
At the conclusion of a four-day trial in July 2025, a jury found Navarro guilty of six felonies: two counts of sexual exploitation of a child to produce a sexually explicit visual depiction, one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of transportation of child pornography.
According to evidence presented at trial, from at least August 2021 until July 2022, Navarro used Instagram to entice two 14-year-old girls into believing he was “Danny,” a 15-year-old football player from California, using the handles “dn.2021.01” and “dn84831.” Navarro later groomed and enticed the victims into producing sexually explicit images of themselves.
From June 30, 2022, to July 1, 2022, Navarro traveled with one of the victims, an Arizona girl who was spending the summer in the San Luis Obispo County town of Nipomo, to Tijuana, Mexico, with the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents, Navarro had an online relationship with this victim for approximately five months. A review of one of Navarro’s Instagram accounts revealed conversations between Navarro and the victim on the victim’s Instagram account in which Navarro professed his love for the victim and discussed getting her pregnant.
Mexican law enforcement rescued this victim at a Tijuana residence in mid-July 2022.
“[Navarro] was a nearly-40-year-old man making empty promises to dozens of girls in pursuit of his own sexual gratification,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Navarro] lied to, groomed, and manipulated children to get what he wanted most from them: sexually explicit images and sex acts with these children.”
The FBI and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter. The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office provided substantial assistance. The FBI’s Legal Attaché in Mexico City and Mexican law enforcement authorities provided assistance during this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kathy Yu, Chief of Ethics, Trials, and Compliance, and Kevin B. Reidy of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller Recognizes the Law Enforcement Community During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT– In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. The week is observed May 10 through May 16, 2026.
“During National Police Week, we pause to honor the courageous men and women of law enforcement who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities—and especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” said United States Attorney Keller. “Our Office and community are deeply grateful for the unwavering commitment of our local, state, and federal officers who keep us safe while serving with integrity, courage, and honor.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche kicked off National Police Week 2026 by hosting a breakfast at the Department of Justice to honor law enforcement officers and their families, emphasizing a message of "we love law enforcement". He celebrated their daily work, stating that the week is meant to honor the fallen while recognizing those who "keep us safe every day".
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.
In 2025, there were 111 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers that died in the line of duty., representing 25% decrease from the 148 deaths in 2024. Of those officers who died, 53 were feloniously killed. There were 44 firearm related incidents, 34 from traffic related deaths and 33 other causes including health-related, etc. Demographically, the average age of fallen officers was 44, with an average of 14 years of service. Five of those officers who died in the line of duty were from Louisiana.
For National Police Week 2026, a total of 363 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
On today, May 13, 2026, 109 names of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty during 2025 will be formally dedicated during the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil held in Washington, D.C. You can view it livestream:
YouTube: YouTube.com/NLEOMF
Facebook: Facebook.com/NLEOMF
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/company/national-law-enforcement-officers-memorial-fund
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
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CONTACT
Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Loaded Firearm in Downtown Chicago Federal CourthouseRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has charged a man with illegally possessing a loaded firearm in the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago.
JAMES C. LAKE, JR. possessed a loaded semiautomatic handgun on Monday morning in the lobby of the Dirksen Building, which is located at 219 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago’s downtown Loop neighborhood, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The Dirksen Building houses the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the offices of various governmental agencies. It is the largest federal courthouse in the United States both by square footage and number of federal judges.
According to the complaint, Lake approached the Court Security Officers around 7:40 a.m. and placed a bookbag containing the gun, a box cutter, and a jackknife onto the magnetometer conveyer belt. Lake informed the officers that he had a gun and “other stuff” in the bag, the complaint states. Officers searched the bag and discovered the gun with a loaded magazine, the box cutter, 23 live rounds of ammunition, and the jackknife inside its sheath. The seized items can be seen in the photo below.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of IllinoisAn inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service took Lake into custody and seized the contraband. Lake had previously been convicted of a federal felony and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The complaint charges Lake, 53, of Chicago, with illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Lake made an initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday and was ordered to remain detained in federal custody.
The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and LaDon Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alec Smith.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
lake_complaint.pdfU.S. Attorney Dunavant Appointed to Serve on Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has announced the appointment of 18 selected U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Administration’s inaugural Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC), which includes the appointment of U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee. Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Justice Department policies.
AGAC membership is selected to represent the various geographic areas of the Nation and various sized United States Attorneys' Offices, and makes recommendations to the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, and the Associate Attorney General concerning essential matters that are in the best interests of justice, including:
(1) Establishing and modifying policies and procedures of the Department;
(2) Improving management, particularly with respect to the relationships between the Department and the U.S. Attorneys;
(3) Cooperating with State Attorneys General and other State and local officials for the purpose of improving the quality of justice in the United States;
(4) Promoting greater consistency in the application of legal standards throughout the Nation and at the various levels of government; and
(5) Aiding the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, and the Associate Attorney General in formulating new programs for improvement of the criminal justice system at all levels, including proposals relating to legislation and court rules.
The AGAC also establishes subcommittees and working groups in program and subject matter areas that reflect the priorities set by the President. During his prior service as U.S. Attorney from 2017-2021, Mr. Dunavant served on the Violent & Organized Crime, Controlled Substances, and Native American Issues subcommittees of the AGAC.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "I am honored and excited to be appointed to serve on this prestigious committee with my distinguished U.S. Attorney colleagues from across the Nation, and I look forward to working with them to provide critical advice to the Attorney General and DOJ leadership to advance the Department’s efforts to achieve justice for victims, consequences for criminals, support for law enforcement, respect for the rule of law, protection of the U.S. Treasury, and better public safety outcomes for all citizens.”
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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.
Two Foreign Nationals Charged with Fraudulently Using the Trump Name to Scam Victims Across the United StatesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the unsealing of two separate Indictments charging GORAN SPIRIDONOV and KRISTINA JANEVA, respectively, with federal crimes relating to their fraudulent sale of “Trump Bucks”—a fake form of legal tender—to victims across the United States. SPIRIDONOV and JANEVA are both citizens and residents of North Macedonia and remain at large. SPIRIDONOV’s case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel and JANEVA’s case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, both of the Southern District of New York.
“As alleged, the defendants created a fictitious financial instrument and marketed it to Americans around the country under the false pretense that ‘Trump Bucks’ was affiliated with the funding of President Trump’s re-election campaign and other causes associated with the President and the Trump Organization,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “That cannot be further from the truth. ‘Trump Bucks’ has no connection to the President, the campaign, or the Trump Organization. This fraud targets many senior citizens, taking advantage of their support for the President. We commend our FBI partners for detecting and thwarting this scheme. Importantly, this conduct may be ongoing, and we strongly urge anyone targeted not to provide financial information or funds to any entity related to ‘Trump Bucks’ or the fictitious products pictured in this press release.”
“These foreign nationals allegedly leveraged a false affiliation with the President's administration to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from Americans,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI continues to target fraudsters that manipulate our country’s citizens, regardless of where they’re located.”
As alleged in the Indictments:[1]
From at least in or about 2023 through in or about the present, SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and others based abroad have engaged in a widespread scheme to scam victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through the sale of so-called “Trump Bucks.” SPIRIDONOV and JANEVA have each falsely claimed that “Trump Bucks” are valuable legal tender affiliated with President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization. In reality, these products are worthless and have no such affiliations.
SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and other participants in the scheme have each marketed and sold a number of different “Trump Bucks” and other related products to victims, mainly through the use of a certain online marketplace (identified in the Indictments as “Marketplace-1”) and encrypted messaging applications such as Telegram. Scheme participants have fraudulently sold “Golden Checks,” “Membership Booklets,” “Golden Badges,” “Trump Dollars,” “Trump Checks,” “Golden Trump Checks,” and “Diamond Bucks,” among other fraudulent products, many of which are marketed under the “Trump Rebate Banking System,” or “TRB,” banner. Pictures of some of the “Trump Bucks” products fraudulently marketed and sold to victims are below:
SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and other promoters of this scam have each falsely represented to victims that “Trump Bucks” products are affiliated with President Trump, members of his family, members of the Trump Organization, and members of the Trump administration, and that purchases of “Trump Bucks” would help fund President Trump’s re-election campaign and various causes purportedly associated with President Trump. SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and others have also falsely claimed that these products are preloaded with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash that would be redeemable at banks during a Trump presidency. These statements are all lies. “Trump Bucks” products are worthless; are not redeemable at any bank; and have no affiliation at all with President Trump, his family members, or members of his administration.
During the scheme, JANEVA marketed several different fake “Bank of Trump” products to victims. Below is an example of a “Ruby Certificate” marketed by JANEVA, which she falsely claimed was issued by the Trump Organization:
SPIRIDONOV has marketed several other fake “Trump Bucks” products to victims. For example, in the below email, which was later sent to victims, SPIRIDONOV falsely claimed that any victim who purchased a “Patriot Eagle” product could exchange such product for $10,000 upon President Trump’s reelection:
SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and others have each used this fraudulent scheme to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims across the country, many of whom are senior citizens.
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SPIRODONOV, 25, and JANEVA, 39, are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. SPIRIDONOV and JANEVA are each also charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo and Jackie Delligatti are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictments and the description of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Third Sibling Pleads Guilty to SNAP Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A man from Yazoo City pleaded guilty Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in federal court to stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits intended for low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford nutritious food. He is the third sibling to plead guilty to stealing SNAP benefits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Christopher Hill, 43, of Yazoo City unlawfully acquired and used approximately $116,893.48 in SNAP benefits from approximately August 2022 through November 2023, by virtue of his sister’s employment as a Customer Service Representative for Conduent. Conduent plays a key role in EBT processing by partnering directly with state governments to manage the distribution of benefits such as SNAP. SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federally funded, national benefit program to help qualifying low- and middle-income families buy food, thus reducing hunger.
Hill pleaded guilty to Food Stamp Fraud and will be sentenced on August 21, 2026. Hill’s sister, Kizzie Hill, pleaded guilty to the same crime on December 19, 2025, and is awaiting sentencing. Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hill’s brother, Adrian Hill, pleaded guilty in May 2025, and was sentenced on February 11, 2026 to five years’ probation with one year of home confinement.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and United States Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk made the announcement.
The United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Texas man pleads guilty for his role in cross country narcotics conspiracy originating in MexicoRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ian Dyer, 26, of Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.
Between April 2023, and February 20, 2025, Dyer conspired with others to sell cocaine that came from Mexico and was transported from Texas to multiple locations throughout the United States, including Buffalo. His role was primarily that of a drug courier and the receiver of bulk currency for counting. Dyer personally made numerous trips with bulk cocaine to Buffalo, NY, and took numerous trips back to Texas with bulk U.S. currency.
On April 8, 2023, the Ohio State and Highway Patrol seized 18.93 kilograms of cocaine from a co-conspirator who was attempting to transport the cocaine from Texas to Buffalo. On December 12, 2023, Tennessee’s 23rd Drug Task Force seized $100,000 in U.S. currency from Dyer and one of his co-conspirators, some of which currency had come from Buffalo. On May 7, 2024, the Ontario County, NY, Sheriff’s Office seized 9.3 kilograms of cocaine and 3,528 grams of pure methamphetamine from a co-conspirator during a traffic stop. On a typical trip, Dyer or his co-conspirators transported approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine to Buffalo and additional kilograms of cocaine to other destinations.
Dyer was arrested in April 2025, along with six other defendants, including: Winnie Taru Woods a/k/a Ru, Sharron McCullough a/k/a Black, Marlon Holt, Jr. a/k/a Scooter a/k/a Professor, Gary Sudesh Gosine, Sr., Shannell Gosine, and Norman Patillo. Dyer is the third to be convicted.
This case was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler, Donna Duncan, and Jeffrey E. Intravatola. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Enforcement Division. Additional assistance was provided by the Ontario County, NY, Sheriff’s Office, the 23rd Judicial Taskforce, Tennessee, as well as Homeland Security Investigations in NY, and Houston and Austin, Texas.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 9, 2027, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.
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